Auto Growers Unite: A Community Thread

k, first, I used a 5 gal bucket. Forest floor dirt with compost for a medium. The indicaseed was a freebe. I used seaweed juice (homemade) as a supplement early, and now using mix(used coffee grounds, banana peels, and eggshells in water), and use once/week. I have a super silver haze that looks about 1.5z. Still don't know how to grow bigger autos.
 
Ugg these fabric pots are killing me! Checked the plants last night and they looked great so I decided to water in the morning. This morning my plants were wilted. I can't believe how fast they dry out in these pots. Next grow, I am back in traditional ceramic pots.
 
Bode said:
Still don't know how to grow bigger autos.
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plastic 20l pot with cocos , nutrients for cocos 2-part and a veg and bloom additive, 270W LED and daily feeds !!!

keep ph at 5.8 and feed 1/3 to 2/3 max of recommended dose and apply some light LST and you should hit 3 Oz every time with rellative ease ... oh and go for premium genetics they turn out to be more stable then discounter seeds, 2-3 € or $ saved on a seed will cost you a lot more in weightvalue in the end hehe

thats how i do it :ganjamon:

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proof
 
cliftoma said:
Ugg these fabric pots are killing me! Checked the plants last night and they looked great so I decided to water in the morning. This morning my plants were wilted. I can't believe how fast they dry out in these pots. Next grow, I am back in traditional ceramic pots.
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High @cliftoma! :high-five:

The main benefit to the fabric pots is that the roots get air pruned when they encounter the pot (or even get close). This encourages lateral growth along the root, instead of continuing to grow, and ending up curled around the inside of the pot. :(

Have you heard of the hempy method? It’s a passive form of hydroponics that includes a reservoir in the bottom of the pot, which gives you a bit more freedom from watering every day (even in full bloom, if your pot/reservoir is big enough).

Just search for “hempy” if interested.
:passitleft:
 
I have been in the horticultural business(landscape,lawn/turf,greenhouse and market grower) since 1982. Been growing pot since 1969. The one thing that you learn from a lifetime of growing plants is that there are many ways to do so successfully! Store bought compost tends to be a far cry from good garden compost, but usually is good(sometimes garbage), just not great. "Compost" and compost materials not thoroughly mixed and broken down and rich ,dark and crumbly can be less than good, even harmful in some cases. It may be too hot, or primarily just household or garden waste without the benefits of a healthy microbial community. Fabric pots can be very beneficial used with the right soil mixes or watering systems. If you have too much drainage materials without enough compost or other organic water retaining materials (like too much peat or coco in a soil grow without plenty of good compost) you may dry out too fast and need to add water and nutrients more often, even daily or more than once daily! Hydro methods will grow plants on "steroids" if you desire that, natural and organic methods will grow large healthy plants as well, perhaps a bit less heavy/large bu a close second with perhaps a bit better flavor (not always as pronounced but more rounded flavor with more depth and subtle nuances. Some plants and pot strains will produce stronger effects when slightly challenged/stressed but may yield far less! Different sources of fertilizers(or more or less of it) can influence flavor and other characteristics of flowering plants. Genetics are most important! Some varieties will only average a couple ounces (cannabis plants) and some varieties may average more or less. I have grown autos now,(only been growing them a three or four years now)that routinely yielded three to four ounces and others that about two ounces was average. Little mistakes with autos will reduce yield because they develop so fast, automatically! When making compost a minimum of a three x three x three foot bin is best, bigger is better! Source as many different kitchen and garden waste as possible and obtain litter or manure from sheep , goats, rabbits (best three!) or chickens and others and add to the mix. Worm castings are great, but better when fresh and not dried out in a bag for six months! I add them to my soil blends. Turn your compost often, and don't worry about PH, yet. Do not add lots of ashes or lime or chemical fertilizers! Adjust your PH, if needed when you finish your soil blend. If using fabric pots in the nursery we "Hill them in" with piles of mulch, leaves , etc. to help keep them more evenly damp/retain water better outdoors. Inside, using watering trays is helpful to catch the water that may pass through too fast(out the sides or bottom) and allow the pot to soak it back up, thus avoiding "dry pockets" in the bags, that can make a "dead" zone for roots if not prevented! Of course, don't over water so that the pots sit in water for more than 10 -15 minutes. They should reassorb all the water fairly quickly or pour off the excess. Chemical fertilizers tend to make"junkies" out of plants, they need constant reapplications, or they may suffer withdrawal! Living soils full of organisms and organic materials feed constantly, and are somewhat bufferred from PH issues as well. Enzymes and other natural processes are helping make nutrients available, by various means without dialing in precise PH readings! Lights, air circulation, LST, topping all play a role in yields of finished bud. I supplement the soil, with applications of fish and seaweed products at times, to supply trace elements and give them a little boost. What's so bad about growing plants with only a couple ounces yield , if they taste good, work on you good, finish quick and you did not have to tend them for hours daily! Anyway, watch out about comparing methods, when so many people report failures , most likely caused by poor soil blends, failure of watering properly, fertilizer problems, lighting issues , ventilation/circulation or too much fiddling/stressing out fast developing autos! Relax ! Smoke a bowl! Try to tweak your methods a bit, try different methods, pay attention to the environment, but relax, in time you will get good results and know why you did or did not, with most of your grows! Happy Growing!
 
Absolutely top autos early. Timing varies with varieties, but generally most should be topped at the fourth node or within first three weeks, as FilipeBlu said.Some of the newer larger growing varieties are reported to have longer veg times, so topping could be delayed accordingly. I top early then LST, but leave off any further topping once flowering begins! Sometimes I have just planted close and let em rip getting a good crop that way, as well. More plants, less time working them, Yield similar to fewer plants worked fairly diligently, with some varieties. I use LST only, often, with good results! I go with the flow, so to speak, at the time! Experimentation and having fun is important!
 
Thank you Tennessee Tim for all the info. It has helped! I know alot of what you said (reading many journals),and you put it all together into a concise post. I just don't have the experience. Thanks.
 
Even genius will not replace experience! But with all the info available now days, one can sure skip a lot of mistakes! I am glad if someone gets a bit of help from something I post. Your kind remarks Bode, are appreciated! Sometimes I ramble too much. I have found cannabis to be similar to growing great tasting vegetables. Know the plants needs, then supply them with the best sources to fully fill their needs, to the best of your ability. I learned years ago that melons grown with compost are superior in flavor/sweetness to melons grown with chemical fertilizer sources. You can grow melons just as big or bigger with chemicals, they taste fine, just not the same level of a combination of attributes; flavor, sweetness, disease and drought resistance. I went organic for my melons first, everything else followed when I became sensitized to pesticides used in the commercial landscape, lawn and turf. and greenhouse businesses. I had to learn the hard way that natural is safer and the results are at least as good, but I think better! I grew hydro in the greenhouse years ago and used that for cannabis a while and got huge buds! But it was a lot of work, used chemical fertilizers for best results and the taste was very pronounced but lacked the smoothness and depth of organic! Organic in hydro presented other issues that had to be addressed and was not as fun for me as going organic soil with my grows! Finding what works for you is part of the adventure! My living on a rural mini farm helps me to more easily obtain organic materials, that may be more challenging for others! When I lived in the city , I gathered discarded bags of leaves, visited farms and stables, etc. to make compost for my smaller gardens back then. Do what fits your circumstances and grow! Time and circumstances, will often change your methods as much as it changes you! Happy growing!
 
Tennessee Tim said:
Even genius will not replace experience! But with all the info available now days, one can sure skip a lot of mistakes! I am glad if someone gets a bit of help from something I post. Your kind remarks Bode, are appreciated! Sometimes I ramble too much. I have found cannabis to be similar to growing great tasting vegetables. Know the plants needs, then supply them with the best sources to fully fill their needs, to the best of your ability. I learned years ago that melons grown with compost are superior in flavor/sweetness to melons grown with chemical fertilizer sources. You can grow melons just as big or bigger with chemicals, they taste fine, just not the same level of a combination of attributes; flavor, sweetness, disease and drought resistance. I went organic for my melons first, everything else followed when I became sensitized to pesticides used in the commercial landscape, lawn and turf. and greenhouse businesses. I had to learn the hard way that natural is safer and the results are at least as good, but I think better! I grew hydro in the greenhouse years ago and used that for cannabis a while and got huge buds! But it was a lot of work, used chemical fertilizers for best results and the taste was very pronounced but lacked the smoothness and depth of organic! Organic in hydro presented other issues that had to be addressed and was not as fun for me as going organic soil with my grows! Finding what works for you is part of the adventure! My living on a rural mini farm helps me to more easily obtain organic materials, that may be more challenging for others! When I lived in the city , I gathered discarded bags of leaves, visited farms and stables, etc. to make compost for my smaller gardens back then. Do what fits your circumstances and grow! Time and circumstances, will often change your methods as much as it changes you! Happy growing!
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Looking Nice! I just popped some Lamb's Breath Auto, first time growing it!. I'll let you know how it does. I have been wanting some good Jamaican, again! Been a long time for me to have any!
 
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