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Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

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Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Keeno »

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Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

This is a question I've been asked a lot over the years and also something I've seen cause issues many times for new growers. What is an auto-flowering cannabis strain? On paper, it's a type of cannabis plant that will be ready in a set amount of time, doesn't need a change in the light cycle, normally a short and compact plant although this has changed over the years. Sounds like a perfect solution for any new grower eh? Worse is that seedbanks and breeders will often market these auto strains as the perfect beginner plant...In my opinion no and ill explain why below.

"It's a type of cannabis plant that will be ready in a set amount of time":

Rarely the case, I'm yet to see an auto-flowering strain ready in anything like what a breeder claims. This doesn't mean they are outright lying to you. This means these plants are grown by a breeder in optimal conditions by a grower who has bred them, they know the strain inside out or at least the parentage that has gone into them.

"Doesn't need a change in the light cycle":

This is correct but should this be a huge factor in how you pick a strain, sounds easier but in reality, we are talking about a timer for a few pounds to change your lighting into a flowering cycle for a photoperiod cannabis strain.

"normally a short and compact plant":

As mentioned above this has changed, I'm not here to have a go at auto-flowering cannabis strains, some of the newer plants are absolute beasts, more than capable of out producing some photoperiod strains. But saying all autos are short compact easy to manage strains is wrong and misleading, especially for a new grower.


I've now covered my issues with the way auto-flowering cannabis strains are marketed or sold to new growers. I'll now cover why I think auto-flowering strains are not best for new growers.

Ticking time bomb:

An auto-flower is literally a ticking time bomb, once you germinate that seed it will go into flower at a certain time and will be ready for harvest in a certain time. This is a selling point for breeders and seedbanks but it's also got a very big downside. As this article is aimed at new growers they may not understand the need to have your cannabis plant ready to go into flower, healthy, the correct structure, no issue. Any of the things I've just mentioned may stall a plant during a crucial time like the transition to flower. And with an auto another selling point is you don't need to induce flower with lighting changes, this is another downfall in my opinion. Being able to choose when you get a pant to go into a flower means you can make sure your plant is ready to do so.

Genetic variation:

This is from my experience with auto-flowers, not me saying it's set in stone, but I have personally found much more genetic variation in auto strains than I ever do in photoperiod strains. What I mean by this is that 8 seeds from the same strain will often show different variations, this is true for both photoperiod plants and auto strains but in my opinion, this is more prevalent in auto strains. What this means for the grower is you will have for example 8 seeds/plants of the same strain that are different. This may display in size, structure, amount of feed needed, and many other ways. This can make a grow all the harder, especially for new growers.

Time from seed to harvest:

This is something that really gets my back up. You will see many claims of an auto-flowering strain ready in 7 weeks, 8. This is rarely the case. Some breeders have got this right but the reality is most are just not going to be ready anywhere near that. In my experience, 10-12 weeks is far more normal, sometimes much longer. The reality is a photoperiod will be ready in not much longer time than 10-12 weeks. I'll get onto my thoughts on photoperiod soon.

Learning:

This is a huge downfall with auto-flowering cannabis strains. Don't get me wrong, there is a true art to auto growing, doing well consistently with them is a fine art. The issue with newer growers being pushed towards autos is that you did have time to learn certain things. Training for example, yes you can train auto strains but nothing like you can with a photoperiod strain. Also issues like deficiencies, toxicities, physical damage, yes you can learn with autos but as mentioned above you are on a time frame, by the time an issue presents itself it's already stalling the plant and taking valuable time away from the plant progressing on its limited timeline.


Summary

Are autos best for new growers... In my opinion no, for all the reasons above. I believe you can learn much more, have more time to correct issues and learn from them and for a few extra weeks yield better with photoperiod plants. Autos have a place and I'm not saying there are for only experienced growers. I'm saying a certain level of skill is needed to spot issues before they take hold, to know when to train and how much without stalling an auto strain. You can safely learn all of this from a photoperiod strain with a much bigger safety net should things go wrong.

This is in no way a dig at auto flower strains, in recent years they have come a very long way and you can grow truly stunning strains that will yield as well as any photoperiod strains. We have some expert auto growers on the forum, to name a few @BB, @Paul_led, @Point 5@flip and many more. But for new growers, I think you can learn so much more about growing photoperiod strains to start with.
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Wayne36 »

That was a great post mate. I am growing autos for my first time and they grow quick. Yeah I would say autos are best to start of with if being a new grower I'd start with fem anything cause they get upset when it ends up being a male and all that time has been wasted. Atleast with photo periods you have time to correct a mistake or make new ones lol as time goes I been growing on and off for over ten years always learning and forgetting stuff lol
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Point 5 »

Great write up on autos.

I did an auto as my first grow and it was mode stressful than first 12 weeks with a newborn 🤣
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Paul_led »

Great post keeno. And having my name chucked in the expert auto growers barrel …… well cheers lmfao

I agree with most of your post about autos not been the best option for new growers again for all the reasons you give , if you make errors And cock ups autos aren’t as forgiving with limited time to recover and continue its life cycle to produce flowers ,

I have took to growing autos due to being able to keep the lights on longer and through winter having lights on 24/0 due to the tent been in the garage and the lights been on continuously gives a steady 22-23 even in the deepest coldest nights

Hers a few of my autos recently grown that have certainly delivered :- on quality and quantity

Freedom seeds purple express
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5 1/2oz in 9 weeks from seed

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Dutch passion white widdow cbd
10 1/2oz on 11 weeks

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Sweet seeds sweet train wreck
11oz in 9 and half weeks
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Zamnesia amnesia haze
I believe it was 12oz around 12 weeks

Paul
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Paul_led »

And following on from keenos original post about autos been non uniform and not consistent here is 2 of my current autos
Fast buds stardawg autos , 2 seeds from 1 packet , 2 different pheno types long lanky girl and a short and stocky
Image

Paul
Last edited by Paul_led on Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Keeno »

Cheers for the input @Paul_led.
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by duke »

hi all,
good post @keeno i must be the king of oddball autos!i have come to expect odd then if i get something vaguely normal its a pleasant surprise! currently i have still going at 111 days a barneys farm zkittles og auto according to the blurb its meant to be 76 days from seed to harvest and its had no great stress or under/over feeding and is fecking huge size compared to the photoperiod vanilla kush its now sharing with shows no sign of finishing anytime soon either!
so keenos post is spot on and if you think about it its obvious when to make an auto you have ruderalis (meaning wild cannabis) and whatever indica/sativa genetics its crossed with so now rather than one or 2 genetic lines you have atleast 3 meaning much more variation is inevitable and theres allways going to be unpredictability in autos worse than photos.
imo autos have there place and if i can squeeze one in the veg cab along with vegging photoperiods then it a bonus and no great cost or waste of electric if its shite!
even better is a good outdoor spot i have done well since first lockdown and free light is good,my current oddball!
ImageImageImage
see nowhere near looking cooked and in twice the time my photo tangerine dream flowers fully mature in!
so imo best starting with photoperiod fem seeds for novice growers as you learn more and can clone good ones unlike autos,,,peace :thanks:
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by Keeno »

Cheers @duke.
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by duke »

Keeno wrote:
Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:39 pm
Cheers @duke.
this from tony from dutch passion
Super Autos is the name sometimes given to longer blooming, heavier yielding, autoflowering cannabis varieties. Most of the time, autoflowering cannabis grows from seed to harvest indoors in around 10-11 weeks. Occasionally you will find a plant which carries on blooming for an extra couple of weeks, these are sometimes called Super Autos because the yields can be several hundred grams per plant. If you get one of these just keep feeding them for longer than usual. With any luck you should get an XXL harvest.
this might explain some of the oddballs like mine atm,maybe!
mon the photo fems i say! :i agree: :roll: :puff puff:
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Re: Are Autoflowering Cannabis Strains Best For New Growers?

Post by IMO »

Great post Keeno 👍, totally agree
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