It’s that time of year again, a pending shift of the clocks is on the horizon for many of us here in the states (How lucky you are in Arizona and Hawaii!). It’s the season for the Daylight Savings adjustment. And on the first Sunday this November, for most of us, it’s time to “Fall” back. This 1 hour shift in the clocks can throw our schedules a curveball, but how does it impact the life of your plant?
First, always remember that plants do not operate with external clocks like humans do, so they are not directly affected by Daylight Savings time changes. Things which may be affected are items like light timers or your personal schedule (ex: do you need to adjust timers to work with your new schedule or power rates?). Otherwise, your plants simply want to continue on their journey and essentially won’t even see the actual “time change” itself.
However, changes in light exposure can still impact plants, as they rely on sunlight (or horticultural lighting) for photosynthesis. This is simply part of their natural life cycle. So, for an outdoor basic grow, as the seasons change and the early fall months come to a close, the days get shorter, the life cycle of the plant comes to a close: it’s harvest time. We obviously control this cycle through indoor growing methods - but it all still follows the same cycle.
So how do plants respond to changes in light exposure? Let’s first define a few categories of plants:
- Photoperiod plants: These plants, such as most vegetables and flowering plants, are sensitive to the length of daylight. They use this information to determine when to initiate flowering. When daylight hours decrease in the fall, photoperiod plants will typically start to flower. You may consider this a standard cycle plant. You directly control the flowering period either by simply following the sun cycle or controlling the indoor lighting photoperiods.
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Autoflower plants: These plants, which are specific cannabis and hemp strains, automatically switch from the vegetative growth stage to the flowering stage based on their age, regardless of the light cycle. However, changes in light exposure can still affect the growth and development of autoflower plants - so if growing inside, you still need to slightly adjust your controlled lighting.
Autoflower strains are created by crossbreeding traditional cannabis strains (sativa or indica) with a variety called Cannabis ruderalis. Ruderalis is a low-THC variety that evolved in harsh climates with short growing seasons. This challenging environment lead to its autoflowering characteristic - it essentially forced its own propagation for survival. During breeding, this trait is passed on to the autoflower hybrids, allowing them to flower independently of light conditions.
What are some benefits to Autoflower plants?
- Automatic flowering: They flower based on age, typically within 2-4 weeks after germination, regardless of the light cycle.
- Faster growth cycle: They may have a shorter life cycle than photoperiod plants. Often these plants are ready for harvest in 8-10 weeks from seed.
- Smaller size: They tend to be smaller and more compact, making them suitable for indoor growing or limited spaces.
- Multiple harvests: Anytime you have a shorter growth period, you can end up with more harvests per year. An autoflower’s rapid growth cycle allows for cycling your room faster. Granted, one may natural induce flowering change when working with photoperiod plants
And how about the disadvantages of Autoflower plants?
Early generations were less stable but modern autoflowers have come a LONG way! In the early days of autoflower breeding, there were issues with instability, with some plants not flowering automatically or producing low yields. Things have dramatically improved with their popularity. Here’s to all of the great breeders out there taking these autoflowers up a notch! Do let us know if you wish to share some good companies or names!
How do you feed autoflower plants?
When it comes to proving autoflower plants with the right feed, we still use the same nutrients. However, we simply need to adjust the feed chart itself in order to shorten the vegetative nutrient supply. This will address the natural shift the plant makes and will provide the flowering nutrients as needed. Transition feedings are very important - and you always want to provide your flowering plants with enough nutrients to push production when they are ready to rock.
Specific to our Success Nutrients Feed Chart, to address the needs of your autoflowers, we recommend removing two of the feeds in the extended vegetative growth. Specifically remove Mix 3 and the second Aggressive feed within the vegetative feed schedule. These simply won’t be necessary based on your timing.
And lastly, just a friendly reminder that all feeding schedules are flexible; you can adjust them to suit your plant's needs. Different strains and growing conditions will affect your grow, so it's important to pay attention to what your ladies are telling you. That's why we recommend a self-watering routine - such a practice helps you get to know your garden better. It's surprising how quickly a plant will show signs of stress if she’s not happy. Sometimes, a simple change in the environment, like a slight change in the humidity/temperature ratio, can send some strains into a frenzy. Don't worry; they'll let you know if something's wrong. Just pay attention to the subtle signs, and you'll be able to keep your garden happy and thriving!
Make sure to stay tuned as we will be posting an edited Autoflower chart shortly in the form of a quick download.