Hap, I was so keen on trying autos this “offseason,” and I’ve enjoyed/am learning a lot. So far, I agree w the idea that they ought to be planted in final container. Seems like the ones I’ve transplanted haven’t loved that. I am going to continue growing a couple autos at a time as I move back outside for the year. Additionally, I’m really happy to begin germinating my fem/reg seeds for the outdoor garden!
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I agree totally. I read recently that a lot of auto flowering strains are prone to get bananas late in flowering, and that it’s sometimes a sign of maturity with them.
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The NL looks great man. I’m actually growing one of them myself right now, but I’m only in week 9 of flowering though.
I just finished a Devil Cream from Sweet Seeds that was a pretty small n stunted one, like your fastbufs one I only ended up with about 3/4oz from it. I also just finished drying a Barney’s farm GG that came out really nice.
Out of all of them though, the Seedsman NL freebie came out the best.
I’ve been growing since the 90’s, but only recently began to play around with the autos This was my second auto grow. I also have a serious seeds NL, Seedsman Alaskan diesel and Z-Kittkez about 2 weeks ago, as well as another of the sweet seeds Devil Cream (which seems to be a bit stunted like the first. I’m starting to think it may be the genetics; this is the first time I’ve ever grown anything from Sweet Seeds, and if any of tge other 3 of them have issues it’ll probably be the last, lol).
…the biggest issue I’ve had so far with autos has been getting use to the differences between growing them and photoperiod seeds, mostly the lighting, nutrient, and training differences. I like the new growing experience though and the new things I’m learning about plant horticulture. I just recently got used to my new lights after finally switching them all over to led after using mh/hps for over 25 years. That took a couple grows to get used to the differences from that, but I really do like the leds. They really help keep my growing area temp down, which can be pretty difficult in the summer with 5-6 tents venting into the same room.
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If you’re planting autos in their final pot, you need to be really careful watering them until they get bigger.
I just drop a little water (1oz) with a turkey baster every other day until they are established.
I have great success using peat pods to start, then plant in final pot about a week later. Doesn’t stun them at all, just have to water carefully.
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They really help keep my growing area temp down, which can be pretty difficult in the summer with 5-6 tents venting into the same room.
Wow, sounds like that would be a challenge without some HVAC help!
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Jory, the Seedsman freebies are the truth! I ordered 420 Fast Buds from Seedsman, and all of them either hermed or became QUITE stunted. Lol. Meanwhile, the NL freebie crushed, and the Purple Haze and Lemon freebies i am growing now are doing well, too! 
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Chavez, I am still unsure if my problems are related to potting, genetics, or other environmental conditions. Growing in my garage is fun but constantly challenging this first year. Phew!
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Last night, I noticed a big banana on my Sour Kush. It’d opened! I carefully plucked it. Today, I decided I’d pushed my luck far enough with the N Lights Auto (Seedsman freebie). I started this plant outdoors back in September, and I really didn’t want it to become heavily seeded in the final days. Besides, all of a sudden the plant started showing plenty of amber trichomes. Ten percent? I have no idea! Anyway, I knocked off work a little early so I could chop her down before cooking supper for wife and kids. It was fun and gratifying. It was also bittersweet to say goodbye to a plant that became very important to me during the winter. I am very grateful for my hobby, and I can’t wait to see how the buds turn out. Here’s what happened during harvest.
The crispy leaves don’t do much for the glamour shots, but that’s ok! The green underneath looks pretty!
Hope you all have a great day!
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Now that I have a little space in the tent, I was thinking of trying to start some veggie seeds in the tent. Have you tried that before? Any tips you could share in terms of intensity and distance? I have a sf2000 in a 4x2. Thanks for any info you can share.
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Autos can be transplanted, if it’s done at the right time and very carefully. As Hap mentioned a lot of auto strains will stress flower as soon as the tap root hits resistance. Another potential issue is the nursery bags. Some auto strains absolutely demand leg room (root space) and get pissy if they’re contained or impeded. I started a few autos in jiffy pellets and the mesh around the pellets was enough to stunt them.
I start all mine in their final pots now or transplant them early, but transplanting early brings its own complications and hazards.
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Thanks for this, Mudman. Makes a lot of sense. I have started a couple Meph seeds in their “forever homes” this morning. They will be the beginning of my outdoor season.
But I did also start a couple in those bags. They are to be transplanted into a raised bed garden eventually. You mentioned some more considerations to be taken if you’re gonna transplant an auto early. Would you tell me more about that?
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Usually with photo period plants people wait until they are almost root bound to transplant. This helps hold the root ball and media together in a good neat clump. The problem with waiting that long to transplant autos is the potential for stress and stunted growth, so when I transplant autos I do it as soon as I see roots at the bottom of the cup. But without a good root ball, everything tries to fall apart which can damage the roots.
I’ve started autos in as big as a 5g. Very small dab of water over the seed then a little bit in about a 6" diameter circle around the seed. As they grow, widen your watering circle. This will encourage the roots to spread and stretch for the water.
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… yup 
…
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I’m waiting for trichs to turn on my Sour Kush Auto. While I’m waiting, the top cola has dried up and turned brown and crunchy! This is a big disappointment… Any idea why this is happening? Could it be some kind of botrytis or something else? There’s no visible mold or other damage. I wonder if I just let it get too dry?
I don’t have a good pic, but the plant in question is on the right side of this pic. The obviously brown/dry one. 
Thanks for any thoughts.
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These two autos were sprouted on same day and grown under identical conditions. The shorty is 420 fast buds gorilla cookies, and the tally is Seedsman purple haze.
The tall one grew right into the light! So I had to upgrade her to the backyard.
I think she will really like it out there. Very happy to have my outdoor season underway here in Virginia.
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Yeah, no doubt brother. I run a 12,000btu window air conditioner in the room which helps a goid heal, but it’s still a bit of a struggle keeping al the various tents microclimates on the proper ranges for the various strains I’m cultivating at the time. …I just grow for myself these days, but I like variety, so I’ve several 2x4 and 3x3’s so I have enough of a variety of medicine, as well as room for a few mothers and for my small breeding program. (I use a 2 in one 2x4 secret Jardain lodge 150 for my mothers and breeding. I keep the mothers on the right side n tge males and/or seeded fems on the left and use only one 6”
Ac infinity exhaust system that pulls fresh air in thei the right n past the mothers n onto n past the males n into my filter, whick simplified things n lessens overall costs).
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I don’t think my probs watering, but I’ll be certain to keep that one in mind, thanks. It seems to me that it’s more of too much light, even though I’m within parameters as per my ppfd meter. It’s weird, but it seems like my buds under fan leaves have a shit Tom more resin building on them than the ones in full light?!? N it should be the opposite. I use goid quality lights n all too, so that’s not the issue (I use green sunshine v3 es-300’s and ones I built with Samsung lm301b LED’s and HLG 150w meanwell drivers). As far as soil I’m growing in sunshine mix #4 or Indicanja (I’m trying out the indicanja alongside my normal mix) dry amended with dynamoco, food grade diatomaceous earth, azomite, bio-char, fish bone meal, bone meal, blood meal, bat guano, humid acid, coast of Maine lobster compost, fishnure humus compost, and live worm castings. Oh, and I water with ph’d and filtered through a Boogie-Blue Plus filter to remove chlorine and chloromides with growers recharge added each waterinf at a rate of 1/2tso/gal. During flowering I’ll occasionally add flower fuel and TPS Signal, their terp booster, both at a rate of 50%.
The plants are lush with dark green foliage, and I’m getting great bud weight (approx 2.4g/watt …w Seedsman nl auto)but the bugs just aren’t as sticky and dank as they should be and aren’t showing the amounts of glands they should be.
Any help/opinions would be greatly appreciated guys, thanks!
…they say these damn autos are supposed to be easier to grow, but for me they’re much harder than photos; prolly cause I’m trying to grow them/treat/train them as I do my photos, which I’m thinking is too much fir them due to their limited lifespan.
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I’m with you there pbaker! I bought 3 packs of diff strains of the 42fastshit buds and every single bean either didn’t pop, came out stunted, and the few that did grow were shitty. They weren’t potent, didn’t have much trich’s, we’re Larfy, and just didn’t have the taste they should have. …it was the first n last time I’ll ever buy their genetics.
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For starting any type of seeds I like to stay about 30-36” w/a led of 100w or more. …usually I start mine under a 2’ t-8 led and add a second one a couple-three weeks in, and then move to under a 150w led after about a month.
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How tall is that one pbaker? She looks tall as shit to me, even the ones I’ve planted directly into their “forever homes”, lol, haven’t gotten anywhere more than 22” tall (tho they’ve yielded well at about 120-150g each). I’m wondering if my light intensity is too high n keeping them so short?!? …or at least part of my autoflower issue.
Honestly, I can’t understand it. I’ve got photos in my other tents I started the same day as thx autos and they’re literally 4-10x the size of the biggest of my autos. Hell, I’ve hit one photo that I popped on the 17th of last month that’s 28”x24”x33”. Lol. …it’s a purple ghost candy by Seedsman.
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