Do Auto Plants Produce Seeds?
Like any other plant autoflowers can make seeds, but you have to have a male and a female plant for this to work. Discover how breeders create autoflowering seeds, what stress factors lead to seed production, and the origins of autoflower genetics. Learn about feminised seeds, why cloning autoflowers is impractical, and whether male autoflowers exist.
Can autoflowers produce seeds?
Yes, in short autoflowers can make seeds. Breeders create autoflowering seeds by pollinating female autoflower plants with male pollen. This method involves having both a mother plant and a father plant. When the flowers on the female plant have been fertilized by the male pollen, seeds will start to grow within the flowers. The seeds will also carry the autoflowering trait.
Do autoflower plants produce seeds?
If both parents are autoflowering plants, then yes. However, the seeds made by any cannabis plant, such as autoflowers, inherit traits from both of their parents. Auto seeds are carefully bred by crossing a regular cannabis strain with a ruderalis variety, which gives the autoflowering characteristic. If an autoflower plant is pollinated by a non-autoflowering strain, the resulting seeds would not necessarily be autoflowers. The more breeding between autoflowers and non-autoflowers the more the ruderalis ‘autoflowering’ trait would be removed from the plant.
What makes a distressed autoflower produce seeds?
Stress in all cannabis plants can cause them produce seeds and is really a survival mechanism. When an autoflower experiences stress, which could be caused by anything such as feeding issues, physical damage or illness, it can cause the plant go into survival mode. In this situation, the plant’s main goal is to survive and keep its genetics alive after it dies. While stressed a female plant can develop 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 turned hermie
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 manual pollination, where breeders gather pollen from a male plant and gently brush it onto the flowers of a female plant. The advantage 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 open pollination, where male and female plants are grown together in the same area, allowing natural pollination to occur. A more precise method is selective pollination, where breeders separate 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, https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com/) to make your growing easier, all the seeds we carry at Auto Seeds are feminized.
Standard autoflower seeds are available and will produce both male and female autoflower plants. However, they are not very popular and unless you are a breeder growing regular autoflowers is unnecessary.
Where does autoflower 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 brief 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 complete their life cycle fast, making them ideal for regions with brief growing seasons. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since hybridized ruderalis with other cannabis strains to create modern autoflowers that bring together automatic flowering with useful traits like higher yields and potency.
Image reference: wild ruderalis cannabis plant
How many seeds can an individual autoflower plant produce?
An individual autoflower plant can make over 1,000 cannabis seeds based on the strain and how large the plant is.
Why shouldn’t you clone autoflower plants?
While theoretically 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 get established, the plant’s biological clock will cause it to start flowering. The result is a tiny, underdeveloped plant with almost no bud production.
So yes, you can clone autoflowers, but you would only grow enough weed for a couple of joints.
Can you get male auto plants?
Yes, you can get male auto plants. Regular autoflower seeds produce both male and female plants. However, you just don’t see regular seeds very frequently unless you are breeding your own strains.