“The Dutch Passion auto’s all seem to develop one fat central bloom, and this is surrounded by 10-20 smaller blooms.
AutoMazar is Dutch Passion’s best selling automatic cannabis variety. It grows from seed to harvest in around 11 weeks and can be grown under 20 hours of daily light from start to finish. AutoMazar has become such a hit that it now outsells the original ‘traditional’ Mazar.
This will surprise some people, especially since Dutch Passion’s original Mazar remains a classic Afghani selection which is still found in Dutch Coffeeshops today. So what is so special about AutoMazar that has allowed it to become a best seller? After all, automatic varieties have only been around for a few years. Have they really become as good as traditional varieties already?
AutoMazar was Dutch Passion’s first of the modern automatics; according to numerous auto-growers, automatics are now firmly on the same quality/potency level as many good traditional varieties.
4 years ago Dutch Passion took a cutting from one of their Mazar mother plants and began cross-breeding the original Mazar in an attempt to create an autoflowering version of it. The work took some time to get absolutely right and it was only approved when Dutch Passion were able to develop a professional ‘botanical’ understanding of the genetics which allow the cannabis plant to flower even under 20 hours of daily light.
Some growers even grow automatics under 24 hours of daily light and get great results. The images used in this article, and the quotes, are from “The Joker” a European grower that has specialised in pushing automatic varieties to their limit using soil and a 600w HPS light.
The Joker grew AutoMazar in soil in a 12 litre container. The soil was a standard good quality compost from the local garden centre, but The Joker added extra ingredients to the soil. “I always add 40% perlite, it helps the roots, without good roots you will not grow big plants. I also add a small amount of powdered dolomite lime, a small amount of bat guano, some mycorrhizal fungi, worm castings and some dried seaweed which I grind up into a powder.
This gives a great base for the roots to grow in and it means that extra nutrition is not required until the last half of the grow. My main advice is not to over-water the plants, this slows down root development, it took me far too long to realise this.”
The Joker explained more details about his method for growing large automatics. “I never transplant automatics, I put the seed directly into the final container. By keeping the plant in one container we allow the plant the maximum amount of time to develop. Automatics are not difficult to grow well, in fact I find them much easier than traditional varieties. I always grow the auto’s under 20 hours of light followed by 4 hours of darkness.
The constant light cycle means that I only need 1 growroom, and every 2-3 weeks I start a new plant and harvest one of the big ones. Auto’s are a simple way to grow, you forget the old concept of vegetative growth & bloom and just watch the plants grow into fat, frosty, mature females. It couldn’t be any simpler, and I can understand why so many new growers prefer them. I think it is one of the reasons why people like auto’s, the feminized auto’s are the way to go these days.
On a personal level I grow in my cold loft, so the 20 hour light cycle means that the 600w HPS keeps my tent warm even in winter. With traditional varieties my tent was too cold for winter crops during the 12-hour dark period and don’t believe anyone that tells you automatics are not as good as traditional varieties, people would not be growing auto’s if that was true.“
The Joker explained more about looking after automatic varieties, and how to get the best yields from them. “The Dutch Passion auto’s all seem to develop one fat central bloom, and this is surrounded by 10-20 smaller blooms.
If you can get plenty of light onto the side blooms you will really increase your final yield. I get an average of over 100g from each auto I grow, but with the right genetics and conditions 200g is quite a realistic possibility. The photos show an AutoMazar which gave me around 200g, one of my best. On the internet forums you will see people getting bigger yields than me, but often these guys are growing in hydro systems.
I insist on natural organic growing as you get a better flavor and, in my opinion, the quality is just as good. I recommend to keep feeding as simple as possible, Canna Terra Flores gives great results for me and I use it for the last few weeks before harvest when the plant is really hungry and thirsty.”
“AutoMazar is my preferred Dutch Passion auto. They keep trying to persuade me to try some of their other varieties, but AutoMazar is the one I prefer to stick to. For me it is a perfect balance of head-stone and body-stone, the yields are always really good and it is such an easy plant to cultivate, why change? The only thing you have to be careful about is that the plant will get big and need daily feeds near the end.
If that is a problem then you should use a 20 litre soil container, that way you can reduce the frequency of watering. You don’t need to do anything just develop a system of watering and feeding and the AutoMazar takes care of the rest.
The first time I gave my friends some AutoMazar they didn’t believe it was an automatic, that’s how good these modern auto’s have become. I can’t tell the difference anymore and I am an experienced smoker. AutoMazar is a better smoke than many other varieties I have grown, for me it’s an all-time favorite variety.”
“The main reason I grow auto’s is the convenience. I set my 600w HPS light to come on for 20 hours each day and I get a perpetual harvest. Every 2 or 3 weeks I harvest a plant and start a new one, it couldn’t be any easier and I can grow in winter in my loft – perfect. I smoke some of the crop and make the rest into cannabutter. I never run out of pot and growing it is easier now than ever. In 2014 I will try growing some outdoors and let you know my opinions”
Originally Published in Weed World Magazine Issue 108
