Not new to growing autoflowers but photo advice needed

Hi guys

So i have been growing autos for a while now think im doing quite well good looking healthy plants, good yields etc but now im thinking of ditching autos and moving on to photos

Normally i would just germ an auto seed and put it in a 3 gallon pot of plant magic organic soil start watering it a little after a week or so and the as it gains size slowly increase the water amount and add feed (plant magic Grow and Bloom) to it every watering and then water them every 4 days or when the pots felt empty the just chop them when the buds look fat and dry/cure them i have never worried about PH as i was told in a totally organic grow you don't need to worry about PH and the only deficiency mine have ever had was calcium so i just use a tad of Epsom salt

i have just been wondering like

can i use the same feed and types of schedules

do i not need to worry about PH as its organic

am i more likely to get deficiencies or pests with photos

are they harder overall to grow compared to autos

and any other tips/info you can give me

Thank you for your time people

Your nutes and ph'less feeding should be the same with photos. The only differences you'll need to deal with are:

1. Start in a small cup (18oz), transplant to 1/2gal, then again to 3gal if you're growing large plants (6 weeks of veg).

That will make your watering/feeding simpler. People don't transplant autos because of the potential stress and an auto's fixed lifespan which doesn't allow for recovery.

2. Be sure your flower space has no significant light leaks, especially no rays falling on a plant. Pinholes and things should be ok. These plants grow under star and moonlight. But, try to make it very dark.

Whether they're easier is subjective. You'll have more control.

For example, you can sprout under 12/12 and have a small plant that will flower faster. This is called "12/12 from seed." I'm doing my second one now. I let both veg for 2-3 weeks and transplanted up to a 1/2 gal container. The last one produced 20-30g per plant. It's kind of fun like an autoflower. Fast paced. I haven't tried literally "from seed" yet. (They still veg in the initial week or two of 12/12 at that young age.).

Or, you can let one veg for 8-12 weeks and have a monster. Or, maintain a mother and take clones.

You can buy a green CFL at Home Depot and use that to work on your plants during lights out. I wouldn't leave it on long nor use it often. But, it's handy to have for those few times when you need to do something during lights out.

I've read people say autos have special nutrient requirements. I haven't seen it.

Do grow them out, the plants get bigger so have a bigger pot 3 us gallon minimum is best...and you are best to throughly understand the photo thing
good luck

Photos are easier to grow for one simple aspect. If you have a problem during veg, it isn't a problem. Just veg longer until the plant recovers before you flower it. You can produce a larger plant with a photo as you can top,lst,scrog it for as long as you want to. Just make sure you top it at least once. Doing so will greatly increase your yield.

PH is always important . The narrow ph band for plants are specific to nute uptake
I shoot for between 6.0 - 6.5 ( soil ) .

No matter what the light schedule, plants don't start flowering (making buds) until they are about 3 weeks old. Starting a "12/12 from 3 weeks old " is as early as I'd recommend for this technique, to work.

"12-12 From Seed" is somewhat a misconception if you're trying to force your marijuana to flower early - you must allow 3 weeks from seed as the earliest time a plant can start flowering after the switch to 12-12. Allow for some sexual maturity to happen.

terrorbite1492 said:

i have never worried about PH
...
do i not need to worry about PH as its organic

Click to expand...

I don't ph and it works fine. If you haven't ph'ed and it works for you, keep doing what you're doing. There's no difference between auto and photo in this regard.

FWIW: soil has buffers which are stronger than the buffers in a nutrient solution. it should withstand the nutrient solution's ph. If someone's nutrient solution's ph is extremely low and/or they feed high ppm, over time that could affect the soil ph.

But, if the nutrient solution is in the 5.8 to 6.8 range and it's not too strong (don't get salt buildup), phing may not be productive. The soil's ph rises as it dries. It will cover a broad range of availability without being precisely ph'ed to 6.5.

IMO, nutrient strength is the key to whether someone should ph.

Autos are easier to grow as you don't have to mess with and monitor a timer. My mj guru says autos do best with between 20 and 24 hours of light a day.

Good luck, BigSteve.

bigsteve said:

Autos are easier to grow as you don't have to mess with and monitor a timer. My mj guru says autos do best with between 20 and 24 hours of light a day.

Good luck, BigSteve.

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Mess with and monitor a timer? Really dude? You can't figure out how to set an analog timer to run for 12 or 18 hours? To any of you new growers out there, don't listen to this nonsense. A monkey can set an analog timer. If you have ANY issue with an auto, you will SERIOUSLY lose your ass on the final yield. If you have a photo, you can take all the time in the world to fix the problem and increase your yield. Autos are easier because you don't have to set the light timer?! I would check your stash if I were you, I don't think what you are smoking is ganja. MJ guru. LOL! You are too funny.

Mad_Prophessor said:

Mess with and monitor a timer? Really dude? You can't figure out how to set an analog timer to run for 12 or 18 hours?

Click to expand...

I think autos are simpler in the sense of not having to acquire a timer and all the unspoken things that implies and we often take for granted. (Tent, fan, tubing, speed control which leads to variacs, it never ends.). New growers can be bewildered by the initial costs of ph and ppm meters, dolomite, (it never ends.). An autoflower eliminates a lot of that learning curve and costs.

You make a good point about an auto leaving less room for error. But, when I first grew I was more concerned with just getting through it, not yield size. I could see new growers sacrificing yield for lower entry cost, complexity and learning curve.

But, I agree that after gaining confidence and more funds, it makes sense to switch to photos. Less hours of electricity, odor control (assuming autos were chosen to avoid the expense of a tent), and still the ability to do auto-like growing with "12/12 from seed." What might have initially been one more unwanted variable (when to switch to 12/12) becomes a flexible tool.

az2000 said:

I think autos are simpler in the sense of not having to acquire a timer and all the unspoken things that implies and we often take for granted. (Tent, fan, tubing, speed control which leads to variacs, it never ends.). New growers can be bewildered by the initial costs of ph and ppm meters, dolomite, (it never ends.). An autoflower eliminates a lot of that learning curve and costs.

You make a good point about an auto leaving less room for error. But, when I first grew I was more concerned with just getting through it, not yield size. I could see new growers sacrificing yield for lower entry cost, complexity and learning curve.

But, I agree that after gaining confidence and more funds, it makes sense to switch to photos. Less hours of electricity, odor control (assuming autos were chosen to avoid the expense of a tent), and still the ability to do auto-like growing with "12/12 from seed." What might have initially been one more unwanted variable (when to switch to 12/12) becomes a flexible tool.

Click to expand...

I don't see where you would need anything different for gear between them. You can't just leave an auto out in the middle of the room. Nor should you run the light for 24 hours a day without it ever going off. Even an auto needs a schedule and even an auto will hermie if you fuck with it's schedule. If your objective is to finish a mediocre crop without much to show for your time, by all means, go auto. IF your objective is to grow some quality medicine while giving yourself room for error on your first grow, go with photos. Ruderalis is a joke IMO. You can't train it. You can't transplant it. If you have any issue during veg, you wont get shit for a harvest. What the fuck good is it for? A window plant? Sounds like more trouble than it is worth. How hard is it to keep a plant under 18 hours of light for about 4 weeks and then switch it to 12 hours for about 9 weeks?

Anyway, at first approach to the concept of the auto, it would seem to be an easier plant to grow. However, with the plant having a countdown clock that starts at germination, you have no room for error. As a beginner, that is far from what you are looking for. You need something forgiving, not something that will kick you in the nuts if you slightly fuck it up. Photos are the way to go. Spend the $6 and buy a timer.

Mad_Prophessor said:

I don't see where you would need anything different for gear between them. You can't just leave an auto out in the middle of the room. Nor should you run the light for 24 hours a day without it ever going off. Even an auto needs a schedule and even an auto will hermie if you fuck with it's schedule. If your objective is to finish a mediocre crop without much to show for your time, by all means, go auto. IF your objective is to grow some quality medicine while giving yourself room for error on your first grow, go with photos. Ruderalis is a joke IMO. You can't train it. You can't transplant it. If you have any issue during veg, you wont get shit for a harvest. What the fuck good is it for? A window plant? Sounds like more trouble than it is worth. How hard is it to keep a plant under 18 hours of light for about 4 weeks and then switch it to 12 hours for about 9 weeks?

Anyway, at first approach to the concept of the auto, it would seem to be an easier plant to grow. However, with the plant having a countdown clock that starts at germination, you have no room for error. As a beginner, that is far from what you are looking for. You need something forgiving, not something that will kick you in the nuts if you slightly fuck it up. Photos are the way to go. Spend the $6 and buy a timer.

Click to expand...

lights 24/0
1/3 soil , 1/3 peat or coco , 1/3 perlite couple tablespoons of dolomite per gallon
start feeding at week 3 at 1/4 str


how is that not simple ...... ive had one auto hermi in the last 5 years and it was g13 pineapple express and it is a fairly common strain to hermi not anything i did ..... i just think you either havent grown any auto's and are going off of hear say ....... or just fucked up growing a freebie out and blamed it on genetics

i supercrop and LST my auto's but i guess thats not training ....

1680 hours from seed on 24/0 or 1260 hours on 18/6 with a auto
(4 week veg on 18/6) 504 hours , (9 week flower on 12/12) 756 hours, 1260 hours total lights on for a photo
so on 18/6 from seed the power consumption is the same and you are chopping 3-4 weeks sooner ................

tekdc911 said:

lights 24/0
1/3 soil , 1/3 peat or coco , 1/3 perlite couple tablespoons of dolomite per gallon
start feeding at week 3 at 1/4 str


how is that not simple ...... ive had one auto hermi in the last 5 years and it was g13 pineapple express and it is a fairly common strain to hermi not anything i did ..... i just think you either havent grown any auto's and are going off of hear say ....... or just fucked up growing a freebie out and blamed it on genetics

i supercrop and LST my auto's but i guess thats not training ....

Click to expand...

Your are right about one thing, I don't grow autos nor will I. There are enough members on my community already growing them and starting to get away from them. They want an easier plant to grow with a higher yield. One of them had an issue with parasites and when he finally harvested, he barely had 2 zips. This guy is a wizard too. AS I stated previously, if there are any problems with an auto, you are fucked. With a photo, you can learn how to fix problems and still not lose anything on harvest day. Once again, you are talking about one instance, and not the common result. Anybody can find one single item to prove their point, but is it based on commonality or an anomaly?

I am glad that you are having success with your chosen method, but it still isn't what you guys are trying to sell it to be no matter how man three legged ballerinas you try to site.

Mad_Prophessor said:

Your are right about one thing, I don't grow autos nor will I. There are enough members on my community already growing them and starting to get away from them. They want an easier plant to grow with a higher yield. One of them had an issue with parasites and when he finally harvested, he barely had 2 zips. This guy is a wizard too. AS I stated previously, if there are any problems with an auto, you are fucked. With a photo, you can learn how to fix problems and still not lose anything on harvest day. Once again, you are talking about one instance, and not the common result. Anybody can find one single item to prove their point, but is it based on commonality or an anomaly?

I am glad that you are having success with your chosen method, but it still isn't what you guys are trying to sell it to be no matter how man three legged ballerinas you try to site.

Click to expand...

dude youre not even making sense ..... go back and read that jumble of jibberish you just posted .......... now youre saying that i am the only one having success with auto's ????? really dude ...... come on now .....

tekdc911 said:

dude youre not even making sense ..... go back and read that jumble of jibberish you just posted .......... now youre saying that i am the only one having success with auto's ????? really dude ...... come on now .....

Click to expand...

What part doesn't make sense?

Not that you are having success with them, that you think they are easier. I have outlined why they are not. I am done with this tit for tat crap. I can grow a bigger plant that is easier to work with any day of the week that is a photo. Supercropping and LST will only do so much. Misleading people into thinking they will amount to anything close to a topped of FIMed photo plant is just plain bullshit.

but like i said hear say ....... must be awesome knowing everything without having to experience it first hand

you act like i dont grow photo's aswell ..... but like i said you may go back to knowing it all


good day to you sir

terrorbite1492 said:

Hi guys

So i have been growing autos for a while now think im doing quite well good looking healthy plants, good yields etc but now im thinking of ditching autos and moving on to photos

Normally i would just germ an auto seed and put it in a 3 gallon pot of plant magic organic soil start watering it a little after a week or so and the as it gains size slowly increase the water amount and add feed (plant magic Grow and Bloom) to it every watering and then water them every 4 days or when the pots felt empty the just chop them when the buds look fat and dry/cure them i have never worried about PH as i was told in a totally organic grow you don't need to worry about PH and the only deficiency mine have ever had was calcium so i just use a tad of Epsom salt

i have just been wondering like

can i use the same feed and types of schedules

do i not need to worry about PH as its organic

am i more likely to get deficiencies or pests with photos

are they harder overall to grow compared to autos

and any other tips/info you can give me

Thank you for your time people

Click to expand...

U can grow them exactly the same I start my photos in exactly the same way I start a auto big pot straight under a big light difference is training and I give photos more nuts

az2000 said:

I think autos are simpler in the sense of not having to acquire a timer and all the unspoken things that implies and we often take for granted. (Tent, fan, tubing, speed control which leads to variacs, it never ends.). New growers can be bewildered by the initial costs of ph and ppm meters, dolomite, (it never ends.). An autoflower eliminates a lot of that learning curve and costs.

You make a good point about an auto leaving less room for error. But, when I first grew I was more concerned with just getting through it, not yield size. I could see new growers sacrificing yield for lower entry cost, complexity and learning curve.

But, I agree that after gaining confidence and more funds, it makes sense to switch to photos. Less hours of electricity, odor control (assuming autos were chosen to avoid the expense of a tent), and still the ability to do auto-like growing with "12/12 from seed." What might have initially been one more unwanted variable (when to switch to 12/12) becomes a flexible tool.

Click to expand...

I disagree to grow a big high yielding auto there is 0 room for error