Autoflower - Green Crack Trials - Second Attempt With Autos

[goofyfoot]

Howdy All, round two with a Autoflower strain and a first time LED source as primary indoor light.

Medium: is hand mixed top soil no Miracle Grow pre-mixed stuff. Plain cow manure top soil with Perlite, charcoal nuggets, sphagnum and ground coquina shell

Light source: ViparSpectra Reflector-Series 600 Watt Full Spectrum Indoor light veg\bloom selection.

Seed: Fast Buds- Green Crack 80/20 Sativa/Indica~Ruderalis

Nuit's: Fox Farms trio, plus a calcium_magnesium_B1 solution I have been hand mixing. It is cheaper to mix it then to buy, ready bottled products that are available.

Starter pot is 3/4 gal (coffee container) with 2/3rds of the bottom removed. Any black plastic starter pot will do, I have these laying around and recycle were ever possible. Cut out a circle and use packing tape to re-secure to the bottom. if you drill 8 1/2" holes in a circle then just snip along connecting pieces.
I layer 2 folded sheets of paper toweling into the bottom of container. Fill with soil mix and saturate to compress, then add more soil to fill. After soaking seed to sprout and develops a tap root foot. I place it in hole about 3/4" down and cover lightly.

I only use this "pot" to start plants. After 10 days you will see tap roots starting to emerge from around wholes in the bottom circle. Simply remove the tape to release the cut circle opening up the bottom of the pot. Then just set on top of lower 3 gallon soil container and wiggle it in a bit. The paper towel will decompose quickly.
The plants root ball will fill the upper container and grow through the opening into and soon fill the 3 gallon container. Creating almost 4 gallons of grow space but also removes transplant shock to the developing root system. As when you started them in solo cups.
A side bonus is when you water/feed them the upper container acts as a funnel for the fluid to stream down over the main portion of the roots.

I have high output CFL bulbs to add to the mix if need be. Never using a LED source before, I would like to run it alone. So I will have something to base next grows on. I only used CFL bulbs on my last grow, almost 500 watts for veg and increased up to 585 watts for bloom. It was a very health plant but the bulbs lack the "balls" to make the plant stretch out.

This is day 14 from germination, her little friend is a freebie feminized "gift" seed. Humboldt Seeds~ Bubbas Gift strain unknown. The auto is on the left.

by herself and the LED are reflecting off a water drop

her non-auto Humboldt crime partner

she got her first ponytail this morning and has quit a bit of activity going on underneath.

Not sure if I should or if I will apply Fimmimg of Top her off...?? Will give her a few more days to adjust to the LED's as I have lowered them to about 20 inches overhead, they were at 32 inches for last 14 days.

They are happy so far and will see what happens. Any Questions or Comments are always welcome as I am growing with this as well as they are. Thanks for stopping by and...Peace.....

 

[irish420uk]

Looking good . Think il be checking this one out . Peace

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[BlakVader]

Oh yeah I'm all over this one. So, why the pony tail?

Go Falcons!!!

 

[goofyfoot]

Autoflowers spit out under growth as fast as they add to the top of the plant. These will form into branches with nodes adding to the bulk of the plant. Doing this for 12 hours every other day // 2 or 3 days, gives the lower growth twice the amount of light. There are things that must be understood with these strains. Not that they are hard to grow but knowing what you can and cant do is the secret!!

Non-auto's have 6 to 8 weeks (or more) to develop branches and you can control the veg cycle with a light timer. Holding them in the veg stage almost indefinitely. So an autoflower strain has to do in 7 to 10 days what it takes a regular strain 25 to 30 days to accomplish ~ give or take.

You have no way to slow the veg cycle down.... so instead you need to find ways to double up on the limited internal clock they have built into them. This is important because if you F**k things up and shock them you limit the plant potential, cutting the yield in half as there is no margin for error.

This will just help the productivity allowing the under stuff to grow outward and bulk-up quicker. If you were to grow one doing this and have another one next to it left un-touched. You would really see what a difference this makes.

If you over fertilize a non-autoflower you can flush it out and if it goes dormant for 7 to 10 days while recovering. It is no big deal, just leave it at 18 hours on for two more weeks to make up for it. This does not work with auto's and you lose out big time................ if you get the right formula that the plant can utilize. Your results in 58 to 65 days are equal to a feminized plant pushed to 95 to 110 days.

The plants pictured above, the autoflower on the left is 14 days old. The non-auto on the right was started 12 day before it. That might helps with a comparison in the differences in the auto vs. non-autos department.......

Or you have already started smoking your harvest and are 1/2 way into your second grow while your neighbor is just starting to hang his crop to dry!! ...Peace.....

 

[BlakVader]

Goofy tyvm for the info. I'm running 4 autos now and o noticed the branches as well. This was the whole reason for trying autos this time to see if they will truly produce in less time. Also, i have heard some people top theirs as well like after the 3 node or so. What do you think? I will try the pony tail trick and watch.

Go Falcons!!!

 

[BlakVader]

Wow u r right about the difference in the pics. Crazy. What is your opinion of LST if any? I want to let these ladies go on their own so i know their strain before i start picking them apart. I also read another post where a gentleman had actually removed a ton of fan leaves and it bounced right back fuller than before. Don't think it was an auto though.

Go Falcons!!!

 

[goofyfoot]

I have only Topped or Fimmed non-auto Feminized plants and I DID apply LST to my autoflower last grow. She did not mind being handle roughly, or more like mauled!! The first picture makes her look like a plucked chicken but by the third shot. You can see how many bud nodes had erupted and this let light and more important air into circulate. By the 4th picture she was kicking ass and this was under just CFL bulbs and a heavy supply of nuit's. They don't have the balls that ballasted Metal Halide or HP Sodium bulbs have. If I had the LED I have now with that plant she could have added two more ounce's to the finial tally.

She had great buds for the limits of the supplied light.

But you can see that tying them outward and pulling the main stem down did not hurt her.

I feel hesitant or more like if I do, I will try on the next go around. I mest up and wanted to do two Auto side by side. I had the Green Crack seed and the feminized Humboldt on hand. Long story short my order plan for new seeds got delayed.
I am comfortable clipping the feminized plant because I have done those 100 times and applied very aggressive LST in shaping them.

I would suggest looking at Fimming, instead of pulling the whole top. It looks less evasive as far as hurting your plants. I found this down the road:

and add some explanation. I also have seen a bunch of photos through out the site of great results that have been achieved. I guest it is the first time jitters and after you do 3 or 4 plants you feel comfortable. That is why I wanted two Auto, in case I f-ed one up I had a back-up!! You never know until you try ...Peace.....

 

[BlakVader]

Most excellent. Thanks for the pics. Easier to visualize and see the results. I will try the earlier method at this time but the nxt set i will def FIM and LST.

Go Falcons!!!

 

[Integrum Stultus]

Im in!! FBGC is gonna be the star of my next journal!! ️️


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[goofyfoot]

Happy HumpDay 420 peoples!!

This is day 16 for the lucky ladies, 16 for the Auto and 26 for the freebie Feminized gift seed. They are coming along quit nicely and happy with the auto.

I fimmed her last night one hour before lights off, I had just lowered the LED by 12" the day before and thought this would help her a bit. I also applied 2 drops of full strength peroxide right on top of the main stem. It will sit on the cut and bubble slightly. One of the properties of peroxide is it drys out the area it is applied to. This helps close the opening over night and as the pic's shows. A nice clean removal site, I wish the last wisdom tooth I had pulled looked that good!!

I have use it more then a few times as I broke the stems of the plant while trying to LST them. I just add a few drops to both sides then wrap a cotton ball or gauze pad around it. Then secure with simple Scotch tape. Just walk away and in a few weeks it will be good as new. The cotton ball allows it to expand as it continues to grow and heal, as it does not constrict it. Cool trick to know, or just don't brake your plants better yet!!

They wont get any go-go juice till Saturday and that mix has the first good dose of NPK. I am using Fox Farm trio and will not get into a debate about companies or brands. They all provide NPK and I will advise to MAKE SURE the micro nuits are "chelated". Funny word and basically means pre-chewed .... it helps the roots to absorb them easier is what it means. This will help prevent salt build-up/lock-out.... but NOT eliminate it because you go heavy with the mix!!!

The amount of NPK varies from brand to brand but so does your medium, PH, water quality, light source and the forgotten humidity. So I found a recipe that works for the combined conditions I HAVE and not what the bottle, web page, or counter person said I NEED!!. The Voodoo, Gorilla-Bloom and other add-in pre-mixed stuff I can do without but that does not mean they don't work or give your plants any benefit. I started outdoors with dirt and water. That's my secrete!! Moving indoors I started with Fox 8 years ago and figured out how to make it work for me, that's why I only use it.

I add calcium, magnesium and B-1 to each gallon I mix and recommend you add this if nothing else to your favorite brand. It allows the plant to process more effectively everything you are giving it.......I mix my own but if you buy any extra additive beside nuits. Buy this pre-mix.

I would LOVE to be able to introduce CO2 to them and that is on my list.

Here are today's photos and they both have bulked up nicely...... Having an Auto vs. Feminized you can really see what an auto can achieve in growth difference. But I love them both........

SIDE BY SIDE

AUTO

FEMINIZED IS GETTING HEAVY GLAD THE FAN IS MAKING HER WIGGLE

THIS SHOWS WERE SHE WAS FIMMED AND IS NICE AND CLEAN

Enjoy the rest of the week....post back Sunday and thanks for stopping by!!
...Peace.....

 

[PacificPeach]

I have only Topped or Fimmed non-auto Feminized plants and I DID apply LST to my autoflower last grow. She did not mind being handle roughly, or more like mauled!! The first picture makes her look like a plucked chicken but by the third shot. You can see how many bud nodes had erupted and this let light and more important air into circulate. By the 4th picture she was kicking ass and this was under just CFL bulbs and a heavy supply of nuit's. They don't have the balls that ballasted Metal Halide or HP Sodium bulbs have. If I had the LED I have now with that plant she could have added two more ounce's to the finial tally.

She had great buds for the limits of the supplied light.

But you can see that tying them outward and pulling the main stem down did not hurt her.

I feel hesitant or more like if I do, I will try on the next go around. I mest up and wanted to do two Auto side by side. I had the Green Crack seed and the feminized Humboldt on hand. Long story short my order plan for new seeds got delayed.
I am comfortable clipping the feminized plant because I have done those 100 times and applied very aggressive LST in shaping them.

I would suggest looking at Fimming, instead of pulling the whole top. It looks less evasive as far as hurting your plants. I found this down the road:

and add some explanation. I also have seen a bunch of photos through out the site of great results that have been achieved. I guest it is the first time jitters and after you do 3 or 4 plants you feel comfortable. That is why I wanted two Auto, in case I f-ed one up I had a back-up!! You never know until you try ...Peace.....

What variety did you have in your last grow with the ponytailing? It has such a pretty flower.


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[goofyfoot]

That was LSD-25 autoflower from Fast Buds via Herbie's Seeds........ follow the link for a few more pic's. She was very cool to watch grow and change colors...Peace.....


The New Autoflower Topping Thread

 

[Stinky Snid]

Subbing up, glad you started a journal for us to follow. Great bud shots there, the colours are amazing. Who said cfls couldn't grow great bud. Great job with those I'll just grab my and settle in for the show.

KiG cheers

 

[goofyfoot]

The last post I said I was going to wait till Sunday to add to this, but this breaking news just in:

I Fimmed her Tuesday night at 8:00PM and took Wednesday photos at 6:30 PM (last night) I checked the spot VERY well and seen nothing unusual, in fact it was healed completely over.

I got in from work at 1:30 this afternoon and I turn each one 180 degrees everyday. So that they get a balance of light, inside to outside. Just took a peek at the nip site on the Auto and COOL. She is defiantly a SHE and already looking for love.

This is only my second Autoflower and never figured she would have pistils showing before 5 set of leaves was fully developed and 17 days from germination. I did not nip the last plant and she started showing pistils on the 7th node around day 21-22~ish. I have no idea if this caused it. Or she is just really horny!!!

It may just be a vigorous strain but adds extra fuel to the fire as in my expectations. Also last plant was with CFL's this this grow is one single LED unit...?????? Check her out>>>>>>>

The blue from the LED's make it hard to see :: HERE IS MEGA ZOOM

This is just below the fimmed spot and she is showing pistils on 4 nodes so far!!

It is definitely a girl and will see how things go..... See Yah All Sunday thanks for Stopping!!
...Peace.....

 

[goofyfoot]

Great bud shots there, the colours are amazing. Who said cfls couldn't grow great bud.

Thanks but to be truthful the bulbs I used were a 120 watt CFL @6K hung over-head and 4 85 watt photography kite CFL bulbs 5.5K in each corner for veg
Then a 250 watt CFL @2.7K hung O\H with 4 60 watt photo CFL's @ 3.2K for flower

These things were the size of my size 10 flip-flops!!

If I used one combo 400 watt Metal Hali\HPSodium light kit for the same electric bill I could have had a few more oz's.....
But I look at it as a learning grow and NOW I KNOW!!!
Thanks!!

 

[goofyfoot]

Happy Sunday All.......

Just an update on the two and liking what they are doing. They have taken to the increase in the feeding solution and I have switched on the veg and bloom setting of the LED. More like have it set for both with the timer. The first 12 days was just the bloom setting. Then for 3 days the first 8 hours were both settings on, only veg for last 10 hours till lights off.

This was to let them build up to the full zapping of 18 hours on. The Auto loves it and is stretching out nicely. The Humboldt Fem is a little droopy by the 15-16th hour but is also adjusting to it as she builds up.

These two side-by-side shows what a difference there actually is between the strains. As the Humboldt Fem has been above ground almost 10~12 days longer, some up-dated pic's from this morning.....

THIS IS THE HUMBOLDT AND FROM THE SHAPE OF HER LEAVE I AM GUESTING SHE IS MORE OF AN INDICA CROSS.

THIS IS MISS AUTO AND EVERY NODE SHE HAS IS THROWING OUT PISTILES AND IS DEVELOPING HER OWN MUSKY~NESS TO HER.

A LOOK AT THE UNDER GROWTH

THE AUTOS

IT GIVES A GREAT COMPARISION

With going to full LED hoping by Wednesday~ Thursday they will be some big changes.

For now just tucking fan leaves under and will be pony tailing every other day. Also to note the fimming had no negative effects on her......will be applying LST to her. Also plan on topping the Humboldt Fem and LST-ing her also.
Many here have posted they topped their Autos and this gives me the piece of mind to attempt on the coming grows.

See yah soon and thanks for stopping bye ...Peace.....

 

[goofyfoot]

Howdy All and Good Wednesday to you.

This morning before work I did a little tie down on the Autos main stem and it is lower then the tallest branches. It is BENT down but so fresh it will take at least 4 or 5 days to stay in that position. This opens up the center of the plant and I will weight down the outer branches as they get a bit longer bigger. I don't tie them but hang weights on them.

When hanging Christmas balls on the branches and they sag a bit, now add a more weight. Fishing split shots work well as you can adjust them easy. I have 1 ounce hanging an the stem right now. I did this at 5:00 AM and got home around noon. She already has the top turned back toward the LED and by morning will be back to normal. But now she is 4 inches lower and all branches are at the same level.

I left the camera on when I went to work so I have to charge the battery back up. So I cant show how much she is trying to correct herself. By the morning I will get more pic's... The little Humboldt Fem got nipped also and she is as happy as a clam doing her own thing.

THESE FIRST THREE PIC'S ARE THE AUTO AND SHOW HOW MUCH THE BEND IS. YOU CAN REALLY CRANK ON THEM BUT NOTE THEY HAVE A LIMIT.

AFTER 4 DAYS THE BEND WILL BE PERMENT AND THE PLANT HAS NO ILL EFFECTS.

THIS IS THE HUMBOLDT

THEN THE AUTO UN-ZOOMED

Will add a few shot of her recovery in the morning....... very cool and this looks extreme but the plant try's to turn back to the light source in hours. By morning her top will be back to normal...Peace.....

 

[goofyfoot]

Morning ALL and happy Thursday,

Battery all charged up and just adding a few pic's showing how she responded to being yanked down. It has been 24 hours and her top is facing back to the light source. It is lower then her other branches but will grow faster then the rest of the plant.

Doing this and weighting the other branch's out horizontal. Their tops will also bend back upward toward the LED. Opening up the inner plant without shocking or stunting her growth. They have so many lower nodes, this exposes them to light and airflow. Instead of getting pop-corn at harvest you will benefit with solid dense nuggets.

Side note to bending them is they will do all they can to find the light source. Years back with an outdoor grow, I had plants placed on milk crates in one gallon starter pots. One somehow got knocked over and was on it's side for 5 days. It grew in between two other plants also curving to find her way upward. It was funnier then all hell looking and stayed that way when placed up right. In one day it's top was facing sun but looked like a cork screw. They have a great way of adapting.

I will let both of them hang out till Sunday as I gave them a good dose of go-go juice earlier. The Humboldt Fem was a little sluggish and sharing the same strength nuit's as the auto. Nipping her top and in the last 2 days has increased her canopy. To the point she has nice crisp folds in her leafs through all of lights on, no drooping.

Also with the pot set-up they are on the dry side even with watering every 3 to 4 days. The upper pot contains her forming root ball and being it is exposed to air flow all around it. With the heat of the grow area also, plus the fact that it MUST drain down into the dry 3 gallon pot. This allows for increased evaporation then if it all bound into one single pot.
Once she fills the first pot she is NOT root-bound as there the 6 inch diameter hole in the bottom. Allows for easy
expanding tap roots.

It is only theory but doing for sometime now allows better control of nuit's by providing more frequent the watering's. So if you do get heavy handed and have to flush, then wait for it to dry out. Losing 7 days of veg time, I mix to 80% of maximum and get to apply it twice as offend. Without any adverse effects or lock-out.

Here is how she looks this morning 24 hours after bend....... the Humboldt Fem is looking GOOD, even this is about Autos!!

YOU CAN SEE THE BEND BUT HER TOP BLENDS RIGHT IN

SIDE BY SIDE WITH HER BUDDY

Will let them relax for a few days and then start work on lower branches.... see yah on Sunday. Thanks for stopping by and ...Peace.....

.

 

[goofyfoot]

Happy Sunday All

The two of them are coming along nicely and taking to training very well. They have also reached the stage to go full-on nuit's saturation and not have to worry so much. There are two sets of pic's, some from Friday out from their little house. The next set are from today under the LED's.

THESE ARE THE HUMBOLDT FEM BEFORE SHE GOT BEND OVER

THE NEXT ARE THE AUTO AND AT THIRD DAY INTO TRAINING

THIS ONE IS THE FIRST BRANCH FROM THE FIRST NODE TO GIVE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THIS DOES FOR THE PLANT AS FAR AS ALLOWING LOWER GROWTH THE SAME OPERTUNITY AS THE UPPER NODES

THESE NEXT ARE TODAYS AND I CANT WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK TO SEE WHAT THE TWO OF THEM DO..... THEY ARE STARTING TO BECOME VERY FRAGRENT ALSO!!!!

With the increasing levels of nuit's and canopy and root balls they should start taking off in the next 5 days. Cant wait to see what they will do..... will add pic's mid-week. It is cool to go back just 7 ~ 10 days here on site and realizing what they are going through. it is like you growing from a size 5 sneaker to an size 8 or 9 in 10 days.
DOES IT HURT..??...!!!

Will just keep tucking in the fan leaves and fan the hell out of them. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead...Peace.....

 

[PacificPeach]

Happy Sunday All

The two of them are coming along nicely and taking to training very well. They have also reached the stage to go full-on nuit's saturation and not have to worry so much. There are two sets of pic's, some from Friday out from their little house. The next set are from today under the LED's.

THESE ARE THE HUMBOLDT FEM BEFORE SHE GOT BEND OVER

THE NEXT ARE THE AUTO AND AT THIRD DAY INTO TRAINING

THIS ONE IS THE FIRST BRANCH FROM THE FIRST NODE TO GIVE EXAMPLE OF WHAT THIS DOES FOR THE PLANT AS FAR AS ALLOWING LOWER GROWTH THE SAME OPERTUNITY AS THE UPPER NODES

THESE NEXT ARE TODAYS AND I CANT WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK TO SEE WHAT THE TWO OF THEM DO..... THEY ARE STARTING TO BECOME VERY FRAGRENT ALSO!!!!

With the increasing levels of nuit's and canopy and root balls they should start taking off in the next 5 days. Cant wait to see what they will do..... will add pic's mid-week. It is cool to go back just 7 ~ 10 days here on site and realizing what they are going through. it is like you growing from a size 5 sneaker to an size 8 or 9 in 10 days.
DOES IT HURT..??...!!!

Will just keep tucking in the fan leaves and fan the hell out of them. Thanks for stopping by and have a great week ahead...Peace.....

They look great - very healthy!!