Are Auto's worth it these days.

breedwheel

breedwheel

Well-Known Member
MATTYMATT726 said:
Yeild is relative to pot and not by plant fot me. 10 oz in a 1 gal vs 10 oz in a 10 are very different. In my 2.2 gal autopots, 4-6 and i am happy. I can get 2 to 2.5 in 2 liter soda bottle coco or perlite Hempys. Last 5 gal i did could be found here somewhere(harvested in October and struggling so had to take a break right now sadly), but i bet all together it was atleast 8-10. I don't weigh much.
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I moved up to 5 gallon pots from 3 gallon thinking I would get a better yeild on the auto's and my root balls on all plants didn't even come close to needing the space. I am going back down to 3 gallon for auto's from now on. Felt like I was washing a lot of $$$ down the drain trying to achieve my runoff because I like to grow in coco
 
MATTYMATT726

MATTYMATT726

Well-Known Member
breedwheel said:
I moved up to 5 gallon pots from 3 gallon thinking I would get a better yeild on the auto's and my root balls on all plants didn't even come close to needing the space. I am going back down to 3 gallon for auto's from now on. Felt like I was washing a lot of $$$ down the drain trying to achieve my runoff because I like to grow in coco
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I got the 4 gal autopots at 1st, but the 2.2 gal gets the best out of the coco in that comparison. Point of coco isn't to use big pots and water every few days, so i don't know why i got the 4 gals, used 1x and not again yet since 18'. Good to have if i ever want to do some lazy water only every 3-5 days in soil though.
 
D

Delps8

Well-Known Member
"worth it" - not to me.

My grow uses a large res (a SuperPonics 12XL that holds 28 gallons of nutes) in a 2' x 4' tent. My first grow, which revegged and never got to chop, was a photoperiod in 2017. It grew pretty well, considering the PPFD of a Kind blurple. After that failure, I archived my tent until early 2021.

In early 2021, I unarchived my equipment and proceeded to destroy two sets of seedlings (overwatering + under lighting). That put me in a time bind because of the weather here in Southern California - I wanted a harvest before the heat that starts up in June. With that time constrain in mind, autos were the obvious answer.

Not for long.

That grow stretched into July and I ended up having to buy and install a 14k BTU portable AC unit to try to keep that corner of the garage cool. And that was just part of the mishegas. Turns out there's a lot more to growing when temps are 90°± than when they're 80°±.

Why weren't the autos ready in the advertised time? Dunno.

In the two years that I've been growing, I've grown, until now, only autos. They're convenient - I can change the light cycle as needed, they're hardy sons of guns, and they yield well. My highest yield was 24 ounces and even the grows that get mauled by thrips (that's happened three times now) ended up at well over a pound.

So what's not to love? They take too long.

All five of my autos have taken >110 days. And, since they're autos, my photoperiod has been >= 18 hours. Given that I live in the People's Republic of California, my off peak rate for a KwH is 41¢ and peak rate is 65¢. The $$ is not that big an issue to me but, when I think about why I'm growing autos, the original reason of "I want to finish a grow before…" is not longer valid.

It makes no sense for me to grow autos. With photos, I can run my lights for 12 hours a day and, for the other 12 hours, the lights are out. That cuts down on electricity for lights plus I don't have to maintain the temp + RH (VPD) for those six hours that the lights are out.

All in all, for my situation, I don't benefit from any of the advantages of autos and, starting with my current grow, I've switched to photos.
 
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K

Kola_Kreator

Well-Known Member
From rooted clone photos are faster than autos. Veg for 3 weeks flower for 7-8 and you'll be harvesting before any auto would be ready. And growing from clone is a lot easier and more reliable than seeds and you can set up a clone tent for next to nothing.

I find it difficult to believe that any experienced grower would choose autos over photos
 
Wastei

Wastei

Well-Known Member
Kola_Kreator said:
From rooted clone photos are faster than autos. Veg for 3 weeks flower for 7-8 and you'll be harvesting before any auto would be ready. And growing from clone is a lot easier and more reliable than seeds and you can set up a clone tent for next to nothing.

I find it difficult to believe that any experienced grower would choose autos over photos
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Well put! Autos's was created to be able to grow outside under long sun hours summers in Europe and the northern hemisphere. Marketing made this whole mess where people believe sprouting a seed is faster than taking and rooting a clone. People who say Auto is just as good as photos have never grown perpetually and worked with the same cut for years. They probably never learned how to take a cutting properly with repeatable results?

You can also do more with photos, and plan for the future, this is impossible with Autos. Sprouting a few Auto seeds in a tent is for the hobbyist, experienced growers use Autos on a large scale outdoors where they have no other alternative.

And you're right most newcomers start out with Autos because they're heavily marketed toward first time growers. With Autos they sell more seeds, and the consumer blindly follows the marketing.
 
Nutty sKunK

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
Kola_Kreator said:
From rooted clone photos are faster than autos. Veg for 3 weeks flower for 7-8 and you'll be harvesting before any auto would be ready. And growing from clone is a lot easier and more reliable than seeds and you can set up a clone tent for next to nothing.

I find it difficult to believe that any experienced grower would choose autos over photos
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First you need to get the clone. So if no access you need to grow out a plant from seed to get a clone worth having. Not everywhere is still legal unfortunately.

You also have to keep a tent going to keep the cuttings alive. No long vacations, unless you have someone u can trust but that can be hard to find at the right time.

If you live in a legal place then photoperiods are the way to go. But autos have their place indoors. 24hr lighting can eliminate the need for a 2kw space heater.

I like the ease of putting some seeds in the dirt and 10-12 weeks later having over a pound to last me the year without being tied to a grow :)
 
DeadHeadX

DeadHeadX

Well-Known Member
Wastei said:
Well put! Autos's was created to be able to grow outside under long sun hours summers in Europe and the northern hemisphere. Marketing made this whole mess where people believe sprouting a seed is faster than taking and rooting a clone. People who say Auto is just as good as photos have never grown perpetually and worked with the same cut for years. They probably never learned how to take a cutting properly with repeatable results?

You can also do more with photos, and plan for the future, this is impossible with Autos. Sprouting a few Auto seeds in a tent is for the hobbyist, experienced growers use Autos on a large scale outdoors where they have no other alternative.

And you're right most newcomers start out with Autos because they're heavily marketed toward first time growers. With Autos they sell more seeds, and the consumer blindly follows the marketing.
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There are definitely a lot of new “hobbyists” with the rapidly changing legal landscape, at least for many states in the US. You state the term almost as an insult, but I’m happy to embrace it as pretty accurate. In the past year of growing (my first in many, many years) I’ve now enjoyed one outdoor photo harvest and two indoor auto harvests that have taught me a lot and kept me in increasingly good weed. The goal of the hobby for most of us is nice herb to smoke, cook with, press, whatever - like most who grow as “hobbyists”, to liberate ourselves from the commercial or underground market. One can achieve this really well without any elitism or prizes, especially when the goal is simply keeping our heads where we want or need them to be. And autos can be really potent. It’s incorrect to believe otherwise. Autos can produce some really good shit, man.

I’m looking forward to getting some photos going both indoor and outdoor this summer, and I’m looking forward to running a few autos as well (new Mephisto seeds just arrived!, along with some ethos photos). I’ve had a lot of fun growing them, and i appreciate the variety they allow. I’m running a 3x3 foot tent - hobby size I guess - and love the variety that growing autos offers, as one advantage. And we all know variety is helpful in keeping the buzz fresh. (Though I definitely appreciate the thought of finding a perfect phenome to run as a mother. I’m already looking into a second tent, though I will always be a hobbyist growing strictly for personal use and to share with friends.) It’s not like most people are dealing with any sort of genetic purity anyway. Do you like feminized seeds?

As for potency, my first round of autos was hit or miss, grower error, but smokable enough. My second round of autos showed some grower errors also, but fewer and less damaging, and the result is some notably good bud. I’m proud of the haul and certainly biased towards my personal effort, but this auto harvest of Runtz and Skywalker is as strong as or more so than just about any of the many variety of photo grown out door last season that I’ve had an opportunity to try. And that’s not an insult at all to all of the fine weed my friends grew last summer. I don’t really doubt that all things being equal, photos can be a bit more powerful than autos, but the margin isn’t wide and this harvest is keeping me really high. So much better than dispo crap, and a great way to start into the hobby, if nothing else, though I suspect I’ll keep growing autos. They’re sort of cool.
 
Wastei

Wastei

Well-Known Member
DeadHeadX said:
There are definitely a lot of new “hobbyists” with the rapidly changing legal landscape, at least for many states in the US. You state the term almost as an insult, but I’m happy to embrace it as pretty accurate. In the past year of growing (my first in many, many years) I’ve now enjoyed one outdoor photo harvest and two indoor auto harvests that have taught me a lot and kept me in increasingly good weed. The goal of the hobby for most of us is nice herb to smoke, cook with, press, whatever - like most who grow as “hobbyists”, to liberate ourselves from the commercial or underground market. One can achieve this really well without any elitism or prizes, especially when the goal is simply keeping our heads where we want or need them to be. And autos can be really potent. It’s incorrect to believe otherwise. Autos can produce some really good shit, man.

I’m looking forward to getting some photos going both indoor and outdoor this summer, and I’m looking forward to running a few autos as well (new Mephisto seeds just arrived!, along with some ethos photos). I’ve had a lot of fun growing them, and i appreciate the variety they allow. I’m running a 3x3 foot tent - hobby size I guess - and love the variety that growing autos offers, as one advantage. And we all know variety is helpful in keeping the buzz fresh. (Though I definitely appreciate the thought of finding a perfect phenome to run as a mother. I’m already looking into a second tent, though I will always be a hobbyist growing strictly for personal use and to share with friends.) It’s not like most people are dealing with any sort of genetic purity anyway. Do you like feminized seeds?

As for potency, my first round of autos was hit or miss, grower error, but smokable enough. My second round of autos showed some grower errors also, but fewer and less damaging, and the result is some notably good bud. I’m proud of the haul and certainly biased towards my personal effort, but this auto harvest of Runtz and Skywalker is as strong as or more so than just about any of the many variety of photo grown out door last season that I’ve had an opportunity to try. And that’s not an insult at all to all of the fine weed my friends grew last summer. I don’t really doubt that all things being equal, photos can be a bit more powerful than autos, but the margin isn’t wide and this harvest is keeping me really high. So much better than dispo crap, and a great way to start into the hobby, if nothing else, though I suspect I’ll keep growing autos. They’re sort of cool.
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I'm not bashing Autos! They've come a long way since the first generations of Lowryders. I'm not bashing the hobbyist either since that's what I am myself. But everything has its optimal place and I'm not the one to "sugar coat" anything.

There's no reason to grow Auto's indoors except if you start from scratch from seed and want something done quicker and get some small amount of early smoke. When you have a grow up and running and are done with first harvest and you've taken first generation cuttings during stretch, then there's very little reason to pay for seeds and go through the slow seedling stage IMO.

What I'm saying is the main reason people are growing and praising autos is mostly a result of BS marketing like higher yield and faster finish. Both of them false. I would argue there's photos that yield more than autos and vice versa. But when there's highly producing potent strains that you can start with 12/24 from scratch whats the reason to run Auto's?
 
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Cattery

Cattery

Active Member
O.k. so if I am getting 1.6lb av smokable and 200g av for edibles out of a 4x4 every 90 days with no light change, no cloning, no keeping a mother. just sprouting and growing. How is that worse than growing photo's? All the photos I've grown have taken way longer from seed (30day flip)
If you have the room to have a mother and a cloning stable AND a grow room go nuts, I don't so :joint:(sorry that's four plants in a 4x4)
 
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MtRainDog

MtRainDog

Well-Known Member
Cattery said:
O.k. so if I am getting 1.6lb av smokable and 200g av for edibles out of a 4x4 every 90 days with no light change, no cloning, no keeping a mother. just sprouting and growing. How is that worse than growing photo's? All the photos I've grown have taken way longer from seed (30day flip)
If you have the room to have a mother and a cloning stable AND a grow room go nuts, I don't so :joint:
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That's fair. I guess the flip side of only running auto seed is what if you don't like what you get? Sure cloning and keeping a mom is work, but you're only ever going to have "keepers" running photos. It's not wrong or right either way, just different approaches to the craft.
 
Nutty sKunK

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
Wastei said:
I'm not bashing Autos! They've come a long way since the first generations of Lowryders. I'm not bashing the hobbyist either since that's what I am myself. But everything has its optimal place and I'm not the one to "sugar coat" anything.

There's no reason to grow Auto's indoors except if you start from scratch from seed and want something done quicker and get some small amount of early smoke. When you have a grow up and running and are done with first harvest and you've taken first generation cuttings during stretch, then there's very little reason to pay for seeds and go through the slow seedling stage IMO.

What I'm saying is the main reason people are growing and praising autos is mostly a result of BS marketing like higher yield and faster finish. Both of them false. I would argue there's photos that yield more than autos and vice versa. But when there's highly producing potent strains that you can start with 12/24 from scratch whats the reason to run Auto's?
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How much can a photo yield roughly after 3 week veg and 8 week flower? I’ve only vegged photos for about 8 weeks.
 
Cattery

Cattery

Active Member
Yeah man, I've had a few pheno's that were no good. It is a bit of a lottery, but that's the same for reg seed pheno's, again you don't know that until you sprout. Then you need room for clones etc. By that time I'm already 15 days into my next crop. Even if I'm only 75% successful I'm at least even...time wise.
Cos the smoke is only marginally different these days.
 
H

harris hawk

Well-Known Member
with autos' check the "F's" value = Mesphisto and Night Owl go to F-5's more stable. know a few breeders that say their strain (auto) can yield 1lb in a 15 gallon / 7oz's in a five gallon - some autos' are f-7's anything after that it becomes a InBreedLine. Autos have come a long ways - remember that strain Blue Himalayian auto (one of the 1st strains) was terrible - fast forward Auto have now found their "nich"
 
B

Blutri

Well-Known Member
I prefer to let them make their own choice because that’s what experience is all about.
 
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MtRainDog

MtRainDog

Well-Known Member
The "restaurant" approach to growing.. turning tables. Fast finishes are important to some, definitely not my priority though. Are autos really faster seed to harvest than running clones to harvest? No. Is it more work to keep clones going, sure, but does that dissuade a commercial grower from maintaining a clone library? No.

Autos are interesting, I find cannibas in general to be fascinating. It all boils down to whatever floats your boat. Auto breeders simply aren't chucking around with the types of genetics I'm looking for.

My first serious attempts at growing were dinafem autos. Critical+ auto, and Critical Jack auto, and photo versions of critical x's too. There was one Critical+ auto that was shit your pants potent. They were all good plants, critical is underrated af. Sucks dinafem isn't around anymore, I'd grow some more of those autos in a heartbeat. Haven't seen any other autos since that have piqued my interest. Not because they're autos, because the genetics aren't interesting to me.
 
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