How to water flowering autos?

[jokerlola]

I have 3 autos in flower. The are in a second run of reamended Sohum soil in 5 gallon Smart Pots. What is the best way to water them? Should I continue the wet / dry cycle or water them more often?

 

[SmokingWings]

I do not grow autos. If they were photo-period plants then the usual "wet/dry cycle" ends and a wet/damp type of water schedule starts as the plant enters the flowering stage.

If you are familiar with the "how to water a potted plant" thread then you might have noticed that most of the thread is about the wet & dry method. The changes that are recommended for flowering plants does come up but not as often but it is there.

This message might help:
Flowering addendum:

 

[Emilya Green]

Thank you @SmokingWings for pointing to the flowering addendum. This is where I realized that a different method of watering needed to be used in bloom. In veg, we restrict water in order to entice the roots to grow, but in bloom we use those roots that we carefully developed, to get as much water and nutrient into the plant as possible.

There is no difference in watering needs between a photoperiod plant and an Auto. A plant is a plant is a plant.

My general rule is that whatever the wet/dry cycle is at the end of stretch, I take a full day off of that and start pushing water a day earlier than I would have in Veg. Instead of dry all the way to the bottom between waterings I am shooting for 70% of the water to be used up. Then, realizing that I am not allowing oxygen to get down to the lowest roots by keeping it wet down there, every 4th watering, I let the container dry out again for that extra day to re-invigorate the roots with the oxygen that is pulled down there.

 

[safeman]

treat them just like any other plant - the only difference is their growth cycle:
Veg stage --- weeks 1-3
flower stage --weeks 4-12

 

[jokerlola]

I do not grow autos. If they were photo-period plants then the usual "wet/dry cycle" ends and a wet/damp type of water schedule starts as the plant enters the flowering stage.

If you are familiar with the "how to water a potted plant" thread then you might have noticed that most of the thread is about the wet & dry method. The changes that are recommended for flowering plants does come up but not as often but it is there.

This message might help:
Flowering addendum:

Ok. This is what I was wondering. I’ve read the flowering addendum and I wondered if it applies to Autos as well. I’m on about day 53 of my 3 Autos. 2 of them significantly stunted, the 3rd doesn’t have a bad size but still pretty small compared to many Autos I’ve seen here and online. I practiced the wet/dry cycle pretty religiously until I started seeing flowers, then I switched to watering once the pots felt about 50% to 70% lighter. Because they are so small it’s been taking quite a long time to get to that point (Like 5 to 7 days). After my last watering to run off it seems to take forever for them to use that water. Of course the smallest plant takes the longest. Btw I am growing outside under the sun and we are in a bit of a heat wave right now in Colorado. We’ve been in the 90’s lately. It’s 96 right now, trying to decide if I should put them in the shade. It doesn’t look like it’s bothering them though. Leave pointing up to the sun.

 

[safeman]

Ok. This is what I was wondering. I’ve read the flowering addendum and I wondered if it applies to Autos as well. I’m on about day 53 of my 3 Autos. 2 of them significantly stunted, the 3rd doesn’t have a bad size but still pretty small compared to many Autos I’ve seen here and online. I practiced the wet/dry cycle pretty religiously until I started seeing flowers, then I switched to watering once the pots felt about 50% to 70% lighter. Because they are so small it’s been taking quite a long time to get to that point (Like 5 to 7 days). After my last watering to run off it seems to take forever for them to use that water. Of course the smallest plant takes the longest. Btw I am growing outside under the sun and we are in a bit of a heat wave right now in Colorado. We’ve been in the 90’s lately. It’s 96 right now, trying to decide if I should put them in the shade. It doesn’t look like it’s bothering them though. Leave pointing up to the sun.

who is the breeder ?

 

[jokerlola]

who is the breeder ?

The plants that are stunted are from 00 Seeds Bank. The plant that is of a fairly decent size is from Humboldt Seed Company.

 

[safeman]

Thanks for your response !!! never ran any "OO" seeds - been wanting to run BlueBerry Muffin by them believe it's their "flagship" strain - have heard nothing but positive reviews

 

[jokerlola]

Thanks for your response !!! never ran any "OO" seeds - been wanting to run BlueBerry Muffin by them believe it's their "flagship" strain - have heard nothing but positive reviews

I got these seeds over 3 years ago at a Autoflower seminar. I first tried to grow them last year and they stunted on me but I started them in Solo cups so figured they stunted because of that. This year I planted them in their final pots and they still stunted.

 

[safeman]

I got these seeds over 3 years ago at a Autoflower seminar. I first tried to grow them last year and they stunted on me but I started them in Solo cups so figured they stunted because of that. This year I planted them in their final pots and they still stunted.

It's got to be the genetics !! It's hard to get good autoflower genetics - have to rely on fellow cultivators do you want some good breeders of ? let me know will PM you would post but might be going against the site guidelines - ( Teddy is it ok to post some breeders)