Automatics, the surprise package which continues to surprise

Just 5 years ago most home-growers had never heard of automatic cannabis varieties. Today they account for a considerable proportion of the seeds sold by Dutch Passion. Other seedbanks will also tell you that automatic varieties have become mainstream best sellers.

Just 5 years ago most home-growers had never heard of automatic cannabis varieties.  Today they account for a considerable proportion of the seeds sold by Dutch Passion.  Other seedbanks will also tell you that automatic varieties have become mainstream best sellers. 

Feminized automatics varieties are sometimes known as AutoFem’s or simply called auto’s.  You plant them like a normal cannabis seed, grow them in any system you wish – soil, coco or hydro.  You can set the light cycle to be continuous 24-hour light.  Or 20 hours light followed by 4 hours of darkness.  It doesn’t matter too much, the cannabis seed germinates and starts to flower automatically after 3-4 weeks.  After 10-11 weeks they are normally ready to harvest.  Many regular auto growers routinely get crops of 100g or more.  The most experienced growers can get 200-300g or more from a good auto.  One of the reasons for their increased popularity is that they appeal to a wide range of growers.

Loft growers.  Many growers like to grow their crops in a loft or garage/outbuilding.  These places can be cold during winter months, and for this reason it can be difficult growing traditional photoperiod varieties which require a 12-hour period of darkness.  Heating mats or other heating devices may need to be used to maintain adequate temperatures.  But we have had lots of feedback from auto growers that run their lights 24-hours a day.  Often the permanent heat from a 600w HPS will do a great job of keeping the tent/growroom warm without the need to invest in oil-filled radiators or other heating devices.  Many auto growers tell us that auto’s have allowed them to produce a winter crop from growrooms when it would have been otherwise impossible due to the cold.  

Lots of home-growers combine growing of automatics with traditional varieties to get more buds from the same space.  They start a crop of automatics and after 6 or 7 weeks they germinate the seeds of their next crop, a traditional photoperiod to grow alongside.  The light system can be 24/0, 20/4, or 18/6.  It doesn’t really matter.  But as the traditional seeds grow vegatively the automatics finish blooming.  The auto’s can be chopped after 11 weeks, when the traditional variety in the same tent is 4-5 weeks old.  Then the grower flips the light over to a 12/12 cycle and flowers the traditional variety which will be ready 8 weeks later.  The result is 2 harvests in 8 weeks from the same tent.  And these days most people will tell you that they can no longer tell the difference in smoke quality between a good auto and a good traditional variety.  I can’t and I am a veteran smoker (well, veteran vapouriser these days I guess)

Perpetual auto growers are another category of growers that have appeared in the last few years.  Perpetual auto growers have 1 tent set at a constant light cycle, most auto growers seem to prefer a system of 20 hours light and 4 hours of dark.  Every 2 weeks they germinate a new auto seed (or two) and put it into the tent.  After 11 weeks the first plant is ready to harvest, and every 2 weeks after that the grower can enjoy another harvest.  It’s an ideal system for the medical grower that grows their own medication, and it’s good for the recreational smoker that doesn’t like to run out.  

The arrival of the modern auto has allowed all these new growing possibilities.  And of course, lots of people get great results growing auto’s in greenhouses and outdoors.  One of the reasons for the popularity of auto’s has to be their sheer versatility.  

Occasionally some growers will ask whether you can make your own auto seeds.  We would say it is a small minority of growers that want to produce seeds.  But you can do it, just cross a male auto with a female and you will get a crop of seeds which should all express automatic flowering trait.  If you are really clever you will be able to make feminized auto seeds!

Auto’s are now firmly established among the home-growing community.  Choose your seedbank and variety well and you will be rewarded with a flexible, potent and highly productive addition to your garden.