Old School, Goes Auto

[Jackalope]

For reasons that will be mentioned along the way. I am starting a Auto flower grow. Over time I have collected 4 different auto strains as freebies. Most by well know breeders. Since I want to keep my electric bill consistent I leave lights on year around. Might as well have plants underneath them. Before now I didn't have the tent in a place where I could get rid of enough heat for summer grows. Now that that has changed I can add another grow. I should have started the auto's sooner and might have conflict's with veg time of the next grow but nothing that can't be solved. I got pretty lucky to have a good variety of strains to grow for this which made the decision even easier. Here are what I am starting. They are pretty much Auto versions of popular strains.
Blue Dreamamatic, Fast Bud seeds
Og Kush Auto, Humboldt Seed Org.
Afghan Kush Ryder, World of Seeds
Snow White, MJ seeds. A Canadaian strain I know nothing about.

I usually run 1/4 sativa 1/4 indica and 1/2 hybrid for the variety I like. These seeds do almost that exactly. It will be 1/4 sativa 1/4 hybrid and 1/2 indica. I have also grow the regulars of 3 of these strains so I will have a base to see how they do.
Lighting will be T-5's and 1000 watt HPS. I will probably run this at 500 to 750 watts 18/6. The afghan says it does best with 20/4 but I am going to keep the room right for the masses. From all my ready 18/6 seems to be the best hours for auto's.
The plan as of now will be to use 3 gallon pots in MG or FF soil.
As with my other journal there will be so much more then just growing. Keeps it interesting plus its my journal and I will say what I want. Or what 420 lets me say LMAO.
I have never grow a auto so it will be a learning experience at least. Any help along the way from those that have will be appreciate. Not that it will matter. All my genetics are regular or feminized. No matter how good or bad this works out I can not afford to change now. As long as I keep getting Auto freebies I will save them up and do this again someday.

Seeds have started soaking today and will be germinated tomorrow. I hope to get 100% to pop as 4 plants is still going to be a small grow. I can train then to fill the tent only so much with auto's. I plan to do nothing that will slow growth in any way like topping. I will probably supper crop them. It helps lower branches get the energy they need to get into the lighting zone. That too is up for change like I said auto's are new to me. One thing I know is that with a set finish time. Any training or trimming needs to be done at a time when it will not effect harvest amounts.
Early on now so I can make changes if needed. Any info you guys have about those strains will be helpful for now. I will be asking for more help along the way I am sure. Info on Auto's in general will be appreciated. Only helps if is evolving similar genetics though. As with all marijuana, the genetics are so different that general info doesn't help like it used to.
So ride along and I hope I don't bore you along the way. I have almost finished my other journal so for once I will complete one. I say that only because I have started other before then forgot about them. Getting better now days LOL.

 

[Bilbobudkin420]

Boom! First in. Looooove the selection fam!

 

[Jackalope]

Selection is a really funny way to put "its all I had" LMAO. You are right though. I was really happy with what I just happened to have.

 

[Bilbobudkin420]

Selection is a really funny way to put "its all I had" LMAO. You are right though. I was really happy with what I just happened to have.

True lol but yer you got lucky bro

 

[Jackalope]

Going to have to start running down some auto growers for info. Not that it is going to be to much different then photo's. Different genetics but it is still the same plant.
Mostly I am trying to find things to do to keep it interesting here. So today I am going fishing. Them seeds are on their own for the next 5 hours. All they have to do is pop out of a shell. They aught to be able to do that themselves.
NOT!!! LMAO. Don't you just hate it when they don't shed their own shell. Left one once and it was so tough it choked out the seedling. Of course now I take them off. Nothing is quite so stressful as trying to get those 2 halves off without pulling the whole damn sprout out of the soil. It is amazing how hard them things can hold on.

 

[Jackalope]

I guess I better update this journal. In my last post I said I was going fish. I never said I was going to come back LMAO. Over the last couple days I have managed to get this grow started. Seeds are all germinated and are now in 3 gallon pots. I should have went to a larger pot but I don't have any. I am not going to waste a good 5 gallon bucket for this. What I would gain wouldn't be enough. If I had 4 10 gallon I would use them and give them a chance to get big. Oh well this is just to see what the plants can do THC wise. I may not see what these strains can produce. I will be able to see if they are as strong as they say. I don't think they will but I am ready to be proved wrong.
They are claiming THC levels that are up to the 20% range. In this day in age that is strong but not really strong. Really strong comes after 25%. Still there has never been a Auto strain to place let alone win a cannabis cup. Lots of strains have not so that is no big deal. It is a lot more then just THC content for a strain to win a cup. High type and flavor come in to play more when it comes to cups. Yes high THC matters but still lots of strains in the 19 to 20% range win cups. A range that Auto's are supposed to be able to make.
Still they are in the ground and I will finish them out. Hell I grew a CBD plant and it's still in the up in the air if it will even get me high lol. So Auto's sure are not a problem. This will also complete my growing experience. A Ruderalis hybrid will the last type a cannabis I have grown. Never be able to grow all the strains might as well grow all the sub-species of cannabis.
Here is photo proof of the grow. I guess proof means nothing. No one see's my light schedule or is here 24/7 to know. "Shit" I should have grow photo's and just told people they were Auto's. Could have had the frostiest Auto"s known to man LMAO. Well here is a pick of 4 black pots

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• Jackalope
• Aug 4, 2018

 

[Jackalope]

Also to add. New 60 x 60 x 80 tent just showed up. Going to go with all tents this time. Dropping my best grow space to save money on heat. Why pay to heat another area. This way not only do I not have to heat another building I get to use the heat from 2 1000 HPS lights to help heat the house.
New 1000 watt bulbs showed up too. I keep older bulbs as back up but change mine regularly. I know bulbs loose lumens over time. How long it takes I don't know. I replace my bulbs once a year. That gives me 2 full grows per bulb. At 60 bucks a piece it is better to be safe then sorry.

 

[Blew Hiller]

I top all my autos and it never seems to slow them down...plus you get 2x main colas.

Super cropping is not really necessary with autos since they are already short and those lower buds are still sizable in relation to the higher ones. Consider drilling some holes in those buckets and then training out the branches...makes the lower buds worthwhile with better light penetration.

 

[SgtBrix]

I top all my autos and it never seems to slow them down...plus you get 2x main colas.

Super cropping is not really necessary with autos since they are already short and those lower buds are still sizable in relation to the higher ones. Consider drilling some holes in those buckets and then training out the branches...makes the lower buds worthwhile with better light penetration.

Thats some great advice! Ill probably top the Blackberry Kush Auto. 3rd node still right? Before like the 20th or 21st day?

 

[MiOutdoorsman]

Looks like your off to a good start!

 

[Jackalope]

Cool thanks for the advise. I will probably try a combination of things. Looks like supper cropping will not do much good so I will top a couple and just bend the others over and grow them sideways. I got a whole 4x4x8 tent to work with. Afghan Kush Ryder and the Snow White auto will probable get topped. I think with the Og and the Blue Dream'omatic I will just bend and train them. Going to be a trial anyway. Might as well see what I can do with or to them.
This grow is as confusing to me as the CBD one. Ruderalis hybrids have been around for over 30 years. For most of that they did not work. Seen bunches of pictures and stories that say they work now. Hard to get all those years of failure out of my mind.
Could be a good thing. I have no expectations as of now. Mostly I hope to be happily surprised.

 

[Jackalope]

If things don't change soon this "Thread" is going to be called "Old school goes 12/12 from seed". All seeds had popped when I put then in the dirt. Nothing has come up yet. Only been a couple days so no need to panic yet. I am good at panic though. With the big 3 gallon pots I may have planted the seeds a little deeper then I normally do. That's the only thing I can think of that could have went wrong. Still all the people that have had trouble getting seeds to pop and come up got me thinking. Maybe it is in the ruderalis genetics to have harder seed shells. Just because the seed popped doesn't mean it can get out of the soil and open up.
Like I said this could just be panic setting in. That and the fact I just thought yesterday I should have did the 12/12 thing. Didn't help none LOL. I have a couple long flowering sativas that would have been perfect for it. The only reason I have not grow them yet is because of the long flower time.
Auto flower? At this point I need auto grow. The waiting begins

 

[MiOutdoorsman]

They will probably be up by the morning ( hopefully ). I have grown autos couple of times and they have a place, but I really prefer photos. I've had some autos give me a couple of O's and I've had a couple give me a 1/4 of a O. One thing is for sure you have to be patient. I had a couple that looked like they were not going to do anything and in last couple weeks really turned on and produced. Here's one from sweet seeds I grew in a super soil mix. It was too hot for them

DD.jpeg

• MiOutdoorsman
• Mar 10, 2018

Dark devil

 

[Jackalope]

4 days from a popped seed to nothing. I have no idea what could have went wrong. I have never had anything like this ever happen. I only remember a couple seeds that a popped and never came out of the soil. There has been a few that came through the soil and didn't fully open and die. I have never had every seed not come up. Must have something to do with the big ass'ed pots.
Sooooo. I think I am going to germinate some long flowering sativas. If I get those seeds wet the Auto's are a done deal. I have more invested in the Photo's. Kind of wanted to see what Auto's can do. I really really have wanted to grow these sativas but haven't because of the long flowering cycle.
This is only a learning grow. Mostly just keeping electric bills up. Production is not a issue either way. No way I could do 12/12 from seed. I will start them in small pots and turn to 12/12 when I re-pot. If I do this today I am dumping the soil the auto's are in. Not that I am worried about it. I am sure the soil is fine. I just don't want them coming up and trying to change the plan. Light schedule just won't work for all.
I still don't know yet. Maybe you guys will find out tomorrow LMAO.

 

[MiOutdoorsman]

Sounds like a good plan to me! What sativa's are you thinking about

 

[Bilbobudkin420]

4 days from a popped seed to nothing. I have no idea what could have went wrong. I have never had anything like this ever happen. I only remember a couple seeds that a popped and never came out of the soil. There has been a few that came through the soil and didn't fully open and die. I have never had every seed not come up. Must have something to do with the big ass'ed pots.
Sooooo. I think I am going to germinate some long flowering sativas. If I get those seeds wet the Auto's are a done deal. I have more invested in the Photo's. Kind of wanted to see what Auto's can do. I really really have wanted to grow these sativas but haven't because of the long flowering cycle.
This is only a learning grow. Mostly just keeping electric bills up. Production is not a issue either way. No way I could do 12/12 from seed. I will start them in small pots and turn to 12/12 when I re-pot. If I do this today I am dumping the soil the auto's are in. Not that I am worried about it. I am sure the soil is fine. I just don't want them coming up and trying to change the plan. Light schedule just won't work for all.
I still don't know yet. Maybe you guys will find out tomorrow LMAO.

Bro its just the circle of life. It happens man. Why you think plants produce soooooo many seeds. Dont beat yaself up its nothing you did or didnt do... Plants be trifling bitches lol

 

[Jackalope]

And I have Soooooo many more to grow LMAO. After I set the sativas to soaking. I did a little digging. Found 2 of the 4 seeds. One had a moldy tap root the other had came out about half way shed the shell and stayed laying sidways. The other 2 couldn't be found. The only thing I can think of is that the larger pots and more soil let heat build up to much. Temp on the table the pots were on said 78 degrees. Warmer right under the lights I am sure. How warm I don't know. Who knows. Going to try and change the name today. Here is what got started.
3 Chocoloco, Vision seeds.
1 Columbian Gold. World of seeds
1 Arjans Haze. Green House
1 mystery haze.
Maybe not the super long flowering sativas others are doing this with. Still they are longer then I want to deal with. It is still going to be long the way it is. I did lots of the Chocoloco because I have never grown their strains before. Chocolate Thai is know to have hermies so this strain could go anywhere. Plus if it is worth a shit then I want as much as I can get. I lived on Chocolate Thai for 2 years in the 90's. Thai Land to San Fransico to Denver to Me. I started ordering seeds the year after that supply dried up. Sure wish I would have kept some seeds.

 

[Jackalope]

Can't change the name guys. Now that I have people here. Would you all mind going back to my Random Thoughts thread. I am going to continue this grow there.