Bongtastic's Beginner's Guide to Autoflowering Cannabis

Hi schtiggy, it's always fun to watch plants recovering. Of course growing cannabis is not easy at all that's why expert growers are also called chemists. They have the complete knowledge of compounds found in flowers and also know how to manipulate their ratios and strength.

04-denver-horticulturalist-mindful-cannabis-580v.jpg


Only an expert can tell a plants health by sniffing its roots. I was reading an article in national geographic and this picture really intrigued me.

Your setup looks perfect now and I hope that you get some decent amount of high out of them. Following basics is very important at least one is heading in the right direction. Temperature is crazy over here these days, its over 80's in day time and under 40's at night- and I wonder how outdoor grows are performing. I will probably check some outdoor grows to find out if their plants are happy or not. I read somewhere that folks in Alaska care less about temperature and nature also portrays the same phenomenon when I look around.

I am lucky that temperature in my grow area stays between 65 and 82 degrees. I also tried to maintain humidity levels between 45 and 60 during vegetation phase. I used 600 watt lamp and irregular light cycles on purpose just to see how plants react during vegetation. I started with root accelerator in week 1 and 2 which was a disaster. In third week I started giving them microbe brew and grow big and eventually the most important big bloom in week 4. I am sure they would have grown nicely if I fed them orange juice instead of all the crap lol.

OP is right, plants will grow easily in ffof and they will not need any nutes for the first 4 weeks. I have tried it under 600 Watts. Plants will also grow in ordinary soil with little bit of nutes and plants will also grow in a soil less medium. In the end it all comes to 5% of THC by weight which we get from plants. How potent is that 5% depends on how we grow.-Chemistry is not about shooting in the dark lol.
 
Thank you for all your help Grow.

I must say I think you had my issues spot on when you said it was probably PH. I started to worry that the ph of everything I tested was coming up at 6.5 or 7, so I tested some vinegar. It came in a 5.5.
I ordered a new, ph meter with test solution so I could calibrate it my self. After calibrating it, I checked the spring water I was using and it was 5.1....straight out of the ground! I adjusted 7 gallons and now I am 6.5 for my water.
I know the plants are quite resilient, but I can't help feeling guilty knowing that I screwed them that way :)
Someday, hopefully, I will be able to call myself a chemist and I won't trip over my own lack of experience.

Thanks again, if you hadn't proposed a Ph issue, I may still be using the 5.1 water and the bad ph meter.
 
Spimp....interesting what you say about light schedule. Would love to hear more as I am new and contemplating a 12/12 schedule....can you tell me more?
 
I have two autos in small containers it's probably a quart not even half gallon. Have I already f*cked up? Lmao. they've only been there 3 days now but now after reading this.. I'm considering moving them but I dont want to stress them out since they're so young. Opinions? Advice? Please thank you
 
Also a light schedule would help. I only have one t5 sun blaster on them.. I really dont know if I should get one more at least. But they're seedlings like I said. So any info would help.
 
mytur88 said:
I'm using the foxfarm trio. This is all my first time, and this may make you laugh but i just found out what the difference was to an auto. i was giving it half of the chart they have on the website. the soil is

Garden Soil – Markman Peat
Click to expand...

OK, I like the FF trio. The All American Soil should be OK too. I just started using something very similar from "the" mart. You don't want to give them any nutes for 3-5 weeks, depending on how fast and large they grow in that 3-5 weeks. I veg under CFL and Fluoros then move to LED for flower. Mine end up very large at 3 weeks (pic attached) because of the "hot" soil. Before I give any nutes, I give them a good watering with a lot of run off. I then let them dry well and then start with the nutes. I try to feed every second or third watering so as not to poison them. If you are growing autos, you will probably only need to give them 1 or 2 feeding with veg nutes. In flower, they will get more thirsty and hungrier. You will probably want to start flowering nutes with "feed - water - water -feed" cycle and watch for deficiencies. Cal mag will be something you will want to consider. I need lots of it.

Do you have a journal. It may help. If not, can you tell me about your lighting and watering/feed routines? I'll try to help best I can.

this is the fox farms chart

fox_base.JPG


This is what my (good ones) look like at day 23. This is a Jack Herrer auto from CKS

31885.JPG
 
Also, do you have any pics and an age of the girls. With fox farms, I start the cycle at "week 4" on the list above. I use less than what is called for on the first feeding, then about a week later (after 2 plain or cal mag waterings) give them the full "week 4" dose again. Next watering, I use a bit more to get a good run off. This helps keep the soil clean of salts and the "shits" that the plant takes in the soil. After it dries, I start the bloom nutes.

Each plant in going to be different and the hardest part about this "hobby" is being able to find and fix any problem with any plant.
 
You are the man- I have one oz of an 8 inch plant!!!! FFOF SOIL is the bomb but I ran out so mixed it with dr earth with mycorrhizae and the Ak-47 and purple kush are doing well. NO NUTES UNTIL WK 6 min. UNSULPHURED BLACK STRAP AND CAL/mag every other feeding wks 7-9 bc I have heard that these autos like cal/mag- I've never used the stuff - instead I use epson salt and molasses but figured I'd bite the bullet and just get some cal/mag to add to the arsenal- using fox farm soil nutes same as you and advanced nutes cal/mag, BIG BUD &BYD CANDY wks 3-6/7 of flower and really added density and aroma to the buds.
 
Atrain said:
Here are a few real autos.... anyone want to grow BIG autos 100 plus grams quick and don't mind using nutes feel free to p.m me.
Click to expand...

Good Morning... Your plant is gorgeous …. I am getting ready for recreational cannabis to be legalized in Canada on Oct 17th … my plan is to start germinating my first two seeds on Oct 17th at 12:01am .. LOL …. I have been doing tons of research but it gets confusing. I have never grown before and my first will be autoflower. I have nutes I purchased GH Flora Series … After I purchased them I am hearing mixed reviews but I purchased them so I am going to use them .. The most confusing is the nutes .. I understand starting at 1/4 strength but I wish there was more of details or schedule. Oh I am also going to use Promix HP. I couldn't find fox farms here and to order it on line would have cost me 80-90 dollars Canadian .. at that price it doesn't meet one of the reasons to start growing my own... I am adding to this as I don't know how to PM on this website .. but I am looking for some help. I am hoping that if I have question I can get help .. the nutrient deficiency is what I am scared of and think I will need help with...
 
bongtastic said:
Hello all!

It has been some time since I have posted anything on the forums, and for good reason... I've been perfecting my autoflowering grow technique.

I first started out with autoflowers back in February. Since then I have completed about 7 grows. (2 sets of 3 simultaneous grows in addition to my very first grow.)

Each grow has consisted of six plants. The first grow was a mixture of ShortStuff seeds. The following six grows all used the Doc's Lowryder #1.

I decided, after my first AF grow, that I needed to pick ONE proven strain to help eliminate variables and perfect my AF grow. I want to share my tips and tricks for any beginners looking to try an autoflowering strain.

As a side note, on my last set of 3 grows, I was able to push some of my AF plants to produce over 2 oz each. For a plant that's barely 1 foot tall, that is amazing... atleast in my mind!





First and foremost, you must ask yourself if an autoflowering strain is right for you! AF strains are a good choice for three different scenarios:

A) You are already growing normal cannabis and want to fill the remainder of your grow space with smaller plants that will come to harvest quicker.

B) You are brand new to growing cannabis and want to ease yourself into the process.

C) You are ONLY growing for personal use and prefer quality over quantity. (This is only true when using TESTED and PROVEN af strains) In other words, AF strains are NOT good for commercial profit/caregiver growing. (At least in my opinion.)






SUPPLIES:

Containers: 3.3 gallon round plastic pots.(The bigger the better - 2.0 gallon minimum)

Grow Medium: Fox Farm Ocean Forest

Nutes/Supplements: Fox Farm Grow Big, Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom and Grandma's Blackstrap Molasses

Lighting: 18x 26w CFL bulbs

Space: Aprox 6 square feet of grow space (my cabinets are 1.5'x4')






LETS BEGIN!

IMPORTANT: Your light regiment is 24/0 for the ENTIRE GROW.


1) Germinate seed as you would normally. (If you have never, there are plenty of great guides on this site.) I soak in water for 24 hours and then place between damp paper towels until tap roots emerge.

2) Plant seeds with tap roots DIRECTLY into 3.3 gallon pots. Cover pots with plastic wrap until they have sprouted. (It is very important to plant your af varieties directly into their final containers. This will minimize stress at the beginning of the grow.)

3) Water your plants regularly, every 4-6 days at the beginning. Later on it will decrease to every 3-4 days. Remember to check your soil. If the top inch or so is crusty dry, it's time to water. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you do not allow your AF plants to get too dry and start drooping. This can dramatically effect the final size of the plant.

4) NO NUTRIENTS/SUPPLEMENTS until atleast week 7. Fox Farms Ocean Forest potting soil is perfect for AF plants because the soil will stay hot for about 6 weeks! I cannot over stress this point. Through trial and error I have found that if you feed your plants before week 6 (in FFOF soil) they will burn VERY easily.

5) At the beginning of week 6 I give them a half dose of grow big.

6) At the beginning of week 7 I give them a quarter dose of Tiger Bloom, full dose of Big Bloom and 1 tblsp of blackstrap molasses

7) At week 8 - Half dose tiger bloom, full dose Big Bloom, 1 tblsp BSM

8) At week 9 - 2 TBLS BSM

9) At week 10 - FLUSH FLUSH FLUSH!

10) Two days before harvest, I shut the lights off and lock the cabinets for 2 days.

11) REAP YOUR REWARDS! AF strains can be VERY VERY potent if grown correctly. They can also end up being pure shit if neglected.


Again, this is just an intro guide for beginners. I know that when I first started growing AF strains, there was no definitive guide for an AF nutrient schedule. This was one of the hardest things for me to figure out.

I hope this helps any aspiring Af grower!
Click to expand...
How do you use the blackstrap
 
bongtastic said:
Hello all!

It has been some time since I have posted anything on the forums, and for good reason... I've been perfecting my autoflowering grow technique.

I first started out with autoflowers back in February. Since then I have completed about 7 grows. (2 sets of 3 simultaneous grows in addition to my very first grow.)

Each grow has consisted of six plants. The first grow was a mixture of ShortStuff seeds. The following six grows all used the Doc's Lowryder #1.

I decided, after my first AF grow, that I needed to pick ONE proven strain to help eliminate variables and perfect my AF grow. I want to share my tips and tricks for any beginners looking to try an autoflowering strain.

As a side note, on my last set of 3 grows, I was able to push some of my AF plants to produce over 2 oz each. For a plant that's barely 1 foot tall, that is amazing... atleast in my mind!





First and foremost, you must ask yourself if an autoflowering strain is right for you! AF strains are a good choice for three different scenarios:

A) You are already growing normal cannabis and want to fill the remainder of your grow space with smaller plants that will come to harvest quicker.

B) You are brand new to growing cannabis and want to ease yourself into the process.

C) You are ONLY growing for personal use and prefer quality over quantity. (This is only true when using TESTED and PROVEN af strains) In other words, AF strains are NOT good for commercial profit/caregiver growing. (At least in my opinion.)






SUPPLIES:

Containers: 3.3 gallon round plastic pots.(The bigger the better - 2.0 gallon minimum)

Grow Medium: Fox Farm Ocean Forest

Nutes/Supplements: Fox Farm Grow Big, Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom and Grandma's Blackstrap Molasses

Lighting: 18x 26w CFL bulbs

Space: Aprox 6 square feet of grow space (my cabinets are 1.5'x4')






LETS BEGIN!

IMPORTANT: Your light regiment is 24/0 for the ENTIRE GROW.


1) Germinate seed as you would normally. (If you have never, there are plenty of great guides on this site.) I soak in water for 24 hours and then place between damp paper towels until tap roots emerge.

2) Plant seeds with tap roots DIRECTLY into 3.3 gallon pots. Cover pots with plastic wrap until they have sprouted. (It is very important to plant your af varieties directly into their final containers. This will minimize stress at the beginning of the grow.)

3) Water your plants regularly, every 4-6 days at the beginning. Later on it will decrease to every 3-4 days. Remember to check your soil. If the top inch or so is crusty dry, it's time to water. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you do not allow your AF plants to get too dry and start drooping. This can dramatically effect the final size of the plant.

4) NO NUTRIENTS/SUPPLEMENTS until atleast week 7. Fox Farms Ocean Forest potting soil is perfect for AF plants because the soil will stay hot for about 6 weeks! I cannot over stress this point. Through trial and error I have found that if you feed your plants before week 6 (in FFOF soil) they will burn VERY easily.

5) At the beginning of week 6 I give them a half dose of grow big.

6) At the beginning of week 7 I give them a quarter dose of Tiger Bloom, full dose of Big Again, this is just an intro guide for beginners. I know that when I first started growing AF strains, there was no definitive guide for an AF nutrient schedule. This was one of the
bongtastic said:
Hello all!

It has been some time since I have posted anything on the forums, and for good reason... I've been perfecting my autoflowering grow technique.

I first started out with autoflowers back in February. Since then I have completed about 7 grows. (2 sets of 3 simultaneous grows in addition to my very first grow.)

Each grow has consisted of six plants. The first grow was a mixture of ShortStuff seeds. The following six grows all used the Doc's Lowryder #1.

I decided, after my first AF grow, that I needed to pick ONE proven strain to help eliminate variables and perfect my AF grow. I want to share my tips and tricks for any beginners looking to try an autoflowering strain.

As a side note, on my last set of 3 grows, I was able to push some of my AF plants to produce over 2 oz each. For a plant that's barely 1 foot tall, that is amazing... atleast in my mind!





First and foremost, you must ask yourself if an autoflowering strain is right for you! AF strains are a good choice for three different scenarios:

A) You are already growing normal cannabis and want to fill the remainder of your grow space with smaller plants that will come to harvest quicker.

B) You are brand new to growing cannabis and want to ease yourself into the process.

C) You are ONLY growing for personal use and prefer quality over quantity. (This is only true when using TESTED and PROVEN af strains) In other words, AF strains are NOT good for commercial profit/caregiver growing. (At least in my opinion.)






SUPPLIES:

Containers: 3.3 gallon round plastic pots.(The bigger the better - 2.0 gallon minimum)

Grow Medium: Fox Farm Ocean Forest

Nutes/Supplements: Fox Farm Grow Big, Big Bloom, Tiger Bloom and Grandma's Blackstrap Molasses

Lighting: 18x 26w CFL bulbs

Space: Aprox 6 square feet of grow space (my cabinets are 1.5'x4')






LETS BEGIN!

IMPORTANT: Your light regiment is 24/0 for the ENTIRE GROW.


1) Germinate seed as you would normally. (If you have never, there are plenty of great guides on this site.) I soak in water for 24 hours and then place between damp paper towels until tap roots emerge.

2) Plant seeds with tap roots DIRECTLY into 3.3 gallon pots. Cover pots with plastic wrap until they have sprouted. (It is very important to plant your af varieties directly into their final containers. This will minimize stress at the beginning of the grow.)

3) Water your plants regularly, every 4-6 days at the beginning. Later on it will decrease to every 3-4 days. Remember to check your soil. If the top inch or so is crusty dry, it's time to water. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you do not allow your AF plants to get too dry and start drooping. This can dramatically effect the final size of the plant.

4) NO NUTRIENTS/SUPPLEMENTS until atleast week 7. Fox Farms Ocean Forest potting soil is perfect for AF plants because the soil will stay hot for about 6 weeks! I cannot over stress this point. Through trial and error I have found that if you feed your plants before week 6 (in FFOF soil) they will burn VERY easily.

5) At the beginning of week 6 I give them a half dose of grow big.

6) At the beginning of week 7 I give them a quarter dose of Tiger Bloom, full dose of Big Bloom and 1 tblsp of blackstrap molasses

7) At week 8 - Half dose tiger bloom, full dose Big Bloom, 1 tblsp BSM

8) At week 9 - 2 TBLS BSM

9) At week 10 - FLUSH FLUSH FLUSH!

10) Two days before harvest, I shut the lights off and lock the cabinets for 2 days.

11) REAP YOUR REWARDS! AF strains can be VERY VERY potent if grown correctly. They can also end up being pure shit if neglected.


Again, this is just an intro guide for beginners. I know that when I first started growing AF strains, there was no definitive guide for an AF nutrient schedule. This was one of the hardest things for me to figure out.

I hope this helps any aspiring Af grower!
Click to expand...



I use Busch doctor coco loco coco coir.... is that soil hot for af?
Click to expand...
 

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