Salutations Seraphim19,
The "autofem" trend already seduced me, starting with day 1 a few years ago! :happy:
It's not something i've decided yet but my next project would include the use of colloidal silver sprays to promote false-male (XX) pollen generation (for seed production). So as you can imagine it would be helpful if you could also provide a time-table for autofem "males", so i can determine how to chedule my successive germinations... There would be 3 plants under CFLs until space becomes insufficient, then my pollinator would be moved to a window sill around June to make some more room for the remaining females: 1 for harvest, 1 for growing more autofem seeds...
I figure if it's true cannabis males flowers have a lower metabolism then it should be OKay to depend on sunlight only for this particular case. Impressions or comments would be appreciated.
:D
Greetings Egzoset
First let me say that male autos will grow at the same rate as females if not quicker.
So the simple answer to your question comes in two parts:
1. for making regular seed using males - I would advise you to start your mother plants and your father plants at the same time, just as nature would. Pollen will start to fall in time to give you a good amount of seed
2. for making fem seed using only females - you will want to start the plant you are going to use as the father two to three weeks before you start the mother plant. the reason for this is that to make feminised seed you will be giving a female plant a sex change and that takes time so the time line I would use is below.
week 1 - plant father plant (female to be reversed)
week 2 - maintain father plant
week 3 - plant mother plants (ones that will carry seed)
The father plant should be showing pistils now as soon as it does begin spraying daily with colloidal silver
week 4 - grow mother plants as normal
continue spraying father with colloidal silver
week 5 - grow mother plants as normal
Male pollen sacks should now be visible on the father plant, when they are stop sraying with colloidal silver and grow as
normal
week 6 - grow as normal
week 7 - pollen should now be falling from the father plant, allow this to pollinate the chosen mothers, and store some pollen for
future use, then discard the father plant
Seeds will take around 6 weeks to become fully mature
(to store pollen use a little plastic vial and rice grains to absorb moisture, ensuring all leaf material is removed then it will
last for about 6 months if stored in the fridge)
week 8 - 12 grow as normal
week 13 - harvest lots of feminised seed for future use
If you need a hand with any other aspects of breeding give me a shout and I will see if I can help you