Editor’s note: Welcome to the launch of our new grow series, Autoflowers. Autoflowers Grow Journal is one of several other grow series Illinois News Joint is launching. The mission of Autoflowers Grow Journal is to educate, inform, and entertain patients and growers who are or may be interested in growing autoflowering cannabis. Autoflowers are different than photoperiods in that autoflowers automatically switch from vegetative growth to the flowering stage based on the age of the plant instead of the ratio of light-to-dark hours. Most autoflowers take around 8-12 weeks to grow from seed to harvest.

Grown and Captured by M. Lasley

Strain: Kushy Chem from Mosca Seeds (Triangle Kush Auto x Chem de la Chem x West Coast OG) 9-10 Week Flowering Time

Strain: West Coast OG from Mosca Seeds (WCOG Auto X WCOG Auto (f3xf3)) 9-10 Week Flowering Time

Strain: Lemon Meringue from Tastebudz Seeds (Auto Lemon Skunk x Cream Cookies) 6-8 Weeks Flowering Time

Strain: Grape Gushers from Tastebudz Seeds (Lowryder #2 x Grapefruit x Grape syrup (Gelato 41 x Grape Kush) 8 Weeks Flowering Time

Sponsors: Aroma Grow LED Aroma Grow LED 320 Watt Basic, DC Seed Exchange, Mosca, Tastebudz, North Atlantic Seed Company

Day: 0

I’ve long enjoyed the thrill of growing cannabis, even in the days before it was legal. I’ve seen indoor, outdoor, hydroponic, and aeroponic setups from one plant up to big outdoor farms, but life gets busy (especially with a growing family and new careers) so it had been more than five years and 1,000 miles my life in Colorado since I had cannabis growing inside my home.

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After Illinois News Joint and Aroma Grow Store sponsored a new Gorilla Shorty tent and the new Aroma Grow LED Aroma Grow LED 320 Watt Basic, the hard work was done for me. Setting up both the light and the tent were simple and a world apart from the tent and light equipment available only five years ago.

ILNJ photo

I started all four of these auto flowering seeds on the same day, in the same way. I used a small seed starting kit I had available from my garden earlier this year and lovingly placed each seed into a pre-moistened soil cube before nestling each into their respective slots.  I loved the vibrant packaging Tastebudz came in and the plastic seed containers from Mosca were high quality. Genetics were procured from DC Seed Exchange and North Atlantic Seed Company.

Overall, I’m excited to start a new grow journey. The quality of the equipment and the genetics are higher than almost anything that I ‘ve worked with in the past, I know more than I’ve ever known, and there’s simply more knowledge available than ever before. Coming from someone that grew in the dark times before, it’s never been a better time to start growing again.

Stay tuned for Autoflowers Grow Journal 2. A Prairie State of Mind.

To view all Illinois News Joint Grow Journals, click here.