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View Full Version : Autoflowering advice needed...



skinford
08-02-11, 01:23 AM
Hi Guys i am new to this site and need some advice on autoflowering some Bubblicious. I am growing in a 1m sq wardrobe with a 250W CFL. I have planted 5 seeds in rockwool cubes in a heated propogator which are only just taking root so i wanted to clarify a few points before they get up and out of control. I am growing in soil this time, proper mix soil. I have grew hydro in the past but this is my 1st grow in a long time and a little rusty.

Am i right in saying:
- keep them in the dark until they get up and open the 1st set of leaves before introducing the light? im going 24/7 for 3 wks then down to 20/4 for the remainder
- Keep the light as low as possible without burning the leaves and raise as necessary?
- If the cycle is 8wks then when should i begin to feed the 'Plant start' boost and 'Bloom' nutes as i have read water alone is sufficient?
- also i read not to feed at the ratio directed on the bottle, is this correct? every ? days

You will all appreciate how delicate the seedling stages is :)

mitch_connor
08-02-11, 02:57 PM
Hey man,

You're spot on about much of the above..

Firstly, Are bubblicious fem?, if so when the beans have germed I would get them in as big a pot you can that will fit into your space. This will give them chance to get as big as possible for you.

What soil is it??, make sure it isn't too 'hot' for them because if you stunt an AF you will find they won't recover properly.

Also I wouldn't feed them nutes for at least 2 weeks from sprout. And give them maybe 1/4 of the recommended doseage and see how they take to it. Although if there is enough available nutrients in the soil you may not even need nutes until further in the grow.

I think under CFL your plants won't be working as hard compared to if they were under a HID.

I would maybe think about LST on those to get the most from your CFL?, just a thought.

Mitch

skinford
08-02-11, 07:29 PM
Thanks Mitch, yea bubblicious is fem and indica, it says on the packet. The tihing with the pots is i have germed 5 seeds but only have a 250w CFL bulb which i assume may be challenging for them in the space provided therefore if i keep the pot size down a little will this keep the plants smaller? Another option is to only grow 3 instead of 5 of them, would this increase the quality of buds on the 3?

I am using Plagorn grow mix with perlite. What do you mean make sure the soil isnt too 'hot'? Are you meaning temp or nute level?

I understand that HID lighting would boost the plants alot more but i have chose CFL to keep the electricity to a minimum for my first grow then i mite upgrade so i need what is best for my babies.

Wot is LST again? Doess that mean topping them?

Plutopete
08-02-11, 08:10 PM
my space is smaller than yours, less than 80cm, and i can fit 8 fully grown autos under 2x125w cfl's, as long as you keep the bulbs close as possible they are easily enough for autos. I discovered that the depth of the pot is the most important thing, I now grow mine in only 2L pop bottles and get the same yields as when i was using 5L pots.

mitch_connor
08-02-11, 08:41 PM
I can recommend 2L pop bottles aswell.

One thing I could suggest is to hang your CFL vertically if you have space, then rotate your plants everyday and you will have some nice buds.

250w is fine.. I started with less than that myself and still got some nice smoke.. You just have to play to it's strengths and weaknesses. I.e If your plants get too tall you won't have the penetration as HID does.

Yes when I said 'hot' I meant the nute level in the soil. It depends on the plant and the soil but I always start my AF's in seedling soil (light mix) as I have burnt and stunted my AF's in the past and it is hard to get the full potential out of them if that happens.

LST is just tying your plants down to encourage them to bush out. I suggested it if you didn't want your plants to get too tall, it will give you an even canopy and allow better coverage with the CFL.
I wouldn't top an auto, as it won't have the recovery time a normal plant would have.

skinford
08-02-11, 09:20 PM
These are my 5 babies 2 days from germ. When should i introdue light? now?
http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f379/c1trd/Bubblicious/?action=view&current=08022011945.jpg

This is my grow closet. How will i manage to house 5 autos in here?

http://s51.photobucket.com/albums/f379/c1trd/Bubblicious/?action=view&current=08022011946.jpg

skinford
08-02-11, 09:31 PM
also should i add a tiny amount of root start to the water in the propogator now to give them a good start before going into the soil?

Plutopete
08-02-11, 09:43 PM
That's loads of room, and personally I wouldn't add anything to a germinating auto.
https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2040/medium/01758.JPG (https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/65949/title/autoflower-devon-maid/cat/2040)
I think this space is 60cm x 75cm

skinford
08-02-11, 09:55 PM
so should i just leave them in the propogator, in the dark until the first 2 leaves open up? See above pics

Plutopete
08-02-11, 10:02 PM
i always start my seeds in the 2L bottle they'll live in, you don't want to impede the tap root in any way or your plant will be stunted, at least thats true of the variety i have experience with.

smashed
10-02-11, 01:26 PM
Hi ,taking the point that the soil isn't too 'hot' for them, couldnt you load up the 2lt bottles with lets say high nute soil in the bottom half and the top seedling compost? then as the root/plant develops it would hit the richer soil at a point it could handle the higher nutes.

mitch_connor
10-02-11, 04:31 PM
Yes, i've done it that way, without any trouble once or twice.

I've also started and kept them in 'light-mix' for the whole duration of a grow.. as long as they are fed adequate liquid nutes, they are fine

Green Master
03-03-11, 04:31 PM
Hi guys, a friend of mine had a really successful harvest with 2 Afghan Kush plants under a 250w HPS 18/6 for veg 20/4 for flowering, they grew very tall which had a poor effect on the bottom buds but he got very large very potent buds up top, he now wants to try the Big Devil Autoflower strain, he has flat white paint on walls, 2 oscillating fans and 1 inline fan attached to a carbon filter, he should be able to fit about 3 nice sized Auto's in his grow room.

The main issue he has is: Do you grow under a fluorescent bulb for the 1st couple weeks or just give it 18/6-20/4 of the HPS from start to finish? He's worried that will cause a huge electrical bill, and is the germination process the same as a standard full lenght strain?

If there is anything that needs to be done differently than growing a normal strain can you please inform me!?

Thanks
Green Master.

mitch_connor
03-03-11, 08:46 PM
Hey man, I would have done the opposite to your friend, 20/4 or 24/0 for veg, then 18/6 for flowering, but it all works :)

I grow under HID start to finish.. If he is using the 250w hps again, then that won't make a dent in your leccy bill really, but yes he could opt for flouro for the first few weeks as there is only so much light they can take in during the first week or so, but again it depends on what power cfl/flouro he's gonna use as to whether there will be any power saving...

No difference in germination.. seeds are seeds. Some AF's are occasionally said to have harder shells than normal.. but I haven't really seen a difference personally.

Differences.. No need to induce flowering by switching to 12/12,
Make sure you start them in decent depth/volume pots.. to not stunt them
Don't use a too nutrient rich soil to start them in.. again to not stunt them
So don't stunt them basically!

skinford
04-03-11, 12:13 AM
Day 25

Repotted into 7.5L pots

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f379/c1trd/Bubblicious/Day25.jpg


Also is this a sign of the fem plant? I am in week 3 of the cycle and wondering when to change into flower nutes.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f379/c1trd/Bubblicious/Day25sexa.jpg

strewth
04-03-11, 12:16 AM
I would change into flower nutes when you start to see fluffy tops mate, but having said that there should be enough nutes in the soil to last ya a couple of weeks after pot up

DugoutDoug
14-03-11, 04:13 AM
Ohhhh wow skinford, man... your growspace is like... identical to mine, even upto the shelf above haha! We gotta work in tandem here - help each other out, ya know ;) Only yours is a bit cleaner! I got pics of my space already up, but am about to add more - probably tonight - with the first pics of my own babies in a diary :)

Green Master
15-03-11, 04:21 AM
Thanks Mitch, sorry for the late reply my web was down for a couple weeks, he just started them about 3 days ago, 2 out of 3 have sprouted I'll take pics and post them, theres not much info on Big Devil at the mo so hopefully we can add to it:) have you grown auto strains before? If so what kind? We hope to be smoking it up in 8-9 weeks!!!

bboyz
15-03-11, 04:18 PM
sorry to jump this thread but also could be helpful for others.... if i was going from a little rootriot cube straight into a 11 litre biobizz all mix soil and for first week give them rootjuice then start the bio grow...would this be to much nutes for autos to handle?

bodge
17-03-11, 07:23 PM
I can recommend 2L pop bottles aswell.

One thing I could suggest is to hang your CFL vertically if you have space, then rotate your plants everyday and you will have some nice buds.

250w is fine.. I started with less than that myself and still got some nice smoke.. You just have to play to it's strengths and weaknesses. I.e If your plants get too tall you won't have the penetration as HID does.

Yes when I said 'hot' I meant the nute level in the soil. It depends on the plant and the soil but I always start my AF's in seedling soil (light mix) as I have burnt and stunted my AF's in the past and it is hard to get the full potential out of them if that happens.

LST is just tying your plants down to encourage them to bush out. I suggested it if you didn't want your plants to get too tall, it will give you an even canopy and allow better coverage with the CFL.
I wouldn't top an auto, as it won't have the recovery time a normal plant would have.

i have my CFL's hung vertically too, as you say so i can rotate the plants ; i also found it gave better readings on my light meter at the side & bottom of the adjoining plant...(sorry about poor pic...)

https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2110/medium/D18_-_iv.JPG (https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/68947/title/day-18/cat/2110)

Bodge.

RogerMelly
17-03-11, 07:43 PM
intresting thread as im doing a big devil and seems i've a alot to learn yet reading that haha:D

bodge
18-03-11, 06:08 PM
I would change into flower nutes when you start to see fluffy tops mate, but having said that there should be enough nutes in the soil to last ya a couple of weeks after pot up

i'm at the end of week 3 of auto Low Widows & debating whether to change to flowering feed ; i dont think these are quite 'fluffy' enuf yet - what do you reckon ? ...i'm thinking they might need another week yet...

https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2110/medium/D-21_or_.JPG (https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/69269/title/day-21/cat/2110)

https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2110/medium/D-21_gn_.JPG (https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/69268/title/day-21/cat/2110)

https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2110/medium/D-21_bl_.JPG (https://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/69267/title/day-21/cat/2110)

thanks,

Bodge.

bodge
18-03-11, 11:57 PM
I can recommend 2L pop bottles aswell.

One thing I could suggest is to hang your CFL vertically if you have space, then rotate your plants everyday and you will have some nice buds.

250w is fine.. I started with less than that myself and still got some nice smoke.. You just have to play to it's strengths and weaknesses. I.e If your plants get too tall you won't have the penetration as HID does.

Yes when I said 'hot' I meant the nute level in the soil. It depends on the plant and the soil but I always start my AF's in seedling soil (light mix) as I have burnt and stunted my AF's in the past and it is hard to get the full potential out of them if that happens.

LST is just tying your plants down to encourage them to bush out. I suggested it if you didn't want your plants to get too tall, it will give you an even canopy and allow better coverage with the CFL.
I wouldn't top an auto, as it won't have the recovery time a normal plant would have.

i'm starting a new set of seeds soon ; i'm going to try the pop bottles & i was wondering if there would be any advantage in using 3L bottles ?

as i understand the concept the idea of the bottles is that the height suits the long tap-root - would the extra bit of girth in the 3L bottle help the yield any ? ...they would still take up a lot less space than regular pots...? the seeds i'm planting next are the Short Stuff Auto MI5s - Easyriding's MI5 posts made up my mind on what to go for...

Bodge.

DoobyDude
23-03-11, 12:52 AM
I'm a noob to growing but doesn't the light penetrate the pop bottles and hit the roots?
From what I've read this is a bad thing?

bodge
23-03-11, 10:26 AM
I'm a noob to growing but doesn't the light penetrate the pop bottles and hit the roots?
From what I've read this is a bad thing?

if you fix brown paper or similar round the bottles it blocks out the light - the good thing is you can take it off to check how the roots are progressing then cover them up again...

DoobyDude
23-03-11, 09:24 PM
Ah you just took it off for the pics then, I thought the pics were the way you had them setup full time.