Autoflower Thread & Resource Guide

[sonar]

I'm getting ready to do a first grow indoors with a couple Easy Ryders and I have a some questions for anybody kind enough to offer their wisdom and experience, particularly with AFs grown in soil. I have no experience growing anything at all, so everything is new to me. I'll preface this by saying that I've spent several days reading everything I could find on the subject, especially from the forums on this site, so I've already done quite a bit of homework but I still have plenty to learn and lots of questions.

For light I've settled on using CFLs due to size, space, heat, and cost considerations, and I've already purchased the equipment so it's completely settled. I also already happened to have some of the CFL bulbs I'll need (a few 23W(100) 2700Ks putting out 1600 Lumens, and a bunch of 13W(60) putting out 900 Lumens that I may or may not use. Still need to get one or two 42W(150) 6500Ks putting out around 2600 Lumens but HD didn't have any in stock.

For a medium I've settled on using Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil. Did a lot of reading and it was one of the most highly recommended (along with Black Gold and a couple others), and most people said you really didn't need any nutes at all with it, and didn't need to mix it with anything else. With AFs pretty much everyone said not to use Nutes in the first few weeks anyways, if you use any at all.

These are my questions, in no particular order:

• Although people said straight up Ocean Forest would work great without mixing it with anything, I constantly see people talking about using Perlite, and I've seen a lot of people say you should always use Perlite with any "soil" medium. Should I use it, and if so, how? Do I just mix it thoroughly into the FFOF soil? If so, how much Perlite should I mix with say 1 gallon of FFOF?
• Do I need to do anything to prep the soil such as flushing it etc., and if I do, how long do I need to let it dry out (if at all) before I plant the germinated seeds? Is there anything else I need to do with the soil before planting?
• How far below the surface of the soil should I plant the germinated seed?
• Bearing in mind these are Easy Ryders, using FFOF soil, does anybody that's familiar with this combination recommend using nutes, and if so which ones, how much, and at what point in the process? Everything I saw said not before 3 weeks if at all.
• Regarding the lighting, it seems everybody always says to use 6500K for Veg and 2700K for flowering, but since there's no real Veg with AFs, what color temps are recommended? I've seen at least a few people use a combination of 23W 2700K CFLs and 42W 6500K CFLs throughout the entire grow. Is this recommended?
• So as not to waste electricity, when I'm just starting my two seedlings how much light do I need? I would think that a single 23W, 2700K bulb in a reflective base about 2 inches above the seedling, putting out around 1600 Lumens, would be sufficient for the first couple weeks before adding lights, but any input is welcome.

I think that's it for now, I'm sure I'll have more questions down the road. Can't wait for my seeds to (hopefully) arrive soon and get started. Ordered fems so I shouldn't have to deal with any sex issues.

TIA, and +REP to anybody that can help!

You made a great choice going with Easy Ryder. Mine are about 5 weeks in and look awesome already. I don't use Fox Farms soil and these are growing outside in Pro-Mix soil, so I don't know how much help I could be. I'd say take is easy on the nutes. Autos don't need much and from what I understand, FFOF is pretty hot soil to begin with. I feed mine 1/2 strength Botanicare Bloom nutes after 3 weeks. I used 6500K until they showed sex, then I moved them outside. After germinating, I planted about 1/4-1/2" deep.

 

[smellsmoist]

So, some of you cats that know what you're talking about, feel free to school me right quick.

Basically, what I'm wondering is this; what the hell is the point of AF strains?

They're designed to flower in a certain time, which means they can't be vegged to the height you choose indoor (unless I'm missing something), and from what Ive heard growing most strains straight from 12-12 will yield more than an AF strain.

So what is the point? AF seems like it would be nice for someone that doesn't really understand the nuances of growing as it would not require you to even understand that you have to change the light cycle to force flowering, and would be relatively "Ez-Mode" but.. maybe I'm missing something. I'm not trying to take sides on the AF issue, I'd just like to know whats good, my bad if this has been answered, I dont want to read through 441 pages, would you?

 

[lowrider2000]

well they budd faster you get less yeild per plant because they grow smaller but you get a finished product faster

 

[enonumus]

You made a great choice going with Easy Ryder. Mine are about 5 weeks in and look awesome already. I don't use Fox Farms soil and these are growing outside in Pro-Mix soil, so I don't know how much help I could be. I'd say take is easy on the nutes. Autos don't need much and from what I understand, FFOF is pretty hot soil to begin with. I feed mine 1/2 strength Botanicare Bloom nutes after 3 weeks. I used 6500K until they showed sex, then I moved them outside. After germinating, I planted about 1/4-1/2" deep.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[enonumus]

So, some of you cats that know what you're talking about, feel free to school me right quick.

Basically, what I'm wondering is this; what the hell is the point of AF strains?

They're designed to flower in a certain time, which means they can't be vegged to the height you choose indoor (unless I'm missing something), and from what Ive heard growing most strains straight from 12-12 will yield more than an AF strain.

So what is the point? AF seems like it would be nice for someone that doesn't really understand the nuances of growing as it would not require you to even understand that you have to change the light cycle to force flowering, and would be relatively "Ez-Mode" but.. maybe I'm missing something. I'm not trying to take sides on the AF issue, I'd just like to know whats good, my bad if this has been answered, I dont want to read through 441 pages, would you?

Personally, I went with AF for my first grow simply because A) Very short time to harvest B) For my indoor grow my space is very limited and the AFs were the perfect size for my space both vertically and horizontally C) The learning curve with the AFs, especially the Easy Ryders, was shorter than traditional varieties and they seem to be pretty easy to grow D) The Easy Ryder can be grown outside until Novemeber, so I can still plant outside right now (if I want to grow outside) and I have plenty of time.

That's just my 2 cents, coming from a complete newbie grower who knows nothing save for what he's read and researched .

 

[sonar]

So, some of you cats that know what you're talking about, feel free to school me right quick.

Basically, what I'm wondering is this; what the hell is the point of AF strains?

They're designed to flower in a certain time, which means they can't be vegged to the height you choose indoor (unless I'm missing something), and from what Ive heard growing most strains straight from 12-12 will yield more than an AF strain.

So what is the point? AF seems like it would be nice for someone that doesn't really understand the nuances of growing as it would not require you to even understand that you have to change the light cycle to force flowering, and would be relatively "Ez-Mode" but.. maybe I'm missing something. I'm not trying to take sides on the AF issue, I'd just like to know whats good, my bad if this has been answered, I dont want to read through 441 pages, would you?

I do them outdoors. I like being able to harvest while my regular plants are still growing. I doubt I would ever grow them indoors though. Rather take a regular plant like you said and just flip it to 12/12 after 2-3 weeks.

 

[SmeLLyTreeZ]

I do them outdoors. I like being able to harvest while my regular plants are still growing. I doubt I would ever grow them indoors though. Rather take a regular plant like you said and just flip it to 12/12 after 2-3 weeks.

Like sonar I bought them to grow outdoors and I didn't want to wait 4 months + for a harvest

 

[123petey999]

i give up with this thread everytime i ask a question it get ignored!

 

[AutoLedZ]

hello mate are these northern light autos a real true autoflower? as iv heard people say they are not!

you can get NL in autoflower or photoperiod seeds.

 

[Rugganug]

Flip them to 12/12. For whatever reason they don't have the auto flower trait. Are they from Nirvana? It seems like a lot people's autos from Nirvana aren't autoflowering. I've grown autos twice and both times they showed sex between 2-3 week, going into full flower mode shortly after.

Yes they are Nirvana. Ive been letting them veg but ive got pretty limited space so force flowering might be the way to go.

 

[enonumus]

I'm getting ready to do a first grow indoors with a couple Easy Ryders and I have a some questions for anybody kind enough to offer their wisdom and experience, particularly with AFs grown in soil. I have no experience growing anything at all, so everything is new to me. I'll preface this by saying that I've spent several days reading everything I could find on the subject, especially from the forums on this site, so I've already done quite a bit of homework but I still have plenty to learn and lots of questions.

For light I've settled on using CFLs due to size, space, heat, and cost considerations, and I've already purchased the equipment so it's completely settled. I also already happened to have some of the CFL bulbs I'll need (a few 23W(100) 2700Ks putting out 1600 Lumens, and a bunch of 13W(60) putting out 900 Lumens that I may or may not use. Still need to get one or two 42W(150) 6500Ks putting out around 2600 Lumens but HD didn't have any in stock.

For a medium I've settled on using Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil. Did a lot of reading and it was one of the most highly recommended (along with Black Gold and a couple others), and most people said you really didn't need any nutes at all with it, and didn't need to mix it with anything else. With AFs pretty much everyone said not to use Nutes in the first few weeks anyways, if you use any at all.

These are my questions, in no particular order:

• Although people said straight up Ocean Forest would work great without mixing it with anything, I constantly see people talking about using Perlite, and I've seen a lot of people say you should always use Perlite with any "soil" medium. Should I use it, and if so, how? Do I just mix it thoroughly into the FFOF soil? If so, how much Perlite should I mix with say 1 gallon of FFOF?
• Do I need to do anything to prep the soil such as flushing it etc., and if I do, how long do I need to let it dry out (if at all) before I plant the germinated seeds? Is there anything else I need to do with the soil before planting?
• How far below the surface of the soil should I plant the germinated seed?
• Bearing in mind these are Easy Ryders, using FFOF soil, does anybody that's familiar with this combination recommend using nutes, and if so which ones, how much, and at what point in the process? Everything I saw said not before 3 weeks if at all.
• Regarding the lighting, it seems everybody always says to use 6500K for Veg and 2700K for flowering, but since there's no real Veg with AFs, what color temps are recommended? I've seen at least a few people use a combination of 23W 2700K CFLs and 42W 6500K CFLs throughout the entire grow. Is this recommended?
• So as not to waste electricity, when I'm just starting my two seedlings how much light do I need? I would think that a single 23W, 2700K bulb in a reflective base about 2 inches above the seedling, putting out around 1600 Lumens, would be sufficient for the first couple weeks before adding lights, but any input is welcome.

I think that's it for now, I'm sure I'll have more questions down the road. Can't wait for my seeds to (hopefully) arrive soon and get started. Ordered fems so I shouldn't have to deal with any sex issues.

TIA, and +REP to anybody that can help!

A couple people replied and helped me out with most of my questions (thanks). Could still use some more feedback about nute recommendations with the Easy Ryder/FFOF combination. I'm tempted not to use any at all since the FFOF is said by most to do just fine on its own, but of course I want to do whatever I can within reason to maximize my harvest, and to make sure the plant has a good strong root system. Any input is appreciated, the more info I can get the better.

Also wondering about fans. My grow box is completely set up and just waiting on the seeds to arrive any day, but I don't have any fans in my setup. If heat isn't an issue, do I need any input or exhaust fans? The top of the box (which btw is 18"W by 18"L by 24"H) is open, and sits about 3" below a desk that I have it under, and there's a window directly behind the desk/box I plan to keep cracked for fresh air.

TIA!

 

[sonar]

A couple people replied and helped me out with most of my questions (thanks). Could still use some more feedback about nute recommendations with the Easy Ryder/FFOF combination. I'm tempted not to use any at all since the FFOF is said by most to do just fine on its own, but of course I want to do whatever I can within reason to maximize my harvest, and to make sure the plant has a good strong root system. Any input is appreciated, the more info I can get the better.

Also wondering about fans. My grow box is completely set up and just waiting on the seeds to arrive any day, but I don't have any fans in my setup. If heat isn't an issue, do I need any input or exhaust fans? The top of the box (which btw is 18"W by 18"L by 24"H) is open, and sits about 3" below a desk that I have it under, and there's a window directly behind the desk/box I plan to keep cracked for fresh air.

TIA!

If it was me, I'd probably wait at least a month before adding any nutes. I've never used FFOF so maybe some who has could give better advice, but having read what I have about it I would probably cut it with 25% something else. That something else could be their Light Warrior or Pro-Mix. I'd get a coffee can or a plastic beer cup and for every 3 scoops of FFOF I'd add one scoop of pro-mix or something like that. I'd do that to just to be safe in case FFOF is too hot. I wouldn't want to take the chance. Especially since those Easy Ryder seeds are almost $50 for 3 seeds. At the very least, it would save me a little FFOF which is very expensive. You can add extra perlite if you want, but it's optional. I used extra perlite before with my outdoor plant, but it seems like it ends up floating to the top after awhile anyway from watering.

You can use an oscillating fan when the lights are on if you want even if there isn't any heay issues. They like plenty of fresh air and the light breeze helps to strengthen the stems. I would only use 6500K lights for the first few weeks until they show sex. Then I would start switching them out with the 2700K and maybe keep one or two of the 6500K in. For the first week or two they won't need a whole hell of a lot of light so keep those cfls at LEAST 4-6" away or they will burn.

 

[enonumus]

If it was me, I'd probably wait at least a month before adding any nutes. I've never used FFOF so maybe some who has could give better advice, but having read what I have about it I would probably cut it with 25% something else. That something else could be their Light Warrior or Pro-Mix. I'd get a coffee can or a plastic beer cup and for every 3 scoops of FFOF I'd add one scoop of pro-mix or something like that. I'd do that to just to be safe in case FFOF is too hot. I wouldn't want to take the chance. Especially since those Easy Ryder seeds are almost $50 for 3 seeds. At the very least, it would save me a little FFOF which is very expensive. You can add extra perlite if you want, but it's optional. I used extra perlite before with my outdoor plant, but it seems like it ends up floating to the top after awhile anyway from watering.

You can use an oscillating fan when the lights are on if you want even if there isn't any heay issues. They like plenty of fresh air and the light breeze helps to strengthen the stems. I would only use 6500K lights for the first few weeks until they show sex. Then I would start switching them out with the 2700K and maybe keep one or two of the 6500K in. For the first week or two they won't need a whole hell of a lot of light so keep those cfls at LEAST 4-6" away or they will burn.

Thanks for the feedback Sonar, every little bit helps.

 

[biscuitkid]

these were put in ffof after a pre-soak in the dark, all 5 popped and all shown sexs.....all Females!!!!! woooo enjoy!

 

[Homegrown4203]

A couple people replied and helped me out with most of my questions (thanks). Could still use some more feedback about nute recommendations with the Easy Ryder/FFOF combination. I'm tempted not to use any at all since the FFOF is said by most to do just fine on its own, but of course I want to do whatever I can within reason to maximize my harvest, and to make sure the plant has a good strong root system. Any input is appreciated, the more info I can get the better.

Also wondering about fans. My grow box is completely set up and just waiting on the seeds to arrive any day, but I don't have any fans in my setup. If heat isn't an issue, do I need any input or exhaust fans? The top of the box (which btw is 18"W by 18"L by 24"H) is open, and sits about 3" below a desk that I have it under, and there's a window directly behind the desk/box I plan to keep cracked for fresh air.

TIA!

I think you will find that the box may be a bit small for the easy ryders. Mine ended at about 24" tall, and that doesn't count the height of the pot. You will need at least an exhaust fan of some sort, the intake can be passive (just sucked through an opening). I grew Easy Ryders with FFOF and found that less was more with nutes. They got a small bit of nute burn when I introduced too early but they did eventually do well with 1/2 - 3/4 dose of the Fox Farm nutrients.

On another note, here are my Auto NL from Nirvana. They are at almost 6 weeks from sprout now, and started flowering about 10 days ago. The tallest one is at 33" and still growing, I'm afraid they might outgrow my tent!!

 

[sonar]

I think you will find that the box may be a bit small for the easy ryders. Mine ended at about 24" tall, and that doesn't count the height of the pot. You will need at least an exhaust fan of some sort, the intake can be passive (just sucked through an opening). I grew Easy Ryders with FFOF and found that less was more with nutes. They got a small bit of nute burn when I introduced too early but they did eventually do well with 1/2 - 3/4 dose of the Fox Farm nutrients.

On another note, here are my Auto NL from Nirvana. They are at almost 6 weeks from sprout now, and started flowering about 10 days ago. The tallest one is at 33" and still growing, I'm afraid they might outgrow my tent!!

They look good man. Surprised no hairs after 10 days at 12/12.
So how did the Easy Ryder grow turn out?

They look very similar to the non auto NL I'm growing right now. Dark green and the leaf tips come to a tapered point.

 

[Homegrown4203]

They look good man. Surprised no hairs after 10 days at 12/12.
So how did the Easy Ryder grow turn out?

They look very similar to the non auto NL I'm growing right now. Dark green and the leaf tips come to a tapered point.

They were never switched to 12/12, they're still on 20/4. They started showing sex 10 days ago. They do look very similar to yours:

The easyryder grow went well for my first grow. I yielded about an oz per plant.

 

[enonumus]

I think you will find that the box may be a bit small for the easy ryders. Mine ended at about 24" tall, and that doesn't count the height of the pot. You will need at least an exhaust fan of some sort, the intake can be passive (just sucked through an opening). I grew Easy Ryders with FFOF and found that less was more with nutes. They got a small bit of nute burn when I introduced too early but they did eventually do well with 1/2 - 3/4 dose of the Fox Farm nutrients.

On another note, here are my Auto NL from Nirvana. They are at almost 6 weeks from sprout now, and started flowering about 10 days ago. The tallest one is at 33" and still growing, I'm afraid they might outgrow my tent!!

Yeah, I'm a little concerned that the box might not be high enough, but it was the biggest box I could find at HD, and it 100% perfectly fit the 4, 2-gallon pots that I bought for them. Not a big deal, if they grow out of the top of the box, they'll just lose the lighting advantage of the Mylar that I have around the inside of the box, and I'll have to move the box out from under the 27" desk and rig the lights differently (currently have them hanging by hooks under the desk). I can relocate the box somewhere else in my house if need be when the time comes.

I actually ordered a 4", moderate CFM cabinet fan tonight before I read your post. I felt that the box was a little warmer than I'd like once I had all my lights in there and turned on.

I think based on what everyone's said about the nutes with FFOF/Easy Ryder combination, I'm just not going to use any at all. I bought some Perlite and I'm gonna go ahead and mix a little bit of that in with the FFOF, but that's it, unless I see strange behavior from the plants that warrants an intervention.

Your girls are looking great btw!

 

[Lowphat]

On another note, here are my Auto NL from Nirvana. They are at almost 6 weeks from sprout now, and started flowering about 10 days ago. The tallest one is at 33" and still growing, I'm afraid they might outgrow my tent!!

Plants look good.
I just picked up a 10 pack of Nirvana's NL auto's for my next 2 grows.Didn't think they got that big....Hope I can fit them in my tent..LoL.
Good luck with the rest of your grow.

Peace

Low

 

[Homegrown4203]

Plants look good.
I just picked up a 10 pack of Nirvana's NL auto's for my next 2 grows.Didn't think they got that big....Hope I can fit them in my tent..LoL.
Good luck with the rest of your grow.

Peace

Low

Good luck to you as well! My tallest is now at 36", I've only got 6 inches or so of room left in my tent before the light can't go any higher!