Why the hatred for Autoflower strains?

[see4]

I've been reading a fair amount of articles where most of the folks exclaim their absolute hatred for autoflower strains. I'm just curious as to why? Auto's definitely have there place...

What are the thoughts on autoflower strains?

 

[TigerClock]

I think people dont like them for the fear of hermies...all i can think of.

 

[see4]

I think people dont like them for the fear of hermies...all i can think of.

Does that have to do with it being an autoflower? Does an autoflower strain tend to be more prone to that? Is it because of sensitivity? My first grow has been with autoflowers. Took 5 seeds out of my order, dropped them in peat cubes, they all sprouted, shortly after I transplanted to Roots 707 3 gallon buckets.. I have been feeding and watering since, they have about 25 days left, and they are showing great budding. I am a total noob and I havent run into a problem..

 

[420God]

I think it's the lower potency of auto strains and the inability to clone that make them less desirable.

 

[see4]

I think it's the lower potency of auto strains and the inability to clone that make them less desirable.

Totally agree it's a drag that you can't clone them. -- But potency, I've been seeing that is improving lately.. you can find 15-18% thc pretty common.. no? Granted some dank nugs (non-auto) are 22-25%, but still...

For a guerilla grower, who doesnt really care too much about potency -- I have to imagine auto's are a nice thing..

 

[TigerClock]

What do you think you will yeild per plant? Maybe its because of smaller yeilds...i have no evidence to back maybe its. Because of hermies. ...Just a theory

 

[akgrown]

I think it's the lower potency of auto strains and the inability to clone that make them less desirable.

This is the reason. Plus you get less yields.

 

[poplars]

they have their place, but they're useless to the majority of growers worth their shit.

you can't clone them, they're not ideal to keep around for yeild (outdoors they are crap for yeilds.) when you're speaking from a medical standpoint, 6 plants per person, atleast in cali, you want every plant to count.... one plant being an autoflowering that would only get like 3 feet tall MAX.... is not worth it in this situation...

not saying they can't be dank, they just don't have nearly as much potential as normal strains.

 

[see4]

What do you think you will yeild per plant? Maybe its because of smaller yeilds...i have no evidence to back maybe its hermie. ...Just a theory

Yea, that's another drag... lower yields.. I have 5 plants... 3 are AK, and I probably expect maybe 30 - 35 grams from each of those, and the other 2 are red dwarfs... maybe Ill get 15 - 25 grams each from those.. if Im lucky.. Im under 400 HPS @ 20/4 lights -- I suspect I will be lucky if I get .5g/watt, most likely it will be .4g/watt -- we shall see.. its my first grow..

 

[see4]

Ok, so it seems the consensus is auto's simply are not as potent as, and dont yield as much as non-auto strains. Fair enough.

But one could then argue -- all strains that have thc level below 23% are bad, and all strains that yield less than 40g/plant are bad -- but we know this not to be true..

 

[puffenuff]

Im happy with the first experience of growing autos. I chose them specifically because I wanted small plants. if grown right, you can still get a nice yield from healthy autos.

 

[see4]

Autos are hype. Stick to fems or regs, veg for less time and just make sure they get 12/12 for the remainder of their life. If you aren't able to do 12/12, for whatever reason, stop growing marihuana.

 

[tangerinegreen555]

They contain Siberian ruderalis hemp genetics known to cause cancer and impotence in lab rats.

 

[Pinworm]

@mr sunshine says autos do best under full MH lighting

 

[AKDrifter]

Not sure about any autos that have come out since 2010 but prior to that I got sucked in by the hype. Read all the reviews and grow reports here and on some other boards along with the breeder info, and bought in hook line and sinker. Blew a bunch of money on Lr, Lr II, Auto AK, auto wr, and two others I can't recall right meow.

Grew them out, and it was SHIT! Looked great, smell were good (not the ak) and very solid bud, All just garbage smoke. the Auto AK folks were raving about and was supposedly the most potent auto at the time, but stunk like cat piss and was a weak short duration headachy high. like a solid 2.5 out of 10. just shitty smoke.

The next grow I ran SSAK 47 and a couple other regular strains, the smoke was 10x better, way more potent,far better yield, better taste, and was done almost as fast. The trim off my reg strains was more potent than the auto's I grew.

I still had a bunch of auto seeds in my collection up until about six months ago, tossed that shit right in the burn barrel with all my stems and root balls.

Things may have changed over the last few years, but I will never know. There are too many great regular strains out there to bother with searching for a ruderalis cross that doesn't suck.

 

[Lord Kanti]

I'm testing a strain and so far I like them. A quick, 2' cola and something to do in winter when everything else is slow growing. Cloning isn't an issue if you can breed your own auto strain within 3 generations.

 

[Lord Kanti]

Not sure about any autos that have come out since 2010 but prior to that I got sucked in by the hype. Read all the reviews and grow reports here and on some other boards along with the breeder info, and bought in hook line and sinker. Blew a bunch of money on Lr, Lr II, Auto AK, auto wr, and two others I can't recall right meow.

Grew them out, and it was SHIT! Looked great, smell were good (not the ak) and very solid bud, All just garbage smoke. the Auto AK folks were raving about and was supposedly the most potent auto at the time, but stunk like cat piss and was a weak short duration headachy high that did not last very long. like a solid 2.5 out of 10. just shitty smoke.

The next grow I ran SSAK 47 and a couple other regular strains, the smoke was 10x better, way more potent,far better yield, better taste, and was done almost as fast. The trim off my reg strains was more potent than the auto's I grew.

I still had a bunch of auto seeds in my collection up until about six months ago, tossed that shit right in the burn barrel with all my stems and root balls.

Things may have changed over the last few years, but I will never know. There are too many great regular strains out there to bother with searching for a ruderalis cross that doesn't suck.

Shame you couldn't use those genetics to your advantage. :/

 

[mr sunshine]

@mr sunshine says autos do best under full MH lighting

Professionals run mh all the way threw, with the addition of the blues in flower.

 

[tyler.durden]

I think it's the lower potency of auto strains and the inability to clone that make them less desirable.

Yeah, the no cloning is reason enough for me to pass. Half the battle, especially for commercial growers like myself, is finding those magic phenos to propagate. Always planting from seed is just a crap shoot, from which you usually get crap...

 

[AKDrifter]

Shame you couldn't use those genetics to your advantage. :/

Hahaa the real shame is that I couldn't use the $800+ dollars I wasted to buy some better genetics. When I tried all those autos I was just getting into indoor growing and really didn't know any better.
I know lots of work has been done with autos over the years and guys are still arguing how great they are on the various canna boards, but I think the bulk of auto sales are made to very new growers who buy into the hype then find out for themselves.

Plant counts, ruderalis, no clone, expensive, yield, and overall quality of the final product bump them off my list.