So unfortunately one of my photos (the only one in my tent, I have another in my closet) has passed away yesterday after a long battle with ph lockout that I was never able to solve. That being said, I can now start a new grow, however this time I want to do autos, for a variety of reasons.
First of all, I’ll have space to grow 2 instead of one. Second, it’ll be a faster grow and I don’t want to wait 3-4 months for another photo. Third, as we are approaching cold weather here in the northeast US I want autos because they can handle the cold better.
So…what should I know before starting? I have a few general questions:
Can I grow autos in FFOF soil?
Can I transplant from a solo cup after a few weeks, or should I just put it in its final container immediately?
Is topping necessary?
What is the easiest and best strain to start off with?
Any other things that I should absolutely know before doing autos (compared to photos), please tell me. I don’t wanna mess anything up lol.
I would stay away from OF with autos. Autos are more sensitive to nutes than photos and they don’t need the “hotness” of OF.
I do 2 transplants with my photos. Solo to 10" and then to 10 gal pots. It might be best to only transplant an auto once since you don’t know when they will transition to flowering, which could be as early as 4 weeks.
I would avoid topping an auto. It’s best to let them do their own thing.
Some strains are more hardy that others. I’m not an auto pro, so I’ll defer to others.
“Autos” are not easier to grow than photos. They’re finicky and can be hard to manage.
Fox Farm Happy Frog is a good compromise. It’s generally good for 4 weeks from the last transplant before having to add nutes. Maybe a bit longer for an auto.
Can I grow autos in FFOF soil?
Yes but better to use a soil with less ferts pre mixed like @MidwestGuy said
Can I transplant from a solo cup after a few weeks, or should I just put it in its final container immediately?
You can do both. I transplant mine 7-14 days after sprouting. I feel they rush to fill out a solo cup quick and build a good system. Transplant carefully right when I see roots at bottom holes or cups.
Is topping necessary?
Some don’t top or train in the fear if slowing down the auto process. But u def want to defoliate either way. But many top and train.
What is the easiest and best strain to start off with?
Something that is resistant to mold and pests. Ilgm has a beginner seed category.
I gotta say I use happy frog , but you still see burn slightly. Also I never use cups I just start them in the pot less stress from a transplant .And as far as topping it can be done, the problems is that autos grow so fast they don’t have time to recover properly from stress.
Im new too…These people are great Tank!! This is a couple of GG Auto’s that broke soil 10/17 in your set up of FF HF soil. The one on the right got stressed from a forced transplant too early because of some bad (infested) bag of soil. Other than that and a PH adjust on the water, they seem to be taking off now
There are two side to a coin. So this is my story. I grew autos for a year plus in FF OF. To which I added organic compost making it even hotter. Never had a problem with seedlings burning because I would give them a cushion using more of the potting mix they were planted in… I would fill the center of the pot 4-5 inches deep and the same wide, Some I would top some I wouldn’t. It depended on the strain. My favorite auto strain is ILGM Blueberry. I did not top them because they run more compact. White widow is what I grew first and they survived. I think I topped half of them (two different grows). In the end I wish I had topped them all. Very vigorous and taller than I wanted. All of them I used LST but not to the extent I do now. Here is a Jack Herer auto I am currently growing.
She is about six weeks into flower and 98 total days.
It is growing in FF OF that has been highly amended with compost, coco, peat and lots of other amendments. I may change my mind about my favorite auto depending how she finishes up.
I had the most problems with amnesia haze. The problems were of my own making though. I over did fox farm trio and did not test ph.
Hey Beard, what are you using to pin down that Jack Herer? It looks like some stiff wire bent into a “u”? I’m guessing it’s pushed down into the soil… just lookin at options for some WW I started. Thanks,Pin
Interesting, I heard that autos are easier to grow whereas photos are harder for beginners.
Regardless, I learned my lesson last grow, paid too much attention to runoff ppms and ignored runoff ph till it was below 5. Ten gallons of tap water couldn’t even flush it
You are right. Most of the staples are of 14 gauge electric fence wire. Some, if I need a little more weight & grip, is 12 gauge. I have also seen 12 gauge insulated solid core wire used. It is nice because it is covered. I have had the wire I use for years. They are left over from garden projects, building trellises, etc. I doubt I will run out of the 14 gauge. It comes off a 1/4 mile spool. I use to have huge garden areas and a lot of deer.
