Autoflowering cannabis plants are known to be one of the easiest to grow. This kind of marijuana variety can grow indoors or out because of its easy growing characteristics. Growing autoflowering cannabis outdoors lets you take advantage of nature’s benefits including free air, sunlight, and water. However, there are a few things you must understand about autoflowering cannabis before growing these outdoors. Dutch Passion highlights ways to grow autoflowering cannabis seeds indoors but before presenting these techniques, it provides first-time growers with an insight about autoflowering marijuana. This will help you understand how to grow autoflowering feminized outdoor cannabis seeds as well.
Features of autoflowering cannabis
- Autoflowering cannabis is fast growers and can take only three months to be ready for harvest.
- Autoflowering cannabis is small plants with most autos only waist-high at harvest time.
- Autoflowering cannabis will yield in good sun and soil conditions.
- Autoflowering feminized outdoor cannabis seeds will give you a good harvest of 150 grams per plant. If the environment is cloudier and cooler, you can get from 30 to 50 grams per plant.
- For good quality auto feminized seeds, the cannabis plants you grow will have the same good quality that you used.
Growing autoflowering feminized outdoor cannabis seeds
Most growers stay away from outdoor growing for autoflowering cannabis simply because they want to personally and closely supervise the growth of their plants. There is nothing wrong with this and in fact, this is encouraged for all young cannabis plants. However, there are some amazing reasons why you must try growing autoflowering cannabis outdoors
- Growing outdoors lets you save money
When you grow plants outdoors, there is no need to provide artificial grow lighting because your autoflowering cannabis can get full lighting from the sun. But to avoid overdrying the plant and its soil, place your plants in a shady section of your garden, not directly under sunlight.
You don’t need to water your plants and create a watering system for your outdoor cannabis plants because you can get free water from rain. But if it does not rain on a regular basis from where you are located, you can collect rainwater in large containers and use this to water your plants.
You don’t need to buy expensive exhaust fans and dehumidifiers because you have free fresh air to dry up soil. Air and wind can carry the strong cannabis scent away to prevent it from accumulating in your garden or greenhouse.
You don’t have to purchase expensive fertilizer mixes and nutrients because your plants can easily get this from the soil. But if a test reveals that your soil lacks the necessary nutrients to grow cannabis plants then you must amend this with good nutrients.
- Growing autoflowering cannabis will let you make the most out of your plant’s size
Outdoor growing means that you have a lot of space to spare. Your autoflowering cannabis plants, especially tall and wide varieties, can now maximize their growth potential. You can now have taller, wider and heavy yielding plants to give you a good harvest.
- Growing autoflowering cannabis will let you grow more plants
Because you now have a large open area to grow your autoflowering cannabis plants, you can now grow more and growing more plants equal more yields. So instead of just raising two or three cannabis plants, you may possibly grow ten, a dozen or more plants which will again maximize your yields. A large outdoor area will also let you train your plants in a more efficient manner.
- Growing autoflowering cannabis will give you a chance to grow different strains
Now that you can grow cannabis outdoors successfully, you may now move up to more complicated and even more popular strains. You will now have the chance to learn more about new strains and how to grow these in a more efficient way.
How to grow autoflowering feminized outdoor cannabis seeds
All set to grow autoflowering feminized cannabis outdoor seeds? Here are the steps to grow this kind of cannabis in an outdoor growing area and what you need to follow this simple tutorial:
- Autoflowering cannabis for outdoor growing
- Outdoor growing space
- Soil for growing cannabis
- Water
- Fertilizer and nutrients
- Growing pot or container
- Cutting shears/ pruning shears
Instructions
- Buy autoflowering feminized outdoor cannabis seeds
Auto cannabis seeds and auto feminized cannabis seeds may be purchased in most online seedbanks and from local shops. Purchase only from a reputable supplier. Check out reviews, advantages or disadvantages of your purchase. Find out more about two, three or more online or offline seedbanks or cannabis seeds shops.
- Time to find out if the seeds you have are viable
You don’t have a way to tell if the seeds you are getting from the mail are viable therefore you must use the following strategies.
- Check the color and appearance of your cannabis seeds. Dark colored seeds and seeds with markings such as stripes, spots and patterns are viable. Stripped seeds are called mature seeds and these will germinate in no time. Seeds that are green or white are immature and will never germinate at all.
- Press the seeds or feel these using your thumb and forefinger. Viable seeds are hard, very hard to press. Seeds that can be easily pressed or opened just by pressing on the shell are not viable.
- Place your cannabis seeds in a glass of water and watch what happens. Seeds that float have no viable insides and will never germinate at all. Seeds that will sink have viable insides.
- Germinate autoflowering feminized seeds
Germinate your viable seeds using the damp paper towel technique. Wet the paper towels and remove excess by allowing water to drip from these. When it is damp, place the paper towels on a plate. Place the seeds in between layers of damp paper towels and cover this with another plate. The seeds will germinate when it is dark and damp. Don’t remove the cover or open the plates. You should only open this to check for germination at least once a day.
- Caring for your young auto cannabis plants
Your seeds will germinate after a few days and soon will also sprout. Remove the seeds from the paper towel and plates and plant these in the plant’s final container. The final pot should contain good soil or soil that will work well in growing cannabis. The ideal type of soil is sandy-clayey soil which can retain water and nutrients and will also drain excess water and nutrients as well.
To plant your young plants in soil, let the taproot settle in the soil first. Orient your young plant so that its new leaves and stems can easily break free from the soil. Use the best growing container for your plants. It has to have enough holes at the bottom to drain water and fertilizer.
- Creating a growing area
You must find a suitable growing space in your garden where you will place your autoflowering feminized seedlings. Select a space in your backyard where your plants won’t be directly affected by the sun. The area should have at least a tall fence and clean grounds
If you plan to grow your plants directly from the ground, test your soil first. If it checks ok then you can start creating a hole where your plants will settle. If you are growing more plants, have enough equal distances between holes in your yard so your plants will have plenty of room.
If you are growing plants in a container, provide enough space between containers as well.
- Using fertilizer on your autoflowering cannabis plants
While still in the vegetative or growing stage, your autoflowering plants need a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. This will improve plant health and strength to be able to hold large and dense buds. As your plants reach the flowering stage, use a fertilizer with low nitrogen, high phosphorous and potassium to improve yields.
Water your cannabis when the soil is dry and high. This will help prevent molds and mildew which can cause root rot and bud rot. You must only water once a day but water more than once or twice when the weather is too hot.
- Harvesting autoflowering cannabis
Your autoflowering cannabis will be ready to harvest in 6 to 8 weeks. The way you harvest your cannabis plants determines its major effects. Check the pistils and the trichomes of the buds to indicate the ideal harvesting time. Dark-colored pistils and opaque trichomes mean that the buds are ready for harvest.
Another thing to consider is to never harvest too late because this increases the risk of developing hermaphrodite plants. Hermies have both female and male structures because the female plant wants to fertilize itself as the last resort to fertilize its buds. Growing male sacs or balls happen in hermie plants. This is why you must be very careful when harvesting regular plants and even plants from autoflowering feminized cannabis outdoor seeds.
