AF and wattage

Hey folks
I'm a first time AF grower, although I've got quite a lot of experience with regular plants.
Does anyone have recommendations and/or a progressive wattage timetable or schedule for AF's?
I'm running an HLG 550 R-spec V2 with the 30 Watt UVA bar. Now in week three I dimmed it up to around 225 Watts, beginning the whole process week 1 at 140 W, plus the 30W UVA blue lightbar.
I'd love to run it up as I have a lot if wattage to not being used now. When can I give them full throttle?
Thanks in advance

 

[automan2]

Being a different kind of grower and Certainly not an authority..... but my system has worked a long time and provided years of my favored medicine.
After 3 weeks veg under 96w T5HO 24/0, all plants....autos and photos.... are moved to a 4x4 bloom area where I run a combination of cobs and qb with a total wattage of 650-700w at the wall. and I run everything full blast...if ya gonna fly, take a jet.
As I always run photos and autos together, the bloom area is run 12/12. Environment control and light height are important.

 

[Boognelson87]

Here is my current autoflowers in one of my three tents. under 300 watts. Well not even three hundred. About 280 watts. Week three I'm usually about about 150 watts. And bump it up to 200 about week 4 etc. At week 3 for you I would just increase 50 watts daily and see what you like. Some autos like to be pushed. Some don't. 2.5X 4.5 tent think I'm somewhere around 25 watts sq foot. Think 30ish would be max for these ladies here. Just read your plants and if they are happy don't fix what's not broke. Have fun and good luck with first AF!

 

[Plenty420]

Being a different kind of grower and Certainly not an authority..... but my system has worked a long time and provided years of my favored medicine.
After 3 weeks veg under 96w T5HO 24/0, all plants....autos and photos.... are moved to a 4x4 bloom area where I run a combination of cobs and qb with a total wattage of 650-700w at the wall. and I run everything full blast...if ya gonna fly, take a jet.
As I always run photos and autos together, the bloom area is run 12/12. Environment control and light height are important.

How high??

 

[Plenty420]

Here is my current autoflowers in one of my three tents. under 300 watts. Well not even three hundred. About 280 watts. Week three I'm usually about about 150 watts. And bump it up to 200 about week 4 etc. At week 3 for you I would just increase 50 watts daily and see what you like. Some autos like to be pushed. Some don't. 2.5X 4.5 tent think I'm somewhere around 25 watts sq foot. Think 30ish would be max for these ladies here. Just read your plants and if they are happy don't fix what's not broke. Have fun and good luck with first AF! View attachment 1360206View attachment 1360205

My AFs grow more or less sideways and I'm wondering when they start to stretch But...they got some company today of 9 new regulars. Just finished potting them from 1l to 3 gallon pots

 

[Plenty420]

My AFs grow more or less sideways and I'm wondering when they start to stretch But...they got some company today of 9 new regulars, my main project. Just finished potting them from 1l to 3 gallon pots and shiny white roots made it a fun job

They look perfectly fine and have lots of nodes with very tight spacing. Still, now on day 24 they're not higher than something like 3 to 4 inches. Real low bushes. I did a lot of LST for the first time, too, began very early with it, 1 after the second, the other two after the third node, so there are quite a lot of tugged down fan-leaves. Some of them close to the soil if not touching it. Funny looking plants and I won't post pics (ashamed of having made a fool of myself ). They just look totally different in form than anything I grew since the early 80's No sign of malnutrition or disease at least
I'm thinking of (maybe) removing the lowest nodes (I haven't removed anything else apart from the fake leaves). Next time, I'd start LSTing them when they're a bit higher, that's my first lesson.
And maybe I should hang my light higher? Nah, it's at 36 inches, that should be more than enough. Or not??

 

[Boognelson87]

How high??

First 2 weeks 36 inches. 3rd weed about 32. Then 28 then I just let the plant grow into the light. Most plants I train and seems to fall in the 18 to 21 day range when I start training based on size. Or if the main stem looks like it's gonna be thicker and harder to bend I may start slow earlier. Most my plants stretch about day 29 to 45 ish. That's when big daily growth happens for me it seems

 

[automan2]

How high??

Depends on plant and light. I run a Migro aray at 6" from canopy....qbs and cobs are typcally 12-16". Always keep temps down and watch reactions from leaves.

 

[Plenty420]

First 2 weeks 36 inches. 3rd weed about 32. Then 28 then I just let the plant grow into the light. Most plants I train and seems to fall in the 18 to 21 day range when I start training based on size. Or if the main stem looks like it's gonna be thicker and harder to bend I may start slow earlier. Most my plants stretch about day 29 to 45 ish. That's when big daily growth happens for me it seems

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