As the home-grown cannabis trend continues to pick, the most debated subject is the best strains to plant. It is no secret that superior genetics is a must-have as you start growing cannabis, noting that regardless of your efforts, you’ll hardly get the quality and quantity yields you desire if you choose inferior seeds. As you hit the cannabis seed bank, you’ll come across various options, including feminized, regular, and autoflowering cannabis strains. Autoflowering cannabis gets the most attention, a favorite among beginners, but equally beneficial to pro growers. Let’s take a quick look at the strain and why it is a popular choice among the glowers.

What is autoflowering cannabis?

This is the strain that flowers based on age, not photoperiod. Cannabis is a photoperiod plant, meaning that they start to flower based on the light they receive (less light, such as at the end of the summer or beginning of the autumn is the usual flowering period). The unique autoflowering trait is a characteristic depicted by cannabis ruderalis, believed to be a Central/Eastern Europe and Russia native strain. The strain, unlike the Sativa and Indica, flowers at a given age, meaning that regardless of the light intensity, your plants will hit the flowering phase. The smaller and unique strain delivers a range of advantages, among the top including;

Speedy growth

Following the strain you choose, photoperiodic cannabis takes four months or more to mature. The autoflowering strain has a significantly shorter life cycle. The option can complete its cycle within seven to ten weeks, the same it takes the photoperiodic strains to finish the flowering alone. With a brief vegetative phase and speedy flowering, the strain is ready for harvest eight to ten weeks following germination, a trait that means you can enjoy a lot more harvest per season. Under the natural conditions, you can only enjoy one harvest per season, but with the autoflowering strain, you can get multiple harvests, typically two in most climates.

The best part is that you can also have a perpetual harvest, a significant benefit, especially noting that some states have a limit of plants you can grow. You can have plants at different growing stages in the same room without affecting the yield quality. For instance, you can start with a few plants, and once they begin to flower, introduce the next seeds to the grow area, and as you harvest the mature plants, introduce the next seeds. This means that you can enjoy more harvests, for example, four to six in a year, ensuring that you have enough supply all-year-round. The faster life cycle is perhaps the biggest point of choosing the autoflowering option, and with perpetual harvest possibility, more home growers are taking favor in the cannabis strain.

Resilient strain

The ruderalis strain thrives even in harsh environments, a trait that is passed down to the autoflowering hybrid seeds. The sturdy and resilient genetics, surviving harsh weather and extreme temperatures make it an easy-to-grow strain. The superior genes are also resistant to a range of diseases and pests, including mold that could ruin the yield. This means that you won’t have to deal with numerous challenges along the way.

The autofowering strain also doesn’t demand much nutrition measures. Due to the faster life cycle and small stature, even soil that’s not that nutritious can support its growth without applying much fertilizer. With three parts compost and peat moss, two parts moistened perlite, and one moistened part vermiculite, you can improve the soil and support optimum growth. The hassle-free growing is an incredibly beneficial edge to beginners, as the learning curve is comfortable as they endeavor to become veteran cannabis growers.

Apart from the resilience, growing the strain won’t be that stressful regarding lighting since it is not that demanding. With photoperiodic strains, you have to be diligent, as more light or less at certain stages could compromise the yield quality and quantity. The autoflowering strain doesn’t necessitate light schedule changes to facilitate flowering. For instance, a schedule of18 hours on and 6 hours off can suffice for the entire life cycle. This makes it a hassle-free experience, not to mention that such low light demands save you a lot on energy bills. The resilience and simple lighting needs allow you to realize quality yields with minimal stress, making autoflowering cannabis strain a go-to for beginners and veterans alike.

Discreet growing

Are you worried about nosy neighbors and thieves? Then discreet growing is a significant plus that autoflowering strain delivers. The small stature can be discreetly grown with other plants such as tomatoes in your outdoor garden. The strain typically averages 1-1.2 meters, facilitating stealth growth compared to Sativa strains, whose height averages 2 meters. Whether you intend to grow in a garden bed, cupboards, or balconies, the small stature facilitates discreet growing endeavors. If you are growing indoors but don’t have that much space, autoflowering cannabis is an ideal choice. It will occupy less space, demand fewer set-up requirements, including lighting, and with a shorter life cycle, you won’t be troubled that much to acquire quality yields.

As you choose the autoflowering option, you should also note some of its primary cons. The primary disadvantage of the strain compared to Indica and Sativa is that it has lower THC content and isn’t ideal for cloning. Suppose you are growing cannabis for recreational purposes. In that case, you might not get a desirable hit, but if CBD is your primary need, then autoflowering cannabis is an excellent choice. If you are looking to experiment, including cloning, autoflowering strain won’t be a good match. Due to the short life cycle, there will be little to no time for recovery after making an error, meaning that your experimentation efforts won’t fruition to your liking.