Why Grow Auto-flowers?

Doogle49 said:

Autos get done quicker, take up less space and overall are smaller plants. Memphisto doesn't make photos... So there's that.

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HydroKid239 said:

Memphisto has “catch me outside” drops... but 8/10 times by the time you get outside.. he’s gone.
In other words the breeder also has a second profession.. he’s a damn magician lol

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Doogle49 said:

Boy ain't that the truth! Black friday Illuminato drop comin soon. Lol

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Ukulele Haze said:

Hello fellow growers,

First and foremost, I do not intend to start a war here. I began my cannabis cultivation hobby growing Auto-flowering strains. But, now that I have grown a Photoperiod plant, I am scratching my head trying to figure out why anybody would want to grow Auto-flowering strains. So, I was hoping you guys who grow them regularly could view my thought process. Please correct me if any of my understanding below is incomplete or incorrect. If there are also benefits of Autos or drawbacks of Photos I did not consider, please enlighten me. Keep in mind, this is my own personal comprehension of what I have read and observed over two years experience only. So, that will give you some point of reference for how much (or how little) to expect in terms of knowledge.

Things I once thought were accurate, but now I am questioning:

Auto-flowering plants are fast

This may be true in some cases (it depends on the strain). But, Photoperiod cannabis strains vary greatly on flowering times. And, you get to choose how long you veg. This could be extremely brief eg. two weeks.

Auto-flowers are good for beginners

With Autos, you are under pressure to do all the right things at all the right moments. Namely, you have no control over flowering time. This can make it harder to train Auto-flowers because they might not have enough time to recover from defoliation or topping. LST shouldn't be too much of a problem, though.

Other reasons I think Photos are better:

Photos can also be vegged for very long times (if desired). More vegetation can mean more colas and obviously more yield.

The 12 / 12 phase uses less electricity. With Auto-flowers, you have to do 18 / 6 or greater the whole grow.

Other Potential Auto-flower problems:

Some people seem to have problems cloning Auto-flowering plants. Other people seem to have no trouble.

Often times (but not always), Auto-flowering strains are less potent than their Photoperiod counterparts. And, in some cases (but not always), Auto-flowers can yield less than their Photoperiod counterparts.

There are far less Auto-flowering strains available to choose from in comparison to Photoperiod strains. So, you will have less options for your grow.

Thank you for your time.

-Ukulele Haze

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Ukulele Haze said:

Hello fellow growers,

First and foremost, I do not intend to start a war here. I began my cannabis cultivation hobby growing Auto-flowering strains. But, now that I have grown a Photoperiod plant, I am scratching my head trying to figure out why anybody would want to grow Auto-flowering strains. So, I was hoping you guys who grow them regularly could view my thought process. Please correct me if any of my understanding below is incomplete or incorrect. If there are also benefits of Autos or drawbacks of Photos I did not consider, please enlighten me. Keep in mind, this is my own personal comprehension of what I have read and observed over two years experience only. So, that will give you some point of reference for how much (or how little) to expect in terms of knowledge.

Things I once thought were accurate, but now I am questioning:

Auto-flowering plants are fast

This may be true in some cases (it depends on the strain). But, Photoperiod cannabis strains vary greatly on flowering times too. And, you get to choose how long you veg. This could be extremely brief eg. two weeks.

Auto-flowers are good for beginners

With Autos, you are under pressure to do all the right things at all the right moments. Namely, you have no control over flowering time. This can make it harder to train Auto-flowers because they might not have enough time to recover from defoliation or topping. LST shouldn't be too much of a problem, though.

Other reasons I think Photos are better:

Photos can also be vegged for very long times (if desired). More vegetation can mean more colas and obviously more yield.

The 12 / 12 phase uses less electricity. With Auto-flowers, you have to do 18 / 6 or greater the whole grow.

Other Potential Auto-flower problems:

Some people seem to have problems cloning Auto-flowering plants. Other people seem to have no trouble.

Often times (but not always), Auto-flowering strains are less potent than their Photoperiod counterparts. And, in some cases (but not always), Auto-flowering strains can yield less than their Photoperiod counterparts.

There are far less Auto-flowering strains available to choose from in comparison to Photoperiod strains. So, you will have less options for your grow.

Thank you for your time.

-Ukulele Haze

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Nutty sKunK said:

1. What photo period shows sex in 2 week veg? Most likely 3-4 weeks before mature. Then u have a transitional phase then full flowering. So no it ain’t much quicker unless you go 12/12 from seed and yield less plus spend 90-100 days...

2. Don’t know who says autos are good for beginners? They aren’t. Unless that beginner has some gardening knowledge.

3. you can lengthen the veg time but by a week or two. LST and HST slows down flowering as the plant recovers.

4. Less electricity? Well how do you veg your photos? So that’s 2+ weeks right there. Never mind needing 2 tents for veg and bloom unless you do it in one. This is where autos shine as you can have 1 tent and keep it perpetual!

5. less potent maybe but rest your thc receptors and makes fuck all difference. It’s all relative potency to the individual.

6. As for yield that’s not fair as you can veg indefinitely. Try getting 5 ozs of weed in under 70 days from a photo.

7. Sure less options but how many does one need? It’s an expanding market too.

Thought that might help your thought process on autos.

Also they can be grown outdoors at 55’ North!

Each to their own!!

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Humanrob said:

I've never grown autos indoors, but at this point, it's all I'll grow outdoors. I can't put plants outside until mid-June, and they have to be done by mid-September at the latest (unless you have a climate controlled/dehumidified greenhouse). Photos don't start to flower until early August here (without light dep) so they finish into early October, which is the rainy season and everything gets moldy. So, autos are a perfect solution for short outdoor grow seasons. Six autos last summer netted over 2 lbs. That'll last my med patient a year.

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kovidkough said:

I would love to see documented grow of an auto that you can clone.

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Nutty sKunK said:

1. What photo period shows sex in 2 week veg? Most likely 3-4 weeks before mature. Then u have a transitional phase then full flowering. So no it ain’t much quicker unless you go 12/12 from seed and yield less plus spend 90-100 days...

2. Don’t know who says autos are good for beginners? They aren’t. Unless that beginner has some gardening knowledge.

3. you can lengthen the veg time but by a week or two. LST and HST slows down flowering as the plant recovers.

4. Less electricity? Well how do you veg your photos? So that’s 2+ weeks right there. Never mind needing 2 tents for veg and bloom unless you do it in one. This is where autos shine as you can have 1 tent and keep it perpetual!

5. less potent maybe but rest your thc receptors and makes fuck all difference. It’s all relative potency to the individual.

6. As for yield that’s not fair as you can veg indefinitely. Try getting 5 ozs of weed in under 70 days from a photo.

7. Sure less options but how many does one need? It’s an expanding market too.

Thought that might help your thought process on autos.

Also they can be grown outdoors at 55’ North!

Each to their own!!

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HydroKid239 said:

I have some clones that I took off an auto. They rooted and have grown 5-6x in size (Since cut) Just experimenting.. one thing I don't have space for is to try and clone.. from the clone already rooted from the auto. I'm amazed so far from the growth. Didn't think it was possible listening to talks about it.

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Nutty sKunK said:

What stage where they at when u cloned? Do they reveg then go back to flower?

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Ukulele Haze said:

What can I say. I really had a deep misunderstanding of things. I guess it's been so long since I grew Autos, I forgot how fast they really were. Some of the strains I grew were Amnesia Haze Autos too. So, I could see why those would take longer. I think I got that idea of the "2 week Veg" producing anything significant after reading an article about Sea of Green techniques. But, I recall now that takes a lot of plants to make it worthwhile. Anyhow, I apologize for this embarrassing post. I am glad you guys refreshed my memory and brought me back down to earth. Thank you.

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