Do autoflowering plants yield bad?

elfo777

elfo777

Well-Known Member
Hello, sry for english

I've been growing photoperiod plants for a long time but winter is coming (;S) and it can get pretty cold in my growing room. Temperatures can go as low as 45 fahrenheit or 8º celsius. Im planning on getting autoflowering strains and use 20/4 with a ceramic heating bulb when the light goes off. That way I'll be able to mitigate the cold temperatures.

I was thinking of growing autoflowering strains, but a lot of people are telling me it's not worth it because of yield, potency, and taste.

Is it that bad? Some people really hate them but I think it would be a good option when cold gets here... but I don't want to grow bad quality weed as I use it for medical purposes.

Thanks.
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
High elfo

I haven't grown autos to get them big as yet but have seen some really huge ones grown by a lot of people so like anything else you get back what you put in. The potency and yields are very comparable to a lot of photos too. Autos have improved greatly in the last decade.

I have grown a lot of them smaller just to make seeds with for growing outdoors way up north here where photos don't even begin flowering until about the middle of August and we can have frost then too so not a good situation.

I'd almost say why not run autos 24/0 then you don't have to waste electricity to just heat the room at all. I think plants do better with some down time but a lot of others disagree when it comes to autos and run them at 24/0 and it seems to work well.

Big problem with autos is you can't keep a mother to clone off of so you either have to keep buying seeds or breed some regular autos and make lots of your own seeds and use the money you save to upgrade your grow room and supplies. Pollen chucking is easy and fun and even dusting a couple lower branches will give you more seeds than you can use so you got lots to share with friends.

I've got some called Purple Jem, (Mazar x LowRyder1) that have a great buzz tho not as intense as a lot of photos but it's about a 6 yo strain and there's better out there. Depends on whether you're into pot for it's medicinal properties or just to maximize yield and buzz. These do me very well as medicine and that's my focus.

:peace:
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
Yodaweed said:
The quality isn't really bad but the yield sucks from my experience. Autos also usually got higher cbd as well.
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I'm not so sure about the CBD levels in autos Yoda but I know some are bred for higher CBD. I'm gonna have to look into that as I'm liking CBD for my arthritis.

:peace:
 
elfo777

elfo777

Well-Known Member
OldMedUser said:
High elfo

I haven't grown autos to get them big as yet but have seen some really huge ones grown by a lot of people so like anything else you get back what you put in. The potency and yields are very comparable to a lot of photos too. Autos have improved greatly in the last decade.

I have grown a lot of them smaller just to make seeds with for growing outdoors way up north here where photos don't even begin flowering until about the middle of August and we can have frost then too so not a good situation.

I'd almost say why not run autos 24/0 then you don't have to waste electricity to just heat the room at all. I think plants do better with some down time but a lot of others disagree when it comes to autos and run them at 24/0 and it seems to work well.

Big problem with autos is you can't keep a mother to clone off of so you either have to keep buying seeds or breed some regular autos and make lots of your own seeds and use the money you save to upgrade your grow room and supplies. Pollen chucking is easy and fun and even dusting a couple lower branches will give you more seeds than you can use so you got lots to share with friends.

I've got some called Purple Jem, (Mazar x LowRyder1) that have a great buzz tho not as intense as a lot of photos but it's about a 6 yo strain and there's better out there. Depends on whether you're into pot for it's medicinal properties or just to maximize yield and buzz. These do me very well as medicine and that's my focus.

:peace:
Click to expand...
Thank you for the insightful response. I appreciate it.

I don't run 24/0 because im afraid the bulb will explode or something... lol. Is it really safe to do that? I have no problem buying seeds because I know a shop here where I can get them pretty cheap and good quality. However I've been growing for 10 months and consider myself a newbie, so growing autos will be a first time for me. I heard so many bad things about autos that I was hesitating to grow them but I've heard the opposite too.

I use a 400W HPS, I know autos like a lot of light, I guess it's enough?
 
OldMedUser

OldMedUser

Well-Known Member
That's my main lighting is 400W HID and it shouldn't hurt to leave it on all the time but depends on bulb quality and the ballast too. What brand of each are you using? I'm using 20 yo magnetic ballasts but ones that were made in the US and no problems yet and they don't make any noise. I have a 15 yo EYE Hortilux conversion bulb that gives MH light off an HPS ballast and it still vegges plants just fine. I have a 400W MH ballast too that I'm getting a new bulb for soon but won't likely get a real pricey one for it. Just coughed up $170 for a 1000W EYE Hortilux conversion bulb to be able to use my old MH ballast with to flower in an 8x4 tent using a light rail to do the whole tent with it. $250 for a f'n rail but in the long run it'll save me on the power bill to light up that tent.

A 400 will basically light up a 3 x 3' area really good. 600W does a 4x4 and for 5x5 you want a 1000. Depends on what you are using for a reflector too as different ones focus the light differently. I'm getting a couple of those Adjusta-Wing types. Like you I grow in a cool space so don't need air cooled reflectors.

Another nice thing about autos is you can just keep adding young plants into your grow space as you take finished ones out and be cropping a couple every month or so and not have to worry about lighting. Or light leaks either unless you need to keep the light from showing from inside the grow room. As long as you are using a good bulb that has a more balanced blue and red spectrum so it will veg and flower. Ceramic Metal Halides are what I'm getting next but I already have 3 good HPS bulbs that are all almost brand new. Eye Super HPS, SolarMax and a Gavita that has the built in reflector.

gavitaLamp.jpg

:peace:
 
rob333

rob333

Well-Known Member
elfo777 said:
Hello, sry for english

I've been growing photoperiod plants for a long time but winter is coming (;S) and it can get pretty cold in my growing room. Temperatures can go as low as 45 fahrenheit or 8º celsius. Im planning on getting autoflowering strains and use 20/4 with a ceramic heating bulb when the light goes off. That way I'll be able to mitigate the cold temperatures.

I was thinking of growing autoflowering strains, but a lot of people are telling me it's not worth it because of yield, potency, and taste.

Is it that bad? Some people really hate them but I think it would be a good option when cold gets here... but I don't want to grow bad quality weed as I use it for medical purposes.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
autos are shit hands down man from regs to auto it just plain sucks you do get the few auto's that aare good but really auto's are ment for retards that cant grow normal weed
 
elfo777

elfo777

Well-Known Member
OldMedUser said:
That's my main lighting is 400W HID and it shouldn't hurt to leave it on all the time but depends on bulb quality and the ballast too. What brand of each are you using? I'm using 20 yo magnetic ballasts but ones that were made in the US and no problems yet and they don't make any noise. I have a 15 yo EYE Hortilux conversion bulb that gives MH light off an HPS ballast and it still vegges plants just fine. I have a 400W MH ballast too that I'm getting a new bulb for soon but won't likely get a real pricey one for it. Just coughed up $170 for a 1000W EYE Hortilux conversion bulb to be able to use my old MH ballast with to flower in an 8x4 tent using a light rail to do the whole tent with it. $250 for a f'n rail but in the long run it'll save me on the power bill to light up that tent.

A 400 will basically light up a 3 x 3' area really good. 600W does a 4x4 and for 5x5 you want a 1000. Depends on what you are using for a reflector too as different ones focus the light differently. I'm getting a couple of those Adjusta-Wing types. Like you I grow in a cool space so don't need air cooled reflectors.

Another nice thing about autos is you can just keep adding young plants into your grow space as you take finished ones out and be cropping a couple every month or so and not have to worry about lighting. Or light leaks either unless you need to keep the light from showing from inside the grow room. As long as you are using a good bulb that has a more balanced blue and red spectrum so it will veg and flower. Ceramic Metal Halides are what I'm getting next but I already have 3 good HPS bulbs that are all almost brand new. Eye Super HPS, SolarMax and a Gavita that has the built in reflector.

View attachment 3806494

:peace:
Click to expand...
Thanks again for the good answer. I use a 400W HPS Sunmaster dual mix bulb, I was told it is top notch. Or at least medium to high quality, I also use the same brand ballast. My plants seem to like it, but I usually have to veg longer because I always get short bushy plants (see pics). I veg longer so they can reach more height.

My reflector is just a basic one. I didn't think about adding young ones, it makes sense. BTW that's one hell of a setup you are doing there. I agree it is worth it in the long run. I hope my autos don't stay this short... and if they do, I hope they yield OK. Im not expecting a lot per plant but enough to keep me supplied for a long time. I'm going to try a perpetual grow with autos as you suggested. Thanks.

unnamed.jpg

WP_20161006_002.jpg
 
elfo777

elfo777

Well-Known Member
Can anyone recommend me any good auto seeds then? I think I will try to grow them...

I have available the following seedbanks:

00 seeds
advanced seeds
barneys farm
biohazard seeds
buddha seeds
cannabiogen
CBD seeds
delicious seeds
dna genetics
dinafem
dr underground
dutch passion
elite seeds
genehtik seeds
exotic seeds
grassomatic
green house
heavyweight seeds
nirvana
ministry of kannabis
positronics
pyramid seeds
royal queen seeds
sweet seeds
white label seeds
 
HandyGringo

HandyGringo

Well-Known Member
Don't let people get you down with the negative comments. Autos are perfectly fine. You yield more from normal seeds though because you can top and lst etc. If you grew an auto side by side with a regular plant, and they started at the same time and flowered at the same time, you'd probably yield the same. Since the auto would be under 24h light in flowering as well.
 
iampepe

iampepe

Active Member
Mephisto Genetics
Fastbuds
Dinafem
Dutch Passion
imho these are the best in the auto world.
They all have killer Autos that yield very good. Some in DWC will hit a pound. Auto's are the future. Seed to bud in 56-80 days and 2-6oz per plant depending on strain.
I just harvested this Fastbuds Gorilla Glue, 4 oz of killer bud at 24% thc.
DSCN1878.JPG
 
elfo777

elfo777

Well-Known Member
iampepe said:
Mephisto Genetics
Fastbuds
Dinafem
Dutch Passion
imho these are the best in the auto world.
They all have killer Autos that yield very good. Some in DWC will hit a pound. Auto's are the future. Seed to bud in 56-80 days and 2-6oz per plant depending on strain.
I just harvested this Fastbuds Gorilla Glue, 4 oz of killer bud at 24% thc.
View attachment 3806557
Click to expand...
Sweet plant, that looks awesome. What about taste and potency? Does it feel the same to you as photoperiod?
 
iampepe

iampepe

Active Member
elfo777 said:
Can anyone recommend me any good auto seeds then? I think I will try to grow them...

I have available the following seedbanks:

00 seeds
advanced seeds
barneys farm
biohazard seeds
buddha seeds
cannabiogen
CBD seeds
delicious seeds
dna genetics
dinafem
dr underground
dutch passion
elite seeds
genehtik seeds
exotic seeds
grassomatic
green house
heavyweight seeds
nirvana
ministry of kannabis
positronics
pyramid seeds
royal queen seeds
sweet seeds
white label seeds
Click to expand...
Check out Dinafem's XXL's
Not on the list....
Mephisto Genetics ships world wide direct.
 
elfo777

elfo777

Well-Known Member
iampepe said:
Tastes as described, potent buds for sure. The trim made some killer shatter too, good stuff.

You couldn't tell this difference from any of the autos i grow and a photo flower. Grew photo's for 29 years. All auto's now...
Click to expand...
That's a very helpful post. Thank you.
 
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