A Benefit of Autoflowering Strains

[Resinator]

I read a bunch of posts recently debating the pro's and con's of autoflowering strains. The funny thing is I never saw anyone mention what I realized ia a huge benefit. No more worries about light leaks since it doesnt matter how much light it gets.

I have two plants now that started vegging about 1 month into flower due to light leak. Now they have so many leaves that it is almost a waste to try and recover. The buds have stretched out to be just frosty stems with smattering of seed casings.

My autoflower plant was unaffected by the light leak - see my Automatic AK47 - Single Shot Grow Diary.

It also survided 4 days in total darkness due to a power failure.

So add this as one more benefit to autoflowering strains.

They can flower without fear of going back into veg and they simplify lighting management throughout the plants entire growth lifecycle.

 

[xxYIKESxx]

I'm sure an inconsistent light cycle will adversely affect the plant, whether it be yield or vigor. I guess, not so visibly with this plant.

Are those autoflowering strains predominantly ruderalis? If so, the potency must be very low.

 

[lonewolf99]

Light Leaks are just as likely to cause hermaphrodism on a female plant with AF females as with any other, the AF trait may mean the leak won't interrupt flowering, but it could have other adverse effects, better to get rid of any leaks.

 

[Resinator]

Ah, interesting. Here is my specific circumstance

I took 2 clones from my Auto AK 47 as it was reaching its flower stage.

Both clones met with near death while re-vegging after sucessfully rooting and growing over 5 inches. A strange circle formed around both stems about 1/2" up. It looked like a concentrated circle of dying stem about 1/16" thick

The first clone survived with just a flush and a stake to hold her up. The second had flopped over and looked rotted through that circle. So I chopped up the second original clone and made a 4 clones from it. I attribute it to my own neglagence, either environmental or nutrient.

The first clone is now about a 13"+ tall and real bushy, grown from a 2" cutting. I just trimmed out some of the leaf bulk. Normally the autoflowering plants I have grown have shown sex before getting this bushy. So far i cannot see any pistils or gonads and this seems abnormal for its size. Last night I turned her light timer back to a 12/12 cycle to see if I can force her into a flower. I need to keep her height under 2'.

The 4 clones from the second original clone are doing well ... at least as far as I can tell ... 2 - 4" ones and 2 - 2" ones . All rooted and growing quite fast.

The original plant I cloned from has since been harvested and is in its second week of cure. taste test passed and was very potent, hope the clones work.

So far, all of the cloning I have done has progressed like normal plant cloning as far as I can see except two things.
- The strange circle of death ( cause unknown )
- Has not auto flowered yet ( still waiting )

I have had unsuccessfull attempts at cloning automatics before when I took them too late into flower.

I had a 2" tall failed clone I kept alive that created a miniture frosty diesel ryder bud about 1/4" around. After 2 months of solid root growth, it still had just the 1 leaf that came with the clone.

All of the clones I mention here were taken early and show none of the signs of my other failed attempts. Time will tell, lets see if the first clone flowers and also if the second batch of four clones will autoflower.

Stay tuned

 

[stricklynugs]

i have a 600 watt mhl and 10 autoflowers (easyrider and himalya blue diesl when is it safe to fuct thenm under the mhl i have them under a flouestnt now and they are doing prim about a week old

 

[Resinator]

I usually go strait from my flourescent used for rooting to a combo flourescent and a LightBlaze 400 LED. I switch when the root is about 6 inches long or the 4th node has started. lthough I have had good results with the above ... I have just setup a 400W HPS and will switch my current batch from Flourescent to there at about the same time, usually at about the end of week 3 from seed.