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Do Autoflowers Produce Seeds? Like every other plant autoflowers can produce seeds, but you have to have male and female plants plant for this to happen. Learn how breeders create autoflowering seeds, what stress conditions lead to seed production, and the origins of autoflower genetics. Learn about feminised seeds, why propagating autoflowers is ineffective, and whether male auto plants exist. Can autoflowers make 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 female plant and a father plant. When the flowers on the female plant have been pollinated by the male pollen, seeds will start to grow within the flowers. The seeds will also inherit the autoflowering trait. Do autoflowers produce autoflower seeds? If both parent plants are autoflowering plants, then yes. However, the seeds produced by any cannabis plant, including autoflowers, inherit traits from both of their parents. Autoflower seeds are carefully bred by hybridizing a regular cannabis strain with a ruderalis variety, which passes on the autoflowering trait. If an autoflower 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 removed from 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 goes through stress, which could be triggered by anything such as nutrient imbalances, physical damage or disease, it can make the plant go into survival mode. In this situation, the plant’s main goal is to survive and keep its genetics going after it dies. While stressed a female plant can produce male flowers or become hermaphroditic, allowing it to pollinate itself. This self-pollination results in the creation of seeds, which the plant produces as a natural response to ensure its genetic line continues despite the stress. Image reference: cannabis plant that has turned hermie How do you get an autoflower to produce seeds? It’s not a good idea to stress a plant into self-pollination as this could potentially damage the plant. Breeders use several pollination methods. One common 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 cross those, creating even better offspring. Another method is open pollination, where male and female plants are grown together in the same space, allowing natural pollination to occur. A more precise method is targeted pollination, where breeders isolate specific branches of a female plant and brush pollen to those sections only. Are auto seeds feminized? No, not all auto seeds are feminized. However, to make your life easier, https://nativesusa.com/ (https://nativesusa.com) all the seeds we stock at Auto Seeds are feminised. Regular autoflower seeds are available and will give you both male and female autoflower plants. However, they are not very popular and unless you are a breeder cultivating regular autoflowers is unnecessary. Where does auto genetics come from? Autoflower genetics come from a wild cannabis species called Cannabis ruderalis, which is indigenous to Siberia. The harsh weather conditions and short summers where it grows have pushed the plants to adapt by developing the capacity to flower on their own, regardless of photoperiods. This unique trait allows autoflowers to finish their life cycle quickly, making them well-suited for regions with brief growing seasons. Breeders such as Auto Seeds have since crossed 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? A single autoflower plant can produce over 1,000 cannabis seeds depending 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 spend 2-4 weeks in the vegetative stage and if you propagate an autoflower, it needs time to root and start growing. However, before the clone can establish itself, the plant’s biological clock will cause it to start flowering. The result is a tiny, underdeveloped plant with minimal bud production. So yes, you can propagate 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 produce both male and female plants. However, you just don’t find regular seeds very frequently unless you are breeding your own strains.