I have 2 auto zkittlez plants that are 6 days apart in age (46 and 40 days old, respectively, today). They have both grown to about the same size, yet one is clearly flowering while the other is not. While I am hopeful all is well since the late bloomer appears otherwise healthy, but I’m left baffled as to why this would happen. Could seed sibling differences manifest themselves to this extent, or am I possibly looking at an issue with the late bloomer. I also wonder, assuming they both reach the end, if I can expect lower yield or perhaps longer time to harvest for the late bloomer.
Grow conditions shown below. Thank you in advance for insight into this.
Indoor or outdoor? - size of grow? INDOOR
Otigin of seeds? ILGM
Regular, feminized, or autoflower? AUTOFLOWER
Origin of water. PH, EC/TDS of source water? 62.5% DISTILLED & 37.5% TAP, PH = 6.6-6.8
PH and TDS/EC of if mixed solution? PH = 6.6-6.8 (TDS NOT MEASURED)
Grow method? SOIL OCEAN FOREST ON BOTTOM & HAPPY FROG ON TOP WITH PERLITE ADDED
Nutrients or fertilizer system used. NONE SO FAR, JUST SOME MOLASSES
What typr of lighting are you using? LED SPYDERFARMER 2000
What are the temps in your growspce? 68 F - 76 F
What is the RH = relative humidity in your growspace? ~40%
AC, Humidifier, De-humidifier? HUMIDIFIER
Do you have a Ventilation system? FAN ON PLANTS & ABOVE LIGHT
Co2? NO
How long have you been growing? 1.5 YRS
What budget have you set in order to grow successfully? A SHOESTRING ONE, LOL
If you grow hydro, then please explain your hydro method. N/A
Thus why I quit growing Autoflowers. Even seeds from the same batch or even the same plant can have differences. Small to great in timing, size, feeding, and so on.
I would guess its nothing you are doing, just genetic differences.
The late bloomer will probably yield more so that’s good.
This is my twin skittles. I found two seeds in our shake from the fall harvest. Didnt think they would grow,tossed both in a pot. They growed. Now lets see what happens. I cant serperate them. The bottom picture is a week before the top one
What your experiencing is not out of the normal but a quality auto breeder will have stabilized a genetic to reduce this from happening.
You can force a flip by putting the plants into 48hr of darkness and then switching lights to 12/12, at least until you notice flowers. Going back to more than 12hr of light will be fine if the genetic is bred decent, if not it will cause it to re veg.
There are a couple key points to understand here.
#1 all cannabis seeds are different, they are children of their parents and that means genetic diversity. Just because a seed says it’s a zkittles doesn’t mean it’s even close to the true original zkittles. To be so it would have to come from a clone from the original breeder who still has a mother from that exact seed grown. Otherwise it’s a genetic roll of the dice, ilgm for example just took two parents that were named the same as the original breeder crossed then created its own version of what was called zkittles. In reality it’s anyone’s Geuss if it’s even remotely close, then it was crossed with a “auto” and then back crossed to that plant again.
Idealy autos should be bred out to ensure a stable genetic line that is an auto but MANY photo breeders who sell autos don’t do a good job of this simply because the time to produce a quality stable auto genetic is a much larger investment then with a photo.
It very well might flip on its own in a week or it may not (unfortunately iglm autos have had a less than perfect track record).
Have you noticed the plant grow rapidly aka stretch? If so that means it’s switching as we speak to flower, a stretch happens then the growth stops and flowers start.
Autos are great in their own way, however being very picky about the breeder is important.
The importance of genetics is widely misunderstood by the mass Majority of cannabis growers unfortunately.
DNA testing will eventually force sellers and breeders to clean up their game.
If you want to grow autos, you’ll learn alot, and alot faster then with photos (in my opinion) however sticking with a reliable auto breeder until you have the time to focus on learning genetics may make things easier.
Fastbuds and mephisto are my two top suggestions as they are auto only breeders.
I have alot of experience with autos feel free to ask any questions.
Thank you, Nicky. Very informative and helpful. As for the stretch, my impression was that it has already done so considering the flowering one is about the same size as the non-flowering one. My prior experience has been with a sativa that grew much taller, and so maybe I’m not noticing the stretch here. I will try the darkness and 12/12 suggestion to see if that kick starts the process.
With the one being 6 days behind the flowering one that can be a cause of it not flowering yet. It is getting close as u can see the way the leaves r forming uptop almost like it’s starting flowering. Like stated tho can have 2 same seeds same everything and one flower a week or 2 before the other it’s all on the genetics and which part it took on more the rudersls or the canna plant photos is where it’s at and if u want faster turnouts grow one and clone it. The clones will do so much faster and better for u than the seed plant will.
Here isa ckoseup of the twin skittles preflower it looks 6/2 hours is cause results fast the other pictures mentots girl,diaquri girl I cracked a stem used rice syprup it worked. Worms are somewhere in the pots. @yoshi@JaneQP@Nicky@Spiney_norman@fitgrow914 @
I had a auto similar like this one’s and in flower stretch she went a bit over double the size. Only got 19 grams from it lol but it had all sorts of issues growing.
I will take whatever they give me. I am feeding and watering them like baby seals everytime they holler I feed them and the worms seem happy I dug down with my hand and they are having sex parties in the bottom of the fabric pots. All wrigglier and alive. So now I will wait a 4-6 days to water and feed. But 1st I must get this inside tent.
It is 4" high x32 “long x48” wide. Plastic pallet I figured to put the runoff catch trays under it, then the pallet,the fabric pots 6 of them ,them I can move each pot indenpentently I cant now because I have two pots per tray shoved in tightly. @oldmarine@ohioclub420@JaneQP@yoshi. @Nicky@Blackmoon So do you think having pots shoved tight together would affect root growth?
I just use 16 inch trays and risers in the trays and shopvacs each tray seperate. Works awesome so far. A few less plants would be alot easier but few less plants means less buds lol. I like buds in the grow room otherwise the room is ugly and plain.
The root growth may be affected if the foliage encroaches on one another? Fans stealing light from their neighbors? This is only my hypothetical idea not anything I have researched.
My first grow was 5 plants in a 2x4 closet - it was rough! Now I only run 2-3 in the same space. I run 2-3 because I try a few different strains each time. If there was one amazing strain that made the whole family happy, I’d probably just try scrogging with one plant.
2 plants depending on again light wattage and power intensity . Its not many lights that wont cover a 2x4 now i dont think ; so its what the grower can afford , but adding fluorescent lights even a cheap 2 bulb shop fluorescent can really boost your growth .
Walmart had them for $29 bucks they might be $19 but ill know later , i need to replace my tubes in my kitchen , but T-5’s really kick ass in vegging or T-8 panels , plants love them and they dont put out no heat .
Yes, mephisto directly and fastbuds has their seeds at almost every seed bank.
Mephisto is very saught after genetics, you may be able to find some in a seed bank otherwise you’ll have to sign up for their newsletter and releases and when they drop seeds you have to race to get them in your cart and finish the sale asap or they will be sold out in a couple hours.
And your not forced to buy 10 at a time of the same strain =p
Tent is 4x4x 8feet I am looking at easier ways to get things moved around the tent. I cant lift semi-heavy things 25 lbs or less. This ways sliding pots is much easier on my back
Mephisto makes customer strains, breeds them out very very diligently.
Fastbuds prefers to take common strains and breed them into high potency autos, they have a much bigger breeding program in the past but mephisto has been named one of the top breeders of the last couple years and other top breeders have started to work with him.
Night owl and Jordan from the island are his friends who you can also find good genetics at, these are small craft breeders doing amazing work who have deep personal connections going way way back to black market days.
Quality stuff
Try not to spend all your money on seeds lol we all do it.
I think I can grow for a couple years before I run out but I want to grow new things all the time so… A grow or two and I’ll buy more haha
Im not sure about the science of root growth and if having the pots close together affect the development of the roots.
In nature when bushes and tree’s grow close together growth of one of the plants/ trees is restricted while the other dominate.
Inside the space of a tent i dont know.
I like your thinking re the plastic pallet to make moving your bags easier.
Hope it goes well
Cheers @spudeater65
depending on again light wattage and power intensity . Its not many lights that wont cover a 2x4 now i dont think 
; so its what the grower can afford , but adding fluorescent lights even a cheap 2 bulb shop fluorescent can really boost your growth .
