An autoflower that won't flower

VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
VikTheViking said:
Update: after further investigation, I learned that some autos can take as long as 120-130 days to reach the end of their life cycle, so instead of flipping to 12/12, I changed my mind and just decreased the light period from 20/4 to 18/6. This was probably a good thing as well, since I can't pull my light up any higher due to the dimensions of the tent and the plant started showing some signs of light stress.

Now a week later, it has started flowering as it should and I keep the lights on a 18/6 schedule.

Here are some pics taken today
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That's one epic veg for an auto. Longest I've got was around five weeks. Looking forward to seeing it's finality. I ended up with 12.5 Oz off two autos that vegged for five weeks, this thing looks epic.

My latest one pre flowered around day 17 lol. Fail.
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
VincenzioVonHook said:
That's one epic veg for an auto. Longest I've got was around five weeks. Looking forward to seeing it's finality. I ended up with 12.5 Oz off two autos that vegged for five weeks, this thing looks epic.

My latest one pre flowered around day 17 lol. Fail.
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Wow man, 12.5 from two autos is really good! Well done :-)

Haha, with these autos it seems like you never know what you're gonna get.. it's a lottery :p
 
TCH

TCH

Well-Known Member
Question: if a photo plant is on a 20:4 light schedule for 10 weeks and becomes mature in that period, could switching to 18:6 or 16:8 trigger flowering?

Either way, I can't wait to see how this finishes.
 
VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
TCH said:
Question: if a photo plant is on a 20:4 light schedule for 10 weeks and becomes mature in that period, could switching to 18:6 or 16:8 trigger flowering?

Either way, I can't wait to see how this finishes.
Click to expand...
I've had a few fast photos flip when I dropped from 20 to 15 to combat heat, and i soon after switched to 12 just to make sure theres no reveg issues. Not sure about 16/18 hours or reg photos (I have had a few start at 14 hours though when dropped from 20).

Fast flower photos will start to flower if there's a noticeable drop in lighting hours, even if its over 14 hours sometimes.
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
TCH said:
Question: if a photo plant is on a 20:4 light schedule for 10 weeks and becomes mature in that period, could switching to 18:6 or 16:8 trigger flowering?

Either way, I can't wait to see how this finishes.
Click to expand...
That's a great question and I'm wondering the same!

I also wonder if the accidental snapping of the main stem which happened around week 6 had something to do with the prolonged cycle(?)
Because there was a very defined main stem so to speak, then during LST it broke off completely and then all the other branches and nodes started shooting like crazy and just went full blast in veg.

Wish I knew more about the real science and how all of this works!
 
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VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
VikTheViking said:
That's a great question and I'm wondering the same!

I also wonder if the accidental snapping of the main stem which happened around week 6 had something to do with the prolonged cycle(?)
Because there was a very defined main stem so to speak, then during LST it broke off completely and then all the other branches and nodes started shooting like crazy and just went full blast in veg.

Wish I knew more about the real science and how all of this works!
Click to expand...
Usually stress will trigger early flower with autos from my experience. Partly the reason so many swear against topping or hst with autos.
 
TCH

TCH

Well-Known Member
VikTheViking said:
That's a great question and I'm wondering the same!

I also wonder if the accidental snapping of the main stem which happened around week 6 had something to do with the prolonged cycle(?)
Because there was a very defined main stem so to speak, then during LST it broke off completely and then all the other branches and nodes started shooting like crazy and just went full blast in veg.

Wish I knew more about the real science and how all of this works!
Click to expand...

I have no experience with autos, just what I have read on here, but it seems that if an auto made it to 6 weeks without starting to flower, a high stress incident like snapping a main stem would immediately send it into flowering. I could be mistaken, but that is how I have interpreted what I have read about autos.
 
VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
VikTheViking said:
That's a great question and I'm wondering the same!

I also wonder if the accidental snapping of the main stem which happened around week 6 had something to do with the prolonged cycle(?)
Because there was a very defined main stem so to speak, then during LST it broke off completely and then all the other branches and nodes started shooting like crazy and just went full blast in veg.

Wish I knew more about the real science and how all of this works!
Click to expand...
I've noticed for sure that a good break or stress will induce stretch in autos...I've had two that had the light fall on them due to zip ties failing (lol) and they both started stretch immediately.

I've also had two topped that pretty much rocketed into stretch...this one here is at day 21 and started stretching as soon as I topped it, and had it's first pistils show the next day lol (one on the right). I'm leaving the other alone to test the theory lol. Sample size being so small it will verify nothing but I'll still do it anyway.
IMG20220824222028.jpg

But the majority didn't seem to mind it at all., Some dealt with three toppings without issue.
 
VincenzioVonHook

VincenzioVonHook

Well-Known Member
VikTheViking said:
Wish I knew more about the real science and how all of this works!
Click to expand...
Check out auxins (natural growth hormones)to explain the rapid growth after pruning.. they are released when high stress training is induced and help break apical dominance (which is why the lower shoots take off when topped), and relocates growth to different parts of the plant to make up for the damage, stunting or environmental issues such as lack of light in other areas on the plant.

I have used damage to induce stretch in certain branches. For example if you have a lagging branch, super cropping it will usually cause it to grow quickly due to the rerouted growth hormones.

Auxins also play aarge role in the transition to flower, hence why it might I itiate early flower or stretch in autos, but not photos.
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
TCH said:
I have no experience with autos, just what I have read on here, but it seems that if an auto made it to 6 weeks without starting to flower, a high stress incident like snapping a main stem would immediately send it into flowering. I could be mistaken, but that is how I have interpreted what I have read about autos.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that makes sense!.. Which is why it's so odd that it went full on veg instead for another 4 weeks. But it could just be that I got an auto that had a longer life cycle and the snapping of the stem didn't really do anything to affect the cycle per se - but it definitely was interpreted by the plant as a topping, because the following weeks after that is when the crazy growth started to happen :-) happy accidents!
 
Weedvin

Weedvin

Well-Known Member
VikTheViking said:
Hey, folks!

Almost 10 weeks ago, I set up a 2x2 tent to run an Autoflower (Green Gelato from Royal Queen Seeds).
I chose this strain as RQS said it should finish in approx 9 weeks after sprouting - but here I am at the end of week 9 and the plant just keeps exploding in veg.

I started using LST early on and then accidentally snapped of the main stem in the process (duct tape couldn't save it), but I just kept on using LST, bending down the new branches..
.. problem now is that I've completely filled out the 2x2 now and all is see in terms of flower is one or two pistils here and there - but why's it taking so long and is there something I can do to help it go into flower?

An idea that hit me was that the LST and accidental topping of the main stem sort of postponed the natural life cycle of the autoflower and it just keeps staying in veg as a defence mechanism, anticipating another stem might snap off or suchlike(?)

Either way, this strain and pheno is a growth beast, haha!
Hopefully it'll go into flower soon and I'll get to watch all those tops turn into beautiful flowers :-)

Cheers!

Specs
Space: 2x2 / 60x60 cm (indoor)
Light: Spiderfarmer SF1000
Light schedule: 20/4 (20 hours on, 4 off)
Temp: 21-24 °C / 70-75 °F
RH: currently 40-45%
Nutrients: Biobizz - Fishmix, Bio Grow, Bio Bloom, TopMax, Molasses (Nortembio)

(Leaves look droopy due to being watered just before I took the photo)
View attachment 5181917
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Put her in the dark for 24 hrs, then 12/12 ? Worth trying.
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
VincenzioVonHook said:
I've noticed for sure that a good break or stress will induce stretch in autos...I've had two that had the light fall on them due to zip ties failing (lol) and they both started stretch immediately.

I've also had two topped that pretty much rocketed into stretch...this one here is at day 21 and started stretching as soon as I topped it, and had it's first pistils show the next day lol (one on the right). I'm leaving the other alone to test the theory lol. Sample size being so small it will verify nothing but I'll still do it anyway.
View attachment 5186542

But the majority didn't seem to mind it at all., Some dealt with three toppings without issue.
Click to expand...
Haha, dropping the lights on them will surely test their vigour ;-)
Please keep me updated on what your comparison results look like!

.. and I see you got some other nice, mature ladies growing to the right there 8)
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
Weedvin said:
Put her in the dark for 24 hrs, then 12/12 ? Worth trying.
Click to expand...
Hey Weedwin, thanks for the input!
I actually just changed the light from 20/4 to 18/6, and now a week later it started flowering :-)
Not sure ifthe additional 2 hours of darkness had anything to do with it or if it would have gone into flower anyway by now.
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
Update: Still under the 18/6 light schedule, with a new bamboo trellis for LST, support and tucking leaves.
The plant is stacking up nicely, but the stretch has been crazy - some tops are approx 25cm/10 inches from the light.
Not sure what to do here.. either dim the light or super crop them (perhaps not such a good idea in flower?) to avoid further light stress and bleaching.
IMG_20220831_130646.jpgIMG_20220831_130547.jpg

Autoflower.. clone?
Another thing is that I saved one of the tops that broke off about a 4-5 weeks ago during LST, put it in a glass with water and placed it near a window.
It then started flowering and grew new roots. I later put it in a pot and it then started growing while also creating flowers, much like a stretch.

Never thought this would work, but it's currently outside, growing and flowering.. a real miniature plant with super tiny fan leaves and everything, haha.

Here's how it looked when roots started sprouting:
IMG_20220813_145511.jpgIMG_20220813_145435.jpg

And here it is after a couple of weeks in a small pot:
IMG20220828093807.jpgIMG20220828093736.jpg
 
VikTheViking

VikTheViking

Member
Update: Still growing and stacking buds - only problem is the light which is too intense for the tallest branches (top leaves fading, turning yellow/white). Still thinking about dimming the light, but I'm not sure if that would potentially give all the lower branches insufficient light and perhaps cause some unwanted stretching in the branches that are already tall(?) :)
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