How Much Can Autoflower Yield Average Per Plant

What Are Autoflowering Cannabis Plants?

Autoflowers are exactly what they sound like, plants that flower on their own, wich means no lights cycle is needed to kick-start flowering. 

As most growers know, photoperiod plants need 12 hours of light per day and 12 hours of darkness per night in order to begin flowering.

This is because plant needs enough light energy and dark periods to tell it to start budding.

Once plant reaches maturity, it will naturally begin flowering based on length of day and its genetics.

Autoflowers work in way that strains have been bred for shorter life span and ability to flower automatically regardless of lights cycle or length of day.

Benefits Of Autoflower Seeds

Autoflower plants differ from photoperiod cannabis in one simple way. 

While photoperiod varieties need change in season or longer to flower, auto flowers start to flower automatically without any changes in lights cycle.

When photoperiod plants are 12/12, they will grow vegetatively and start to bloom when they recieve only 12 hours of lights per day. 

Autoflowers, on other hand, will grow vegetatively until they reach certain age and size, and then they will start flowering on their own.

Which is main advantage of autoflower plants. They can be grown for much shorter time period compared to photoperiod crops that take longer to mature. 

Autoflower seeds have several benefits over traditional photoperiod (non-autoflowering) seeds:

• Faster growth: Autoflowers strains tend to have shorter overall lifecycles, meaning they go from seed to harvest in shorter period of time than photoperiod strains.
• Ease of growing: Autoflowers don’t require change in lights cycle to initiate flowering, making it easier for beginner growers to grow.
• Discreet: Autoflowers can be grown quickly, making them great choice for those looking to cultivate cannabis stealthily or discretely.
• Increased yields: Some cannabis autoflowers strains can produce higher yields than their photoperiod counterparts, despite having shorter life cycles.
• Multiple harvests: Autoflowers can be grown in a continuous cycle, allowing for multiple harvests in one growing season, which is impossible with photoperiod strains.
• Climate flexibility: Autoflowers can grow in various climates and weather conditions, making them a good option for outdoor growers in regions with shorter growing seasons.

It’s worth noting that the potency and aroma of autoflowering strains may differ from those of photoperiod strains, so it’s important to choose a strain that meets your personal preferences.

How Much Are Average Autoflowering Yields

In following guide, we’ll take look at actual autoflower yields that real growers are achieving with autoflower.

In addition to outdoor and indoor results, we’ll also provide average crop of autoflower harvest periods.

Outdoor Autoflower Plants Yield

Autoflowers take less time to flower and need less nutrients than photoperiod plants.

For this reason, they are perfect for outdoor growing cannabis where weather is unpredictable, and you can’t feed your plants more than once every couple of weeks.

Outdoors autoflower plants give crop between 3 – 8 oz per plant outdoors in good conditions, depending on strain. Sativas yield bit more than Indica, but both can produce up to 8 oz per plant under right conditions oudoors.

Autoflower Yield Per Plant Indoor

Autoflowers are definitely not worse than photoperiod. In fact, they have few advantages when it comes to indoor growing cannabis.

Because autoflower don’t need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, you can put your lights on at any time of day and take them off at any time of day!

No more messing around with curtains or running risk of disturbing your neighbors by leaving grow lights on at night. Because of this, you can get better control over light cycle of your plants.

Depending on strain and setup, one plant can yield around 1 – 2 oz/ft² indoors. Outdoors, crop is between 3 – 8 oz/ft² per plant. 

How To Get High Yields From Autoflowering Strains?

Since autoflowers don’t need to wait for light cycle to start flowering, they naturally have shorter life cycles.

That often means that crop per plant is lower than photoperiod strains.

However, there is number of ways you can improve your autoflower yield potential:

• Plant multiple small autos instead of few big ones. Bigger plants consume more light and nutrient, so fewer can be placed in grow room or greenhouse.
• Use training techniques to increase number of flowers. Scrogging or low-stress training (LST) can help you get many more main buds from single auto.

Differences Autoflowering vs. Photoperiod Yields

In our experience, most autoflower yields will have crop between 50 to 200 grams per plant.

However, some exceptional autoflower yields can reach 400 grams per plants yield.

Most photoperiod plants will yield more than autoflowers because they get longer grow time to mature their buds.

For a comprehensive comparison of autoflower and photoperiod plants, explore our in-depth guide.

Autoflower vs. Feminized Plants Yield

Autoflowers are simpler to grow and less demanding in terms of light, nutrients, humidity and water requirements. This, however, comes with trade-off of lower crop.

For comparison, most photoperiod feminized strains are yielding around 12 – 21 ounces per m2 when grown indoors under 600w full spectrum lamp.

Autoflowers yield between 3 – 8 ounces per m2 when grown under same conditions.

Crop difference between autoflowers and feminized photoperiod cannabis is not surprising as one is designed to be easy to grow while other is designed to produce high crop amounts.

Factors Affecting Yield Autoflowering Cannabis

Every cannabis has same basic needs to grow big and produce high amount of buds.

Autoflowers are no exception. They need light, warmth, humidity, and nutrients to thrive.

However, autoflowers have shorter life cycles and grow significantly faster than photoperiod strain.

This means they need less time to mature, but it also means that less time for growing means less time for producing buds.

That is why most autoflowers don’t produce as much harvest as photoperiod strain do. However, there are ways to maximize your yield with autoflowers.

Genetics

Autoflowers are not relatively new to cannabis scene.

However, growers can expect some high top-quality autoflowers to emerge in future.

Autoflowers genetics will have significant impact on your crop.

Some cannabis produce more crop than others.

More important than simple number of grams per meter squared is ratio of THC to CBD. High yielding strain usually have more THC and less CBD, but this is not always case.

Environment

Enviromental factors can have significant influence on your crop.

It’s, therefore, important to create suitable conditions and humidity for optimal growth and flowering for your weed seeds.

Light

High light levels, high yield. Amount of light plant receives significantly affects its growth and development, including its final height and crop amount.

Of course, cannabis need certain minimum amount of light to survive, but more light means more buds.

Some autoflowers perform in low-light environments, but many perform best in full spectrum lights that provide both blue and red wavelengths.

Temperature

As with all other types of cannabis, temperature significantly affects crops.

Ideal flowering temperature is 18° – 23°C. Best range for vegetative growth is 20° – 27°C.

Lower growing temperatures lead to more extended vegetative period, which means longer overall grow time and larger steam.

High flowering temperatures lead to shorter flowering periods and smaller steam.

Humidity

Humidity is measure of water vapor present in air, expressed in percentages.

Ideal humidity for growing cannabis is around 70%.

If humidity is too high, autos won’t be able to ‘breathe’ and excess moisture could build up on foliage and risk mold.

Autos will have difficulty absorbing water from soil if it’s too dry, and roots can become damaged.

Make sure you keep your grow room well-ventilated and humidity optimal, so it doesn’t get too dry or humidity too high.

Nutrients

Autoflowers are fast growers, but they still need some basic nutrients that photoperiod cannabis do.

Major nutrients include Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).

These three elements are primary macronutrients, meaning that cannabis needs them in large quantities for general growth and development.

Secondary macronutrients are Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), and Manganese (Mn).

Micronutrients include Boron (B), Chlorine (Cl), Iron (Fe), Molybdenum (Mo), Zinc (Zn), and Sulfur (S).

Each of these elements is essential for plant’s health and proper functioning.

Nutrient deficiencies can have detrimental effects on crop, so it is important to know what they look like so you can prevent them.

Macro And Micro Nutrients

Autoflower growers have shorter growth cycles than photoperiod, which is why they need to ensure that their cannabis receive every single nutrient they need in the shortest time possible.

Macronutrients are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Micronutrients include magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, and dozen others.

Though autoflower have different needs than their photoperiod counterparts, they still need all same macro and micronutrients that all other cannabis need.

These include vitamins (B complex and C) and some heavy metals like selenium.

Auto don’t have time to store nutrients like photoperiod ones, so they need access to rich soil and well-balanced nutrient solution.

This will provide them with all neccessary macro and micronutrients they need to produce maximum crop.

Nutrient Deficiencies And Their Effects On Yields

Like every other living organism, cannabis require specific nutrients to thrive.

Most of these come from soil and air.

However, if proper nutrients aren’t available in soil, you will need to provide them to your cannabis via fertilizers or by simply providing them with additional water.

Although cannabis take time to show signs of deficiencies, they can greatly affect your yields.

You’ll want to be able to recognize most common nutrient deficiencies and know how best to rectify them before harvest time.

Maximizing Autoflowering Cannabis Yield

To get most out of your autoflowering plants, it is important to know how to maximize their yields.

Understanding some basic concepts related to yield and applying right strategies can increase your yields significantly.

Choosing The Right Strain

Autoflowering strains differ in their response to various stresses, including light and nutrients.

Some are more sensitive than others to these stressors, meaning they will yield more if treated well.

Choosing right strain for your needs is key to maximizing yields.

When choosing right strain, make sure you look at autoflowering characteristics of particular strain before looking at its effects or other characteristics. 

This is most important step in maximizing your yields, as choosing right strain for task can be difference between great yield and record-breaking yield.

While many auto strain produce respectable amounts of bud, some truly excel at it, and these are best choice for those looking to top yields. Here is short list of top yielding autoflower strains:

• Gorilla Glue
• Devil XXL auto
• White Widow
• Northern Lights
• Bruce Banner
• Blueberry auto
• OG Kush
• Gelato
• Blue Dream auto
• Sour Diesel
• Critical Purple
• BubbleGum Autoflower Seeds
• Lowryder
• Girl Scout Cookies
• Auto Jack Herer seeds
• Afghan auto seeds
• Grand Daddy Purple
• Zkittlez
• Kyle Kushman Joey’s Strain

Of course, many more strain also do well at producing buds.

However, choosing right XXL Autoflower yield strain for your growing environment is essential and can make a big difference in final harvest.

After all, it’s not only one factor that determines yield but combination of all of them working together.

Optimal Growing Conditions

Autoflowering cannabis strain are very adaptive and will survive in various environmental conditions.

However, growing great autoflower strain requires certain conditions to be met if you want best possible yield.

Many autoflower growers underestimate importance of these factors and end up with smaller yields due to this fact. 

Although autoflowering plants are more resistant than photoperiod, they can’t withstand some environmental conditions as photoperiod. 

If you want to maximize your yield from each plant, you will have to pay attention to following:

• Temperature: Optimal temperature for growth is between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Humidity: Relative humidity (RH) will be fine between 40% and 70%. Don’t let your cannabis dry out or overwater them.

Proper Nutrient Management

Autoflower growers have much less time to react to nutrient deficiencies than regular cannabis.

Because of this, it is important to keep close eye.

Check leaf color and plant overall for signs of nutrient deprivation or stress.

Once you start flowering stage, make sure that you aren’t overfeeding.

Doing so can lead to waste of valuable nutrients and can cause issues down road.

Instead, experiment with different feeding schedules and feeding methods (such as hydroponics) until you find what works best for your setup.

Pruning And Harvest

Last but not least, one of best ways to increase yield of your autoflowering cannabis plants is by harvesting at right time.

As mentioned before, most autoflowering strains finish around 80 days.

Best way to determine readiness is by looking at trichomes.

These small outgrowths contain crystals that form when the plant is ready to be harvested.

These little outgrowths come in many different shapes and sizes, but it’s easiest just to say that smaller trichome is, more mature it is and more potent your buds will be.

That’s why some growers use magnifying glass or jeweler’s loupe to look closer at their trichomes. That way, you can tell when you should harvest your crop.

Auto Cannabis Plants Training Techniques

When growing indoors in your grow tent or other grow space, you’ll have some control over your cannabis plants size.

This is because you can adjust length of light reaching plant. 

If two marijuana are  not both of same height, taller one will get most light and will be main bud site. You don’t want this to happen!

Instead, you want to create an even canopy of leaves above plant so that buds are all equally exposed to light.

This way, they’ll all grow perfectly. But how do we achieve this?

There are various methods to create nice, even canopy.

Most people start using these techniques when they see first leaves appearing.

Topping

Topping is one of most common and easiest ways to increase crop from single stem cannabis plants.

It’s also one of most proven methods, as it can increase harvest anywhere from 20-50% depending on strain.

You remove top part of main stem above second node.

This causes two new stems to grow from that position, which will then develop into two more stems, and so on. You end up with many secondary branches.

These smaller branches are more bushy than main stem so that more light can be captured, and more bud sites are formed.

When done right, this is great way to boost your yields.

Topping is sometimes better way to train than fimming. Although both methods remove main shoot, topping removes entire main top, whereas fimming only prunes it.

Topping can be done earlier in life of plant, and will stimulate many main tops to grow.

This technique should only be used on Sativa dominant seeds or Indicas seeds that are bred for their high yields.

Plants will grow more wide than tall with this method, and yield will be slightly less than from fimming.

But, it may also increase overall yield by forcing plants to use all energy into more bud sites rather than growing taller towards light source.

Fimming

Fimming is pretty much same as topping, only difference is that you leave small branch on each main stem. This will cause plants to grow more sideways than upwards.

Plant will produce many side branches and few tops. Fimming is good way to increase yield of small plants or for beginners to get feel for pruning technique.

Fimming is also done during 3-4 weeks after transition stage. 

LST (Low Stress Training)

This is very useful technique for increasing yield of your autoflower plants.

It involves gently bending main stems of plant down to horizontal plane so all colas are at same height.

You then tie main stems to stakes, and they will stay in position until harvesting time.

This technique is great because it allows light to reach all colas of plant, allowing it to produce more resin and THC.

In return, this will increase your crop considerably.

SCROG (Screen Of Green)

ScrOG stands for Screen of Green.

It’s method used to train autoflowering cannabis plants and is most useful for growing in tents or small grow rooms.

In order to perform scrogging, you will need to create a horizontal layer of low-stress training that allows your buds to grow through but prevents them from growing too tall.

This can be done by simply attaching an old screen over that they can grow through.

You can also use fishing line, or even some simple string will do job. Just ensure it’s not so close to stems that it causes damage or stress but not so far away that it won’t catch growth.

DWC Deep Water Culture

Deep water culture DWC is very easy method to grow cannabis.

All you need are plastic pots and air pots.

Air pots are usually used for cutting flowers.

You fill pot with about an inch of water and put your root system in that.

Water should be pH-neutral or slightly acidic, at 6.0 or 5.5.

You can adjust this by adding some hydro nutrients, like nitrates and phosphates, to help your roots absorb it more easily.

You place airpot above your pot with an air tube going through it, providing oxygen to roots system in water below plant.

This way you don’t have to provide any nutrients yourself and can just let weed extract all they need from water, which means they’re super easy to grow!

But also great yielder!

What Pot Size To Use For Growing Autoflower

Pot size for growing autoflowering cannabis plants depends on several factors, including strain, desired final size of plant, and growing conditions.

In general, however, pot size of 3 gallon, 4, or 5 gallons is sufficient for most autoflowering strains.

Smaller pots (1- 2 gallon) can be used for early stages of growth, but plants will eventually outgrow pots and will need to be transplanted into larger ones.

This can stress plants and slow down their growth, so it’s best to use larger pot from start.

Using larger pots (5 gallons or more) can be beneficial for producing larger crop and bigger yields, but it also requires more soil, water, and nutrients, which can increase cost of growing.

Ultimately, best pot size for growing autoflowers will depend on your individual growing conditions and goals.

It’s always good idea to research specific strain you’re growing and to consult with experienced growers for guide and what to expect.

Fastest Autoflowers Strains That Are High Yielding

There is number of high-yielding autoflowering strains that produce over 500 g/m² autoflower yield.

Here are top 5 highest autoflower yield seeds:

• Gorilla Glue
• White widow
• Northern Lights
• Blue dream
• Sour Diesel
• Amnesia Autoflower Seeds

These autoflowering strains are great for outdoors, but also can be grown indoors if you have limited space.

If you find yourself with large grow room, then with fastest autoflowers strains you can also expect that they produce tonnes of bud!

Best Outdoor High Yielding Auto Strains

Here are best outdoor high-yielding auto weed strains you can buy at Dutch Seeds Shop:

OG Kush Autos Seeds

OG Kush Autos Weed Seeds is strain that originates from California, and it is descendant of parent OG Kush and Haze 2.0 Auto Cannabis.

This seeds have THC levels that contain up to 21%, and it’s highly preferred for its medicinal uses due to its potent effects on patients.

It’s easy to grow marijuana, which will finish in an average time of 60 days, and it will produce yields of around 600gm/plant indoors and 700gm/plant outdoors.

Gorilla Glue Seeds

From seeds to harvest, Gorilla Glue Autoflower needs only nine weeks. These seeds were created by crossing Chem Sister seeds, Sour Dubb seeds and Chocolate Diesel Cannabis.

This cannabis is extremely potent, and this potency comes in big hits of its aroma and flavor. 

It’s an easy-to-grow marijuana that will deliver big yields if you can resist temptation to keep on sampling it!

Potent effect that makes you feel like couch potato, so don’t do anything strenuous after using Gorilla Glue Auto because you won’t be able to move afterward!

It has an earthy flavor with some citrus notes. It can be used for medicinal purposes for body pains and insomnia.

It gives you happy feeling that calms your mind and body.

Best Indoor Highest Yielding Auto Strains

Here are best indoor high-yielding automatic weed strains you can buy at Dutch Seeds Shop:

Granddaddy Purple Cannabis Seeds

Granddaddy Purple autoflower feminized seeds are an indica-dominant cannabis strain that originates from Purple Urkle Cannabis and Big Bud Cannabis and Ruderalis cannabis.

This seeds will produce dense, compact buds with dark purple hues coated in a thick layer of sticky trichomes rich in THC and CBD.

This blend has been designed to give above-average harvest when grown indoors while maintaining potency of its parents.

White Widow Seeds

White Widow Seeds are seeds that are easy to grow, have fast flowering, and have high yields.

This is classic strain that has won many awards over past few decades. White Widow seeds was one of first autoflower to be made and proved so popular that many breeders followed suit and made their own version of white widow autos seeds.

This seeds is indica dominant cannabis with hints of sativa genes – it’s best to grow this strain in neutral soil or soil with low pH. This seeds has good resistance to pests, diseases, and stress factors such as cold temperatures or drought.

White Widow Seeds are great option for beginner cannabis growers because they are easy to take care of. This is an exceptional yielder, however, so if you want big yields, grow this cannabis.

Buy Super Auto Seeds At DSS

We at Dutch Seeds Shop know you love super auto seeds, and we have lot of them. You’ll find best selection of seeds in our shop.

Order your autoflower seeds online and get free shipping to USA and Canada, and worldwide all for free.

Don’t forget to check out our other weed legal seeds that can be grown indoors or outdoors.

FAQ

Here are most common questions with answers regarding marijuana yield autoflowering seeds produce:

How do I know when to harvest my autoflower?

It depends on strain, but good rule is to harvest when trichomes are 75% amber.

You can use magnifying glass or even just your eyes to determine this. If you aren’t sure, then take one more week in hope that it will get bit more potent.

THC levels won’t increase if you keep auto alive any longer.

What is highest yielding autoflower?

Many different factors can affect crop of cannabis plant, including genetics, growing conditions, and skill of grower.

However, some of highest yielding autoflower strains include:

• Blue Dream Auto
• Northern Lights Auto
• White Widow Auto
• Gorilla Glue Auto
• Bruce Banner Auto

It’s important to remember that harvest is just one factor to consider when choosing auto. Other factors, such as potency, aroma, and taste, can also be important considerations. 

It’s also worth noting that crop can vary greatly based on growing conditions, so it’s always best to speak with experienced growers and conduct your own research to get better idea of what you can expect.

How do you get big yields from Autoflowers?

To get biggest crop, you need to provide them with optimal growing conditions. Here are some tips to help you maximize your yields:

• Provide adequate light
• Use high quality soil
• Maintain right temperature
• Control humidity
• Train your plants
• Avoid stress

By following these guide and providing your autoflowering plants with best possible growing conditions, you can maximize your yields and enjoy a bountiful harvest.

How long do Autoflowers take to harvest?

Amount of time it takes for auto to harvest can vary depending on a number of factors, including strain, growing conditions, and size.

On average, however, auto typically take around 10-12 weeks from seeds to harvest.

About the Author

Born in Serbia, Nenad is a renowned cannabis grower, consolier, and writer. Educated in botany, he became a key figure in European cannabis culture, authoring influential works and creating his unique brand.

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