Yea that's where you gotta decide, based on reading, which methods are right for you. Autos are just like photo plants with a shorter predetermined life cycle. Apologies if I'm a little pissy, haven't wake and baked or drank any coffee yet this morning. What info are you seeking?
I know the feeling mate. I am a storm of rage without caffeine . Let me explain my dilemma fully to you:
I started 5 Critical Skunk regular seeds (this is my first ever grow) and came to topping them. So I have 5 plants that need topping. Obviously one of them has to be first doesn't it? So I top the first one and accidentally mess it up a little, kind of like a FIM.
Time passes and pre flowers show. Guess what? only 1 female. Guess which one? The one I accidentally topped incorrectly. A couple more weeks pass and one of the 2 tops on said female (the part I damaged) is growing less than half as quick as the other top of the same plant. I inspect it closely and see it is showing some deformed leaves where they got cut and 2 tiny male pre flowers!
I make the decision to remove this top as this is now my only plant AND my first grow (I'm 800 quid down on grow equipment).
I've attached a pic of the plant as it was a couple of days ago next to a 1.5 litre bottle for scale)
Its healthy and hasn't shown any more hermy signs. It seemed logical to me after what I read that the stress of topping made the one branch grow up a little confused.
Now I have bought 5 Autopilot XXL seeds and basically am looking forward to getting them going; I thought
that they went 12/12 their whole life so could put them in with the Critical but now it seems I have to flower the critical skunk and then do the autopilots. It's a frustrating set back. I have half a mind to chop this critical and just start the autos but it's the sentimental value of my first plant getting in the way.
Any idea what kind of yield I would get from this plant? it's about 18 inches tall and I have super cropped, with nice knuckles now. It's in an approx 20 litre pot.