First round done...Now I have some questions for the next grow. Please!

Hi all! My name is Kitty and I live in a desert, growing cannabis indoors, with my mom, for the first time.

Today, we harvested our first grow using autoflowers. We grew 16 plants in a 5x5 room with a 600W HPS for vegging and flowering (I thought I could use only a HPS since they were autoflowers but I realized they stretched unnecessarily because of this). We also used 42w CFL's for the seedlings.

So our bud is really pretty and full of trichomes but it didn't turn out to be as large of a yield as we anticipated with a lot of very small looking buds. I listed what we did/used below and the plans for round two. I'm hoping for some experienced feedback to aid in my search to grow bigger, beautiful bud. My hunch is that the issue has to do with the amount of lumens/wattage per plant...?

Basics of the grow:

-5x5 Mylar grow tent
-600W HPS light with a cooling tube connected to a 220 CFM duct booster fan blowing in from flexible aluminum tube and vented out the tent (could only go up to 75% because it makes the room too hot)
-Light was about two feet away or less from tops
-Super Soil at the bottom and Roots Organic on top
-Fed only water (no pH'd but filtered)
-Temperature was stable at 81 degrees Fahrenheit
-Carbon filter with attached fan venting out the tent
-One small traditional fan tied up to the top of the tent
-Circulating fan blowing into tent duct opening at the bottom
[We are trying to go for totally organic and no additives.]

We are planning our second grow with traditional photoperiod cannabis plants. We are going to get a T5 fixture for the seedlings to avoid the stretching problem we had the first time around and get the nodes closer. Then for vegging I'm planning on using a 600W MH bulb at 18/6 and then the 600W HPS bulb at 12/12 for flowering (hopefully at 100% this time because it will be the fall/winter).

I posted a few pictures of them from today (harvest day) so you can get the idea!

Thank you all for reading and taking the time to analyze this set up.

Peace!

Kitty

This top picture is a Chronic auto and the second image is a THC Bomb auto, named Marzie. How do they look to you all?

train that slut.

Ventrue05 said:

train that slut.

Click to expand...

I will look into that! I am somewhat familiar with super cropping and topping: Is the general idea to contort them so the branches are lower/spread out?

Your 600w in the 5x5 wasn't at full blast?

Running it full power will be easier entering fall, and it will def make more substantial flowers.

In my experience, the sativa looking autos I've done have always disappointed me. Good hash though.

When you use the t5s bring them so close their about an inch away ( I put mine even closer but you just gotta watch) since you already have the hps, have you thought on a MH? And you should FIM them instead of topping imo....super cropping is fine too tho

And from that top picture...I'd let them go a little longer

Completely agree with wiethe20. Looks like you could've went at least another 2 weeks and the buds would've swollen a bit more but like others have also suggested try some training and pruning.

Grow less plants with more attention given to each. Train during veg to keep them low and keep your lights closer than you did. 2 feet for a 600w is too far. My girls are currently less than a foot with no burning. Also remember that in the first couple weeks of flower they are going to stretch the most regardless. This is a key time to train things to the shape of your space.

I had a THC bomb a little while ago which did the same thing with the stretchy crap and it had plenty of light like yours does with a 600W. Prior to that, all my other THC bombs were in fact "da bomb"! I dunno...its weird with that strain. The chronic looks good from the pic; did that stretch out too? My other thought is that 16 plants in a 5x5 grow room would be a little crowded maybe?

But even with all the advice your getting, your buds look very nice...keep up the good work and improve!! That's what we are all striding for right?

welcome to RIU @Kittygrowl congratulations on your first successful grow-it's a success if you got some smoke! listen to the other comments regarding your light distance, and definitely start training. good luck on the next grow.

ETA: i agree that you could have taken them a bit longer-they pack on the most weight in those last few weeks. go with photo next time too.

Hey!
A nice easy yield increase can be had by topping the main when it reaches 12-15 inches and then LSTing the whole plant down to one side of your pot so its bent perpendicular to the ground. I usually get 3-4 nice colas this way.
Edit: I use clones though...if I was going from seed, I would use Uncle Ben's 4 cola topping method.