Greetings. First auto flower grow, and will be last full cycle grow in my 2x2 tent with 135W QB LED light. Following this grow, tent will be used as a nursery - new tent and light to take over after this grow.
Plan A - Northern Lights Auto seeds from ILGM. Plan A is to grow one plant in a 5 or 7 gallon pot in amended FF OF soil. I’ll LST this plant.
Plan B - This choice is to try 2 plants, but scale down the container size to 3 gallons, and I would LST these plants as well. Since I am not sure how big an auto will get, this one is a coin toss for me regarding yield.
Bottom line - YIELD - which scenario will likely give me the best yield? One large plant with room to grow - or two smaller plants. Best yield potential?
Congrats on getting an appropriate light for the space. The QB boards are great and the 135 is more than adequate to produce a great yield in a 2x2 space. I was able to achieve a yield of 7z from a single NLA, but I am in DWC and have a 4xQB304 set-up in a 4x4 space. In a 2x2 2 plants will be crowded, but will likely yield the most given more roots, more nutrition, etc.
It’s pretty difficult for me personally to provide any clue on how big an auto will get. I had one yield almost 9 ounces and it took over half of my 4x4 tent, and I had two I grew outside that only yielded a couple ounces each.
Regarding yield - I keep thinking 2 smaller root balls wins out over one large root ball…but that’s just a guess. If it costs me more soil, nutes and supplies to do 2 pots and I end up with the same yield or even less yield than one big plant, I just made a bad decision. Flip the coin?
I have had some really strong yields with the 135W QB. In my new 2x4 Gorilla tent, I have a 320W QB XL LED with 3 LED panels. I’m really looking forward to setting up this new tent. New 6" exhaust fan and filter came in last week - so I’m ready to grow in it as soon as I finish this Auto.
You had a super nice yield with a single NLA. With a 7 z potential yield from one NLA in a 5G pot, I’d have to get 8+ z from 2 - 3G pots to offset the cost and hassles.
Another option in my small 2x2 would be to allow max root ball development and go into a 7G pot with one plant. I can LST into a star pattern and keep the growth balanced and not too big.
I know where you are coming from @Bogleg. These seeds can produce various phenotypes which surprise us when they grow into maturity. As I posted to @WickedAle above, I could always go into a 7G pot and let her grow large and look for a 6 z or higher yield.
Yeah, I debated the light size @WickedAle . I called Chris at Grower’s Lights and discussed the light in detail for the 2x4 in which he pointed out the center panel will be instrumental for balanced lighting if 2 plants are grown in the 2x4. Not to discount the information Chris provided (as he may want to “upsell” me), I asked our own lighting advisor @dbrn32 his opinion. I think I could have gotten by with the 260W just fine, but I figured to get the “turbo” engine while I was going for it. It has an adjustable dimmer knob, so now all I need to set my lighting properly for the plants and not go too high. Darn those PAR lighting meters are expensive for the limited use I’d give one.
A 2x4 tent is the max size I can barely fit into my grow space, and other than that, I’d have gone into a 4x4.
Yes the 260XL has the same heat sink as the one you ordered would have balanced the lights for both sides of the 2x4, but those look like they are out of stock. The 260 (notXL) would have centered the light in the 2x4 and the far sides of each plant would not be adequately lit.
I have a bag of WW-A seeds, so I plan to pop 3 of them to plant outside in a month or so when the weather warms up. Outdoors, and given the right conditions, I may get a decent harvest too.
While a larger pot will allow for a bigger root system, just remember autos are not photos. What you can “let” her do is limited before she starts to flower.
If you want to try nute training an auto to stretch veg time, you can. Doing this, I’ve been able to basically get 6+weeks of veg out of autos before they go into full bloom. This, however, doesn’t make for a fast grow.
You’re growing in soil right? Seems like we see everything from them sprouting and going into flower while 6" tall, to needing to be manipulated in order to flower.
I would have a hard time drawing any conclusions about a grow based on yield from any particular auto.
Yes, OF soil cut with perlite. Start seedling in FF Light Warrior with some OF mixed in. One transplant only - around 10 days to 2 weeks. I honestly think its a crap shoot to predict what will happen with an auto.
LOL, I think to use the term let her grow large is a misnomer for an auto, Betty. I should say I’ll put her in a big pot and “Give her the opportunity to grow big if she so chooses”.
From the reading I am doing, it looks like breeders are working to retain the advantages of auto plants, but also wanting to increase their sizes so they are not small like they first started out. Maybe not knowing what we will be getting is part of this genetic fine tuning.
@MT3 Autos grow into monsters in DWC. My plant grew to 5.5ft tall. I am not sure why but they took 11 weeks to finally flower properly. One of my hypotheses is that the roots finally filled most of the bucket and finally turned. I believe a smaller pot will allow the plants to stay smaller and flower sooner for you. But they are autos…herding cats.
