How long do autoflowers take from seed to harvest? (2024)

FAQs

How long till Autoflowers are ready to harvest? ›

Some high-yielding strains can even reach full maturity in 5-8 weeks. Overall, autoflowering takes about 8-14 weeks from seed to harvest. This is much faster than “photoperiodized” strains. This is also the reason why many farmers choose to grow autoflowering varieties.

Regular autoflowering plants are small, yielding between 10 and 50 grams per plant. You cannot expect a strain with a fast and short flowering time to produce more than 30 grams but super autoflowers can yield 200-300 grams if you give it the perfect environment.

Autoflowers also grow faster and don't get as big as photoperiod strains. Your buds will be ready for you in a short ~60–65 days from planting your seeds. Since many autoflowers won't get taller than 50–70cm, they are ideal for growing indoors, where space is often limited.

Week 3: Vegetation Well Underway

Week 3 will consist of low-stress training and maintaining optimal conditions. At this point, your autoflower will be well into the vegetative phase. You'll notice new fan leaves forming, which will ramp up photosynthesis.

Autoflowering strains typically take 8–10 weeks from seed to harvest. Some varieties, however, can take up to 12 weeks to fully mature.

One of the most appealing characteristics of autoflower strains is that they have a short lifespan. Their vegetative period lasts for two to four weeks, while most take eight to ten weeks to grow from seeds to harvest, while others take as short as seven and the longest ones take 13 weeks.

Green-O-Matic Auto

With a lightning-quick flowering time of only six weeks indoors and 5–6 weeks outdoors, Green O Matic is regarded as the world's quickest autoflowering marijuana. The quick and long-lasting effects of this marijuana, combined with its mildness, make it a fantastic choice for daytime use.

The highest yielding autoflower is Green Crack . This autoflower produces yields of up to 650g per square meter after only 9 weeks from seed to harvest.

Do autoflowers need a dark cycle? Autoflowers don't necessarily need a dark cycle. You can grow them under an autoflower 24 hour light from seed to harvest. Many people do just that whereas others feel that they get slightly better results with a 20/4 or perhaps 18/6 autoflower light cycle.

And since autoflowering plants have short vegetative phases and often grow shorter than photoperiod strains, you'll typically want to give your autos at least 18 hours of light. This allows for robust growth, without overspending on energy.

What are the cons of autoflower? ›

Autoflower Seed to Harvest Time

Considering the above, autoflowering strains from RQS have a seed to harvest time of between 8–14 weeks. This is much faster than the vast share of photoperiod varieties, however, genetic variation means some strains take longer than others.

Use more light

Autoflowers will bloom regardless of what light schedule you keep them on, so there's no reason to limit how much light they receive. Growers report having excellent results, on a program of 20 hours of light and 4 of darkness. Make sure your plants are getting enough light!

Most reach an average autoflower height of around 50-100cm. The final autoflower size depends on the genetics and the growth conditions which you provide. Sativa autoflower seeds can stretch a little more than indica autos.

When growing autoflowering seeds, the plant genetics determines when bloom starts and not the grower. Most cannabis strains stretch for around the first 2 weeks of flowering. Some stretchy strains will continue to stretch into the 3rd or even 4th week of bloom. Sativa strains will stretch more than indicas.

The most important factor is that you save time while growing autoflowers. And, if you go by the adage “time is money” you'll definitely find that autoflowers are certainly worth it!

Most growers agree that the optimum amount of light to give autoflowering strains is somewhere between 18-24 hours of light a day. As a grower you should adjust the light depending on the cultivar you're growing.

When to start your flush is up to you, but one sure sign an autoflowering plant is ready to go on a terminal diet is yellowing leaves. If your fan leaves have been lush and green throughout, the first signs of yellowing let you know it's time to begin the harvest process and start flushing.

Sour Diesel is the most popular autoflowering strain, and we can see why. The strain is effortless to grow and delivers a good mix of relaxing and uplifting effects. It's a compact autoflowering plant with a short flowering period.

When growing autoflowers outdoors, you require bigger autoflower pots since the plants are expected to grow larger. All the same, you shouldn't invest in an autoflower pot bigger than 15 liters. Autoflowers have a short growing period, and they're ready for harvest before exploiting the whole space in the big pot.

Is it OK to top autoflower? ›

You can top the plant once, or repeatedly, and allow as much time as you wish for the plant to recover and grow. Plants grown from autoflower seeds can be topped, but the high stress training technique will cost your autoflower several days to recover from the process.

In general, if you have little planting experience or are looking for quick yields, autoflowering is a good choice for you. If you want to get the maximum yield and potency from your harvest you can plant feminized seeds.

During the germination and seedling stages, give each plant 3-7 ounces every 4-7 days. During the vegetative stage (when your autoflowers are growing leaves and branches), give each plant 10-20 ounces every 2-4 days. During the flowering stage, give each plant 24-50 ounces every 2-3 days.

The short answer is – you don't have to, but you might want to. It's a fact that autoflowering cannabis doesn't need the same light manipulation as photoperiod cannabis to switch to flowering. The clue's right there in the name, after all.

Yes! Your autoflowers still need food, but considerably less than feminized photoperiod strains.

Seedling Stage

For marijuana seedlings, LED grow lights should be between 24-36 inches above the plant canopy (a plant canopy is: the tallest branches of foliage of your marijuana plants). Seedlings are delicate, and placing lighting closer can cause bleaching or stunted growth.

AUTOFLOWERING STRAINS Produce Results Very Fast

They can go from seed to harvest in as little as 10 weeks, allowing for constant and rapid production of fresh yields. You may think because they grow so quickly, they can't produce the same level of yields as a normal strain, and to some degree, you are right.

Stop Watering 1-3 Days Before Harvest – After flushing, in the final days of harvest, you can further stress your plants by stopping watering. You want to allow the plant to start to wilt just a small amount, because then the plant “thinks” it is dying and as a last-ditch effort, it will increase resin development.

Autoflower Seed to Harvest Time

Considering the above, autoflowering strains from RQS have a seed to harvest time of between 8–14 weeks. This is much faster than the vast share of photoperiod varieties, however, genetic variation means some strains take longer than others.

Should all hairs be orange before harvest? ›

At the absolute minimum, you should wait until 50% of the trichomes are cloudy and 50% of the hairs have changed color. Again — do not harvest if fewer than 50% of the trichomes have turned milky. And do not harvest if fewer than 50% of the pistils have turned brown/orange.

In these cases the low temperature at the end of flowering has affected the plants, provoking a very notable color change and an increased trichome concentration on the buds.

As your autoflowers get bigger, they need more frequent watering and larger quantities. During the germination and seedling stages, give each plant 3-7 ounces every 4-7 days. During the vegetative stage (when your autoflowers are growing leaves and branches), give each plant 10-20 ounces every 2-4 days.

Do autoflowers need a dark cycle? Autoflowers don't necessarily need a dark cycle. You can grow them under an autoflower 24 hour light from seed to harvest. Many people do just that whereas others feel that they get slightly better results with a 20/4 or perhaps 18/6 autoflower light cycle.

To some degree, more light translates to fatter buds and higher yields (you'll need to pay attention to the distance between your grow light and plants or your plant may suffer from light burn). Increasing light intensity is the most effective way to fatten up buds.

Why Keep Cannabis Plants In Darkness Before Harvest? The idea of keeping cannabis plants in darkness for 48 hours before harvest is a classic example of stoner botanist lore.

Green-O-Matic Auto

With a lightning-quick flowering time of only six weeks indoors and 5–6 weeks outdoors, Green O Matic is regarded as the world's quickest autoflowering marijuana. The quick and long-lasting effects of this marijuana, combined with its mildness, make it a fantastic choice for daytime use.

With 5-6 weeks of vegetative growth and around 9 weeks of bloom it can take 15 weeks or more for a feminised strain to reach harvest.

Most growers agree that the optimum amount of light to give autoflowering strains is somewhere between 18-24 hours of light a day. As a grower you should adjust the light depending on the cultivar you're growing.

When growing autoflowering seeds, the plant genetics determines when bloom starts and not the grower. Most cannabis strains stretch for around the first 2 weeks of flowering. Some stretchy strains will continue to stretch into the 3rd or even 4th week of bloom.

How high should my light be above my autoflower? ›

During the flowering stage LED Grow lights should be located between 16-36 inches from the plant canopy. Moving the grow light closer will increase the light intensity which can maximize photosynthesis.