Will Cannabis Genetics Be Banned?
Do Autoflowers Produce Seeds?
Like every other plant autoflowers can make seeds, but you need male and female plants plant for this to work. Learn how breeders breed autoflowering seeds, what stress factors lead to seeds forming, and the roots of autoflower genetics. Read about feminised seeds, why cloning autoflowers is impractical, and whether male autoflowers exist.
Can autoflowers produce seeds?
Yes, in short autoflowers can make seeds. Breeders create autoflowering seeds by fertilizing female autoflower plants with pollen. This process involves having both a female plant and a male plant. When the buds on the female plant have been fertilized by the pollen, seeds will begin to grow inside the flowers. The seeds will also inherit the autoflowering trait.
Do autoflowers produce autoflower seeds?
If both parent plants are autoflowering plants, then yes. However, the seeds produced by any cannabis plant, such as autoflowers, inherit traits from both of their parents. Autoflower seeds are specifically bred by hybridizing a regular cannabis strain with a ruderalis strain, which passes on the autoflowering trait. If an auto plant is pollinated by a photoperiod strain, the produced seeds would not necessarily be autoflowers. The more breeding between autoflowers and non-autoflowers the more the ruderalis 'autoflowering' trait would be removed from the plant.
What causes a distressed autoflower produce seeds?
Stress in all cannabis plants can cause them make seeds and is actually a survival mechanism. When an autoflower experiences stress, which could be triggered by anything such as nutrient imbalances, physical damage or illness, it can cause the plant go into survival mode. In this situation, the plant's main objective is to survive and keep its genetics going after it dies. While stressed a female plant can produce male flowers or become hermie, allowing it to pollinate itself. This self-pollination results in the production of seeds, which the plant produces as a natural response to ensure its genetic line continues despite the stress.
Image reference: cannabis plant that has turned hermie
How do you get an auto plant to make seeds?
It's not a wise choice to stress a plant into auto-pollination as this could potentially damage the plant. Breeders use several pollination methods. One common method is hand https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com/) pollination, where breeders collect pollen from a male plant and carefully brush it onto the flowers of a female plant. The advantage of this approach is that as a breeder you can select the best female plant and the best male plant and only breed those, creating even better offspring.
Another method is open pollination, where male and female plants are grown together in the same space, allowing natural pollination 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 carry at Auto Seeds are feminized.
Regular autoflower seeds are sold and will produce both male and female autoflower plants. However, they are not very common and unless you are a breeder cultivating regular autoflowers is unnecessary.
Where does autoflower genetics come from?
Autoflower genetics come from a wild cannabis variety called Cannabis ruderalis, which is indigenous to Siberia. The extreme weather conditions and brief summers where it grows have pushed the plants to adapt by developing the ability to flower automatically, regardless of photoperiods. This special trait allows autoflowers to finish their life cycle quickly, making them well-suited for regions with brief growing seasons. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since hybridized ruderalis with other cannabis strains to create modern autoflowers that combine automatic flowering with desirable traits like higher yields and potency.
Image reference: wild ruderalis cannabis plant
How many seeds can a single autoflower plant produce?
An individual autoflower plant can make over 1,000 cannabis seeds depending on the strain and how large the plant is.
Why shouldn't you clone autoflower plants?
While theoretically possible, cloning autoflower plants is just not very practical. Autoflowers only have 2-4 weeks in the vegetative stage and if you propagate an autoflower, it requires time to root and start growing. However, before the clone can get established, the plant's biological clock will trigger it to start flowering. The result is a tiny, underdeveloped plant with almost no bud production.
So yes, you can propagate autoflowers, but you would only grow enough weed for a couple of joints.
Can you get male auto plants?
Yes, you can get male autoflowers. Regular autoflower seeds give you both male and female plants. However, you just don't find regular seeds very frequently unless you are developing your own strains.