Nutrient Schedule For Auto-Flower Strain

I have a seedling that's an auto-flower and am wondering what to about nutes. Some places I've read auto-flower strains don't like nutes and not to give them any and other places I've read to give them flowering nutrients after the seedling stage since the plant itself skips the vegetative growth stage. Any advice on which route to take or if both of those are wrong? Any advice is appreciated

I am no expert but this is the feeding schedule I am going to follow. I am also going to be adding ChaChing, but haven't decided the right time to start it. However, I have about another 3-4 weeks before I will have the money to purchase these nutes.

Week 1 pH water only
Week 1.5 add in Big Bloom to the mix at 1/2 teaspoon
Week 2 - 1/2 tsp Grow Big 1/2 tsp Big Bloom
Week 2.5 - 3/4 tsp of grow big
Week 3 - 1tsp grow big and 1/2 Tiger bloom 1/2 tea spoon Big Bloom
Week 3.5 - 1/2 tsp Grow Big 1/2tsp Tiger bloom
Week 4 - 1tsp Tiger bloom 1/2 tsp Grow Big
Week 4.5 - Clean pH'ed water to clear out any salt build up
Week 5 - 2tsp tiger bloom 1/2 grow big
Week 5.5 - 1 Teaspoon Grow Big
Week 6 - Begin Flush for the final weeks.

if you can, plant straight into final containers. So use a light nutrient mix soil, so the seedling doesnt get nute burn....you jus used pH balanced water for the first 1-2 weeks. From weeks 2-4 you can use a vegetative growth feed (autos need veg nutes to get a decent size before full flowering starts) and you could also use some superthrive to get the roots established fast. You can start using low amounts of malasses from week 3, and gradually increase into flowering until the end. From weeks 5, you can ease off the growth nutes and start easy on the flowering nutes. ALL nutes from start to finish should be 1/8 to 1/4 strength, including molasses etc. You should water whenever the soil completely dries out, this could be every 3 days or it could be more or less, it depends on ur unique growing environment. Other than watering 'schedule' just feed as directed on your nutes bottle, but just feed less concentration, like i said 1/8 - 1/4 strength. Thats all you need to do. Dont neglect that autos need veg feed to get big, they wont really start eating flower nutes until heavy flowering at like week 7 or so, its not like they need just bloom nutes because they are an auto flower

SamBookwel said:

I am no expert but this is the feeding schedule I am going to follow. I am also going to be adding ChaChing, but haven't decided the right time to start it. However, I have about another 3-4 weeks before I will have the money to purchase these nutes.

Week 1 pH water only
Week 1.5 add in Big Bloom to the mix at 1/2 teaspoon
Week 2 - 1/2 tsp Grow Big 1/2 tsp Big Bloom
Week 2.5 - 3/4 tsp of grow big
Week 3 - 1tsp grow big and 1/2 Tiger bloom 1/2 tea spoon Big Bloom
Week 3.5 - 1/2 tsp Grow Big 1/2tsp Tiger bloom
Week 4 - 1tsp Tiger bloom 1/2 tsp Grow Big
Week 4.5 - Clean pH'ed water to clear out any salt build up
Week 5 - 2tsp tiger bloom 1/2 grow big
Week 5.5 - 1 Teaspoon Grow Big
Week 6 - Begin Flush for the final weeks.

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DONT use bloom nutes till at least week 5. Autos generally take about 9 weeks from seed. Generally, this guide is really bad IMO

Depending on your situation feed veg nutes as normal for about 3 weeks. Start flower nutes sometime in week four or five as you normally would. You could also wait until you see pistils before starting to use flowering nutes. Everything is a little sooner with auto's as their lifespan is so short. It really isn't overly complicated.

I agree with lowblower and amaximus instead of Sam's schedule. I am in the process of harvesting my auto's and they went just over 9 weeks. I have always heard about the 1/8 to 1/4 nutes but have never abided by it. I went heavy on puropse with this grow and fed them way more than I have in the past with the intention of burning them up. I have used Botanicare the last few years with the addition of purple max snow storm. The strain was NYCD and proved to be very hardy. I understand the 1/4 to 1/8 but resist it.

Most feeding schedules are for 12 weeks so that means that there is a difference of less than 3 weeks when growing auto's. That can be easily adjusted in the flowering weeks. I strongly encourage you to use veg nutes for the first 3 weeks... using that 3rd week as your transition week and use both veg and bloom nutes. I hit them pretty hard with bloom nutes through 7 weeks then I start to ease off on weeks 8 and 9.

If you are growing more than 1 I would suggest trying nutes at different powers. Experiment with a full power then go down from there to see exactly for yourself. I believe that soil or coco makes a difference too. Coco is more forgiving and it is also easier to flush.

lowblower said:

DONT use bloom nutes till at least week 5. Autos generally take about 9 weeks from seed. Generally, this guide is really bad IMO

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This follows what I've read. However, I've read conflicting things about Autoflowers. I've also read that you should graduate(half/half mixture of veg/bloom) to bloom nutrients when the Auto first shows signs of flowering then go to full bloom a week later.

lowblower said:

if you can, plant straight into final containers. So use a light nutrient mix soil, so the seedling doesnt get nute burn....you jus used pH balanced water for the first 1-2 weeks. From weeks 2-4 you can use a vegetative growth feed (autos need veg nutes to get a decent size before full flowering starts) and you could also use some superthrive to get the roots established fast. You can start using low amounts of malasses from week 3, and gradually increase into flowering until the end. From weeks 5, you can ease off the growth nutes and start easy on the flowering nutes. ALL nutes from start to finish should be 1/8 to 1/4 strength, including molasses etc. You should water whenever the soil completely dries out, this could be every 3 days or it could be more or less, it depends on ur unique growing environment. Other than watering 'schedule' just feed as directed on your nutes bottle, but just feed less concentration, like i said 1/8 - 1/4 strength. Thats all you need to do. Dont neglect that autos need veg feed to get big, they wont really start eating flower nutes until heavy flowering at like week 7 or so, its not like they need just bloom nutes because they are an auto flower

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Yeah like the other recent suggestions here, I would amend my plan to:

Week
1 - pH water
2- very very light veg nutes
3- light veg nutes
4- veg nutes - preflowers show around here
5 - Veg/Bloom nutes 50:50%
6- veg/bloom 40:60
7- veg bloom 20:80
8- bloom
9 - bloom
10 - bloom
11- flush?
12 - flush?

should not take more than 12 weeks, but different strains take different time scales, so this plan is for a 12 week strain (most sold as 9 week actually take 11-12 weeks). As before, be careful of nute burning them with high doses.

Im using organics from humbolt nutes, and I haven't seen any burn yet on my current grow, Its just an auto seed harvest, but Im gonna use these nutes again when I grow my harvested crosses out coz Im impressed with their simplicity and effectiveness

im growing green posion auto and it has produced rapid fan leaves cant wait to see it by week 7

well here is something to really mess with u ......i am not sure what it means

i did a exp with Co2 water...........2 plants same time same set of feeding same light .......i poured co2 2 cups 1 time on one plant and spraied the leaves 3 times .........it is in flowering stage now (2 weeks before her sister and before should of to gentics)

her sister is just let me confirm the sex and she is only entering ..............same date plant same method same light temps amounts smae everything but the Co2 water


as for autos u most be careful rem it is getting stuff from the soil along with what u water(and they are knowen to be picky about power of) ........i been mixing up as the box saids and then dumping half out into anouther jug ...use it on this tree tring to help and then fill up the orginal with PHed water double check the ph and then use .......always check the ph no matter what line u are using check it ......shoot for 6 ph for 2 waterings then ph of 7 for one watering then back to 2 then 1 .........this is assuming the ph of the soilwas orginal 7 it will keep it at the perfect lvls so the metter saids

My sorry double post

My autos are showing white hairs after 3 weeks but from what ive read elsewhere this does not mean there flowering yet..but after week 4-5 they will produce much more flowers and be in 'flower mode'

I put 1/4 of flower tabs from nirvana in my soil yesterday but im wondering will this stop vertical growth and bring flowering on earlier?

I really want to get as much yield as possible so don't want to sacrifice possible 'veg' growth by introducing the flower nutes too early..This same source stated that by introducing flower nutes this will stop or really slow vertical growth, which is not what i want.

Should i dig the flower tabs up and put them back in a few weeks? They have not been watered since i buried them in the soil

bubbleicious and nl autos..in soil obviously under hps

I don't know squat, but I say let your plant tell u what it wants & doesn't want. Get to know the variety ur growing then u can play around with the nutes, because its always different for everyone & every variety. For autos the rule of thumb is less is more, but I have also got by with full strength & then some on some varieties. Theres only one way to find out & that's personal experience, & yes some times it does come at a great cost.

I've grown autos 2x and in both instances I started with Veg nutes at 3 weeks. week four I started following the flowering nute schedule. Both grows produced decent yields and kick ass smoke.In regards to the post aboiut changing the ph just keep the water and nutes at 6,8 to 7 and you'll be fine.

May be a dumb question but if your watering 2 times a week do you give nutes at both waterings? Or nutes first watering and pure water for second watering?

it depends on what grow medium you are using I grow in soil. No nutes for 3 to 4 weeks as there is enough in the soil to get her through the first 3-4 weeks. They do not like heavy nute use only half dose right through.

tyedyed60 said:

I don't know squat, but I say let your plant tell u what it wants & doesn't want. Get to know the variety ur growing then u can play around with the nutes, because its always different for everyone & every variety. For autos the rule of thumb is less is more, but I have also got by with full strength & then some on some varieties. Theres only one way to find out & that's personal experience, & yes some times it does come at a great cost.

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yes indeed

Bumping, this is a great post! Thanks for the info.

-DT

during vegation stage (3 weeks) one should be also working on the root ball more than nutrients - but - once in flower , week 4, your schedule sounds good - thanks for it !

Amaximus said:

Depending on your situation feed veg nutes as normal for about 3 weeks. Start flower nutes sometime in week four or five as you normally would. You could also wait until you see pistils before starting to use flowering nutes. Everything is a little sooner with auto's as their lifespan is so short. It really isn't overly complicated.

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I'm do something similar, I wait for pistils before flowering nutes. I've had some autos take 1200ppm for a few weeks. Things were beasts. Others can't handle any.