ThatGuy113
Well-Known Member
I have seen a lot of questions being posted about autos and I thought maybe id type something up to explain a little bit. This is not at all a in depth analysis but just a VERY general outline and starting point to go forward. If it helps one person it did its job.
General Auto Flower Q and A
What is an Auto-Flower? Autos start flowering stage based on age and not photoperiod (Length of light exposure)
How is that possible? Along with the two well known types of cannabis there is a third branch of the family named Cannabis ruderalis These plants developed the trait of flowering with age separating itself away from the other photoperiod plants Indica and Sativa. Cannabis ruderalis itself in nature has very low thc production. This is because it resemble hemp more than the Marijuana we smoke. Those ruderalis plants are bred with well known stable photo period strains and then the auto-flowering offspring is then inbred to lock down specific traits such as potency/flavor etc. I think Autos get a bad rap from the generalization of the ruderalis heritage. Fortunately autos have gone from oddity to consistent quality harvests.
Do all autos start to flower at the same time? No some strains flower 16-20 days some wont flower till 3-4 weeks.
So how fast can i get bud?
Depending on the strain plants full life cycles (Seed to the end of flowering) can be completed in as little as 55 days all the way to 11-12 weeks (generally your bigger/super autos) Also keep in mind just like any other seeds you would buy from seed banks sometimes the estimated finishing time can be a little earlier then when the plant is truly ready. Just look for all the same traits you would find on a mature photo plant.
What size Pot should I use for my autos?
Depending on the estimated size of the plant that answer can vary. Some plants like lowryders which usually grow just one large main cola and limited side branching can thrive in a 2.5 gallon pot. Other autos that will have lots of branches and colas it is suggested 5 gallons . You should also keep in mind with limited life span reducing stress is strongly suggested so your seedling should be placed in the pot it will finish in.
Other growing factors-
Lights- I often see people asking what is the right amount of light for autos? I have scene lowryders grow very robustly under cfls and I have seen larger autos that harvest around 2 ounces+ under 600-1000 w HPS. Treat lighting as you would if you were choosing lights for photoperiod plants.
Can I grow these outdoors? Yes you can a lot of the auto strains were actually bred for that reason. In countries with short summers it can be hard to grow decent bud from regular plants but with the auto you can harvest in the middle of summer if you planted in the spring .
Nutrients? It is possible to set up an auto on a nute regiment. Life cycle length determines what you should do. If your plant goes from start to finish in 60 days the veg period will only be about 10-15 days so the only nutes you may be able to give are for flowering. The amount of weeks that you feed must be limited though so you still follow guidelines for flushing plants near the end of their cycle. Some people would say that the less nutes the better, it is really just on who you listen to (just like how everyones opinion on MG is that you could never grow pot in it but we have people around here who seem to have it down pretty well and harvest heavy, different strokes) Organic mixed soil such as Subcools super soil mix can do wonders and replace a regiment while providing outstanding results.
Can you top or scrog autos? Various methods have been tried and have failed and have worked. Strain can dictate how well a plant will respond to topping or scrogging. This can be decided on life cycle length and just experience with different autos and experimentation.
Basically in the end growing autos is just like growing photoperiod plants except with a smaller time span. They come into the world the same way and go out the same way. I would say experiment for yourself and see what works for you, Good Luck!
General Auto Flower Q and A
What is an Auto-Flower? Autos start flowering stage based on age and not photoperiod (Length of light exposure)
How is that possible? Along with the two well known types of cannabis there is a third branch of the family named Cannabis ruderalis These plants developed the trait of flowering with age separating itself away from the other photoperiod plants Indica and Sativa. Cannabis ruderalis itself in nature has very low thc production. This is because it resemble hemp more than the Marijuana we smoke. Those ruderalis plants are bred with well known stable photo period strains and then the auto-flowering offspring is then inbred to lock down specific traits such as potency/flavor etc. I think Autos get a bad rap from the generalization of the ruderalis heritage. Fortunately autos have gone from oddity to consistent quality harvests.
Do all autos start to flower at the same time? No some strains flower 16-20 days some wont flower till 3-4 weeks.
So how fast can i get bud?
Depending on the strain plants full life cycles (Seed to the end of flowering) can be completed in as little as 55 days all the way to 11-12 weeks (generally your bigger/super autos) Also keep in mind just like any other seeds you would buy from seed banks sometimes the estimated finishing time can be a little earlier then when the plant is truly ready. Just look for all the same traits you would find on a mature photo plant.
What size Pot should I use for my autos?
Depending on the estimated size of the plant that answer can vary. Some plants like lowryders which usually grow just one large main cola and limited side branching can thrive in a 2.5 gallon pot. Other autos that will have lots of branches and colas it is suggested 5 gallons . You should also keep in mind with limited life span reducing stress is strongly suggested so your seedling should be placed in the pot it will finish in.
Other growing factors-
Lights- I often see people asking what is the right amount of light for autos? I have scene lowryders grow very robustly under cfls and I have seen larger autos that harvest around 2 ounces+ under 600-1000 w HPS. Treat lighting as you would if you were choosing lights for photoperiod plants.
Can I grow these outdoors? Yes you can a lot of the auto strains were actually bred for that reason. In countries with short summers it can be hard to grow decent bud from regular plants but with the auto you can harvest in the middle of summer if you planted in the spring .
Nutrients? It is possible to set up an auto on a nute regiment. Life cycle length determines what you should do. If your plant goes from start to finish in 60 days the veg period will only be about 10-15 days so the only nutes you may be able to give are for flowering. The amount of weeks that you feed must be limited though so you still follow guidelines for flushing plants near the end of their cycle. Some people would say that the less nutes the better, it is really just on who you listen to (just like how everyones opinion on MG is that you could never grow pot in it but we have people around here who seem to have it down pretty well and harvest heavy, different strokes) Organic mixed soil such as Subcools super soil mix can do wonders and replace a regiment while providing outstanding results.
Can you top or scrog autos? Various methods have been tried and have failed and have worked. Strain can dictate how well a plant will respond to topping or scrogging. This can be decided on life cycle length and just experience with different autos and experimentation.
Basically in the end growing autos is just like growing photoperiod plants except with a smaller time span. They come into the world the same way and go out the same way. I would say experiment for yourself and see what works for you, Good Luck!
