Things To Know About Growing Autoflower Cannabis

The cultivator in this video lists a sequence of tips for growing autoflowering cannabis seeds.

Video Tip #1- Autoflowering cannabis seeds don’t like to be transplanted

-This proclamation is true. Once an autoflowering cannabis seed has been successfully germinated into a seedling it prefers to have as much room as you can give it for the root system to blossom.

Video Tip #2 You don’t want to stunt the growth of an autoflowering cannabis plant

– This too is true. Any undue stress that your autoflowering cannabis plants undergo could slow their growth rate considerably. You’ll notice in this video that the cultivator points out that he starts his autoflowering cannabis seeds in a 7.5-11 litre container, then transplants the seedling to an approximate 20 litre container to finish up.

Well, folks, that’s referred to as “transplanting”, which is what he initially recommends against doing. As do we. The only difference being that we here at Spliff Seeds suggest that you germinate your autoflowering cannabis seeds in the same container that they will be finishing in. And as we mentioned before, autoflowering cannabis seeds enjoy having plenty of room to set root, so we propose using nothing smaller than a 20 litre container for their entire lifecycle.

Video Tip #3 Autoflowering cannabis plants don’t need to be fed nutrients for the first 2.5-3 weeks

-This suggestion for the most part is true. We suggest selecting a soilless grow mix that is branded as “light” due to the fact that autoflowering cannabis doesn’t require a ton of nutrients, and it prefers an airy substrate in which to set root.

We also recommend that you moisten the grow medium in your container entirely before dropping your autoflowering cannabis seed(s) into its new home. Using this method will give your autoflowering cannabis seed(s) enough moisture to meet its nourishment needs for the first 10 days or so. Be sure to use plain water when your autoflowering cannabis plant(s) is ready for its first drink. This will help ensure you don’t cause what is referred to as “nutrient burn”, which would inhibit the growth of the plant(s).

Video Tip #4- You don’t want to hinder the vegetative stage of an autoflowering cannabis plant

-This point is basically the same as tips number one and two, but it’s true as well. Anything you do to slow the growth rate in the vegetative stage of an autoflowering cannabis plant will hinder its potential to produce the maximum amount of fruit (buds or flowers) that it possibly can.

Video Tip #5- Autoflowering cannabis plants don’t respond well to heavy nutrient feedings

-This recommendation is spot on. Autoflowering cannabis doesn’t react well to the high levels of nutrient solution per litre of water that most manufacturer’s of these types of products suggest on their labels. We agree with the cultivator in this video. Once the initial 2.5-3 week period has expired, you can then begin using a nutrient solution designed for the vegetative stages of plant life to help encourage enlargement of your plant(s). But make sure you reduce the amount of nutrient solution you use per litre of water by a minimum of 75 percent of the manufacturer’s suggested quantity.

It’s okay to increase the amount of nutrient solution per litre of water as your plant(s) mature and require more food as long as it’s nothing over 50 percent of the manufacturer’s suggested amount. So, if the nutrient manufacturer suggests you use 20-30 ml per litre of water, merely use 10-20 ml per litre of water. And if you do notice any signs of “nutrient burn”, simply cut back on the amount of nutrient solution you use per litre of water until the health of the plant(s) improves.

Video Tip #6- Tucking the leaves of your autoflowering cannabis plants to encourage growth

-We agree with this suggestion. Although your autoflowering cannabis plant(s) needs its fan or sun leaves to absorb energy from the provided light source, tucking them in will allow for any growth that they’re currently shading to receive light in order to better progress.

Using this method at early stages of autoflowering cannabis’ vegetative growth will help produce more bud or flower sites, which in turn will help improve your overall yields. You can continue to use this method throughout the entire lifespan of the plant to ensure that all the bud or flower sites are receiving as much energy from the provided light source as possible.

Video Tip #7- Autoflowering cannabis plants will perform under any light schedule

-This is something that we would recommend against putting into practice. If you’re serious about achieving maximum results from your autoflowering cannabis seeds, then you’ll want to run your indoor garden’s light system schedule at nothing less than 18 hours on and 6 hours off. Some cultivators of autoflowering cannabis seeds recommend that you run your grow room lights for 24 hours a day throughout the entire lifespan of your autoflowering cannabis crops, but we believe your crops need time to rest.

Giving your autoflowering cannabis crops an opportunity to rest for even a short period of time will help improve the overall growth rate. This is true with any variety of cannabis, whether it be that of the photoperiod variety or autoflowering cannabis. With that being said, we have found that some of our autoflowering cannabis seeds flourish with a light schedule of 20 hours on and 4 hours off. But as we mentioned before, we wouldn’t suggest running your indoor garden’s light system schedule for anything less than 18 hours on and 6 hours off.

Video Tip #8- Keeping your light system at a proper height above your autoflowering cannabis crop

-This too is a good tip for those new to popping crops of autoflowering cannabis seeds. Whether you decide to run your light schedule at 18 hours on and 6 hours off or 20 hours on and 4 hours off, we recommend you provide your autoflowering cannabis crop with as much light as possible without placing it close enough to cause harm to your plant(s).

There are several choices of indoor lighting systems available, so which one you choose to illuminate your ladies will determine how close you can place your lights over your autoflowering cannabis crop.

Settling on the proper height to place your indoor garden lighting system over your autoflowering cannabis crop can be a fickle fiddle to figure out. Determining the proper light height is crucial to achieving maximum yields with each harvest. A good rule of green thumb to follow is keeping your light(s) close enough that your autoflowering cannabis seedling(s) won’t stretch, but not so close that they’ll burn or fry your crop. For example, if you’re using a high intensity discharge (HID) lighting system that is rated at 400 watts you will want to place your light(s) at a minimum of 0.5 meters or more above your autoflowering cannabis plant(s). As your autoflowering cannabis crop begins to grow you’ll want to raise the height of your indoor garden light system 5-7 centimetres at a time in accordance with your crop’s growth rate. Remember, gardeners, we don’t want to slow our autoflowering cannabis seed’s growth rate by any measure, so be sure to follow these guidelines in order to get the most out of each yield.