"Are auto-flowering
seeds worth it?" Is the wrong question, I think. When are flowering seeds worth it, is a better query.
Don't think of autos as pot-for-dummies. Think of them as another valuable tool in our (the growers) arsenal. There are lots
of reasons to check the ruderalis strain (genus?) out.
What if someone only has a flowering bulb- HPS- and wants to take full advantage of his limited lighting? Autos don't veg so an entire grow
with just a flower bulb sounds efficient to me.
You mentioned a timer. You can flower autos at 24/0 if you had to. No timer confusion. Think about how many threads we see from beginners
asking about making the switch from veg to flower. These folks aren't stupid, they are just picking up knowledge. Seems to me that an auto
grow or two would be a good place for beginners to begin. They require less maintenance which makes them easier to grow as a rule.
Growers with a perpetual grow may have extra room in their veg room. What could be a better slot-filler than a couple small autos sitting
in the corner of the veg room? I suggest that if this path is followed to make sure your auto seeds are feminized. I don't grow male autos
in my veg room as it can prompt non-autos to show sex too early. Having an auto or two maturing in my veg room is pure bonus. I am
producing product from what would have been an empty corner.
Did I mention speed? I've grown a couple autos that were harvested around 8 weeks after opening the package from Attitude. That's fast!
My neighbor just lost his crop and cried he would not have any product to take south when he leaves at Christmas. Looked at the calendar
and told him to grow a dozen autos immediately and he would be toking his way south. Not too many non-autos could have jumped up to
fill that order, eh?
It looks like I'm contrarian, au contraire. But I think smart growers should have as much info as possible. Autos may not suit everyone but they
certainly have a place here.
Good luck, BigSteve.
