Learning To Grow & Train Auto Flowering Plants: 8 Autos In A 2'x4' Grow Tent

[beez0404]

I'll be watching all the way I'm going to try autos next couple of weeks I'll follow behind your journal see if I can learn as you go along

I know I've got a lot to learn about topping and training autos. I'll try to take good notes as I go so the journal may be helpful to someone in the future trying autos for the first time.

Good luck hope you get a massive yield what are you hoping for to harvest at the end and ideas?

@Manchester2020 this grow for me isn't necessarily about yield as much as it is about learning how to work with auto flower plants. I grow in organic soil and have been told by a few other 420 growers that autos don't do real well in this type of soil. I'm thinking a realistic goal for me would be 28 to 42 dried grams per plant. Welcome aboard my friend and if you have suggestions please share them.

 

[beez0404]

I will start some Gorila Glue auto’s next month. My first auto’s.
So I would like to follow along.

Nice to have you with us SeniorMoments! You are of course more then welcome to follow along with us. And please if you have any questions whatsoever just ask. Someone following will surely be able to give you a solid answer.

 

[beez0404]

Something I have been thinking about the last few days is the idea that auto flowering plants don't do as well in organic soil as they do in other mediums such as ProMix and Hempy/perlite. I wish I had given this more thought as it might have been a good experiment to grow one of the eight in ProMix and the others in the organic soil.

My question is this. What is the reason do you think that the plants don't grow with as much vigor in the organic soil? What holds them back and keeps them smaller?

 

[beez0404]

This morning I raised the light up to 21" above the "canopy" LOL canopy! and turned it up full blast. I bought a new temperature/humidity gauge which I have setting on the top of the soil towards the center of the floor to get an idea of the conditions at plant level. I'm sure the humidity is not ideal. I honestly have no idea what the temperature is in there which is why I bought the new temp gauge. I think low 80s is good for seedlings yes?

I want to talk about watering. About three days prior to planting the seedlings I soaked the soil in the center portion of the fabric pot. Maybe a 5" diameter and about 200ml of water. When I planted the seedlings I wanted the soil moist but not wet if that makes sense. Since planting the seedlings I have watered twice. Both times with very small amounts of water, and both times using a method I've learned from @Emilya of watering rings outside of the plant to encourage it to send out roots to seek out the water. The first watering ring was about 1.5" give or take diameter around the seedlings. I followed that up with a second watering a few days later about 2.5" diameter around the seedlings. And I'm not talking about a lot of water, probably enough to wet the soil down five or six inches. It made sense to me and I am after all experimenting and learning as I go. I'm hoping Emilya will jump in and straighten my old butt out and get me watering correctly. I'm hoping to find out how much to water and how often. I think a key to growing autos in soil is going to be watering them enough but never too much. The soil just takes too long to dry out and the roots don't appreciate really wet soil.

I'm working on my custom canoe/rooftop tent/camping trailer over the next few weeks but will still try to get some updates on here.

 

[StoneOtter]

Something I have been thinking about the last few days is the idea that auto flowering plants don't do as well in organic soil as they do in other mediums such as ProMix and Hempy/perlite. I wish I had given this more thought as it might have been a good experiment to grow one of the eight in ProMix and the others in the organic soil.

My question is this. What is the reason do you think that the plants don't grow with as much vigor in the organic soil? What holds them back and keeps them smaller?

Hi Beez, I'm in!
I don't know either, but it does seem that autos do do better the closer they get to hydro. Looking at folks growing here, they have great grows that way. Is it their ability to grow fast and furiously for a short time and they can do it best in water? That was my thought. I'm curious to hear others.
Check out the auto link in my signature. It gives us an idea of their timeline of needs.

Sunnyskys will bring you along I'm sure but I do top within 21 days or before flowering starts if they allow me being of a big enough size to get my sausage fingers in to do it.

Love the setup and soil mix!

 

[Emilya Green]

Both times with very small amounts of water, and both times using a method I've learned from @Emilya of watering rings outside of the plant to encourage it to send out roots to seek out the water. The first watering ring was about 1.5" give or take diameter around the seedlings. I followed that up with a second watering a few days later about 2.5" diameter around the seedlings. And I'm not talking about a lot of water, probably enough to wet the soil down five or six inches. It made sense to me and I am after all experimenting and learning as I go. I'm hoping Emilya will jump in and straighten my old butt out and get me watering correctly. I'm hoping to find out how much to water and how often. I think a key to growing autos in soil is going to be watering them enough but never too much. The soil just takes too long to dry out and the roots don't appreciate really wet soil.

Have you read my second watering article, about how to water a small plant in a large container? There is a point where you want to water that complete container to runoff, and then challenge the plant to drain it, while doing mini waterings inbetween. The goal is to establish a wet/dry cycle that you can see, while also enticing the roots to go all through the container, even down deep.

 

[Justin Goody]

This morning I raised the light up to 21" above the "canopy" LOL canopy! and turned it up full blast. I bought a new temperature/humidity gauge which I have setting on the top of the soil towards the center of the floor to get an idea of the conditions at plant level. I'm sure the humidity is not ideal. I honestly have no idea what the temperature is in there which is why I bought the new temp gauge. I think low 80s is good for seedlings yes?

I want to talk about watering. About three days prior to planting the seedlings I soaked the soil in the center portion of the fabric pot. Maybe a 5" diameter and about 200ml of water. When I planted the seedlings I wanted the soil moist but not wet if that makes sense. Since planting the seedlings I have watered twice. Both times with very small amounts of water, and both times using a method I've learned from @Emilya of watering rings outside of the plant to encourage it to send out roots to seek out the water. The first watering ring was about 1.5" give or take diameter around the seedlings. I followed that up with a second watering a few days later about 2.5" diameter around the seedlings. And I'm not talking about a lot of water, probably enough to wet the soil down five or six inches. It made sense to me and I am after all experimenting and learning as I go. I'm hoping Emilya will jump in and straighten my old butt out and get me watering correctly. I'm hoping to find out how much to water and how often. I think a key to growing autos in soil is going to be watering them enough but never too much. The soil just takes too long to dry out and the roots don't appreciate really wet soil.

I'm working on my custom canoe/rooftop tent/camping trailer over the next few weeks but will still try to get some updates on here.

Set the humidity gauge off to the side somewhere, but still level with the plant. If it’s right on the soil it may read high all the time.
I sprout mine with the temp in high 70s low 80s, you should be good there, if your humidity is right.
You’ll probably be surprised at how fast it dries out once the roots really take off.

I just started a seed in soil and the breeder says the plant needs NO outside nutrients. So I’ll be kind of growing along side you with this one- though I’m not in fabric pots.
I top around 14 days and training usually begins a few days after that.

Best of luck, I’m hoping we can get you at least double what you expect out of all those!

 

[StoneOtter]

This morning I raised the light up to 21" above the "canopy" LOL canopy! and turned it up full blast. I bought a new temperature/humidity gauge which I have setting on the top of the soil towards the center of the floor to get an idea of the conditions at plant level. I'm sure the humidity is not ideal. I honestly have no idea what the temperature is in there which is why I bought the new temp gauge. I think low 80s is good for seedlings yes?

I want to talk about watering. About three days prior to planting the seedlings I soaked the soil in the center portion of the fabric pot. Maybe a 5" diameter and about 200ml of water. When I planted the seedlings I wanted the soil moist but not wet if that makes sense. Since planting the seedlings I have watered twice. Both times with very small amounts of water, and both times using a method I've learned from @Emilya of watering rings outside of the plant to encourage it to send out roots to seek out the water. The first watering ring was about 1.5" give or take diameter around the seedlings. I followed that up with a second watering a few days later about 2.5" diameter around the seedlings. And I'm not talking about a lot of water, probably enough to wet the soil down five or six inches. It made sense to me and I am after all experimenting and learning as I go. I'm hoping Emilya will jump in and straighten my old butt out and get me watering correctly. I'm hoping to find out how much to water and how often. I think a key to growing autos in soil is going to be watering them enough but never too much. The soil just takes too long to dry out and the roots don't appreciate really wet soil.

I'm working on my custom canoe/rooftop tent/camping trailer over the next few weeks but will still try to get some updates on here.

I find autos different in that I do just what you are doing. Not watering them until they droop. It's a fine line to draw not wanting to create any negativity in the grow by getting them too wet or dry. Having a happy plant and no fungus gnats is my goal to achieve. It's a learned thing I believe and you seem to have the basics today. Let's hear from Emilya, she's better at explaining water.

 

[beez0404]

Hi Beez, I'm in!

@stoneotter very good to have you along. I know you'll have some good ideas to share and it's appreciated. I feel like a thread like this is a good teaching tool not only for me but for anyone new to growing autos. So welcome!

 

[beez0404]

Have you read my second watering article, about how to water a small plant in a large container?

Well no, I have not read it yet because I was unaware it existed. But you can bet by the end of the day I will have read it start to finish and hopefully not have too many questions.

I find autos different in that I do just what you are doing. Not watering them until they droop. It's a fine line to draw not wanting to create any negativity in the grow by getting them too wet or dry.

That's what I have thought about any plant not just autos. Cannabis seems to love moist soil but doesn't like to have it's roots in too much water. I need to go read Emilya's article and get caught up.

 

[beez0404]

I just came in from working on the boat trailer a bit ago to find the Blackberry Kush laying flat on top of the soil. She wasn't wilted she just fell over. Now she wasn't all that tall but I think a combination of three things brought her down.

1. She might be a little top heavy as she is one of the better growing of the seedlings.
2. I turned the light up to full power and this may have shocked her some.
3. The temperature at seedling level was 88 degrees.

I did not remove her from the soil. What I did was stand her back up and push soil up against her stem till she was propped up very well. I intentionally only filled the fabric pots to about 2" or so below the top of the pots so in case I had some that stretched I could do just this and add some soil around the stem.

I have since opened the front of the tent up a little more to allow more cool air into the tent. I will add a muffin fan at one of the openings at the bottom to blow cooler air into the tent. I have to get it all dialed in without killing any plants.

 

[beez0404]

I just finished reading your article @Emilya and have two quick questions to ask.

After the plant has gotten a couple of leaves and gotten taller, it will no longer swim around in the soil if given a lot of water, and it is time to get a bit more aggressive than the spray bottle can do.

Are you thinking to start this when the second set of permanent leaves are full size? Or even before that?

When the plant's 3x diameter reaches the outside edges of the container, water the entire container slowly, to saturation (runoff) for the first time.

I think my fabric pots are around 11" in diameter. This strikes me as a very important step to get right. So when my plant diameter gets to roughly 3.5" across it's time to saturate to runoff the first time yes?

 

[ChefDGreen]

Oh Geez, I hope your BBK is alright! That’s one of the strains I’ve been waiting to see! You could always do like a chop stick sized stake and tie the seedling to it, if it just won’t stand up.

Something I have been thinking about the last few days is the idea that auto flowering plants don't do as well in organic soil as they do in other mediums such as ProMix and Hempy/perlite. I wish I had given this more thought as it might have been a good experiment to grow one of the eight in ProMix and the others in the organic soil.

My question is this. What is the reason do you think that the plants don't grow with as much vigor in the organic soil? What holds them back and keeps them smaller?

After doing hempy and promix with autos, I think my answer to those questions is that it’s due to the structure of the medium. Autos don’t have a lot of time to get established well, so the unrestricted growth they enjoy in hydro (and less so in promix) allows them to get much larger. In organic soil, to maintain a healthy microbe population, you need a soil PSI 150-200. I think the added pressure of having to burrow their roots through the soil inhibits their full potential. That would explain why promix results are generally slightly worse than hydro, cause even in promix there is decent PSI. In hydro there is literally no inhibition of roots, they can grow as fast and in any direction that they choose.

 

[beez0404]

Oh Geez, I hope your BBK is alright! That’s one of the strains I’ve been waiting to see! You could always do like a chop stick sized stake and tie the seedling to it, if it just won’t stand up.

I buried her from her feet up to her shoulders in fresh soil and she's looking marvelous.

 

[beez0404]

Here is a photo of my Gorilla Girl XL from Sweet Seeds. She shot up quick and kept getting taller then the other girls. Even though her stem looked like (at this point) it was strong enough to hold her up I went ahead and filled in the pot around her.

20200903_141640.jpg

• beez0404
• Sep 3, 2020

Gorilla Girl XL

Here are three more of the seedlings. I'm concerned about the Train Wreck as she's growing pretty slowly.

Blackberry Kush from Dutch Passion

20200903_141136.jpg

• beez0404
• Sep 3, 2020

BlackBerry Kush

Blue Cheese Special a cross of Mephisto strains

20200903_141437.jpg

• beez0404
• Sep 3, 2020

Blue Cheese Special

And finally Train Wreck auto from CKS

20200903_141506.jpg

• beez0404
• Sep 3, 2020

Train Wreck

 

[StoneOtter]

Well no, I have not read it yet because I was unaware it existed. But you can bet by the end of the day I will have read it start to finish and hopefully not have too many questions.



That's what I have thought about any plant not just autos. Cannabis seems to love moist soil but doesn't like to have it's roots in too much water. I need to go read Emilya's article and get caught up.

I find autos different in that I do just what you are doing. Not watering them until they droop. It's a fine line to draw not wanting to create any negativity in the grow by getting them too wet or dry.

I might have been pretty stoned there. When I grow an auto I don't let them go dry enough to droop before watering. I'm not claiming any special auto growing magic either. I'm going this way for a while to see how it goes. So far so good. It's a little bazaar compared to my watering a photo which is mainly like Emilya's tutorial for photos. It's harder to feel in control of an auto watering schedule for me. It changes pretty fast like the plant. It's hard to explain what's out of control. I probably got most of it from Emilya but can't explain it and may have changed something. Read her stuff for the win.

 

[beez0404]

It's harder to feel in control of an auto watering schedule for me. It changes pretty fast like the plant. It's hard to explain what's out of control. I probably got most of it from Emilya but can't explain it and may have changed something. Read her stuff for the win.

I read her article for watering autos just this afternoon. I think I understand it pretty well. It was very well written and I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing. I had a couple questions I'm hoping Emilya will address and I'll be on the ball with auto watering.

 

[Emilya Green]

I just finished reading your article @Emilya and have two quick questions to ask.
Are you thinking to start this when the second set of permanent leaves are full size? Or even before that?

yes, before that if you can get away with it. Your clue is watching the young sprig as you water. If it seems that it is staying in place you can probably move to the watering can instead of the mister. If the plant still tends to fall down and swim around when you give it any good amount of water, it is best to wait a day or two to try again.

I think my fabric pots are around 11" in diameter. This strikes me as a very important step to get right. So when my plant diameter gets to roughly 3.5" across it's time to saturate to runoff the first time yes?

Yes, keeping in mind that this is going to be way too much water for the plant to deal with in a normal timeframe. But, it puts water down at the bottom that you want the plant to explore and try to work on, but for a while that is going to cause the upper roots to suffer since it would be too many days between watering if you waited for the whole container to dry out. This is when we go to the two stage watering, giving that partial watering every 3 days or so until the plant becomes strong enough to deal with the entire container at once.

 

[beez0404]

Thanks @Emilya I think I've got it now. Holler if you see me doing something incorrectly please.

 

[beez0404]

I have a handle on the temperature now. It's sitting at right around 81 degrees F. It's the humidity that is not where it needs to be. I'm thinking it needs to be higher then 45 % LOL No room in the tent to put anything.

I once tried hanging a wet towel on the back wall of the tent but someone told me I was losing a lot of reflected light blocking the wall with the towel. How high do I have to get the humidity to be right? 60%?