How to Grow Cheese Auto
Cheese Auto is a hardy, easy autoflower that keeps the famous tangy, savoury cheese flavor in a fast, compact package. Bred from Cheese crossed with Critical Mass Auto, this 75% indica pairs its classic cheese, earthy and sweet profile with a medium 10-15% THC and a creative, energetic and uplifted effect, finishing in 10 to 12 weeks from seed. It is beginner-friendly, with one thing to plan for: the smell.
This is an autoflowering, 75% indica strain that stays compact at around 1.5 m. Because it flowers automatically on age rather than on a light change, and because it is hardy and forgiving, it is an easy plant to grow. Its medium THC keeps the effect approachable, while the distinctive Cheese aroma gives it character that few other strains can match.
Recommended Strains
Cheese Auto
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THC | 10% - 15% (Medium) |
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Type | Autoflowering |
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Yield | Medium |
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Phenotype | 75% Indica / 25% Sativa |
Blue Cheese Autoflower
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THC | 14% - 16% (Medium) |
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Type | Autoflowering |
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Yield | High |
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Phenotype | 80% Indica / 20% Sativa |
Pungent, productive and simple, Cheese Auto is a straightforward way to grow a true old-school Cheese in autoflower form. You can see the full genetics and buy Cheese Auto seeds on the strain page, and browse the rest of our autoflowering seeds alongside it.
Strain Profile at a Glance
| THC | Medium (10-15%) |
|---|---|
| Lineage | Cheese x Critical Mass Auto |
| Type | Autoflowering |
| Genetics | 75% Indica / 25% Sativa |
| Climate | Temperate |
| Life cycle | 10-12 weeks (seed to harvest) |
| Harvest | All season (multiple runs) |
| Height | 4.92 ft / 1.5 m |
| Yield indoor | 1.31-1.47 oz/ft² (400-450 g/m²) |
| Yield outdoor | 15.87-21.16 oz/plant (450-600 g/plant) |
| Grow difficulty | Beginner-friendly |
| Flavors | Cheese, Earthy, Sweet |
| Effects | Creative, Energetic, Uplifted |
Promos & Deals
Growing an Autoflower
An autoflower does not need a change in light schedule to bloom. Instead of switching to 12/12 like a photoperiod plant, Cheese Auto starts flowering on its own after a few weeks, purely on age, and runs its whole life cycle in 10 to 12 weeks from seed to harvest. You can keep it under a long day of around 18-20 hours of light from start to finish, which keeps things simple.
That automatic habit comes from the ruderalis in its Critical Mass Auto parent, which also makes it hardy and forgiving. Because the clock is always ticking on an auto, start the seed in its final pot rather than transplanting, keep any training to gentle low-stress tucking, and feed lightly. Being an autoflower it does not depend on daylight hours to flower, so you can run more than one crop across a season and grow it at almost any time of year.
Climate and Where to Grow It
Cheese Auto does well in a warm, temperate climate with good sun and steady airflow, and its hardy genetics make it adaptable and forgiving. Its biggest advantage outdoors is flexibility: because it flowers on age rather than daylight, you are not tied to one planting window and can grow it all season, fitting in more than one run where the weather allows.
It is a compact indica at around 1.5 m, so it slots easily into small tents and discreet outdoor spots. It performs well both ways: indoors it returns 400-450 g/m² in a well-managed tent, while outdoors it can give a generous 450-600 g per plant with room and sun, which is strong for an auto of this size.
Keep humidity in check through flowering to protect the buds: around 55-60% early on, nearer 40-45% in flower, and lower still toward harvest. The dense indica-leaning buds can trap moisture, so steady airflow and sensible humidity are the keys to a clean finish. Aim for daytime temperatures around 68-80°F (20-27°C).
Feeding Schedule (EC Guide)
Autoflowers are smaller and faster than photoperiod plants, so they want a lighter touch. Feed gently, follow the plant’s lead, and taper off for the final flush so the cheese and earthy flavor comes through clean and the smoke finishes smooth. The ranges below are a guide; with an auto, err on the low side.
| Stage | EC (mS/cm) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Seedling | 0.4-0.6 | Very light feed, start in the final pot |
| Vegetative growth | 0.8-1.2 | Short veg, raise nitrogen gently |
| Early flower | 1.2-1.4 | Shift toward bloom nutrients (P and K) |
| Full flower | 1.4-1.6 | Peak bloom feed while the buds swell |
| Flush | 0.0-0.4 | Plain water for the final 1-2 weeks |
Flowering and Harvest
Cheese Auto starts flowering on its own a few weeks in and finishes its whole cycle in 10 to 12 weeks from seed, which is at the longer end for an auto but still quick overall. As a 75% indica it stays compact and bushy, filling in solid, resinous buds up a short frame rather than stretching. Because it is an autoflower you can run it all season, with no fixed harvest month tying you down.
Yields are solid for its size: around 400-450 g/m² indoors and a generous 450-600 g per plant outdoors with good sun and a well-sized pot. Give it a good pot from the start so the roots never stall, keep the canopy open, and harvest when most trichomes have turned cloudy for the fullest flavor and effect.
Drying and Curing
Dry whole plants or branches in a dark room at around 60°F (15-18°C) and 55-60% humidity for 7-14 days, until the thin stems snap rather than bend. A slow, even dry stops the denser buds staying damp in the middle while the outside dries out, which protects both the aroma and the trichomes.
Then cure the trimmed buds in sealed jars, burping them daily for the first week and letting them settle for three to four weeks. A proper cure is especially important with Cheese, since it is what develops and rounds out that signature tangy, savoury aroma and smooths the smoke. It is well worth the patience to get the classic Cheese character at its best.
What to Do With Your Trim
Don’t bin the sugar leaves you remove while manicuring. Cheese Auto carries a decent coat of resin, so its trim works well for dry sift, bubble hash or rosin. That gives you a bonus run of pungent, cheesy concentrate from material most growers would otherwise throw away.
Flavor and Terpenes
Cheese Auto is all about its namesake flavor: a pungent, tangy, savoury cheese note over an earthy base with a touch of sweetness underneath. It is a distinctive, funky profile that has made the Cheese family famous, inherited straight from its Skunk roots, and a good cure is what brings that characterful aroma fully forward.
Its terpene profile drives that character. Myrcene lays down the earthy, musky base that underpins the cheese funk, while caryophyllene adds a warm, peppery, savoury spice that leans right into it. Linalool brings a soft, floral note that rounds things out, with alpha- and beta-pinene giving a fresh, piney lift on top. Together they shape the tangy, earthy, distinctly cheesy profile the strain is loved for.
Effects and Best Use
With its medium 10-15% THC and 75% indica make-up, Cheese Auto delivers a surprisingly bright, easygoing experience. It is reported as creative, energetic and uplifted: a cheerful, head-forward lift that is more lively than its indica side might suggest, without the intensity of a high-THC strain. That lower-to-medium potency keeps it approachable and easy to enjoy.
That upbeat, mild profile makes it a versatile daytime strain, well suited to creative or social activities, or to users who prefer a lighter effect. The combination of a simple, hardy autoflower grow, a forgiving nature and that one-of-a-kind Cheese flavor is exactly why this classic keeps its following.
Common Problems and Pro Tips
The thing to plan for with Cheese Auto is the smell. Like all Cheese strains it is pungent, and that aroma gets strong during flowering, so odor control matters if discretion does. Indoors, run a good carbon filter sized to your space; outdoors, think about where you place the plant, because that savoury funk carries and neighbours will notice it.
Beyond that, treat it like any auto: never stall its growth, since it cannot make up lost time on a fixed clock. Start the seed directly in its final pot instead of transplanting, keep it in healthy soil or a well-mixed medium, and don’t overfeed a small plant. Keep humidity down around the dense buds and the air moving to avoid mould.
As a pro tip, give the cure real attention: Cheese rewards patience more than most, and three to four weeks in the jar is what turns a grassy, raw smell into the full tangy, savoury character. Make its all-season nature work for you by running back-to-back crops, run a clean plain-water flush at the end, then follow the trichomes rather than the calendar.
FAQ
Is Cheese Auto an autoflower?
Yes. It is a true autoflower, so it flowers automatically on age rather than on a light change. You do not switch to 12/12, and it runs its whole life cycle in 10 to 12 weeks from seed. That, plus its hardy genetics from the Critical Mass Auto side, makes it a simple and forgiving strain to grow.
How long does Cheese Auto take to grow?
From seed to harvest it takes about 10 to 12 weeks, which is at the longer end for an auto but still quick overall. Because it flowers on its own without any change in light schedule, you can grow it all season and run more than one crop a year, with no fixed harvest month to work around.
Why does Cheese Auto smell so strong?
That pungent, tangy aroma is the whole point of the Cheese family, inherited from its Skunk roots. It is one of the more strongly scented strains, so the smell gets noticeable in flowering. Plan for odor control with a carbon filter indoors, and a good cure develops that savoury character into its best form.
How much THC does Cheese Auto have?
It is a medium-THC strain, testing at around 10-15%. That makes for a mild to moderate, approachable effect rather than an intense one. Combined with its genetics it gives a creative, energetic and uplifted experience that is brighter than you might expect from an indica, and easy to enjoy.
What does Cheese Auto taste like?
It has the classic Cheese flavor: a pungent, tangy, savoury cheese note over an earthy base with a touch of sweetness. Myrcene drives the earthy base, caryophyllene adds a peppery, savoury spice and linalool a soft floral note, with pinene giving a fresh lift. A good cure brings the signature Cheese character forward.
How much does Cheese Auto yield?
It is a solid producer for its size, giving around 400-450 g/m² indoors and a generous 450-600 g per plant outdoors with good sun and space. Results depend on light, pot size and canopy health, so keep the plant healthy, never let its growth stall, and keep humidity in check around the buds.
