Auto Flowering question need help

If I were growing an auto strain, i would stick that plant on 24/0 the whole way.
 
It will flower regardless. You will probably get more bud with higher amounts of light up to 20 hours, but Uncle Ben says that 20 hours of light and 4 hours of dark is best for vegging, I would think that the same would be true for autoflowering plants.
 
I have heard otherwise, since autoflowering plants auto flower after x amount of TIME and are not governed by any light cycle.

that is why i say 24/0 ----> more photosynthesis----->bigger buds
 
This was from the Joint Doctor:

OFFICIAL LOWRYDER GROW GUIDE (10/04) - written by the Joint doctor

Indoors, Lowryder performs very well in soil mix (pots or beds) or in soil-less systems, where it can be cultivated from seed to bud in two months – 18 hours of light per day is recommended all the way through. Switching light cycles down to 12 hours may diminish yields and shorten the already-short life cycle slightly. Because Lowryder’s life cycle is so brief, cloning becomes impracticable, so only plants from seed are grown. By default, Lowryder is a great choice for sea-of-green.

Because flowering plants and seedlings can be maintained in the same room, Lowryder presents new possibilities for the small to medium home grower, including “staggering” your indoor harvest. A true continuous harvest system may be achieved by planting new plants periodically to replace the ones that have been harvested. This ensures that a grow
room is always full and always producing fresh bud, and one never has too much work at once. Click here to learn more about the Joint Doctor’s “1-2-3” continuous harvest method.

For best results, place jiffy pellet or plant directly into 1-2 gal.pots. Alternatively, start in 4-inch peat pots, then place
rootbound females into a plant bed after sexing (at approx. 17-20 days) – this may result in smaller plants than the first method. Grown under a 12 to 24 hour/daylight cycle from start to finish. I recommend 18 hours per day; this can be decreased to 16 after the first month with no loss of yield.


Outdoors: sow directly into soil after soaking, in 2 gal. pots or plant beds. New stands of Lowryder can be planted up until late summer, to ensure a continuous harvest outdoors. Avoid transplanting if you can, but do so if plants become rootbound. Rogue (remove) males at three weeks.


Growth Factors

Lowryder is extremely versatile in that it can be cultivated in virtually any climate or grow environment. In fact, it has pushed the envelope of growing, enabling early harvests in unlikely places like Finland, the North West Territories, and other northern, short-season, or high altitude areas. It is also well-adapted to backyard gardens, windowsills and patios where plants can be easily concealed because of their tiny size.

Nothing will mature earlier or faster than Lowryder! When other varieties have barely begun flowering, Lowryder outdoor growers are kicking up their feet and already enjoying their fresh harvests.


Characteristics

Lowryder virtually does away with the vegetative growth stage: it passes almost immediately from the seedling stage to the flowering period. To our knowledge, Lowryder has the shortest known life cycle and height in the cannabis species.
Male plants may be identified as such after approx. 17-20 days, while females show themselves a couple days later. Plants will even flower under a continuous light regime.

Lowryder females usually grow no taller than 16-20 inches. 12-16 inches is typical. Light intensity, pot size, and proper pH all play an important role in determining the size of plants at maturity – the better the conditions, the bigger the yield. Plants produce one main cola, although when they receive adequate light, lower nodes branch out profusely.

Yield and height are dependent on obvious growth factors. For example, plants kept in small peat cups on a windowsill may yield as little as 1 g. and grow no taller than 6 inches, with no branching whatsoever; while a plant in a 4-gallon container under high-intensity lighting and good cultivation methods, can turn into a profusely branched, two-foot wide 45-gram bud monster.


Fertilizer: During the first two weeks of growth, Lowryder should be weekly light feedings of a “grow” type nutrient solution, with micronutrients. When plants pass into full flower, they should be started on a “bloom” regime for weeks 4 through 6. Mycorise-type biological amendments (root stimulators) seem to increase growth significantly.

Average flowering time
Indoors: 40-45 days (after a 15-20 day seedling stage)
Outdoors: ripens approx. 60 days after seed is sown.
Note: 100% of plants display the auto-flowering genotype.

AVERAGE HEIGHT
12 inches. Minimum: 5 inches, maximum 16 inches (very light-dependent, with slight phenotype variations).

YIELD
Depending on light and other factors, Lowryder yields up to 45 g – one report even claims 96 g for one exceptional plant under hydroponics. Extremely light-dependent in terms of yield. Without adequate conditions, plants may stay extremely small, almost comically so – but still produce a decent smoke.

Buds are compactand close-quartered, slightly irregular and variable, with high bud/leaf ratio. Thick pistils, with orange coloration, and medium-sized, individual calyxes. Tends to be top-heavy indoors. Typically, budding sites start very close to the ground.

High is uplifting, surprisingly strong. Well-rounded. Best suited for outdoor activities. Smoke is smooth with pleasant, earthy undertones. Smell is not overpowering. Unique flavor, with echoes of NL and William’s Wonder in the bouquet.

JD on nutes:

I get alot of requests for more info on nutrient needs for Lowryder. This is a hard question to answer as it depends how much money you want to shell out for nutrient products.

I get Advanced Nutrient products (many say the best) at a discount and I have adapted their formula for my own use. Advanced Nutrients provides a complete program for an 8-week grow and has a guide for different growing mediums.

For the first two weeks, I use what they recommend for seedlings.

Then I use the Micro 2+ Light Feeding program for the rest of their life cycle. I usually skip week 3 and 5 to bring it down to a 6 week program which I begin as soon as LRs are sexed.

I know it sounds complicated. Obviously all this is not needed.

As a rule of thumb, treat Lowryders like seedlings for the first 2-3 weeks, then switch them onto a light bloom program. So, you feed them a seedling/transplanting formula the first 2 weeks, then switch to a bloom fertilizer with something like a 5-10-5 or 1-2-1 ratio of N-P-K.

Give them a feeding of bloom fertilizer every week on weeks 3,4,5,6. Just pH-balanced water on week 7. Flushing solution on week 8.
Click to expand...
** I have grown autoflower indoor and out. Indoor I have used both 18 and 20. Plants grow much quicker then outdoor. I still have lots to learn about these plants. They are fun.

In the end, both sets of plants are averaging roughly 1 ounce and the outdoor smoke is actually better (this could be due to different levels of UV and the early flowering time gives outdoor plants even more exposure to UV... but this is another topic).

I would grow some in 18hr light. Breed them to give yourself some extra seeds. Then start experimenting with different ways to grow. I have been having fun with them myself, and growing a little extra personal stash is nice.
 
LighTer said:
I have heard otherwise, since autoflowering plants auto flower after x amount of TIME and are not governed by any light cycle.

that is why i say 24/0 ----> more photosynthesis----->bigger buds
Click to expand...

Just because somebody said something different does not make it true. Not very many accomplished growers really use 24/7 lighting.

This is the forum tutorial for lighting...note that 16 to 18 hours of light is recommended for veg:

What are light cycles and how do I use them?

By the way, Uncle Ben is sort of an icon or an authority on marijuana growing. I don't know of anybody who gets more respect than he does in any forum. Even the authors of marijuana grow books consult with him.

There's a few marijuana growing forum myths that get circulated. You can grow with 24 hours of light during vegetation but it is not better than 20/4.

You can trim off the lower limbs or fan leaves or both, but it is not better than leaving them.

It's said that it's normal for the lower limbs to die during flowering, but it isn't normal.

You can cut out nitrogen during flowering, but it is not better than giving them some nitrogen.

You can train a plant up to look like a lolipop, but they are not better than those left untrimmed.

Marijuana plants will grow better if grown with marijuana specific nutrients.

You have to flush a plant before harvest(I fell for this one).

And the myths go on...
 
@Magnificient, clearly you have never grown an autoflowering strain yourself? It shows.

You spit true facts, but have no conception of how it relates to an autoflowering strain.
 
24/0 is not recommended by Joint Doctor. I would safely call him an authority on Autoflowers.

I would also agree, not many well known breeders use 24/0. This should say something.

But this is a little off topic. Arguing which light schedule wont get you very far. Like I tell most people, try it yourself.
 
LighTer said:
@Magnificient, clearly you have never grown an autoflowering strain yourself? It shows.

You spit true facts, but have no conception of how it relates to an autoflowering strain.
Click to expand...

Lol...I didn't mean to bruise your ego man. Very sorry.

But the strain doesn't matter at all. Autoflowering strains won't grow any better during veg with 24/7 light than any other strain. At best you'd be wasting 4 hours worth of two different kinds of energy.

Don't feel that you have to adhere to everything every person in the forum says. There's some very experienced growers here to learn from and I'm learning all I can from them. But I am not here to debate a matter that's almost universally agreed upon by everybody but you.

Quanduman had a legitimate question that needed answered. He heard from you, from me, from RPSmoke, the Joint Doctor, and if he browsed a bit, Roseman, Uncle Ben, and of course, the realm tutorial.

I don't see room or reason for argument.

Happy Growing
 
Which drives which?

First thanks for this thread. I am doing my first auto grow. The person who developed the strain has not responded to my questions such as yours.

To me it seems Joint Drs info contradicts itself. I googled unsuccessfully to find his contact info, for clarification.

Below, he seems to suggest that we are to wait until the plant shows its sex before switching to flower nutes, not the other way around.

Fertilizer: During the first two weeks of growth, Lowryder should be weekly light feedings of a “grow” type nutrient solution, with micronutrients.

When plants pass into full flower, they should be started on a “bloom” regime for weeks 4 through 6. Mycorise-type biological amendments (root stimulators) seem to increase growth significantly.

As a rule of thumb, treat Lowryders like seedlings for the first 2-3 weeks, then switch them onto a light bloom program.

To me this suggests we switch regardless of whether plants have shown sex. So, you feed them a seedling/transplanting formula the first 2 weeks, then switch to a bloom fertilizer with something like a 5-10-5 or 1-2-1 ratio of N-P-K.
 
Re: Which drives which?

PetFlora said:
First thanks for this thread. I am doing my first auto grow. The person who developed the strain has not responded to my questions such as yours.

To me it seems Joint Drs info contradicts itself. I googled unsuccessfully to find his contact info, for clarification.

Below, he seems to suggest that we are to wait until the plant shows its sex before switching to flower nutes, not the other way around.

Fertilizer: During the first two weeks of growth, Lowryder should be weekly light feedings of a "grow" type nutrient solution, with micronutrients.

When plants pass into full flower, they should be started on a "bloom" regime for weeks 4 through 6. Mycorise-type biological amendments (root stimulators) seem to increase growth significantly.

As a rule of thumb, treat Lowryders like seedlings for the first 2-3 weeks, then switch them onto a light bloom program.

To me this suggests we switch regardless of whether plants have shown sex. So, you feed them a seedling/transplanting formula the first 2 weeks, then switch to a bloom fertilizer with something like a 5-10-5 or 1-2-1 ratio of N-P-K.
Click to expand...

How I understand it:

He says to treat them as seedlings first couple weeks. This does not mean on the 14 day, no matter what, switch. This is a rough guideline based on his grows, his climate, his style, etc etc. Your results may vary. So I am guessing at the 2 week mark he might be seeing sex already.

Some root stimulators (house and garden) maybe some beneficial fungi, bacteria, and enzymes would help.

Around weeks 2-4 you will begin seeing signs of sex. At this point you could begin feeding a light bloom formula. I would not feed bloom nutes before hand, as the plant wont need them until it begins to actually flower.

I have treated them as seedlings, given them light growth formulas into the 1st week of flowering. I then switch it over to bloom formula. More read and react I suppose. So far, I have always used some veg nutes before bloom. I do not feed bloom nutes before I see signs.

:goodluck:
 
I usually could sex my auto flowering plants around day 17.
 

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