Will Cannabis Genetics Be Restricted?

Do Autoflowers Make Seeds?

Like any other plant autoflowers can produce seeds, but you have to have male and female plants plant for this to work. Discover how breeders create autoflowering seeds, what stress factors lead to seeds forming, and the roots of autoflower genetics. Learn about feminized seeds, https://nativesusa.com/ (nativesusa.com) why cloning autoflowers is impractical, and whether male autoflowers exist.

Can autoflowers make seeds?

Yes, in short autoflowers can produce seeds. Breeders create autoflowering seeds by pollinating female autoflower plants with male pollen. This process involves having both a female plant and a father plant. When the flowers on the female plant have been pollinated by the male pollen, seeds will begin to grow within the flowers. The seeds will also carry the autoflowering trait.

Do autoflower plants produce autoflower seeds?

If both parents are autoflowering plants, then yes. However, the seeds made by any cannabis plant, such as autoflowers, inherit traits from both of their parents. Autoflower seeds are specifically bred by crossing a regular cannabis strain with a ruderalis variety, which passes on the autoflowering characteristic. If an autoflower plant is pollinated by a non-autoflowering strain, the produced seeds would not necessarily be autoflowers. The more breeding between autoflowers and photoperiods the more the ruderalis 'autoflowering' trait would be bred out of the plant.

What causes a stressed autoflower make seeds?

Stress in all cannabis plants can make them make seeds and is really a survival mechanism. When an autoflower experiences stress, which could be triggered by anything such as feeding issues, physical damage or illness, it can cause the plant enter survival mode. In this state, the plant's main goal is to reproduce and keep its genetics alive after it dies. While distressed a female plant can produce male flowers or become hermie, allowing it to self-pollinate. This auto-pollination results in the production of seeds, which the plant produces as a way to survive to ensure its genetic line continues despite the stress.

Image reference: cannabis plant that has turned hermie

How do you get an autoflower to make seeds?

It's not a wise choice to stress a plant into auto-pollination as this could potentially harm the plant. Breeders use several pollination methods. One common method is manual pollination, where breeders collect pollen from a male plant and carefully brush it onto the buds of a female plant. The advantage of this approach is that as a breeder you can choose the best female plant and the best male plant and only breed those, creating even stronger offspring.

Another method is natural pollination, where male and female plants are grown together in the same area, allowing natural breeding to occur. A more controlled approach is targeted pollination, where breeders separate specific branches of a female plant and brush pollen to those areas only.

Are auto seeds feminized?

No, not all autoflower seeds are feminized. However, to make your life easier, all the seeds we stock at Auto Seeds are feminized.

Standard autoflower seeds are sold and will give you both male and female autoflower plants. However, they are not very common and unless you are a breeder growing regular autoflowers is pointless.

Where does autoflower genetics come from?

Autoflower genetics trace back to a wild cannabis species called Cannabis ruderalis, which is native to Siberia. The harsh weather conditions and brief summers where it grows have forced the plants to adapt by developing the capacity to flower automatically, regardless of light cycles. This special trait allows autoflowers to complete their life cycle fast, making them ideal for regions with shorter summers. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since hybridized ruderalis with other cannabis strains to develop modern autoflowers that combine automatic flowering with useful traits like bigger yields and potency.

Image reference: wild ruderalis cannabis plant

How many seeds can a single autoflower plant produce?

A single autoflower plant can make over 1,000 cannabis seeds based on the strain and how large the plant is.

Why shouldn't you propagate autoflowers?

While theoretically possible, cloning autoflower plants is just not very effective. Autoflowers only have 2-4 weeks in the veg stage and if you propagate an autoflower, it requires time to root and start growing. However, before the clone can establish itself, the plant's biological clock will cause it to start flowering. The result is a tiny, underdeveloped plant with almost no bud production.

So yes, you can clone autoflowers, but you would only grow enough weed for a couple of joints.

Can you get male autoflowers?

Yes, you can get male auto plants. Regular autoflower seeds give you both male and female plants. However, you just don't find regular seeds very often unless you are developing your own strains.