Auto-flowering cannabis seeds provide an exciting growing experience due to several reasons. Unlike the photoperiod plants, which you have to induce the flowering phase, auto-flowers flower when they reach a certain age, irrespective of light exposure. That makes the cultivation relatively straightforward because you can leave the plants under a fixed light schedule (18hours light and 6hours dark) from germination to harvest.

Moreover, auto-flowering plants have a short growth period and do not get as big as photoperiod strains allowing you to maximize your limited grow room. It is easy to see why auto-flowering seeds are popular among new and experienced cannabis growers with such benefits. Here is a guide on how to grow auto-flowering cannabis seeds indoors.

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Select high-quality strains

Producing good quality cannabis buds starts with choosing the right genetics from a reputable seed store like the United Strains of America. To select the right strains, you also need to consider your personal preferences. What effect do you want to achieve from your cannabis buds? If you are looking for a stimulating high, look for high THC strains and if you want the healing effects of cannabis, go for high CBD strains with low THC.

Avoid repotting your auto-flowers

As earlier mentioned, auto-flowering cannabis varieties have a shorter lifespan, so you need to minimize any chances of mistakes and major stressors. Whenever cannabis plants face stressors, the growth slows down or may stall. This is detrimental to auto-flowering plants because they don’t have enough time to recover, unlike photoperiods that you can keep longer in the vegetative stage waiting for them to recover.

Since auto-flowers don’t have that luxury, it is best to start them in their final pot from germination to harvest to avoid the transplant shock. Use large pots with plenty of space for the roots to grow.

Use airy soil

Since auto-flowering seeds don’t have all the time to grow, you need to establish a healthy root system immediately after the seed sprout. You can administer a root stimulant immediately after planting the seeds to support their crucial start. But use the minimum dose to avoid overfeeding the seedlings.

Autoflowering seeds need airy soil with lower levels of nutrients than photoperiods. They also need soil that is not too dense, which might prevent oxygen from getting to the roots.

Therefore, you need to choose a lightly fertilized potting mix for auto-flowering seeds to avoid overfeeding them. The most natural way to modify your soil at home is to use three parts peat moss, three parts compost, two parts moistened perlite, and one part moistened vermiculite.

Use the right lights.

When growing auto-flower varieties, you can leave the lights in an 18hours light and 6hours dark schedule for the whole growth period. It gives good results without consuming too much energy. LEDs lights are the best grow lights because they use less energy than HPS lights saving you more costs in the long run. Having LED grow lights equipped with UV lights makes for better potency and taste.

Control your watering

Just like you need to be careful with feeding your cannabis plants, you also need to watch your watering. Overwatering the plants can lead to soggy roots increasing the chances of root rot or fungi growth. You should only water your cannabis plants when needful.

Ideally, allow sufficient time between waterings. If using potted plants, an excellent method to use is to lift them. There is a whole lot of difference between a dry potted plant and once saturated with water—only water when the pot is light, and the topsoil has dried. Keep in mind that overwatering your cannabis plant is more dangerous than underwatering.

Keep the correct PH level of the water.

A cannabis plant can only absorb the nutrients when the soil around the root system has the right PH level. The right PH level is 6.0-7.0. if you are using a different grow media such as coco, the PH level of your water should be lower at 5.5-6.5. Note that if the PH levels of your water are not right, which is most likely if you use tap water, your plants will not absorb the maximum nutrients they need during their short growth period. With PH up and PH down products and a PH meter, you can control the PH levels of your water.

Ensure good humidity, airflow, and temperature in the grow room

You need to provide your auto-flowering plants with maximum airflow in the grow room. You can use a ventilator to ensure that the humidity stays low to prevent any chances of mold growth. Maintain the temperature at 21degrees Celcius because extremely cold or hot temperatures can stress the plants leading to low yields. Maintain the humidity at 40-50% for an optimal growing environment.

Don’t plant train auto-flowers

It is not recommendable to plant train your auto-flowering plants because they have a shorter lifespan. The only training you can do with auto-flowers is low-stress training, whereby you meticulously bend and tie down your plants so that all the bud parts are exposed to light. However, you need to be gentle to avoid breaking the plants.

Flush out excess nutrients

The purpose of flushing your auto-flowers is to produce pure and better-tasting buds. You don’t want to produce buds with the chemicals you have used throughout the growth period. When flushing your plants, only administer PH modified water in the last 2weeks to harvest.

Harvest gradually

Rather than harvesting all your buds at once, you can harvest them gradually because higher chances are that the top buds mature earlier than the bottom ones due to light exposure. Allow the lower ones some more days to ripen before harvesting.

Take advantage of multiple harvests.

With auto-flowers, you can take advantage of the perpetual harvest method. You can have different plants at different stages of growth at any given time for an ever-ending supply of quality buds. The best thing about auto-flowering plants is that you can fit plants in various stages of growth in the same grow room. Offset the germination by 2-4weeks so that when you are harvesting, the other batch is waiting in line to flower.