Questions about photoperiods vs auto.

[memnoch]

I am interested in growing some photo, but am concerned about how big they get. I have read several posts on here saying you can make them flip pretty much whenever you want. So could I grow them to only about 3 feet and still have a decent harvest like with autos? Or am I better off sticking with the autos? If i did what would be the advantage over the autos?

 

[socks4free]

I am interested in growing some pheno, but am concerned about how big they get. I have read several posts on here saying you can make them flip pretty much whenever you want. So could I grow them to only about 3 feet and still have a decent harvest like with autos. Or am I better off sticking with the autos.

The word your looking for is photoperiods not phenotypes. Phenotypes are the different ways a strain can express itself. I've included the dictionary definition below.

a stable strain will only have a few phenotypes that are known and consistent while f1s will have a wide range of phenotypes.

Photoperiod describes the way the plant goes into bloom based on the amount of light they receive. I've also included the dictionary definition of this below.

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

I think you mean photo versus auto. It's true that photo strains are flexible. That's because the length of darkness triggers the plant to flower. That flexibility is what I think of as an advantage over autos. It's nice to be able to control when flowering begins.

 

[dreamnfox]

The plants you want are photo, they are photosensitive to changes in light cycles. Yes you can grow them to any height you wsnt. With photos you will have a 1-2week stretch when you flip to flower. The stretch can double or even triple the height of the plant.

 

[memnoch]

my bad ment photo lol was looking up stuff this morning about phenotypes and had it stuck in my head.

 

[Dub_City405]

Autos are for amateurs. the auto is crossed with a non cannabis plant. So it will be less potent.

As far as moving to photos you will usually get a better yield. But most definitely get a better quality. Especially if you get a super nice pheno. It's all about the hunt in finding the best genetic. That fits you.

You can veg a plant on 18 6 for 1 week 2 week 3 week how ever long you like. The longer the veg the bigger the fruits. You can top the plant over and over to prevent it from getting tall.

You also just have to flip to 12 12 when you are satisfied with your hight. The plant usually doubles the size when you flip it. Sometimes triples the size. But then again it depends on the genetics and if it is indica dominant or sativa dominant.

 

[memnoch]

Autos are for amateurs. the auto is crossed with a non cannabis plant. So it will be less potent.

As far as moving to photos you will usually get a better yield. But most definitely get a better quality. Especially if you get a super nice pheno. It's all about the hunt in finding the best genetic. That fits you.

You can veg a plant on 18 6 for 1 week 2 week 3 week how ever long you like. The longer the veg the bigger the fruits. You can top the plant over and over to prevent it from getting tall.

You also just have to flip to 12 12 when you are satisfied with your hight. The plant usually doubles the size when you flip it. Sometimes triples the size. But then again it depends on the genetics and if it is indica dominant or sativa dominant.

i have about a 4 ft max on height and that's pushing it. i still have a ton of auto seeds but after they start to get low i think i will give it a try. just worried about the height.

 

[Dub_City405]

So once your photos start growing get a tape measure and when the plants get to 16 to 24 inches flip it.

 

[GoldenDragondnw]

i have about a 4 ft max on height and that's pushing it. i still have a ton of auto seeds but after they start to get low i think i will give it a try. just worried about the height.

Buy a shorter plant. Do topping and lst and you should be alright.

 

[socks4free]

But back to your question this really depends on the strain your growing. What I've heard is you want to veg them to about half the high you want them to be at when finished. So say you can only let the plants get to a maximum of 6 feet tall. To accomplish this youd flip them to 12/12 when they are 3 feet tall.

This isnt gonna perfectly work out to double the height every time as there are a lot of factors that play into it but I believe if it anything it would just be less than 6 feet tall not taller than.

If.you are worried about height you can either top the plants a couple times or if the plant starts getting too tall you can super crop them.

From what I've read photoperiods tend to be stronger than their auto flower namesakes. It wouldn't hurt to do some experimenting to see if you prefer photos over autos. Just look into the strains you purchase and see if they fit what your looking for.

 

[socks4free]

Autos are for amateurs. the auto is crossed with a non cannabis plant. So it will be less potent.

As far as moving to photos you will usually get a better yield. But most definitely get a better quality. Especially if you get a super nice pheno. It's all about the hunt in finding the best genetic. That fits you.

You can veg a plant on 18 6 for 1 week 2 week 3 week how ever long you like. The longer the veg the bigger the fruits. You can top the plant over and over to prevent it from getting tall.

You also just have to flip to 12 12 when you are satisfied with your hight. The plant usually doubles the size when you flip it. Sometimes triples the size. But then again it depends on the genetics and if it is indica dominant or sativa dominant.

No they are not "crossed with a non cannabis plant" they are crossed with cannabis ruderalis. It's a wild cannabis strain found in places like Siberia where there is short growing seasons. Though Yes it's true C. Ruderalis doesn't naturally have any large quantities of THC it does have a decent amount of other cannabinoids. But today's auto flowers are a long way from their ruderalis ancestors. There are some strains that have quite high THC levels due to selective breeding. The autos do tend to have lower THC lvls than photos but there isn't THAT much of a difference anymore.

 

[Stokes]

Everything is better with photos with the exception of light schedule and speed. Some phenomenal autos out there but performance wise my worst photos are on par with my best autos. There are some outliers such as mephisto/night owl tho

 

[Dub_City405]

Autos are shit. Photos are not shit. Ruderalis blasé. Not a producer of thc. A producer of cbd.

 

[dreamnfox]

I dont grow them often but plenty of high thc autos out there these days. I grow a few outside every summer.
Photos are where its at for indoor growing though. I want to tell my plant when to flower, not the other way around

 

[chamullero420]

I am a beginner so this is just what I've read, but I believe some people start photos on a 12/12 cycle which basically causes them to turn to flower as soon as they are able. I imagine this would keep the size of the plant smaller too

 

[dreamnfox]

I am a beginner so this is just what I've read, but I believe some people start photos on a 12/12 cycle which basically causes them to turn to flower as soon as they are able. I imagine this would keep the size of the plant smaller too

You can do this with clones but not recommended with seeds.

 

[Captspaulding]

Bust a scrog out.

 

[Oldchucky]

Photos give you time to correct your early in life, screwup’s! Screw up an auto, and it will cost you on the flowering end. So if it takes you two months to get to four nodes, you better go with photos!

 

[GuySmiley]

I think most people that grow autos do so because they just can't bear the thought of the flowering period taking a couple weeks longer for a photo plant.

There are a handful of trimming & training methods to keep a photo plant's height to a minimum.

 

[GanjaJack]

Photoperiods are the only thing I grow.

In most cases you can stunt them by putting them into flower about 2-3 weeks after they pop from seed.

If you bud them before they get to a foot tall, they will stay pretty short. (know that by starting to bud them before they enter pre-flower, stresses them a bit sometimes and they can be a bit more susceptible to hermaphroditism later on, usually about 1/3rd of the way through flower.... Sometimes you can get away with it in that the male flower will be on the very bottom of the plant and the pollen will be somewhat inert... SOMEWHAT.... You might end up with a seed or two here and there.

If you get them after a foot tall, they will pop to 3-4 feet... 5 would be stretching it, but, I've seen that happen, I don't top my plants so, now and then I get 2 foot long kolas that are as big as a liter bottle.

Also, when my plants get a bit too tall for my liking? I will tie them off to each other, IE..... I use the main stem of other plants as my stakes to tie off other plants and train them, move them.. adjust them..

I grow in hempy buckets, so.. turning plants on their sides aren't convenient.. So I will pull some of the hydroton rock out and push the main stem over as far as I can to lower the top to the light, by angling the plant as much towards it's side as I can...

Sometimes I say to heck with it and put screws to the walls and tie off on the screws.