Are All Auto-Flowering Marijuana Seeds Feminized?

If you’re just getting into the growing game, understanding the types of marijuana seeds you’re using is crucial. Auto-flowering seeds and feminized seeds are two of the most popular options on the Canadian weed market. Growers often either love the convenience of auto-flowering, or the potency of feminized (or they’re fans of both). But one of the most-asked questions we receive is are all auto-flowering marijuana seeds feminized?

It’s one of the largest cause for confusion, as it’s not always clear whether some auto-flowering seeds are feminized. Auto-flowering seeds grow without relying on light cycles. Feminized seeds grow like regular seeds (relying on light cycles) and only contain female genetics, hence only producing female plants and buds. If an auto-flowering seed is not feminized, then there is a 50/50 chance that you’ll get male plants as well as female. And those male plants can cause quite a hassle.

So, are all auto-flowering marijuana seeds feminized? These days, yes, most auto-flowering varieties are feminized. Since auto-flower seeds are designed to streamline the process, it makes sense that they’re feminized to even further speed things up and make things as straightforward as possible.

Before getting your hands on the best auto-flowering and feminized seeds on the market, keep reading to discover more about the two most popular varieties.

 

What are Auto-Flowering Marijuana Seeds?

It’s pretty much all in the name. “Auto-flowering” refers to the ability of these seeds to flower in an “automatic” sense. This means that they don’t require regular light cycles to grow, in comparison to other seeds which need these light cycles to develop.

You can also refer to regular seeds as photoperiod seeds, if you want to get a little fancy. Photoperiodism is the response to changes in daylength, which allows plants to adjust to seasonal environmental changes.

So, rather than reaching their final form thanks to light, auto-flowering seeds grow and flourish once the plant reaches a certain age. These seeds do need some light to help them on their way, but certainly not as much as feminized or other seeds. In other words, they aren’t light-dependent.

You may have heard a myth floating around that all auto-flowering seeds are less potent than feminized. Due to new research and advancements, you can find auto-flowering varieties with just as much THC potency as regular seeds. THC is a cannabinoid within the marijuana plant that makes you high, whereas CBD has no psychoactive effect.

Pros

• Ideal for beginner growers
• Fast harvest period
• Short and compact for easy growing indoors
• Not reliant on light cycles
• High in CBD
• Strong genetics

Cons

• Unable to clone (or at least very difficult)
• Reduced yield
• Can be less potent in THC

Are All Auto-Flowering Marijuana Seeds Feminized?

When it comes to the feminized or non-feminized topic, you’ll find that most auto-flowering seeds are in fact feminized. Due to the existing user-friendly nature of auto-flowering seeds, it makes sense for most of them to already come feminized. This makes the growing process even easier, as you don’t need to potentially account time for removing male plants from the mix.

 

What are Feminized Marijuana Seeds?

Feminized seeds are seeds that only produce female plants, and hence are hugely popular among experienced cultivators. They produce huge yields with strong, potent buds, and are much easier to clone. This means that growers don’t need to purchase new seeds each time, and can instead clone their existing seeds that produced the best plants. You know, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

Essentially, feminized seeds eliminate that 50/50 chance of having female or male plants. Male plants are undesirable because they grow pollen sacs instead of buds. It’s these pollen sacs that make the male plants pretty useless (to put it lightly).

Not only can you not smoke male plants, but they can also pollinate the female plants. Once pollinated, the female plants will produce seeds, not buds, so you can’t harvest them to make them into the bud you know and love. This should be left to the real expert growers, as removing the males can be a delicate process.

Pros

• Ideal for experienced growers
• Potent yield
• Stronger genetics
• Only produces female plants
• Cost-effective
• Ideal for cloning

Cons

• Slightly slower harvest period
• Possibility of hermaphrodite plants

Male plants do have some uses. For instance, they can be harvested to make a soft hemp fibre, used for clothes or other homeware pieces.

So, feminized is pretty much the way to go if you want a smoother growing process. That is why most people are looking for an auto-flowering variety that is already feminized. If you’re not sure, make sure to always check the strain’s details to ensure that it’s feminized.

 

Best Way to Store Marijuana Seeds

No matter which kind of seed you’re growing, you need to know how to store it to ensure it stays fresh and survives in time for the germination process. Seeds can be used for up to 10 years if they’ve been stored properly. You should really be using fresh seeds, but that’s to give you an idea of just how important storage is to the viability of your seeds. It’s best to plant your seeds within a year of storage.

• Keep seeds away from any form of light.
• Store them between 4.4 °C and 8.3 °C.
• Control humidity levels between 5% and 9%.
• Keep them in a clean environment to prevent contamination from insects, bacteria, and mould.
• Use Mylar bags or glass containers with an airtight seal. Do not use plastic jars or bags, as these are more porous.

 

Buy Auto-Flowering and Feminized Marijuana Seeds Today

Now you know that most auto-flowering seeds are feminized, it’s time to grow these babies yourself. Make the process easier with some of the best auto-flowering varieties, as well as the best feminized if you’re a little more experienced. To be safe, we suggest always checking each individual strain of seeds to see if they are labelled as “feminized”.