Short answer: autoflower and feminized are not opposites. "Feminized" means the seed should grow into a female plant that produces buds. "Autoflower" means the plant starts flowering on its own after a few weeks, no matter how much light it gets. Almost every autoflower seed we sell is also feminized. The real choice is between an autoflower and a feminized photoperiod plant and in Malta, that choice is mostly about heat, timing and how much space you can hide.
What the two words actually mean
| Term | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Feminized | The seed is bred to grow a female plant, so you get buds instead of pollen sacs | Nothing about when it flowers or how big it gets |
| Autoflower | The plant flowers on age, usually 3–5 weeks from sprouting, regardless of daylight hours | Nothing about whether it is male or female, though in practice autos are sold feminized |
| Photoperiod | The plant only starts flowering when nights get long enough, outdoors in Malta around late August | Nothing about sex, which is why you want it feminized |
| Regular | Seeds that can grow male or female | Not what most home growers want, unless you plan to breed |
So when a grower asks "autoflower or feminized?", what they usually mean is: should I grow a quick autoflower, or a feminized photoperiod that follows the seasons?
How each one behaves in a Maltese year
| Autoflower | Feminized photoperiod | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed to harvest | About 10–13 weeks, start to finish | 4–6 months outdoors, planted spring, harvested autumn |
| When to start outdoors in Malta | March to early August, several runs a year | March to May, one run a year |
| Harvest window | Whenever you started, plus about three months | Late September to end of October, in the damp |
| Plant size | Usually 50–100 cm, easy to tuck behind a wall | Can pass 2 m outdoors in a good spot |
| Yield per plant | Smaller, but you can run more cycles per year | Larger, and you only get four plants at a time |
| Forgiving of mistakes? | Less so, it will not wait for you to fix a problem | More so, you can hold it in veg while you sort things out |
| Indoor light schedule | 18–20 hours of light the whole way through | 18/6 to grow, then switch to 12/12 to flower |
Why Malta pushes most growers towards autoflowers
Three local facts do most of the deciding.
The heat. July and August regularly sit in the mid-thirties, and a plant in flower in that heat loses smell and potency. Autoflowers let you dodge the worst of it: start in March and harvest in June, or start in August and harvest in November.
The autumn damp. Photoperiods finish in late September and October, exactly when humid nights and the first rains arrive. That is bud rot season. A dense photoperiod cola sitting in damp air is the single most common way a Maltese grow is lost at the last minute.
The four-plant limit. A household may keep up to four plants, and they cannot be visible from a public place. That cuts both ways. If only four plants are allowed at a time, each one carrying more weight argues for a big photoperiod. But a short autoflower is far easier to keep out of sight on a terrace or roof, and you can run two or three cycles in the same year. See our guide to the 4-plant rule for the detail.
Pick by your situation
- First ever grow: autoflower. Shorter, smaller, and a mistake costs you ten weeks rather than six months.
- Balcony or small terrace: autoflower. It stays low, which matters when the plant must not be seen from the street.
- Indoor tent, 60×60 or 80×80: autoflower, on 18–20 hours of light throughout. You can harvest through winter.
- Roof or yard with real space and privacy: feminized photoperiod, planted March to May. You will get far more from four plants, as long as you can handle the autumn damp.
- You travel, or work long stretches away: photoperiod. It will sit in veg and wait for you; an autoflower will not.
- You want harvests through the year: autoflower, started in waves rather than all four at once.
Three mistakes we see over and over
- Transplanting an autoflower. It has no time to recover from shock. Put it in its final pot from the start, 11–19 litres.
- Training an autoflower like a photoperiod. Gentle bending is fine in the first three weeks. Heavy topping usually costs more than it gains.
- Planting a photoperiod too late. Put one out in July and it will flower in the damp as a small plant. If it is past May, grow an autoflower instead.
What to buy
If you are starting now, in the autumn or winter, grow an autoflower indoors: browse autoflower seeds, which are feminized as standard. If you are planning for spring in a spot with real space, look at feminized photoperiod seeds and plant out from March. Both ship same day across Malta and next day to Gozo.
Not sure which strain? Start with our beginner seed picks for Malta, or the autoflowers that handle Mediterranean heat.
Frequently asked questions
Are autoflower seeds feminized?
Almost always, yes. Autoflower seeds sold for home growing are feminized, so the two words describe different things rather than competing options. Check the listing if you want to be certain.
Do autoflowers produce less than feminized photoperiods?
Per plant, usually yes. Over a year, not necessarily, because you can run two or three autoflower cycles in the time one photoperiod takes.
Which is better for a beginner in Malta?
Autoflower. It is shorter, easier to keep out of sight and finishes fast enough that you learn from a mistake within weeks.
Can I grow both at once?
Yes, outdoors. Indoors it is awkward, because a photoperiod needs 12 hours of darkness to flower while an autoflower wants long light. Either run them in separate tents or stick to one type per tent.
When should I plant outdoors in Malta?
Photoperiods from March to May. Autoflowers from March to early August, bearing in mind that anything flowering in high summer suffers in the heat.
How many plants can I grow at home?
Up to four per household, kept out of view of the public. The rules also cover how much dried cannabis you may keep, our 4-plant rule guide explains it.