What is a Fast Version strain?
A Fast Version strain is a feminized photoperiod seed that has been crossed with autoflowering genetics so that it flowers sooner than the original version. It's still a photoperiod plant: it isn't an autoflower.
A photoperiod plant flowers when the nights get longer: outdoors, at the end of summer; indoors, when the grower cuts the hours of light. An autoflower, on the other hand, flowers on its own based on age.
Fast Version strains sit halfway between the two. Seed banks cross a photoperiod strain with an autoflowering one and select plants that keep the character of the original, but respond to the flowering signal sooner and finish earlier.
Think of them as the "express" version of a well-known variety: the same style of plant, but with an earlier harvest.
Fast Version, Early, Fast: the same idea
The name "Fast Version" was made popular by the seed bank Sweet Seeds. Other seed banks use the label "Early" or simply "Fast" for the same idea. They all belong to the family of fast-flowering strains: the trick is to cross a photoperiod strain with an autoflower so that it flowers sooner.
Are Fast Version and autoflowering the same thing?
No, and it's a common mix-up. A Fast Version needs the nights to get longer before it flowers, just like any photoperiod plant. Indoors, you'll have to change the hours of light as you would with a regular photoperiod plant. What it gains is speed: it flowers sooner and finishes sooner.
Advantages
- Earlier outdoor harvest: because it finishes sooner, in many places you can harvest before the autumn rain and cold arrive, which encourage fungus on the buds.
- Shorter indoor cycle: flowering usually lasts a bit less than that of the original strain. On each product page you'll see the time given by the seed bank.
- Bigger than an auto: since it's still a photoperiod plant, you can control how much it grows before flowering.
Who are they a good option for?
If you grow outdoors in an area where autumn arrives early or is rainy, or if you want the size and yield of a photoperiod plant with a somewhat shorter cycle, a Fast Version can be a great fit.
See all Fast Version varieties
Related terms
- What are photoperiod seeds?
- What are autoflowering seeds?
- What are feminized seeds?
- What is flowering?
Before you grow, check the laws in your country: growing cannabis is not allowed everywhere.
