Love Bomb Auto by Twenty20 Mendocino: 1st place Best New Auto 2025

A Bloom Worth Remembering

Every now and then, a strain emerges that doesn’t just win an award - it reshapes what growers expect from autos. That was the story of Love Bomb Auto, the head-turning creation from Twenty20 Mendocino, which walked away with 1st Place Best New Auto at the American Autoflower Cup 2025.

For a brand that already carved its reputation through years of careful photo-to-auto conversions, this win wasn’t luck - it was a culmination. Twenty20 Mendocino’s approach has always balanced California heritage with next-generation precision, and Love Bomb Auto stands as living proof.

At 23.87% THC, it’s a powerhouse that delivers a smooth, euphoric high with a warm, comforting body buzz. Perfect for sparking creativity or melting away the day’s worries, Love Bomb Auto wraps you in a cozy, uplifting embrace that lingers long after the last puff. Fast-flowering and vigorous, it’s a favorite for growers seeking quality, speed, and bold results.

From the moment it hit the judges’ tables at the Cup, Love Bomb Auto stood out. The buds gleamed with sticky trichomes, flushed in deep magentas and greens, with a candy-sweet scent that lingered. Under the competition’s bright lights, it was the strain that looked like a winner - and then smoked like one, too.

A Strain with Heart (Literally)

During the award ceremony, one of the breeders walked up to the mic and shared a personal story:

“I actually harvested a Love Bomb on Valentine’s Day - it became a little tradition for my wife. I love you, Mandy. Thank you for supporting me.”
It wasn’t just a sweet moment - it symbolized what the American Autoflower Cup has come to represent: the merging of passion, community, and craft. The win wasn’t about hype or genetics alone; it was about the authenticity that’s always been part of Twenty20’s ethos.

And that’s exactly what makes Love Bomb Auto so special. Behind the Valentine symbolism is a plant that packs technical excellence. Growers describe it as an easy, vigorous auto that transitions seamlessly through its life cycle, forming tight nodes, bold coloration, and a dense flower structure ideal for both competition jars and personal headstash.

From Tradition to Transformation

Twenty20 Mendocino’s breeding philosophy has always been about evolution rather than imitation. Their roots go deep into California’s legacy cannabis scene, known for converting proven photoperiod champions into high-performing autos. It’s a process that takes patience - years of stabilizing lines while maintaining the flavor, potency, and effect that defined the originals.

Their earlier wins - Durban Sunrise (3rd Place Sativa 2023) and Cali Bubba (1st Place Indica 2024) - set the stage. Durban Sunrise showcased that sativa brightness could thrive in auto form, while Cali Bubba demonstrated that kushy depth and terpene density could survive the conversion process. Love Bomb Auto combined both those worlds: fast, flavorful, potent, and photogenic.

At the 2025 Cup, Love Bomb Auto emerged from a field of over sixty entries spanning the best breeders in the U.S. and beyond - each one pushing the limits of autoflower genetics. Yet Love Bomb Auto wasn’t just another entry; it was the one that convinced even long-time skeptics that autos have reached full maturity.

The Grower’s Perspective

Growers who’ve run Love Bomb Auto since its debut highlight a plant that feels forgiving yet refined. It finishes in about 70-75 days from seed to harvest, forming thick, resin-rich colas with minimal stretch. Indoors, its uniform canopy and strong lateral branching make it a natural for small tents or dense gardens, while outdoors it thrives under California sun - fast, fragrant, and fierce.

In the smoke tests, judges praised its smooth inhale, high resin production, and lasting euphoric effect, calling it “one of the most balanced new autos of the year.”

Flavor-wise, the strain’s profile has been described as sweet, creamy, and candy-gas, with undertones that linger long after the exhale. It’s the kind of terp blend that made judges lean in for a second sniff during evaluation rounds. For those used to the muted profiles of early autos, Love Bomb Auto’s terpenes felt like a revelation.

Why Love Bomb Auto Matters

Love Bomb Auto’s success is more than another trophy in Twenty20 Mendocino’s growing case - it’s a cultural shift marker. It shows that autoflowers are no longer playing catch-up. They’re innovating, leading, and setting standards once reserved for photoperiod cultivars.

What this strain represents is simple: proof that autoflowers can carry soul and science in equal measure. As the breeder mentioned in interviews, the goal was always to create autos that “don’t feel like autos.” And in Love Bomb Auto, they’ve delivered exactly that - a cultivar that balances emotional story, visual beauty, and technical excellence.

A New Benchmark for Future Competitions

Looking ahead to AAC 2026, Love Bomb Auto’s win sets a new benchmark for entries in the “Best New Auto” category. The competition continues to evolve, and Twenty20 Mendocino has shown that innovation doesn’t have to mean sacrificing identity.

With Love Bomb Auto, they built a strain that doesn’t just perform - it connects. It’s the kind of cultivar that reflects the heart behind the movement: the love of growing, the pride of creation, and the thrill of seeing autos finally claim their rightful place on the main stage.

So next time someone says autos can’t win against photos - just point them to Love Bomb Auto.
It didn’t just drop flowers. It dropped the mic.