So on my 1st official indoor auto grow I pulled an average of 1 zip/plant. Not a lot compared to some but I was very happy.
Now the 2nd grow I averaged 2.5 zips/plant and I’m ecstatic.
3rd grow just getting under way and I can’t help but think that 3-5 zips isn’t out of the question.
What’s been y’all’s experience with the learning curve?
If you don’t smoke what you grow it’s very steep
Can’t disagree but I was leaning more towards what beginner growers can do to optimize yields
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Did you grow the same strain in grow #2 as #1?
What did you do better in #2 compared to #1?
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Read alot, make experiments, dial in the nutes and climate, grow the same strain several times, plant autos in final pot, no transplanting them.
I finished 3 autos recently and did some experiments on them.one i didn’t touch one i did some light lst and the other got treated hard
High stress: 2.4oz dry (dense buds)
Low stress: 2.5oz dry (dense buds)
No stress: 3.4oz dry( big airy buds)
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No they were different strains. The 3rd group are different as well. I can see the advantage of growing the same though.
Did you LST, did you TOP?
Indoors the biggest factor contributing to yield is going to be lighting. 
What are you running for lights?
Just upgraded from 600w hps to hlg 600r. I’m very excited to get started with it
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@Pinboy you’ll love that light!!! I’ve pulled at least 4 zips on autos and once 8 zips depends on strain to some extent.
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Gonna be yet another learning curve but I can’t wait. Gsca’s broke soil yesterday, they’ll be under the 600r by the end of the weekend. I’m thinking about 24” above and dimmed down to about 150watts. Sound about right?
Lights, optimal environmental conditions, good seed genetics, optimal soil conditions…on and on she goes
Shouldn’t really top autos, they don’t have the time to recover. LST is perfect for autos
I’m no expert but I’m thinking 36" at 300 watts. Manual should have suggested settings.
Sometimes, even though they are the same strain, other factors including individual phenotypes, can have a big impact. A while back I grew four northern lights photos. Three of them each weighed out over 4 ounces while the fourth was just over 2 zips.
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If you are addressing me…
No topping only gently bending branches, on two of them. Most harvest i got of the one i didn’t touch at all…
Yeah yields increase with experience but sometimes you luck out. My first auto yielded 4.5oz, second yielded 1oz, third 2oz, fourth 5.5oz and my present is surpassing all previous grows by quite a margin
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Bologna. I’ve topped all of mine and they do just fine. #myth
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Nobody said they wont do fine 
the question is how to increase yeald…
have you run the same auto strain alongside, one with topping, one without? You know myth buster style
My experience, which is still very limited, says autos that get manhandled even a little give less yeald…
i would have to run that experiment 5 times to really make a point… it could still be a phenotype thing…
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How much is a zip? I mean what unit is it?