Published on: 25/06/2021
How to grow auto-flowering seeds without expecting fines or administrative penalties?
In many European countries, it is possible to buy auto-flowering cannabis seeds and feminized or regular seeds without legal consequences. The reason for this concession is simple: seeds do not contain THC – which is produced by the plant when it grows.
The sale of marijuana seeds is therefore allowed in most European countries, as we have already said. What is usually not allowed is to give birth to high THC plants: Tetrahydrocannabinol is a psychotropic substance banned in the majority of countries worldwide: the germination of the seeds would therefore lead to the production of an illicit substance.
So, if were wondering how to grow auto-flowering seeds before reading this article, you should know that the only cannabis seeds that can be grown in some European states are E.U. certified legal cannabis seeds – also known as “industrial cannabis seeds”, or simply “certified cannabis seeds.”
These seeds can have very low THC content (less than 0.2%). But regular seeds are therefore to be considered as collectable cannabis seeds and cannot be legally germinated. Today we’re going to talk about growing auto-flowering legal cannabis seeds (or THC cannabis seeds, if you live in a country that allows its cultivation).
Auto-flowering marijuana seed cultivation?
The purchase of cannabis seeds is permitted as collectables. If you want them to germinate, you can read in the following paragraphs on how to grow legal cannabis seeds (but this is only allowed in some countries – the check about compliance with your country’s legislation is a must).
Read also: Growing cannabis seeds: is it legal or not?
Germination of auto-flowering CBD cannabis seeds
The germination of auto-flowering cannabis seeds generally does not require a great deal of effort. However, the seeds need to be ripe; you can tell by their colour: not ripe seeds are green, while ready to germ seeds have a colour that ranges from brown to grey.
Many cannabis seeds are also striped, mottled or have a coloured net that recalls the reflection of the sun’s rays on the water.
However, this is how to encourage the germination of industrial cannabis seeds:
- Soak the auto-flowering seeds in a glass of water or other containers. Water must be sterilized as a preventive measure and at a temperature between 20 and 25°C.
- Slide the seeds under the surface of the water and let them float: they should sink within 4 hours. If some seeds do not sink, you can push them onto the bottom with your fingers.
- The seeds must be in the water for up to 48 hours. During this time, they develop a small root. If you leave them soaking for more than 48 hours, they could rot.
- Once the root appears, you can place the seeds in damp cotton disks (i.e. classical make-up removal pads), precisely between the two layers of a pad. You can also use little porous kitchen paper to prevent the roots from becoming entangled.
- In a few days, the root grows to 3 cm. At this point, you can plant the seed in the soil, outside or inside.
Outdoor auto-flowering are as fast as indoor seeds. Plant growth is extremely rapid, so much so that flowers usually ripen within 11 weeks after seed germination. Therefore, it is essential to plant the seeds on their final pot or ground, as a transplant could lead to trauma and significantly reduce the harvest.
But we’ll talk about it later! Now let’s focus on growing auto-flowering cannabis seeds.
Auto-flowering cannabis plant cultivation (CBD) after seed germination
Outdoors or indoor? Consider both methods of growing and if you have a small greenhouse, prefer using it rather than doing it entirely outdoors.
You need to know that the cannabis plants we are talking about come from automatically blooming seeds, that are not influenced about photoperiod and, therefore, the number of hours of light and darkness they receive! When they reach a certain age, usually 7 weeks, they start to bloom.
A few seeds are called Fast Flowering Seeds, whose plants can bloom and be ready after 7 weeks. Although flowering is automatic, the yield depends heavily on the hours of light received and the type of soil, irrigation, fertilizer, etc.
For this reason, it is essential to plant outdoors in the warmer months, when the plant can get many hours of light, and indoor or GreenHouse, during the rest of the year.
Indoor flowering cannabis growers generally choose a cycle of 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness or 24 hours of light. It is also essential that plants receive light and, above all, organic fertilization (please no chemical fertilizers!).
Irrigation should be frequent and not too abundant. It is better to water a little each day than to let the plants drown in litres of water and leave them dry for several days.
Read more: Sale of illegal cannabis seeds: Here’s what the risks are when buying without warranties.
How much does an auto-flowering plant produce?
Auto-flowering plants perform less than seasonal cannabis, like the one grown from feminized cannabis seeds. On the other hand, they are very small and short flowering, suitable for outdoor, indoor and GreenHouse culture.
We can say that auto-flowering seeds offer a larger harvest that can reach about 550g/m2 indoors and about 300 grams per plant when they are grown greenhouse.
Do you want to buy the best auto-flowering cannabis seeds? Head now to our SensorySeeds online store and choose all the varieties you want!
