Do Auto Plants Make Seeds?
Like every other plant autoflowers can produce seeds, but you need male and female plants plant for this to happen. Discover how breeders create autoflowering seeds, what stress conditions lead to seeds forming, and the origins of autoflower genetics. Read about feminized seeds, why propagating autoflowers is impractical, and whether male auto plants exist.
Can auto plants make seeds?
Yes, in short autoflowers can produce seeds. Breeders breed autoflowering seeds by pollinating female autoflower plants with male pollen. This process involves having both a mother plant and a male plant. When the buds on the female plant have been fertilized by the pollen, seeds will start to grow within the flowers. The seeds will also carry the autoflowering trait.
Do autoflowers produce autoflower seeds?
If both parents are autoflowering plants, then yes. However, the seeds produced by any cannabis plant, including 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 auto plant is pollinated by a photoperiod strain, the produced seeds would not necessarily be autoflowers. The more crossing between autoflowers and photoperiods the more the ruderalis ‘autoflowering’ trait would be bred out of the plant.
What makes a stressed 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 disease, it can make the plant enter survival mode. In this situation, the plant’s main goal is to survive 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 hermied
How do you get an autoflower to make seeds?
It’s not a wise choice to stress a plant into self-pollination as this could potentially harm the plant. Breeders use various pollination methods. One popular method is hand https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com/) pollination, where breeders gather 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 better offspring.
Another method is open pollination, where male and female plants are grown together in the same space, allowing natural breeding to occur. A more precise method is targeted pollination, where breeders isolate specific branches of a female plant and brush pollen to those sections 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.
Regular 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 unnecessary.
Where does autoflower genetics originate?
Autoflower genetics trace back to a wild cannabis species called Cannabis ruderalis, which is indigenous to Siberia. The extreme weather conditions and brief summers where it grows have forced the plants to adapt by developing the capacity to flower automatically, regardless of photoperiods. This special trait allows autoflowers to finish their life cycle fast, making them well-suited for regions with brief growing seasons. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since crossed ruderalis with other cannabis strains to develop modern autoflowers that combine automatic flowering with desirable traits like bigger yields and potency.
Image reference: wild ruderalis cannabis plant
How many seeds can an individual autoflower plant produce?
A single autoflower plant can make over 1,000 cannabis seeds depending on the strain and how big the plant is.
Why shouldn’t you clone autoflower plants?
While technically possible, cloning autoflower plants is just not very practical. Autoflowers only have 2-4 weeks in the veg stage and if you propagate an autoflower, it needs time to establish roots and start growing. However, before the clone can establish itself, the plant’s internal clock will trigger it to start flowering. The result is a small, underdeveloped plant with almost no bud production.
So yes, you can clone autoflowers, but you would only produce enough weed for a few joints.
Can you get male auto plants?
Yes, you can get male auto plants. Regular autoflower seeds give you both male and female plants. However, you just don’t see regular seeds very frequently unless you are developing your own strains.