Will Cannabis Seeds Be Restricted?
Do Auto Plants Produce Seeds?
Like every other plant autoflowers can produce seeds, but you need a male and a female plant for this to work. Discover how breeders breed autoflowering seeds, what stress factors lead to seeds forming, and the origins of autoflower genetics. Read about feminised seeds, why propagating autoflowers is ineffective, and whether male autoflowers exist.
Can auto plants produce seeds?
Yes, in short autoflowers can produce seeds. Breeders breed autoflowering seeds by fertilizing female autoflower plants with male pollen. This process involves having both a mother plant and a father plant. When the buds on the female plant have been fertilized by the male pollen, seeds will begin to grow inside the flowers. The seeds will also inherit 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 characteristics from both of their parents. Auto seeds are specifically bred by hybridizing 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 resulting seeds would not necessarily be autoflowers. The more crossing between autoflowers and photoperiods the more the ruderalis 'autoflowering' trait would be bred out of the plant.
What makes a distressed autoflower make seeds?
Stress in all cannabis plants can make them produce seeds and is actually a survival mechanism. When an autoflower experiences stress, which could be caused by anything such as nutrient imbalances, physical damage or illness, it can make 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 distressed 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 way to survive to ensure its genetics continues despite the stress.
Image reference: cannabis plant that has hermied
How do you get an auto plant to produce seeds?
It's not a good idea to stress a plant into auto-pollination as this could potentially harm the plant. Breeders use several pollination methods. One popular method is manual pollination, where breeders collect 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 choose 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 space, allowing natural breeding to occur. A more controlled approach is targeted pollination, where breeders separate specific branches of a female plant and brush pollen to those areas only.
Are auto seeds feminized?
No, not all autoflower seeds are feminized. However, to make your growing easier, all the seeds we stock at Auto Seeds are feminised.
Standard autoflower seeds are available and will produce both male and female autoflower plants. However, they are not very common and unless you are a breeder growing regular autoflowers is unnecessary.
Where does auto genetics originate?
Autoflower genetics come from a wild cannabis variety called Cannabis ruderalis, which is indigenous to Siberia. The extreme 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 unique trait allows autoflowers to finish their life cycle fast, making them ideal for regions with brief growing seasons. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since crossed ruderalis with other cannabis strains to develop modern autoflowers that bring together automatic flowering with useful traits like higher yields and potency.
Image reference: ruderalis cannabis plant
How many seeds can a single autoflower plant produce?
A single autoflower plant can make over 1,000 cannabis seeds depending on the strain and https://nativesusa.com/ - https://nativesusa.com/ - how big the plant is.
Why shouldn't you propagate autoflower plants?
While theoretically possible, cloning autoflower plants is just not very practical. Autoflowers only spend 2-4 weeks in the veg stage and if you propagate an autoflower, it requires time to establish roots and start growing. However, before the clone can establish itself, the plant's internal clock will trigger it to start flowering. The result is a small, underdeveloped plant with almost no bud production.
So yes, you can clone autoflowers, but you would only produce enough weed for a few joints.
Can you get male auto plants?
Yes, you can get male autoflowers. Standard autoflower seeds give you both male and female plants. However, you just don't find regular seeds very frequently unless you are developing your own strains.