Do autoflowers take alot longer to finish in 5 gallon pots

Hay guys, first timer grower here. I planted 2 green crack and 1 west coast og by fast buds and I planted them in coco canna pro plus unded spider farmer fs2000. I put them straight into 5 gal pots after germination and I'm now on day 20 and all seems to be going well. My concern is I'm after hearing they will take alot more that 10 to 12 weeks to finish? Is this true and how long can autoflowers expect to finish in 5 galls roughly?

Oldmanpeyote said:

Hay guys, first timer grower here. I planted 2 green crack and 1 west coast og by fast buds and I planted them in coco canna pro plus unded spider farmer fs2000. I put them straight into 5 gal pots after germination and I'm now on day 20 and all seems to be going well. My concern is I'm after hearing they will take alot more that 10 to 12 weeks to finish? Is this true and how long can autoflowers expect to finish in 5 galls roughly?

Click to expand...

Autos are on a preset internal timer and can take 3 to 4 months depending on the plant. They dont read the package with breeder claims, in the end they will finish when their DNA tells them too.

Doug Dawson said:

Autos are on a preset internal timer and can take 3 to 4 months depending on the plant. They dont read the package with breeder claims, in the end they will finish when their DNA tells them too.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply Doug, so dose that mean DNA is the main factor for time frame and pot size will play a small role in delaying development since it would take longer for roots system to develop? Or dose that mean pot size wont delay autoflower beyond expected time frame if done correctly?

Oldmanpeyote said:

Thanks for the reply Doug, so dose that mean DNA is the main factor for time frame and pot size will play a small role in delaying development since it would take longer for roots system to develop? Or dose that mean pot size wont delay autoflower beyond expected time frame if done correctly?

Click to expand...

Pot size to some degree does play a role. Mainly because of the “ supposed “short life cycle, they never have time to completely fill 5 gallons, which is why most people stick to 3, including myself. But to Dawson’s point, if its taking longer than expected, which usually ends up being the case, a 5 gallon wouldn’t hurt, nor dictate the finishing time.

Doug Dawson said:

Autos are on a preset internal timer and can take 3 to 4 months depending on the plant. They dont read the package with breeder claims, in the end they will finish when their DNA tells them too.

Click to expand...

No this "internal clock" is biochemical and proceeds as the plant has finished the earlier phase in some metabolical levels, which then advance the plant to produce certain hormones etc that take things further.

There is no some atomic clock that is ticking regardless of anything that happens. Some of this stuff can be delayed, its not just wat it written in genes. Nothing is pure genes, everything is genes interacting with the environment, not just nature, but nature via nurture.

Im not going to argue whether the pot size effects how long it takes for plant to finish, it could, i dunno. But there is no "DNA clock" or what ever, its phases of metabolical processes and stages that the plant goes through and autos flower when they are ready for it. They DNA tells them at what stage of development they will start to flower, but environment effects how long it takes to develop to that stage.

You can test this if you dont believe me, by taking a cutting from an autoflower, a bottom branch of a plant that just showed its first preflowers on top. Then watch how it stops developing and the plant you took the cutting from is way way ahead when that cutting has finally rooted and started to flower properly. It wont try to force flowering until its developed to the point metabolically ready for it and grown enough to get to the stage where it can make those hormones that make it flower

90-110 days for autos typically. Lets just make it as simple as that.

My last 2 autos has a breeder timeline of 9-11 weeks from sprout to chop.

It took 14 weeks

5 gallon smart pot, 3 gallon smart pot. Didnt matter still 14 weeks on both.

I did have the 5 gallon pot fill out root wise btw. Its not a hard rule that they cant fill a 5 gallon.

For example. This white widow is at 6 weeks. Outdoor, in a 5 gallon with recipe 420 soil.

Can guarantee the roots fill the dirt here.