Autos or photoperiods - What do you prefer?

[crossfader]

Autos do it for me because as a relatively new grower still learning the ropes I love the less-than-stringent light requirements as well as a fast turnaround from seed to harvest. As I gain more experience will I try photos? At this point I doubt it, I fucking love autoflowers and will continue growing this type for the foreseeable future. I'm not looking to grow High Times Centerfold-quality buds nor do I strive for sky high THC percentages, I've been more than satisfied and happy with what I've produced so far after just 2 admittedly low budget grows (and that was before upgrading lights, using nutrients and getting a tent). It just works for me at this stage of the game. To each their own.

 

[Northernpop]

Auto's are more fussy, but generally lst fine, which makes them far more productive. Less time in pots means less things to go wrong, but you're running to a tight time frame, so mistakes are hard learned.

 

[growsince79]

Here’s the way I look at it. How do autos provide ANY benefit? First of all. They need to be ran 18/6 for the entire three months which is harder on your lights and power bill. All for what? A lower quality plant that’s been bred with ruderalis and why? All just to avoid a 3 second timer switch to get your lights on 12/12 schedule for the last 2/3rds of the plants life, giving your lights and power bill a break? It’s a total win win to grow photos. Unless switching your timer to 12/12 and saving money on your power bill is too difficult????

I still get crops after 3 months compared to my buddy that grows autos. And more potent bud. And his takes 3 months of 18/6 ( 1620 hours). Whereas mine is 18/6 for 1 month. And then 12/12 for 2 months. (So I use 1260 hours)


here’s my question. Why would anyone ever choose an auto flower? What benefit do they have other than not needing to adjust timer from 18:6 to 12:12 a month in?? That’s the only extra work that photos need is a 10 second timer change.

I remember when the idea of autos first came about. The ideal at the time was you could harvest tiny plants in july that the cops wouldn't even recognize it. The fear was it could pollute the gene pool (which it has imo) Now its just a corporate greed scam.

 

[growsince79]

Autos do it for me because as a relatively new grower still learning the ropes I love the less-than-stringent light requirements as well as a fast turnaround from seed to harvest. As I gain more experience will I try photos? At this point I doubt it, I fucking love autoflowers and will continue growing this type for the foreseeable future. I'm not looking to grow High Times Centerfold-quality buds nor do I strive for sky high THC percentages, I've been more than satisfied and happy with what I've produced so far after just 2 admittedly low budget grows (and that was before upgrading lights, using nutrients and getting a tent). It just works for me at this stage of the game. To each their own.✌

I grow photos as fast as you can grow autos. My stuff is top shelf. Auto is not.

 

[growsince79]

Modern auto strains are far removed from the earlier ones, and I'd recommend you at least try them. My last grow was Green Gelato, from Royal Queen Seeds, and with a thc of 24% it lacks absolutely nothing!

I used to scrog with photoperiods, but my last grow ran from July to November. Too long, imo.

So now I simply perpetually grow autos. 3 lots of 3 plants. Seedlings upto 3 weeks start in a grow box, with a 5v fan and a 35w led floodlight. The other 6 are in my grow room of 2' x 3'. I place the younger plants around the periphary of the grow, to maximise light intensity to the larger 3 plants in the centre.

Plenty of strains are 8 weeks, from seed to harvest. Therefore, if you have 3 grows, running simultaneously, you can harvest every 18 days (every two to three weeks).

I Genuinely hope this is of use to someone, as I've never ran short since!

Happy growing!

Why is it I can smoke a 24% auto and not get high? Why do the stores sell them at 1/3 the price?

 

[growsince79]

Im trying a few for the first time because I can run them in extra space I'm already using to veg photos. Obviously not everyone has extra space, that just happens to be my situation. Heard so many good reviews on Mephisto autos I figured its another bucket list thing I can cross off.

How bout a smoke report? Is it the any good?

 

[Grownsince95]

How bout a smoke report? Is it the any good?

I wish I could smoke this with you through the Internet man... but the only other person I know on here with any kind of cred is @amekins and she smoked my cheese auto and loved it.

I know it's not pretty but I don't trim for pictures and im smoking this rn making a snack. These fan leaves were so sugary I couldn't cut them I love them in my joints which is my primary way to smoke.

Canna cheese from mephisto 1:1 tch/cbd

 

[Grownsince95]

Next gen cheese plant on the right

On the left is a toofless alien auto... also from mephisto ❤❤

 

[freestatefarmer]

Damn, thought this was a SF thread for a moment. All the Hatorade being drank.

On my first auto grow and already a fan. To me they are like a two stroke motor. Designed to run wide open. We'll see what I end up with, but more into packing a cone and relaxing than big bong rips and concentrates. Just what we like. And yea, growing them under a SF1000.

 

[Edinburgh]

Autoflowers

 

[Northernpop]

The purists may disagree, but after growing a 28% Thc photo, I found the autos easily packed the same punch.

The yield is lower, because they run out of time. The flip side is you can grow more crops.

 

[PipeCarver]

The purists may disagree, but after growing a 28% Thc photo, I found the autos easily packed the same punch.

The yield is lower, because they run out of time. The flip side is you can grow more crops.

View attachment 1090495

Nope photo's for me. Auto's are just too dam small. How can you get enough bud out of plants that flip themselves in 4 weeks. They're cute but come on, why waste 3.5 months growing tiny little plants when you can veg longer and get more mass / volume with 4 -5 photo's than with 18 auto's...less watering, managing,feeding with 4 -5 plants than 18 -20.

 

[Moshmen]

I have run autos for over a year so still pretty new run em perpetually harvesting 2-3 plants every 2-3 weeks sometimes every week . So one could say I’m a auto lover I’ll defend them for sure! they have their place in my case I like the light cycle. Most smokers can’t tell of course some quality guys can. That being said I am on my second round of photos and can already tell gonna be better quality that any auto I’ve ever run, just sayin good genes are important

 

[growsince79]

Nope photo's for me. Auto's are just too dam small. How can you get enough bud out of plants that flip themselves in 4 weeks. They're cute but come on, why waste 3.5 months growing tiny little plants when you can veg longer and get more mass / volume with 4 -5 photo's than with 18 auto's...less watering, managing,feeding with 4 -5 plants than 18 -20.

I like tiny plants. But I can grow top quality photos faster than some autos. If I want to reveg or clone I can. I don't have to buy seeds.

 

[Northernpop]

Nope photo's for me. Auto's are just too dam small. How can you get enough bud out of plants that flip themselves in 4 weeks. They're cute but come on, why waste 3.5 months growing tiny little plants when you can veg longer and get more mass / volume with 4 -5 photo's than with 18 auto's...less watering, managing,feeding with 4 -5 plants than 18 -20.

Well, I'd never grow a 3.5 month auto. Could grow two crops in that time.

My method is lst by week 3, transpant and bloom dress at week 4, bloom 2 and malt powder dress week 6 then flush. Watch the calmag.

Ready to harvest from two months with at least 1 oz per plant, times three plants per crop = 3oz. Three grows running simultaneously, therefore provides me with 3oz every two to three weeks (max 9 plants at all times).

That's enough for me, but each to thier own, and I must admit a good scrog harvest is awesome!

This is my Girl Scout Cookies last summer/autumn/winter...

 

[Galvatron]

Last year in the Pacific Northwest, I planted 4 autos on May 1st in my vegetable greenhouse. They finished in the first week of August and were fantastic!. Too many times I watched 50% of my outside photos succumb to powdery mildew and rot trying to mature in October. For outside grows in shitty fall climates, autos are a good bet.

 

[PipeCarver]

Last year in the Pacific Northwest, I planted 4 autos on May 1st in my vegetable greenhouse. They finished in the first week of August and were fantastic!. Too many times I watched 50% of my outside photos succumb to powdery mildew and rot trying to mature in October. For outside grows in shitty fall climates, autos are a good bet.

100% Auto's for our outdoor weather is the only way to go. I'm in Nova Scotia, from BC/van.I've had bud rot and PM ruin my outdoor crops, trying to finish plants off in cold damp foggy weather, This time of year with it -10c and a foot of frozen snow on the ground I forget people in this world can grow outside....lol ....indoor only for me for my supply I can count on. I'll stick some outside this year but they're not plants I can count on.

 

[PipeCarver]

Well, I'd never grow a 3.5 month auto. Could grow two crops in that time.

My method is lst by week 3, transpant and bloom dress at week 4, bloom 2 and malt powder dress week 6 then flush. Watch the calmag.

Ready to harvest from two months with at least 1 oz per plant, times three plants per crop = 3oz. Three grows running simultaneously, therefore provides me with 3oz every two to three weeks (max 9 plants at all times).

That's enough for me, but each to thier own, and I must admit a good scrog harvest is awesome!

This is my Girl Scout Cookies last summer/autumn/winter...
View attachment 1090653

You have it dialed in then. Nice plants...I have a room full now and they'll be finished by Mar1, then I'll have 4 Gorilla vegged for 3 months ( everything started around the same time ) that will give me as much as the 18 auto's....

Yes they finish fast but to me there is not enough bud per plant so I need more plants to provide more buds. I found doing a perpetual cycle I neglected my plants sometime because I had too much other work to do ( even being retired ) to look after everything properly. I'm ending up there again ( I have 18 flowering 2 + 2 more elsewhere in veg (coming home ) large plants 3 months, 6 clones and I just bought some Bubble Bomb seeds ) but its winter, I have the time, come summer I'll be overwhelmed again with to much to do.

 

[Aqua Man]

IMO I like regs simply because of the ability to control the veg time and dictate the size of plants I end up with. This is a very big advantage in many situations but not all.

The disadvantage to regs is the plucking males so you need to plant extras.

Both grow some pretty good bud these days and as a general statement photos usually carry a bit more punch. This is due to the ruderalis in autos but breeding is starting to close that gap.

Probably the biggest advantage to growing an auto that ppl don't think of or mention is the fact you can grow them with about half the light intensity as required by photos. This is because you can run them 24 hrs of light in flowering. So they are an excellent choice if you are limited on light as many new growers tend to be.

Personally though I will probably never grow one.

 

[growsince79]

Its all fun and games until the neighbors russian hemp or the industrial hemp pollinates your crop that you already seeded. Laws are changing and outside is getting risky where I live.