Cannabis Ruderalis: The Wild Weed Behind Every Autoflower

Sativa vs. indica vs. ruderalis: what's the difference?

Sativa, indica and ruderalis differ mainly in where they come from, how they grow and how they hit. Ruderalis is the odd one out: a short, low-THC plant from cold northern regions that starts flowering on its own, no matter how many hours of light it gets. That trait is the whole reason autoflowers exist.

Cannabis sativa comes from tropical and subtropical climates and tends to grow tall and lanky, with long, narrow leaves. It usually runs high in THC, which translates into a more energetic, euphoric high. It has a reputation for sparking creativity and conversation, which makes it a daytime favorite.

Cannabis indica, on the other hand, comes from mountainous regions with cooler climates. It grows shorter and stockier, with broad, compact leaves. Indicas are generally described as more relaxing and sedating; you'll often read that they carry more CBD than sativas, but that varies a lot from strain to strain. People tend to reach for them to unwind and take the edge off stress and tension.

Cannabis ruderalis is the lesser-known cousin, and what sets it apart is that it flowers independently of the photoperiod. In plain English: it doesn't wait for the days to get shorter to start blooming, the way sativas and indicas do. Ruderalis grows mostly at northern latitudes, and breeders have used it to create autoflowering strains.

So the three differ in origin, growth habit, cannabinoid content and effects. Sativa is known for an upbeat, energetic buzz, indica for a relaxing, sedating one, and ruderalis for its ability to autoflower. Each has its own appeal, and together they've given us the huge range of strains and crosses on the market today.

What is cannabis ruderalis?

Cannabis ruderalis is a subspecies of hemp that grows wild mainly in cold places like Eastern Europe, Central Asia and other areas where the climate is flat-out hostile to cannabis. It's short and low in THC, but it has one killer feature: it flowers automatically, regardless of how much light it gets.

Cross ruderalis with indica or sativa genetics and you get autoflowers: plants that start flowering somewhere between the second and fourth week of growth, whatever the light schedule (photoperiod).

That's one of the big reasons so many autoflower seed banks and seed brands have focused on breeding autoflowering seeds.

Autoflowering is a rare trait. It shows up when breeders working with the familiar Cannabis indica or sativa strains bring Cannabis ruderalis genetics into the mix.

Pure indicas and sativas rely on the photoperiod (the ratio of light to dark hours they're exposed to) to trigger flowering, while ruderalis strains almost never do.

Pros of growing autoflowers

• Autoflower seeds give outdoor growers quick, easy harvests. You can also run whole autoflower cycles while your photoperiod plants are still vegging or flowering. In Argentina, patients can grow autos outdoors thanks to REPROCANN, the country's medical cannabis registry.
• They stay small (about 1 m / 3 ft tall, tops), which makes autoflowers super discreet for outdoor grows on terraces, balconies or patios.
• If the weather cooperates (nighttime lows always above 10 °C / 50 °F), you can grow autos outdoors year-round.
• Because they grow fast and finish quickly, they spend less time exposed to pests of every kind.
• Grown outdoors, autos tend to handle cold better, although they still appreciate a mild climate.

Cons of growing autoflowers

• Indoors, a fast-flowering feminized photoperiod strain can match an autoflower's timeline, and you'll usually get better quality and a bigger yield out of the photoperiod plant.
• Since autos don't respond to the light schedule, you can't keep an autoflower genetic going: no mother plants and no clones.
• Autoflower seeds produce fewer cannabinoids than the photoperiod version of the same genetics.

How to germinate autoflower seeds

Germinate the seed:

All you need is a germination method and one of the many seeds you'll find in our shop (ships within Argentina).

Prep the starter pots:

Once your seeds have germinated, have some small 7×7 cm (about 3×3 in) pots of soil ready, where the root can grow with nothing in its way. Ideally, skip germinating in Jiffy pellets.

First, fill the pots with soil and water them, and water them well, because you shouldn't wet them again until the seedling breaks the surface. If you water before the sprout comes up, the seed can shift, rise to the surface, get buried too deep or rot when it pops up into soggy soil.

Plant the seed:

Bury the seed 0.5 to 1 cm (about ¼ to ½ in) deep, poking a hole with a pen or anything similar you have lying around. Drop the seed in with the root pointing down. Cover it lightly with soil, without packing it down, and leave it there until it finally pops through the surface.

Ideally, give it 24 hours of light during this stage, until you transplant to the final container. If you don't have a grow light, give it as much light as you can and keep the pot from getting cold.

Now, wait:

Wait for the seedling to break ground and do that classic stretch cannabis seedlings do as they reach for the light. That usually takes four or five days, not much longer, and you need to keep a close eye on it so you don't overshoot. Heads up at this point: don't let the plant start developing in that small pot.

Move it to its final container:

Fill the final container to the top with soil, settled enough that it doesn't sink much when you water. If you pack it too tight there won't be enough oxygen and the roots won't be healthy. Press it just enough; that's something you learn with practice. The ideal light schedule from here to harvest is 20 hours a day, or as many hours of sun as you can get.

With the final container full, dig a hole for the seedling from the small pot, and make it deep, since you'll bury it stem and all. Next, water slowly around the edges so the soil gets soaked through.

Getting the pH right

Soil pH determines how well the plant can take up the nutrients in it. If the pH runs too high (alkaline) or too low (acidic), you can get nutrient lockout and the plant will show deficiencies. Cannabis does best in soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.

Best growing medium for autoflowers

Choose a good-quality, well-aerated growing medium for your autoflower seeds.

Most potting soil already contains coco coir, but you can add more (30-50%) to give the mix extra aeration.

You can also grow straight in coco, but remember coco is an inert medium, so you'll need to feed from the very start of the grow.