Auto-flower seed problem.

[herbose]

I've been living in the tropics for some years now and am trying to grow some weed. I bought some expensive AF seeds and have had no luck, they never get past the first real leaf stage. Now I read that the great AF strains were developed from very far north (where day/night can be 20/4) ruderalis strains, they just don't get past the one real leaf stage here where the days/nights never vary much from 12/12. I once grew some Ca seeds and wound up with four inch flowering plants which produced less than a gram/plant, stealthy for sure but I want more weed. Other than growing indoors (can be 100 degrees without lights) or buying locally grown stuff on the street (it sucks) and using the seeds.... I'm stumped.
Any suggestions?

 

[dl290485]

First of all, for more perspective for your situation, you may try a different strain. Perhaps low light hours per day could make the plants flower before they are ready. This could be exacerbated by the strain you are growing.

What are your other conditions though?

Have you gone for a brand name potting mix, or what is the composition of your soil?

What about watering and fertilisation schedules?

Are they getting full sun for the whole light period and not in the shade for some of it?

Apart from being small, do they always look otherwise healthy?

 

[chemphlegm]

I have mostly good fortune starting sativa seeds right into 12/12 without vegging them first. Not a fan of autos but I do play occasionally but you should maybe put the seedling under a cfl or two light indoors until it grows taller and
then to the outdoors when she shows sex

 

[NewGrow15]

I know you say other than growing indoors but honestly it sounds like it could be a more viable option. You become Mother Nature for the plant and have full cobtrol. Too high humidity? Dehumidifier. Too hot? Air conditioner.

 

[The Elvis]

How much light are they getting a day?
How are you feeding them? with what?
any idea on the genetics?? who was the breeder?
Tell me about the soil your growing those in??

TCB!!

 

[herbose]

I have mostly good fortune starting sativa seeds right into 12/12 without vegging them first. Not a fan of autos but I do play occasionally but you should maybe put the seedling under a cfl or two light indoors until it grows taller and
then to the outdoors when she shows sex

I'll probably have to do that with some temperate climate seeds but these ruderalis hybrids are not going to work because there's never enough daylight here and they require very long days. My mistake because I assumed that all auto-flowers were from tropical strains, I never thought about arctic strains. DOH!

I ordered more seeds including a regular AK47 and something called Thai Stick which I hope is really Thai Stick and not a hybrid with arctic Ruderalis ancestors. I'm in Thailand so Thai Stick should work for an auto-flower doncha' think? We'll see. I remember Thai Stick from the 60s and it was very good then but I doubt it can compete strength wise with the stuff we smoke today but I'm running low on my Norcal imported hash and will have nothing to smoke if I can't get this project off the ground.

I want to thank everyone who responded but won't go into soil, ferts, etc. I'm now a full time farmer with everything from rice, cassava, and sugarcane to kitchen vegetables so I know how to grow stuff. I started growing weed in the 60s and never had a problem until now and the problem is the genetics.

If any of you folks are interested I'll post progress reports here, let me know.

 

[chemphlegm]

auto's are ruderalis, a thai auto will have ruderalis gens, or else it wouldnt be an "autoflower" ?

 

[herbose]

auto's are ruderalis, a thai auto will have ruderalis gens, or else it wouldnt be an "autoflower" ?

Right you are, I'll stop worrying about the new seeds.

 

[BobCajun]

If you live where it's always about 12/12 then why buy auto seeds? You don't even need them. They're for northern climates.

 

[prostheticninja]

Could you veg plants indoors for a couple weeks before you put them out? You could use cfls or leds since heat is an issue. You could get them to a foot tall or so, or veg them to a bush, then move them outside to a prepared hole. If it's 12/12 there naturally, well, then the world is your flower room, buddy.

 

[thomas reynolds]

hey man if you get the strain early girl im sure its sensiseeds tht does the strain nirvana has the same genetics and they have a xstrain the same but eaqrly girl out door are so easy they give you a crop in the worse of weather there pretty hardy i live in the noerth east of scotland i once planted 40 female early girls down the side of a motorway they went to flower this was early gir outdoor i heard these are designed to flower regaurdless holland hasnt the best of weather much like where i live i got 50 ounce dry fr 40 females fr sure im sure this strain is worth you doing your research on man for sure