Autoflower vs photoperiod cannabis seeds
Autoflower vs photoperiod cannabis seeds? If you’re new to growing and cultivating your own crop of cannabis, whether indoors or outdoors, then you may have come across some this terminology and wondered what the hell the difference was between the two.
Autoflower vs photoperiod: which one should you choose?
Here are ten core differences to consider that will help you decide which route to take when selecting cannabis seeds for your first or tenth grow.
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The primary difference between autoflower seeds vs photoperiod seeds lies in their respective dependence on light—whether it’s from our old friend the sun in a nice outdoor garden or any indoor set up where grow lights are being utilized.
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Cannabis plants grown from autoflower seeds enter their flowering period automatically; whereas indoor growers that use photoperiod seeds have to manually adjust the lights during the growth cycle (from 18 hours of light to 12 hours of light)
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If you plan to grow photoperiod feminized seeds outdoors know those strains are weather dependent. In the Northern Hemisphere, outdoor growers plant their seeds between March and June and harvest between September and November.
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With autoflower seeds, you can plant 3-4 crops per year; of course, the variety of strain and the climate of your area affect the number. Photoperiod seeds under direct sunlight—again depending on the area (hello SoCal!)—yield one crop per year.
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If you’re a new grower from let’s say…Ohio, autoflower seeds could be the perfect seeds to start your first grow. Photoperiod dependent strains have longer life cycles, presenting complications with when to sow (blog about when to sow) that can lead to issues with the crop down the line.
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Autoflower seeds typically produce smaller yields than their feminized seed counterparts and the tallest plant won’t be more than 3 feet in height. Morphology and physiology (blog link about morphology/physiology) determine this, thus photoperiod strains will produce larger yields than their autoflower cousins.
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Back to growing expertise, new growers get a slight reprieve with autoflowering cannabis seeds because the plants produced are more resistant to over fertilizations; whereas photoperiod plants require precise scheduling and care when administering nutrients (blog link about when to supply nutrients to your plants).
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Autoflowering cannabis strains are the magic baby produced when crossing sativa or indica strains with a Ruderalis . This combo makes the plants eager and ready to grow in comparison to plants born from photoperiod seeds.
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Autoflower strains can only sprout from a seed while photoperiod plants can also grow anew from cuttings or clones (blog link about feminized seeds ability to grow from cutting or clones). You can keep your photoperiod mother plants around to grow new babies for as long as you need.
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Plants born from autoflower cannabis seeds grow quickly and vigorously, so pruning them during their vegetative stage is very stressful and prevents growers from transplanting them if needed. Plants born from photoperiod seeds are more resilient to transplantation and can recover from any premature pruning.
Hope this helps!
Whether you prefer an indoor or outdoor grow, knowing the differences between cultivating cannabis plants from autoflower cannabis seeds or photoperiod cannabis seeds will help you get the yield you’re looking for.
Either way, Medusa Seed Bank has the seeds you need to get started with your first or tenth grow.
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