Yeah it
is confusing! My very first indoor grow actually was an auto strain, and I've been shaking my head over the recommendation that newbies start with an auto grow ever since lol
The way I now understand it, there are older strains that have really low yields ("lowryder" keeps popping up in this context - sheez I wouldnt even want to
try a strain called that? lol), as well as newer auto strains that grow more abundantly and also yield more.
I'm hoping I've gotten the latter with the Berry Bomb Auto (from Bomb seeds, indica-leaning) and the Pineapple Express Auto from Fast Buds, which from what I read is more productive then the one from Barney's. Both to grow to around 1m height if left on their own (I won't hehe) and finish in 9 weeks from seed.
I'll be running these for the first time and I
know I should just let them go to have a baseline comparison grow. But I'm not patient like that and will jump right into experimentation instead haha
So I'll be topping them once and running them on a gas lantern schedule throughout the grow, which in effect should be the same as giving them 18/6 lighting throughout.
Regarding yields, yeah I think it depends a LOT on the strain. And yes, seeing people happy for pulling 20g off a plant when I pulled 150 from my nl5xhaze scrog (and she couldve yielded more with better environment variables and a less noob grower) makes me shy away time and again LOL
But hey, I wasn't planning on another grow anyways, so might as well give them another chance, give these a test run (they're both strains I could grow guerilla too, so might as well get acquainted with em) plus
quickly bring some more variety into my smoke selection -- at least, that'S the plan lol