First Time Grower

[BioBud]

This is my first time growing and I am decently happy with what I am seeing so far. I have three different strains from various seeds I had found laying around. Originally I had two other plants that ended up being male so they where removed. When that happened a friend gave me an auto flower plant that he had already started to be grown outside, it is the noticeably smaller one. I would like peoples opinions on where I should go from here for my next grow.

 

[BioBud]

 

[newty]

These look great! What lights are you using? My first time too and I wasn't giving them enough light

 

[nanananyssa]

Wow they look great! What kind of light is that? maybe defoliating a little will help?

 

[Autohyponic]

Definitely do not defoliate the auto flower plant. If your flowing the others and are past veg, I would not defoliate either. I personally had experience trimming my auto flowers and it stunted my plants like crazy. I read that cannibus doesn't photosynthesize with out fan leaves. Fan leaves are essential for auto flowers to produce enough energy to grow correctly. I made the mistake of assuming the plant would redirect the energy and focus on the offshoots more. The plant may have actually done that a little... but the pros did not out weigh the cons. I have 50 auto fem purple express and every one of them are older than 60 days but none of them are over 18 inches tall. Some are less than 12 inches but have all the mature plant signs (sugar leaves, orange pistols, cloudy trichs). I hope this helps.

 

[Guy Cavallero]

You can and should defoliate both autos and photos. Not crazily, but removing 30% of fans isn't unheard of. Don't allow a leaf to block a potential bud site. You can exfoliate into flower too. My general rule is 45 days on a 30 day veg.....so to recap, yes you can and should exfoliate both autos and photos.

 

[Autohyponic]

I am not disagreeing but the only thing you mentioned as a benefit is allowing light to get to the underlying kola growth. I thought the same as you but I read in this 420 forum somewhere by many many people that defoliation was bad most of the time. These guys would tuck leaves to provide light to flowers instead of cutting them. I am specifically speaking of auto flower plants. Some of the comments were from photo guys. The consensus seemed to be to not defoliate unless it's necessary. Like sick leaves, dead or dying leaves, damaged leaves..etc.. I am not a professional. I have nothing to go on but the research I've done. I believe you could be correct but I'm sharing what I've read. Peace

 

[Guy Cavallero]

For sure Auto. I've heard the same too but after 3 successful grows.... 1 complete run of autos and 2 photos, if have to say from experience that exfoliation is fine in autos and photos. I wouldn't however defoliate after 3rd week of flower and Just don't transplant one......auto that is.

Opinions are just that....i take them as such lol. Before I started growing marijuana, I was a gardener for over 10 years. If marijuana doesn't like having a few leaves removed, it's the only plant I know of that doesn't.