Trying To Open My Mind To Autoflowers

[AutoSoup]

Hello chums

I'm new to the forum, so a little introduction. I'm UK based, been a grower for a couple of decades now, on and off, started out in the woods, moved indoors a few years ago after a back injury. You might recognise me from other forums.

So yeah, thanks for having me.

I've basically always grown photos, done a few autos in the garden and on windowsills in the past, but I decided it would be nice to actually put some effort in with one for a change and expand my horizons a bit.

I just built a little grow cab, about 60x60cm or so with about 110cm of headroom once the fan and light are installed. Perfect for a little strealth grow. I've decided to go with Seedstockers Auto Panty Punch, mainly because one did really well for me on a windowsill a couple of years back and I wanted to see what the strain can really do, but also because I know one of their reps so they were free .

What I'm hoping for is a little advice on what I should do differently with an auto than I would with a photo. I know they can be flowered/grown on any light cycle, but which do they prefer? What DLI should I be aiming for? That sort of thing.


Assuming I don't fuck up and stunt the plant, what size pot would get me a suitable size plant for the space?

Are there any training techniques that work well/don't work well? I was thinking maybe a scrog, but I usually top when I'm doing those and I'm not sure that's a great idea.

Feel free to dump any and all advice/thoughts you might have.

 

[Frankthetank]

Welcome to our home!

That chart is a good place to start…. You can deviate from it a bit, but eventually you’ll notice light stress at higher dli (usually above 65 or so)….

It’s very important to give autos an easy start. The things that stunt them are:

Too much nitrogen, too early. Tell us your grow style and we can give you recommendations.

Transplanting. It’s best to start them in their final home….

Other than that, the general rule of thumb for nutrients is to start at 1/4 of the manufacturers recommended dose. Again, tell us your style for more specific information….

They can take topping, supercropping, heavy defol….as long as you have a healthy plant going….

That’s a pretty small space…. Autos will get big and yield well if given the space….. ( several folks onsite have grown one pound plus plants….with a few venturing into one kilo territory).

Lastly, forget any old myths you’ve heard over the years about autos. They yield well, have great terps…and are very worthwhile to grow. The genetics have come a long way over the years…

Anyway, happy growing, feel free to tag me or reply with questions…. Autos are a lot of fun to grow because everything happens fast. That said, they’re also harder to grow well, since the clock is ticking…. And you can’t just veg longer while she recovers from something…

 

[AutoSoup]

That's a really handy chart. I'll make sure to download it.

It is a pretty small space, but previous to this at my old house I ran a similar one and had a 50L no till bed crammed inside it, so with a normal size pot this is actually an upgrade of sorts . I'm also used to things getting a wee bit crowded, but without the control of flipping the timer I am curious what will happen...

My plan was to keep things simple, 5L pot, peat/perlite mix (probably pro7 all mix or plagron or should I go for a light mix?), 3 biotabs. Maybe run some drippers if I go on holiday.

I should have reasonable environmental control, I've got an ACI S4 with a controller 67, heaters running off a Bluetooth inkbird etc.

With photos I normally go for 28-30°c and then run about 70% humidity until buds start to get going and then drop to 60%. Aim for around 25°c for the last couple of weeks. Any reason to diverge from that?

 

[Mossy]

That's a really handy chart. I'll make sure to download it.

It is a pretty small space, but previous to this at my old house I ran a similar one and had a 50L no till bed crammed inside it, so with a normal size pot this is actually an upgrade of sorts . I'm also used to things getting a wee bit crowded, but without the control of flipping the timer I am curious what will happen...

My plan was to keep things simple, 5L pot, peat/perlite mix (probably pro7 all mix or plagron or should I go for a light mix?), 3 biotabs. Maybe run some drippers if I go on holiday.

I should have reasonable environmental control, I've got an ACI S4 with a controller 67, heaters running off a Bluetooth inkbird etc.

With photos I normally go for 28-30°c and then run about 70% humidity until buds start to get going and then drop to 60%. Aim for around 25°c for the last couple of weeks. Any reason to diverge from that?

Welcome to our Home @AutoSoup #SharingOne

You are probably going to hate me....I'm EX-UK..growing Alicante Spain..and I can grow Autos year 'round.. outdoor.....in the rain (today)..under 10 hours natural light pattern..in Lidls 70 ltr pots...

The Biggest difference between my outdoor and lighted grows is the last couple of weeks..I don't get the bud fattening like they do with lights..but I don't get the 'lectric bill either....Good Luck...

 

[AutoSoup]

@Mossy you're living my dream . Wish I'd moved before we left the EU, not very easy nowadays. Such a beautiful country and a wonderful culture....

 

[Mossy]

@Mossy you're living my dream . Wish I'd moved before we left the EU, not very easy nowadays. Such a beautiful country and a wonderful culture....

I said you'd hate me... ...

We hovered between both countries while we could....but the looming Brexit made us decide Spain..and I'm glad we did when you see the new restrictions and cost....

Top tip I can give you while contemplating the move..if you are retirement age like us..(or you can WFH)....the cost of living..well..is a lot cheaper..

But if you are coming over to work... it's like hens teeth.. you've got to be determined to work for yourself and make enough to feed a family.

Most of the young people with children return to the UK in a year or two.. because of lack of work/money.

 

[AutoSoup]

Yeah I'm 34, so the work thing is an issue. I can work remotely anywhere in the world at the moment, but there's no guarantee of that for ever and my Mrs would be pretty stumped as she's a mental health carer and the language barrier would be an issue.

Maybe one day, if we win the lottery or something .

 

[Mossy]

Don't buy a Bar...do Not buy a bar.. . it's the quickest way to lose all your money in Spain..

 

[Mossy]

Yeah I'm 34, so the work thing is an issue. I can work remotely anywhere in the world at the moment, but there's no guarantee of that for ever and my Mrs would be pretty stumped as she's a mental health carer and the language barrier would be an issue.

Maybe one day, if we win the lottery or something .

I see the problem.. I'll keep me #FingersCrossed for the lottery Win..... even the kids who grew up here and are absolutely fluent in Spanish struggle for jobs when they leave school..the Spanish employ Spanish....

So you'd be talking jobs within your own ex-pat..English speaking community without the language...makes it hard.

But..the quality of life is much better in the sunshine..if you can swing it..

 

[Frankthetank]

@Cultivators
Do we have any bio tabs users who can give a tip or two please?