Autos flowering, questions
- Thread starter y2kayo
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Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
True autos do not care about the time period and they will start blooming no matter the light pattern or color. Some swear by 24/0 light, others feel there needs to be a break, so they run 18/6, and of course there are as many variations as there are human imaginations. Autos are easy this way, and leave most of these lighting choices up to you and your needs.
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
So how long is "feels like forever"? When did you sprout them?
Even with the best seed banks beans get mixed up all the time; sounds like maybe you’ve got photoperiods not autoflowers…
ditto Vegan4life… when did they pop above ground??
ditto Vegan4life… when did they pop above ground??
Agree with the question that Vegan4life asks of when did the seeds sprout.
I looked back at the threads you started. There were many of the early ones talking about the success or lack of success in getting your seeds to sprout. Then in late May or early April you started threads mentioning that some seeds sprouted and the seedlings were surviving. Are these plants the ones you mentioned. If so, they are about 6 to 7 weeks old.
Delps8
Well-Known Member
Autoflowers are not "flipped to flower" the growers change the photoperiod to induce flowering in photoperiod cannabis plants. Autos grow completely on their own timeline.
Autos can be grown using 24/0 through their lifecycle in the same way that photoperiod cannabis plants will continue to veg in a 24/0 photoperiod. Growers talk about "lights out" but, like so many things in growing cannabis, that's something that the grower reacts to but is meaningless to the plant. Plants have a "dark cycle" which deals with chemical processing inside that plant and has nothing to do with light.
While cannabis will thrive on 24/0, I only use 24/0 (I've done five auto grows and one photo) until flower. Once the plants start to flower, I drop to 20/4 but will change that to control DLI ("daily light integral" = how much PAR a plant receives in a 24 hour period). I try to base my growing processes on published research but the only mention I've seen of the photoperiod in "the research" is a comment by Bugbee (Google's your friend) confirming that they can grow 24/0 on an ongoing basis (photoperiod cannabis will stay in veg mode until the photoperiod goes to 12/12) but he said it wouldn't be a bad idea "to give them a little rest" during a YouTube interview (I think it was the video in which he was interviewed by Dr. Growit).
"2700k light" - never learned about house lighting so I'm not up to speed on lighting expressed in Kelvin. Agricultural lighting is expressed in terms that describe the visual color of light that's hitting the plants. Plants that receive a high percentage of blue light will tend to be shorter and have shorter internodal space; plants that get a lot of red PAR will tend to be taller so use a blue heavy light in veg and a red heavy light in flower.
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- #7
Yeah I'm on 7 1/2 weeks so far. My main question I guess is if I can force them into flower lol they are supposed to be smaller plants. I have two going right now and one is triple the size of the other one and I'm running out of room lol.
Thank you for your insight
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- #8
Yeah I was going to go all out on lights and shit but I did just fine when I was a kid with normal household bulbs. So I'm going to hone this a bit before I spend more money.
Thank you for your insight this is kind of the response I was looking for
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- #9
Yeah it's been 7 1/2 ish weeks now,
The website where I got my seeds says it finishes flowering within 8-10weeks. Is that 8-10weeks of flowering? Because I initially took that as it would be completely done in 8-10. Hence my confusion lol
If your girls are at 7.5 weeks and still no flower then it’s a photoperiod.
no disrespect but if you are using standard household bulbs then mist likely your lighting is way underpowered.
maybe drop some plant pics on us and we can help more
no disrespect but if you are using standard household bulbs then mist likely your lighting is way underpowered.
maybe drop some plant pics on us and we can help more
The usual length of flowering time from when the buds first start to show several stigma/pistils until the time when the buds are considered ripe seems to be 8 to 10 weeks. Sometimes plants will take an extra week or two and sometimes the grower likes to go a bit longer than 10 weeks. But, figure 8-10 weeks for flowering plus several weeks minimum for the growing or vegetating stage.
And, yes, a couple of photos of your plants. If more photos are needed then the group can suggest what parts of the plant need a closer look.
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- #12
Yeah im aware their kind of under powered,
I actually had really healthy plants as a kid with the same bulbs, except I've added two 200watt LEDs. this is sort of a rough go to see what works and what dosnt. I'm only really using the CFL bulbs for heat as of right now, I plan on getting a 400watt full spectrum and a tent.
See my pictures for reference.
I'm pretty sure the leafs on the lower plant were kind of curling either from not enough light down below or I might have burnt it with nutrients(not sure) but since I added the second LED it seems to spruce up a bit. Also excuse a few yellow tips towards the top as they grew into the light and burnt lol I'm making sure I check them twice a day now.
Any insight would be helpful, I know I have to figure out trimming and pruning but I honestly don't know where to start.
Also I know I should only have one plant going per bucket but I had such little faith at first that they'd even grow that I figured I'd double the odds.
Another thing people have told me the pistils means ots flowering, but others have also told me that it just means it's mature and that once there are 3 pistils thats a sign ita flowering.
So I don't know what to believe when I read random information on the internet, which is why I'm asking so many questions on here because Ive been finding a ton of back and forth information from Google and I'm not sure what to trust.
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- #13
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- #14
Gotcha, what's your take on the pistils showing up? Some have told me that means it's flowering and also I've been told that it just means it's mature, and flowering dosnt start until there is 3?
See pictures above, I appreciate you
Hey Y2kayo,
Top of the morning to ya!! So based on pistils in your pics they are definitely in flower. You can bump light hours down to 20/4 or even 18/6 but I’d avoid going to 12/12 since that will reduce yields on an auto.
the part about pistils… plants will show gender by pushing 2 tiny hairs out of the calyx at each node… it’s merely confirming female gender but also called pre-flowers.
As for plant maturity…. on a young seedling the first few pair of nodes are even or have symmetrical branching… meaning that 2 branches or limbs occur at the exact same point on the main stem…
but once you go past about the first 4 to 7 nodes the branches will alternate- one on left and an opposing one on right but at different points from main stem… this is called staggered nodes and is the start of sexual maturity.
yes having two plants in same container will reduce yields as they compete for nutrients. I’d lose the cover towel and have a fan moving air nearby.
as for topping and training yes it can still be done but your plants have exceeded the point at which most peeps start their training efforts…honestly for now I’d just let them run as is… I’m going to ask @InTheShed to drop some training tutorials on us. I scanned his links but didn’t see what I was looking for. Also 2 autoflower growers here come to mind that kill. it. every. dang. time. … they are BooWho2 and Deeboy…you can search on there handles to read their grow journals.
as for grow advice I’d avoid Giggle search and stay right here where you can read grower journals, see what they produce and ask questions directly.
Top of the morning to ya!! So based on pistils in your pics they are definitely in flower. You can bump light hours down to 20/4 or even 18/6 but I’d avoid going to 12/12 since that will reduce yields on an auto.
the part about pistils… plants will show gender by pushing 2 tiny hairs out of the calyx at each node… it’s merely confirming female gender but also called pre-flowers.
As for plant maturity…. on a young seedling the first few pair of nodes are even or have symmetrical branching… meaning that 2 branches or limbs occur at the exact same point on the main stem…
but once you go past about the first 4 to 7 nodes the branches will alternate- one on left and an opposing one on right but at different points from main stem… this is called staggered nodes and is the start of sexual maturity.
yes having two plants in same container will reduce yields as they compete for nutrients. I’d lose the cover towel and have a fan moving air nearby.
as for topping and training yes it can still be done but your plants have exceeded the point at which most peeps start their training efforts…honestly for now I’d just let them run as is… I’m going to ask @InTheShed to drop some training tutorials on us. I scanned his links but didn’t see what I was looking for. Also 2 autoflower growers here come to mind that kill. it. every. dang. time. … they are BooWho2 and Deeboy…you can search on there handles to read their grow journals.
as for grow advice I’d avoid Giggle search and stay right here where you can read grower journals, see what they produce and ask questions directly.
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- #16
Thank you for the reply, I just now realized there is a search feature I don't know why I missed that before.
Yeah I'm definitely just running them for now just to have an idea of what they do as Ive only had experience when I took over a mother plant a friends uncle or something had when I was a kid and had it only for a few weeks of flower until the cops raided my room for a unrelated reason when I was 13 so Ive never started a plant and seen it finish so I really want to just take it all in.
I'm recovering from a broken back too so that's why I chose autos but I'm definitely going for photos next time. Makes more sense having more control over them to me. When I first started dicking around with these I couldn't physically lift the bucket of dirt and had to get help from my parents lol. They are helping me recover.
As for the blanket, it's actually been really cold the last 2-3 weeks here so if I unwrap it the temperature will drop to around 68 F. I have a mini fan blowing 24/7 to aid in air movement I'm not sure it's very visible from the pictures but it's actually pretty powerful. On the hot days I unwrap it.
I just learned that having under lighting will cause stretching which makes a lot of sense as to why some of the branches could barely hold up some leafs towards the bottom of the plant hense why I used loose zipties and attached it to the bamboo. But I guess I want to shoot for the opposite next time around.
I definitely want to try fluxing but when I asked someone on here of I should start training it they told me it was too early. (It was sprouting it's 3rd rung of leafs at that time) looking back I should have but I might have bit off more then I could chew.
Also I know autos will flower with whatever light, I have 6500k all around right now which is the suitable spectrum for veg growth. I have a bunch of 2700k and a 200watt high pressure sodium in 2100k. (Shit I found around my parents house) the Internet tells me that that color is suitable for flowering so I'm going to assume that it would be beneficial to the plant apposed to keeping it at the 6500k right now, correct?
I am with @013 that the flowering already started. There are more stigma/pistils already there at many of the nodes than you might be realizing.
Tell us a bit more about those LED lights you got.
Tell us a bit more about those LED lights you got.
These plants will tolerate temperatures going down into the low 30sF so 68 is not a problem. Many growers have said that their night or lights off temperatures is often 65 to 70 so it is not something to worry about.
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- #18
Ya I can see the pistils everywhere but for some dumb reason I was waiting for groups of 3 like someone else said in another thread lol. Now I know I guess.
Their just some garage lights I found in a box, I think my parents got them from Amazon I'm not sure. Their some no name 200watt 6500k which is more blue on the spectrum.
I plan on getting a vivoson(?) Or another brand I can't remember that was recommended here, Full spectrum soon for my next round. Having a broken back and not working funds are tight and I prioritized food first haha but I saved a good chunk this month to put towards it in like 10 days if I decide then.
And I'm taking that temperature with the lights on and no blanket wrapped lol.
I just noticed, I planted a jack ripper outside just for shits and giggles and its actually starting to bud but it's so mini it's actually funny. I thought it died but I guess not.
I appreciate your guys input, I've just been winging it for now.
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- #19
Those are the exact lights, again I know it's not the best but I put all this together without spending money other then seeds, soil, and organic nutrients
I know the feeling. I started with those curly compact fluorescent bulbs myself and then added some of the regular household LED bulbs. People have had successful grows with those types of lights. The downside is that the grows will have smaller quantities at harvest and the quality of harvest might be a bit lower but it will still be very acceptable.
Before long I bought a smaller sized LED grow light and took down the fluorescent and household LED bulbs. Whenever I got some extra money I added to my LED grow light system.
