What's the scoop on auto's?

[JGVermont1965]

I've been away from growing forums and growing from seed for a long time.
When I was last on these pages ruderalis and auto flower strains were pretty much just starting to show up, now they're everywhere!!
Are they worth the time and money ?
I'm thinking about buying a few beans just to see what they're all about but I'd like some people who know about these things to give me some input on auto's, good, bad, ugly, I want to see it all !!
Thanks in advance !

 

[Burner420]

I'd like to hear about them as well... I have grown a few different strains outside... Some did ok at best... Couple ounces.... Some didn't do so well... Like a quarter oz.... I'm new to this indoor stuff..

 

[key2life]

I was wondering the same thing, so I got some Autos on a Twofer sale from True North and decided to try it out. I'm growing 2 Purple Kush and 2 Lemon Drop from Oasis Seeds, and 1 Amnesia from Canuk Seeds. Don't know anything about the gear, but I'm not smart enough to be too picky about my genetics where Autos are concerned.

So far, they've been really easy to grow. I have the 5 plants under a 1500W King LED running 24/7, and they have little stretch and are bushy and healthy. I'm on day 46 now - the Amnesia flowered out really fast and is building some nice colas, and the Oasis ones have a bunch of smaller bud sites and seem to be more on the 8 week +/- schedule. I supercropped one Lemon Drop that got leggier than the rest, and left the others alone.

So, I can't answer your - and my - question yet, but I'll be able to soon. Nothing's happened yet to make me regret trying Autos.

 

[Burner420]

Those are looking nice

 

[2RedEyes]

I only grow autos outside...they stay to a manageable size and are quicker than photo periods...yield is somewhat less but you could in reality get two seasons in one...or just plant more...if you have the privacy, photos will get you more harvest but that takes well into fall until the days get shorter...

 

[Locked]

When I first started growing I thought I would only grow Autos forever. Then I got a hold of some really good genetics and I have never grown another Auto since. The pluses for Autos are no need for a dark period and the fact that they are usually done in 3 months give or take. The biggest negatives are yield and potency. The best Auto smoke I have ever had was equal to B+ regular smoke. Once you get a perpetual grow goong with regular photo plants you can match or beat Autos speed. Probably the biggest draw back to Autos is you can not clone them so you can not hang on to the genetics like regular plants.

 

[JGVermont1965]

Thanks for the info, please keep it coming.
I'm probably going to order a few, just for my own personal education, but I still want more info.
Are the "feminized auto seeds" more prone to hermies than fem or normal seed?
I doubt it will ever be a big deal for me, if I can't clone it I really have no room for it but as an experiment it may be fun.

 

[Aksarben]

Probably the biggest draw back to Autos is you can not clone them so you can not hang on to the genetics like regular plants.[/QUOTE]

That is true. Nature of Autos. However, could you not feminize the plant, taking 1 branch and turning into a male for pollen and then carefully pollinate just one or two flowers and let them go to seed, preserving your genetic trait for the next grow?

 

[2RedEyes]

You might be able to do that but then it is not a clone so no guarantee you’ll get the same pheno as the mother...

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

In addition to what 2redeyes said, you would probably end up with a bunch more hermies. When breeders make fem seeds, they use very stable plants to make them--a plant that they tried to make hermie and can't.

 

[Aksarben]

I've got a group of seeds coming from www.seedsman.com and they are all auto as well as feminized. So what you are implying is that these Auto seeds/ varieties may not be stable enough to make more feminized seeds from? I was thinking that this was a way to replicate a feminized variety to continue the same genes? From my understanding, a branch of a feminized plant is treated to become a "male" but it's DNA is made up of the very plant it is growing on. The pollen is, as one might consider, female pollen capable of fertilization, but carries on the same genes as the original mother. Not so?

 

[Locked]

I thought I read somewhere that Autos were created by using regular photo strains with the Auto gene in them. I never had an auto good enough to go through the trouble of hitting it with colloidal silver.

 

[Aksarben]

One of the varieties I ordered was Wipeout Express Auto, a fairly high THC of 20% with (Afghani Auto x Norther Lights Auto) X White Widow Auto. I think this is pretty good results of an auto. ref: https://www.seedsman.com/en/auto-wipeout-express-feminised-seeds You can find it elsewhere as well.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I don't quite know what you mean when you say: "I think this is pretty good results of an auto."?

Also keep in mind that just because they had a plant top out at 20% doesn't mean that that is the normal percentage or something that you can expect.

 

[Aksarben]

What I was inferring by "pretty good results for an auto" I suggest that Auto strains have recently been bred to be both higher in total THC content, and/or THC:CBD ratio as well as improved yields. Since they are smaller plants, I do not think they will ever be comparable to Indica or hybrid photoperiod strains for number of grams/plant, but their ability to grow more than 1 cycle per growing season (outdoor) help to make up for lighter yields.

 

[Keef]

I'm with Hammy on autos -- Got no use for them right now !--- 2 grow areas -- Fast finishing indicas -- I ran a 4 part rotation -of 60 day finishers- harvest every 2 weeks -- I have to grow my own girls from seed (prohibition)-- After that it is just get it !-- cloning and moving clones to bloom and cloning clones !
I ran a white widow almost 5 years !-- When someone ask how much U get from one plant-- It confuses me ?-- Much as U want ?-- My distaste for trimming limits my grow size - the rotation helps break up the trimming instead of getting slammed all at once !-- 4 part rotation give U 26 harvest per year -- 8 part rotation for a weekly harvest ?-- I ain't doing it !--56 harvest per year?-- Hurts my haid !