Do Autoflowers Make Seeds?

Like any other plant autoflowers can make seeds, but you need male and female plants plant for this to work. Learn how breeders create autoflowering seeds, what stress conditions lead to seeds forming, and the origins of autoflower genetics. Learn about feminised seeds, why cloning autoflowers is impractical, and whether male auto plants exist.

Can autoflowers make seeds?

Yes, in short autoflowers can produce seeds. Breeders create autoflowering seeds by fertilizing female autoflower plants with 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 inherit the autoflowering trait.

Do autoflower plants produce autoflower seeds?

If both parents are autoflowering plants, then yes. However, the seeds made by any cannabis plant, including autoflowers, inherit traits from both of their parents. Autoflower seeds are carefully bred by crossing a regular cannabis strain with a ruderalis variety, which passes on the autoflowering trait. If an auto plant is pollinated by a photoperiod strain, the produced seeds would not necessarily be autoflowers. The more breeding between autoflowers and non-autoflowers the more the ruderalis 'autoflowering' trait would be bred out of the plant.

What causes a distressed autoflower produce seeds?

Stress in all cannabis plants can make them produce seeds and is actually a survival mechanism. When an auto plant goes through stress, which could be caused by anything such as feeding issues, physical damage or illness, it can cause the plant enter survival mode. In this state, the plant's main goal is to survive and keep its genetics alive after it dies. While stressed a female plant can produce male flowers or become hermaphroditic, allowing it to self-pollinate. This auto-pollination results in the production of seeds, which the plant produces as a natural response to ensure its genetics continues despite the stress.

Image reference: cannabis plant that has hermied

How do you get an autoflower to make seeds?

It's not a good idea to stress a plant into auto-pollination as this could potentially harm the plant. Breeders use various pollination methods. One common method is manual pollination, where breeders gather pollen from a male plant and gently brush it onto the flowers of a female plant. The benefit of this approach is that as a breeder you can select the best female plant and the best male plant and only breed those, creating even better offspring.

Another method is natural pollination, where male and female plants are grown together in the same area, allowing natural pollination to occur. A more controlled approach is targeted pollination, where breeders separate specific branches of a female plant and apply pollen to those areas only.

Are auto seeds feminized?

No, not all autoflower seeds are feminised. However, to make your growing easier, all the seeds we carry at Auto Seeds are feminized.

Regular autoflower seeds are sold and will produce both male and female autoflower plants. However, they are not very popular and unless you are a breeder cultivating regular autoflowers is pointless.

Where does auto genetics come from?

Autoflower genetics trace back to a wild cannabis variety called Cannabis ruderalis, which is native to Siberia. The harsh weather conditions and short summers where it grows have forced the plants to adapt by developing the capacity to flower automatically, regardless of light cycles. This special trait allows autoflowers to finish their life cycle quickly, making them well-suited for regions with shorter summers. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since hybridized ruderalis with other cannabis strains to create modern autoflowers that combine automatic flowering with useful traits like higher yields and potency.

Image reference: ruderalis cannabis plant

How many seeds can an individual autoflower plant produce?

A single autoflower plant can produce over 1,000 cannabis seeds based on the strain and how big the plant is.

Why shouldn't you clone autoflowers?

While technically possible, cloning autoflower plants is just not very practical. Autoflowers only have 2-4 weeks in the vegetative stage and if you clone an autoflower, it requires time to root and start growing. However, before the clone can get established, the plant's biological clock will cause it to start flowering. The result is a small, underdeveloped plant with almost no bud production.

So yes, you can propagate autoflowers, https://nativesusa.com/ (nativesusa.com) but you would only grow enough weed for a couple of joints.

Can you get male autoflowers?

Yes, you can get male autoflowers. Regular autoflower seeds produce both male and female plants. However, you just don't find regular seeds very frequently unless you are developing your own strains.