Autoflower Thread & Resource Guide

SmoochieBoochies

Well-Known Member
Mother nature has it out for me on my current auto grow. Earlier in the week grassshoppers ate half a Pandora and this morning I went out to check the girls and something stepped (or sat?) directly on one of my Blue Himalayas and squashed it flat, broken stem. Sigh...even if there were something left to clone, shes an auto...

Time to go burn away my sorrows. :mrgreen:
 

mantiszn

Well-Known Member
dude.. duct tape that shit..

Mother nature has it out for me on my current auto grow. Earlier in the week grassshoppers ate half a Pandora and this morning I went out to check the girls and something stepped (or sat?) directly on one of my Blue Himalayas and squashed it flat, broken stem. Sigh...even if there were something left to clone, shes an auto...

Time to go burn away my sorrows. :mrgreen:
 

pabloesqobar

Well-Known Member
Day 16 for the Himalaya Blue Diesel - another Attitude freebie. Thought I'd try a late season grow. 3 gallon pot with FFOF. From what I've read, it's a pretty small plant, low yielder. The reviews I've found are all over the place. Some people like it, others say it's crap.
 

JACQO

Well-Known Member
HBD is a nice smoke man very tasty and if you breed from it you can get some nice pheno types from disel to kehmair kush to blue berry. but yeah 1 of my fav autos good luck pabloesqobar. has any1 tryed Chaze? looks interestin
 

SmoochieBoochies

Well-Known Member
Day 16 for the Himalaya Blue Diesel - another Attitude freebie. Thought I'd try a late season grow. 3 gallon pot with FFOF. From what I've read, it's a pretty small plant, low yielder. The reviews I've found are all over the place. Some people like it, others say it's crap.
Good luck on the late season, you certainly have the weather for it!

I have a dilemma: I am going out of town for five days at the end of the month and I do not have anyone to water my girls (going out of town with all of the friends I trust to water). I went out of town for three days this week and they were in need of water when I got back (watered them well the morning I left) so if I leave for five days then they will dry out. Does anyone have an idea on how I could keep them moist, say with those watering bulbs I see (never used) or by putting the pots in a water tray (no experience with hydro/soil setups)? I have Pandoras in 3 gallon pots, buried in the ground. My regular girls are growing directly in the ground so they will be fine. Please advise. Thanks in advance!

Peace!
 

greenthumbsman

Active Member
get a hemp rope a good thick one leave one end in a bucket of water then other end warp around top of soil and water real good before you leave
 

greenthumbsman

Active Member
thanks man but ya that should work it should hold alot of moisture in for while your gone plus the plant should pull water from rope
 

pabloesqobar

Well-Known Member
HBD is a nice smoke man very tasty and if you breed from it you can get some nice pheno types from disel to kehmair kush to blue berry. but yeah 1 of my fav autos good luck pabloesqobar. has any1 tryed Chaze? looks interestin
Thanks for the input jacqo. I'm hoping I like it.
 

SmoochieBoochies

Well-Known Member
This confirms what I have known for years, that drain holes are not necessary, only if you know what you are doing. If you are prone to overwater, nute blast the soil, or are in a very wet outdoor setting, you need drain holes.

I think I have decided to use a hemp rope in a bucket of water, coiled around the inside of the pot, and pushed down the inside wall of the pot to create a wick system.

Thanks for all of the advice!
 

SmoochieBoochies

Well-Known Member
Good day all! I had mentioned a few hundred posts back I was trying a new soil mix in pursuit of two things: Overcome the yield limitations of Autos and design a mix for friends that would allow them to grow Autos outside, all from products found at the local big box. So far it has been very promising. Here is what I did:

Soil mix for a 3 gallon pot:
- 2-1/2 gallons 3B Pro mix (80% sphagnum, 10% pine bark, w/vermiculite and perlite, no slow release ferts)
- 1/4 gallon worm castings
- 2 tablespoons Espoma Biotone Plus Starter Mix
- 1/2 cup bone meal (0-5-0)


Mix thoroughly, place in 3 gallon pot, add 1/4 gallon (1 qt) water, let sit for 5+days out of the sun in a cool spot to let the micro-organisms do their thing.

I use 1/2 quart pots to start my seeds directly in the soil (use just the 3B mix). After two weeks from seed, transplant to the pot you have readied: dig out transplant hole, sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon Espoma into sides/bottom of hole, pop in your baby, water in soil as normal (I use 1 gallon water).

Watering/Fertilizer Regimen:

The best water you can use is rain water collected in buckets under your drain spouts (ph6-6.5), or if this is not an option, fill a 5 gallon bucket with tap water, ph adjust to 6.5 (I use 2 tbs fresh squeezed lime juice), and let it sit out for a few days, especially if there is chlorine. I use 2 gallons of water per plant.

No added ferts until 25 days from seed, give or take depending upon visual clues.

Per gallon at every watering (day 25+):
- 1 tbs per gallon Fish Emulsion (5-1-1)
- 3 droppers-full per gallon Schultz (shudder) Liquid Plant Food Plus (10-15-10) (or 2/3 bottle recommended dose per watering)

Per gallon at every watering (day 40+):
- 4 droppers-full Schultz (10-15-10) (full dosage on bottle)

Per gallon at every watering (day 50+):
- 2 droppers-full Schultz (10-15-10)

Per gallon at every watering (Day 65+):
- Cease all nutes, use clean water for last two weeks. Harvest around day 80 (outside only).

Growing patterns:

Two weeks, at transplant, 4 inches tall, 3 leaf sets. Vigorous growth.
Three weeks, 6 inches tall, 5 leaf sets. Sexed day 20. Slow down after transplant as roots grow.
Four weeks, 15 inches tall, side branches developing. Started shooting up during this week.
Five weeks, 22 inches tall, 6 strong side branches. Stretch, thick trunk, highly vigorous growth.

Explanation:

I have grown half a dozen Auto strains this year and the limiting factor is yield. I noticed that the Paradise Pandora was the most vigorous with a yield of 2-1/2 ounces at a top height of 24" at chop, day 80. I had gone light on the soil amendments and nutes fearing nute sensitivity in Autos, and they suffered for it, but responded well to a full nute regimen from that point on (week 4). So I decided to do a three plant grow, heavy on the nutes, and try to minimize the transplant shock Autos are known for. So, I found the Espoma ferts after researching root stimulation and yield without using butyric acid. The plants are currently at 24" tall at day 42 (September 1 planting), on par to reach 32+ inches at harvest. The side branching is even more prominent than previous grows, and although stretched, the Pandoras will easily fill in every available space, leaning from the weight (the last two weeks of flowering she really packs on the weight, be patient). I use organic neem oil spray once a week from week 2 to week 5, then lightly as needed on new growth to combat white flies and grasshoppers.

I now feel confidant enough to pass this on to friends, with a few Pandora seeds, these instructions, a 3 gallon pot of soil, and happy growing!

See below pics of the girls and the products used (ok, the uploader is just not letting me upload today, will update later)


Peace!

<edit> Added pics. To continue, these girls are already at 24" at 40 days (Sept 1 planting) when the last batch was 16" at 40 days (May 1 planting). Given the results, my assumption is the Espoma is doing what it should with root development, even overcoming the fact that the days are 3 hours shorter. Some of this can be attributed to late season vigour, but promising none the less. I am going to grow my last Pandora indoors using this mix to see how it fares, although the Espoma is very strong smelling and, even worse, when you add fish emulsion it smells like a chicken just shat a dead fish...
 

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