What Type of Soil To Choose for Growing Autoflower Cannabis?
Best Substrates for Autoflower Seeds: Healthy Soil Makes Rich Buds
Autoflower seeds are the perfect choice if you want to harvest cannabis buds in a shorter time easily. The most important factor with this seed version is choosing the best medium for the autoflower cultivar.
If you’re a beginner or experienced grower, try cultivating autoflowering strainsto yield a potent harvest in your garden (click here to see SeedSupreme site). These cannabis seeds have a strong resistance against pests and pathogens and are ideal for smaller gardens and indoor setups.
Most autoflower strains go from seed to harvest in under 13 weeks, and some are even shorter.
Due to ruderalis genetics, they flower regardless of a light schedule. Autoflower seeds are resilient plants that can be grown in cold climates with minimal sunlight.
Read about the best soil for auto-flowering plants and tips to produce a bountiful score of stunning nugs.
Best Substrates for Autoflower Seeds
Using the best medium for autoflower seeds allows your cannabis cultivar to thrive and produce potent buds. However, no individual soil substrate beats another medium; it’s best to understand your plant’s needs and cultivation goals.
Your soil mixture must hold moisture efficiently and drain freely to boost aeration and oxygen in roots. The best organic soil mix for autoflower must be high in nutrients to enhance plant growth and the bud’s terpene profile.
A plant’s terpene profile plays a key role in the flavor and aroma of the weed strain. It also works with cannabinoids to induce therapeutic sensations and psychoactive effects.
Indoors, substrates need something to sit in. Using the best pot size for autoflowers is paramount to fostering healthy root development and optimal plant growth. Ensure you use the right size pot as your cultivar requires enough space, efficient drainage, and airflow for development.
Let’s look at some of the best mediums for autoflower.
Coco Coir (aka Coco Peat)
Coco coir is an organic fiber made of coconut husks that helps enhance aeration and reduces harmful pests and pathogens. This product is eco-friendly, durable, and can be reused when properly treated.
Many cultivators use coco peat as it offers different benefits, and with the right nutrients, your cultivar grows quicker and better. This medium is an awesome organic soil mix for autoflower plants and allows the roots to stretch and develop efficiently.
Perlite
Perlite is manufactured from heated volcanic glass, which causes it to expand 13 times and reduces its weight. This substrate’s mass is extremely light and airy, and when added to soil, it provides better aeration.
The substance is a great autoflower soil mix that improves water retention, provides more oxygen, and promotes healthy roots.
Adding perlite to soil or coco coir improves the overall structure of your plant and supports overall growth. This soil additive contains natural minerals necessary for bud production and is available in all gardening stores.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite possesses magnesium, iron, and aluminum minerals. This medium assists with aerating the soil and retaining nutrients and water.
Vermiculite has a neutral pH, blends well with an organic soil mix for autoflower, and is suitable for germinating seeds. Using this substrate improves the overall quality of your soil and takes a longer time to dry out.
Overusing these minerals might cause too much moisture, leading to fungi formation and bud rot.
Growers agree it’s not a sustainable choice as it doesn’t decompose and encourages alkaline reactions that raise in pH around roots.
Organic Homemade Soil Mixture
One of the best autoflower soil mixes for most growers is made by blending 80% soil, 10% Coco coir, and 10% perlite. These minerals can be combined in a large sack or pot and mixed with your hands to create your own soil.
Soil contains beneficial microorganisms that assist in delivering nutrients to your autoflower’s roots. Using organic soil improves the terpene profile and enhances the therapeutic value of your cultivar.
This soil is perfect for improving aeration, oxygen, and drainage. The coco coir helps retain water and nutrients, making it vital for drier seasons.
The perlite mixture improves drainage, and because of its light mass, it allows the roots enough room to grow comfortably in your pot.
Peat Moss
This substrate is a source of various beneficial nutrients in your marijuana crop. The most important chemical in peat moss is sulfur, vital in building proteins and enzymes and creating terpenes buds.
One of the best mediums for autoflowers is adding a combination of peat moss and soil to help with aeration and hold nutrients.
Healthy Soil Makes Rich Buds
The best medium for autoflower contains a variety of substrates of different ratios.
Try experimenting with these autoflower indoor seeds in your garden to produce rich THC buds that offer amazing effects.
When choosing a growing medium, focus on optimal water retention and drainage balance. Using soil with a neutral pH light, airy texture helps the cultivar develop healthy and strong roots.
There are many ways to produce a bountiful autoflower harvest, some cultivators buy premixed, and others blend their own autoflower soil mix. Many different options of mediums to grow autoflowers make it difficult to decide which is the best.
It all comes down to the results you desire. Why not buy some seeds today and experiment with the different substrates to see what works best for you.
Jennifer Gallagher
Jennifer Gallagher, an experienced cannabis grower at SeedSupreme Seedbank. During a 7-year career in the marijuana growing business, Jennifer has gained a high competence in this field. As far as weed is concerned, she knows it all inside out. Jennifer is an expert in pot-growing, as well as cannabis types and their effects. She’s also familiar with all legislation nuances.
