What is Autoflowering Cannabis?

Originally, in the wild, Cannabis is a photoperiod plant. This means these plants have ability to feel when the days are getting shorter as the seasons change and then start their flowering accordingly.

However, that changed in the late 1990’s, a cannabis breeder known as the ‘Joint Doctor’ bred the first strain of autoflowering cannabis.

Autoflowering cannabis does exactly what its name suggests – it starts flowering automatically when it is ready, regardless of the influence of natural or artificial lighting changes.

Pros and Cons of Autoflowering Cannabis

Autoflowering cannabis is easier to grow than photoperiod cannabis, which makes it a great choice for less experienced growers or first time growers. They usually grow to a maximum height of around 60-80cm. That’s handy for people who don’t have access to a bigger growing space. Their life cycle is very short, and they can be grown in smaller spaces.

Due to their small size, yields from autoflowering strains are also smaller then photoperiod strains. Another issue about auto strains is cloning. You can take a cutting from an auto plant and use it to grow another plant, but the clone will still be at the same point in its life as the parent. The result is that the clone will only live as long as the parent does, which isn’t long enough for the clone to produce its own yield.

Both photoperiod and autoflowering strains have their good and not-so-good sides. Which one is better depends on the situation and what the grower wants. But, it’s cool that we live in a time where we can grow good, quality buds without needing all the fancy equipment and knowledge required for photoperiod strains.

Happy growing!