New Grower Why Auto Flowers?

[El Caballo]

I am a new auto grower- I am actually a new grower in general, about a couple years, but I would just like people's view on why they think auto flowers are good for them and a good choice for growers in general.

I started growing them because my first few grows did not meet my expectations, and my buddy told me that auto flowers are easy to work with and require less maintenance and less nutrients. And they stay small so I didn't have to worry about space as much. My friend told me, if you're working with very limited space, which I am- just a bedroom about 7 x 7, then just grow auto flowers.

 

[BigBuddha]

Hey, El C.


Can't speak for any other growers but I like autos for the following reasons:

1 - I don't have to ever worry about light regimes or power cuts and hermies are very few and far between with autos for that reason.
2 - Because of #1.. a grower can potentially save a lot on tents and lighting equipment.
3 - Erm... no I'm out of ideas.

It's partly true that they're easier to work with because they're faster, smaller, and automatic.. but they're not easier to work with in all cases. For me, the single disadvantage to autos is the fact that they flower on time, not light regime. We have next-to-no control over when they flower, so if we have any probems in veg, we don't have the tme to keep it in veg and sort it out before she flowers. So on that basis alone, we have to make the amount of stress an auto will go through (heat/light/water/nutes etc) as minimal as possible, especially when she's vegging. Because she has very little healing time, every day she's healing is a day shes not growing and that takes a day off of a limited grow window. Is that making sense?

That's the only drawback that I can see, other than maybe overall yields being lower.


Aside from that, my all-time favourite smoke so far is only available in an auto so that pretty much seals it for me.

 

[Eschatos]

The main reason I chose autos this season is the quick finish. It's so easy to mess up a grow when you're a beginner, still learning, or have limited resources, so if an auto grow turns out a failure you wasted a couple months, not the whole season Heck, some photoperiod strains need 4 months flowering alone! As you said, low height can be very convenient: smaller grow room, or stealthier guerrilla grow.

What I don't like with autos, you don't have the control you can have with normal cannabis plants, you can't control when they flower, you can't keep them in veg for as long as you want, you can't keep topping them for a year till they are 3x3x3 meters lol

It all comes to ones needs, space, and liking

 

[El Caballo]

That made perfect sense bigbuddha. Thanks for your input. I especially liked your statement about not having the ability to control when they flower, thus having little margin for error. That does not sound good for my Afghan Kush Ryder. I noticed some root rot, and I took care of it with some hydrogen peroxide, but the plants haven't been the same since

 

[BigBuddha]

That made perfect sense bigbuddha. Thanks for your input. I especially liked your statement about not having the ability to control when they flower, thus having little margin for error. That does not sound good for my Afghan Kush Ryder. I noticed some root rot, and I took care of it with some hydrogen peroxide, but the plants haven't been the same since

Ah that's good.. so it'll make sense when I say something I should have added earlier, which is that it's basically a trade-off with autos.

On one hand, you have a plant that finishes relatively fast, but on the other you have a plant that finishes TOO fast if there are problems that take a couple of weeks to resolve. And that's assuming we know what the problem is and how to resolve it. If we don't, and we have an auto in sickbay we're suddenly up against the clock and then we're panicked and stressed too.

COULD be a bad recipe.

Flipping that coin, though, and you get another major benefit worth considering with autos:

Right now I'm finishing off some photo plants in my main tent but in a few weeks I'm moving all my autos in there and going striclty auto grows for the next 6 months. I really hate the inconvenience of having to make sure that the main tent is lightproof every day. If I want good ventilation in the main tent I have to open one of the side panels. But if I get so stoned that I pass out before lights off.. then that flap lets light in and I risk losing a whole crop to hermies. MAJOR hassle.

In fact on that one benefit alone I think autos hold their own because that can be a genuine, ball-busting headache to get 100% right for 3-4 months! Can you guarantee a constant electricity supply for that long? I know I can't. One power cut when you're at work or sleep... and boom.. your entire crop is twatted 3 weeks before harvest. Not with autos, though.

I think autos have a lot going for them and I really don't like all this out-of-date auto-hating that gets bandied about so often. I've never done it, but I've seen autos produce 15oz a plant, so a good grower can do well with them.


Sorry.. waffling

 

[ACV]

Auto give harvest faster than traditional veg sex clone veg flower methods. Auto fems just seem good for certian situations and taste. Autos are the best kept secret. Kinda like the genetic version of LED lighting, people just refure to give it any potential and except it. Maybe older experienced growers are having a conflict of ego to save and justify their methods, which doesnt need to happen. Auto will never replace traditional strains.

 

[boomer petway]

Aside from that, my all-time favourite smoke so far is only available in an auto so that pretty much seals it for me.

......????? the suspense is killing me bro....... what is it?

 

[dwarven]

Same for me mate. As i'm growing mine first ladies now, i've decided to go with autos because it's simple more easy for beginners like me.

Other reason is outdoor. I don't have to deal with the sunlight hours per day to start flowering (wich allow me to start the grow when i want) and the fact that they've a life time so short, allow me have a few of them keeping a low profile at my farm

 

[CanadianBudz]

Size and speed is my main reasons, but they are hardier than photos, so they can take a little bit more of a beating from someone new to growing

 

[El Caballo]

Great comments everyone, I appreciate your thoughts.