What to Do...Auto or Photo.

[boone]

Well today is the day to start my next round of seeds. I use soil in a indoor 4x2x8 tent.
Should I run Auto's ( I've ran the last 2 run's with a nice harvest every 40 days) 2 purple rain and 3 purple crack---(ill take the best 4 maybe the 5th)
Or Photo I have not done photo's for awhile but what I learned on Auto's with LST and over all plant training will help. 2 Northern lights 2 Thc bomb---- ill take the best 2 maybe 3
i do know the photos will take a LONG time to fruit (5 months from seed)
If i do photo ill want to do a few clones witch I've not done.
Do I "if its not broke don't fix it"---Auto
or "Fortune favours the Bold"---Photo
I really am torn 50/50 and I have no-one to ask in real life(my girl says "sure" when I ask her witch)

[FatBoy40]

I am doing both Veg the photos on 18/6 and throw your autos in with them, when photos are ready to be moved to a 12/12 I move them to that tent at the same time I can harvest autos while waiting for the photos.

[Doubledealing72]

Ultimately, it's your choice. That being said, what are you looking for? Big yield? Great flavor/high? Pretty plants? Ease of grow?

As for yield, I've harvested an auto that was 24 oz, but the taste was sort of bland (could be my fault if I didn't cure properly). This one did take 4 months from start to finish though.

Also concerning yield, could you grow enough quick autos to make up for what you would get off of a photo? I've had autos finish 60 days from seed (most finish around 80).

As far as flavor is concerned, I've had some autos taste pretty good, and some just plain bad. Again, this could be my curing technique.

For highness, I've gotten pretty stoned off my crop the last couple years lol.

I've also grown some pretty plants (the purple strains - red poison, bloody skunk, devil cream). They are gorgeous, but don't seem to do the trick for me in terms of getting high.

I would say autos are far easier to grow than photos, mainly because of not needing to flip the light cycle. This does seem like a pretty easy task though.


As a disclaimer, I've never grown a photoperiod plant. 5 months is just a bit too long for me to wait for a harvest, when I could have 2, or close to 2, harvests in that time. Of course, you could flip the light cycle earlier to shorten the grow with a photo.

Hope this confused you! 😂

[Spidermite]

I would say photos since you have never grown them. To me they are easier. I am currently growing both photos and autos and have for a long time. But I'm going back to mostly just photos. If you get a fast flowering plant you can be done in 4 months or less. For big plants 8 weeks veg 7 to 9 weeks of flower for most hybrids and indicas.

[JohnEmad]

Well as a rookie grower I managed to harvest close to 3 oz of decent weed in 3.5 months from the date I purchased grow equipment with bagseed in soil.
So I am happy with that but will try Auto's soon as they require less attention to light schedule. But choice is yours of course.

[Spidermite]

What type bud you like? I recommend Carmelicious auto from Nirvana, Girl scout cookies from fast buds will post total weight in the other thread when done. Gorilla glue from fast buds I've yet to grow fast buds but they tell me with practice it can get to 15 ounces a.plant. it gets huge so I believe them. Star Dawg from fast buds about 9 ounces average, there Six shooter from fast buds on average 11 ounces but you better have room for a 5 foot plus plant, MSNL white Widow, White rhino from fast buds about 5 ounces average (all these averages are for me.) And Lemon ak47 from fast buds which made 14 ounces. Those are all autos. But I like Blue Tooth the most and I got 50 ounces from 4 plants. It was nirvana or msnl I believe. Great smoke but star dog is a.little bit better high.

[az2000]

Why would you run your lights 18/6 when you can do photos at 12/12?

I think the only legitimate use for autos is outdoors to get 2-3 harvests while waiting for a photo to bloom/harvest. Indoors, the only reason I can see to grow autos is in a short space. They produce better than photos flowered 12/12 from seed. (Although scrogging a photo might be better.).

Autos are fun to grow, though. I like their "bonsai" structure. I just don't think they make economic sense to grow indoors (except in small spaces).

[az2000]

SierraBravo4, I grow them in 3gal containers (that's the tradename. They actually hold 2.4 gallons.). They grow very nicely. I can grow one of those in a 2x2' 4' tall space under T5HO @ 40w/sq ft (maybe 45 in late flower).

So, you're right. But, the OP said he has an 8' tall tent. I would use that vertical space with photo sensitives. I don't think it make sense to grow autos in an 8' tall tent running 50% more electricity (wear and tear on the lights, etc) in that case. In a 4' tall tent it would. A photo wouldn't grow well in that tent with out scrogging. An autoflower would be easier to grow.

I'd have to hear more details about your grow environment. 1500w for two plants? I can grow those in 3gal pots in a 4x2 4' tall tent (5' is better) using only 320w of T5HO. If you're in larger tent, and they're sharing a larger container, maybe they'd be bigger. But, still let's say 3x3 tent. That's 9sq ft. You shoul only need 315w of CMH.

So, something doesn't sound right about what you're describing. But, just think of 1500w running 50% longer than they need to. Add up the cost of electricity (and cooling this time of year). You could grow photos and cut the lighting 33% for half the grow. And, they should yield more. I've gotten good yields from autos. But, photos do more.

You mentioned quick turnaround. Autos take about as long as the photos I grow. I typically harvest an auto at 12-13 weeks. 11-12 was customary on a forum I used to read (about autos). Photos take just about the same time.

You said you know people who only grow autos indoors. There are people who enjoy growing autos. Like I said, it's fun. They have a nice bonzai structure. Something about them being on their own timeframe is interesting. There's nothing wrong with that. But, that's not entirely objective. For example, I saw one guy growing a superb auto under 80w/sq ft of LED. That's more than HPS(!). He didn't care. It was just about growing autos. He loved his plant. There is a subculture of auto growers who love it. They don't care about the expense (cost/gram). It's a hobby. Nothing wrong with that. It just gets difficult to distinguish that from more objective criteria for when an auto makes sense.

I hope I haven't mischaracterized the world of auto enthusiasts. I'm trying to be fair about it.

[s62]

Really great points, az2000

[Spidermite]

I use 10 gallon pots for all my autos. Some photos I go even bigger. You will thank me in the end.

[boone]

Well I take 4 weeks to go from my seed to my day 1 start date. I have a small space and I like to run my CFL's.for 4 weeks to make a Real sturdy husky big boned day 1 start date plants.. For me I have real good luck with this process. i know 4 weeks is a long time but it works! I like to keep them short and stocky to start.
so a photo for me would be 4 weeks from seed to day 1 seedling. move to the tent for a 8 week veg. I really like to top and train my plants for more cola sites. a photo I could go crazy with like 16 colas in not more. and a 8 week bloom 2-3 plants would do really well I think. I know i could fill every trellis hole.. + I could take cuttings and clones for next go around.
Then it come to my light. I just don.t trust these LED lights. I know a 6oo
w hid/mh can supply enough light for 2 big photos in a 4x2. But I have a California light works 440 seems ok. I have china made blups out the ying yang too. They are ok but just don't have the balls to make SOLID buds. They just don't finish well.
I must admit I am haven a blast with all this space and heat management has kept me on my toes. I feel alive and my girl is LOVEN the end products. I now know start with a GOOD plan and start things off Right and simple(K>I>S>S) makes for some lazy days later in my grow and that's a GOOD thing. Sometimes I go 5 days without doing anything. Just a quick peep.

Well I think 1 more auto's 1 more run then photo's so I can use a old used beat up 600w HID/MH during the cold weather.
Really glad I have GWE to bounce idea's off of!
TY guys!
4x2 growers UNITE! Make SENSEI great AGAIN!

[az2000]

Well I take 4 weeks to go from my seed to my day 1 start date. I have a small space and I like to run my CFL's.for 4 weeks

Have you tried cutting off the plastic diffusion globe from a household LED lightbulb? I did some measurements 3-4 years ago. I don't know if I can post the link to it here. (Not sure what the rules are. Can't find any. lol.). Compared to a CFL in a reflector, the LED lightbulb produces 30-50% more light (with 50% less watts). I grew an entire plant through flower with these lightbulbs, at 18-22w/sq ft. Here's some photos.




That's a Caliber IV humidity meter for scale. I have a how-to for building that fixture. (I don't know if I can post a link).

From my experience with household LED lightbulbs, I don't know why people use CFLs anymore. The LED lightbulbs have their diodes facing in one direction. You get much improved performance from that compared to reflecting omni-directional light. The only downside is that you have to cut the plastic diffusion globe off. In which case, you *MUST* power them through a GFCI receptacle to protect against electrocution. Without that globe, some electrical surfaces are exposed. That's a risk. But, a GFCI is adequate protection. I put a junction box on the end of an extension cord, and mount the receptacle in that box. Instant power source for these bulbs.

[Rwise]

I tried removing the globe from a home LED, trained it on a bud for 3 hours or so and that bud was crisp. I tried it and it killed everything I put it on,,,, I put my hand in front of it and it tingled, not burn but I could feel it.

[az2000]

HappyDaze, I'll try to link to the how-to for making that spider fixture. https://drive.google.com/open?id=17e...Jyh-44NVBhXLz-

Rwise, globeless LED lightbulbs are intense. They can't be as close as a CFL. That link has some comparisons of CFL to globeless LED. They produce a lot of light. A lot of that has to do with how the LEDs face the same direction. The difference between that an reflecting the omni light from a CFL into one direction is significant. I typically use 8-9w (60w-equiv) and about 6-12" distance. Personally, I would prefer two of those instead of a 15-16w (100w equiv). I like being closer, and having more coverage with two light (more angles). But, the one stronger light is easier to work with. It's good for top-lighting. The 60w-equive is good for sidelighting. But, in a smaller, micro grow, maybe 40w-equiv would be better. Or, dimmers with dimmable household LED lightbulbs.

[boone]

I use CFL for my veg. its all I have and I have $22 wrapped up in everything. I am a small grower do to space. so my CFL veg top of my closet space is 3 x 4 x4. it allow my go start 3-5 small seedlings. helps bunches saves me 3-5 weeks from seed. so I can roll it into my next grow. I would like to have a full basement with a small work shop 2 5 x 5 flower tents . Shelving with t5 lights for veg. Stand alone Havc all windows blacked out. ( kinda went penis envy there for a basement) BUT I have a 2x4x 8 and its working good so far just what she needs for her med's and brownies ect.

[Spidermite]

boone if your not following the great auto showdown you need to follow ot. We are growing both autos and photos. I posted alot of pictures today of both my autos and photos so you can choose which you want. But photos are far more forgiving. But autos can do great. Just look at mine.

az2000 take a look at my photos in the thread great auto showdown. I have both photos auto pics from today. I do have a bit more exp than most but its mostly all outside. Inside I'm relatively new. Maybe 4 or 5 years consistently. Now outside been my whole life. We own a CBD farm and are buying a few more.

In the great auto showdown I believe @MrFurley beat me last go. I grew autos he grew photos. I did not pick a strain that has high yields. His photos finished before anyones autos. But he was running clones. So his photos grew faster and made a higher yield in the end. By maybe 15 grams. But then again he has been growing forever. We will see who has the highest this time. It's just a friendly learning experience both you guys should join and post updates, ask questions, learn about alot of strains, different ways of growing etc. Its just fun

[Spellbound]

For what its worth, my plan is grab some feminized autos so I can grow a couple in my veg tent- Kind of gives me the best of both worlds because I can sample strains that have a photo counterpart (which will , in all probability be better all around) which I could grab as a photo and make a mother if I enjoy it or find it something I want to really stock up on.

So i'll try to always have a mother, a few clones and 2 auto females in the veg while the rest flowers in 12/12

edit- I havnt gotten this far and tried this so its all theory at the moment lol

[Spidermite]

Sounds good. Whatever you choose The Great Auto show down has lots of knowledge and lots of people. Someone there always knows the answer when people ask.

[Spidermite]

And that sounds like a great plan for a perpetual harvest. I screwed up this time inside and will have 9 massive plants to trim and cure all on about the same day. Your plan works so much better.

[SoOrbudgal]

I like to do both either indoor or outdoor. I have started auto first indoor 18/6 for a month or so then vegged photo with it for couple months give or take when it's ready to flip auto is done. 90days or less for auto. Start another auto when photo is 8wks of flower. Sounds easy huh LOL