1st Auto Grow - Light Schedules Confused - Advice Help/Please

[Cazald68]

Hello Everyone It's Friday YAY!!! - Well I have finished my FIRST EVER grow Amnesia Haze Photoperiods some beautiful plants! - Harvested and now waiting to cure I haven't tried any yet! The Sticky and the smell is so lush

So, on to my next grow I am trying Sweet Skunk Autos. They have just peeped their beautiful little heads out of the soil (I am using Tomorite Soil (60% Perlite 40%) I have cleaned and disinfected my tent ready for them. The light shedule I am starting with is 18 light - 6 dark- So I know they will flower on their own, my question is when the Pistills appear do I switch to bloom and change the light shcedule again to 18 dark and 6 light? I have researched and I've got myself confused. Any advice on Autos would be great, I am so excited about this grow, actually any grow - Thank you !!


Indoor Grow: RQS Sweet Skunk Autos - LED Lights,only using Rain Water, Tomarite, Perlite, Fabric Pots
Nutrients: Fish Poo, Bloom A&B, Black Strap Molasses

[bboyfromwayback]

I’ve had the best luck with autos running the lights 20 on and 4 off their entire life. As far as nutes go, I feed them veg nutes until the first signs of flower then I switch to flower nutes.

[Cazald68]

So the light schedule never changes during both stages! Thats great Thank you! I will go with 20 - 4

[bboyfromwayback]

Nope, not with autos. Some people leave the lights on 24x7 for autos. Others do the regular 18/6 with great success. Personally I’ve had better luck with 20/4, they seem to get a little bigger than 18/6. I don’t do 24x7 because I think the plants and light deserves a little bit of a break

[Texasbob]

I totally respect the answer above but I do 18/ 6 on my autos flowering cycles because I believe that the dark period a plant experiences gives the plant an opportunity to rest. Imo I try to keep my light cycle as natural as I can because I think it reduces stress in a flowering plant.

[Texasbob]

golfnrl. I prefer photos so I can control the veg time. If you feel comfortable with photos I would not be in a hurry to grow autos. I had a breeder send me some freebies so I tried them and they have gone great but I would choose photos if I am buying seeds. It would be an interesting experiment to mimic sunset and sunrise to see if there is any benefit. My lights click on in full intensity on a timer and it seems to work well. If I can help you in any way please let me know.

[golfnrl]

Thx Texasbob. I don't know yet whether I prefer autos or photos...but the experiment will be fun. IF I decide to try it. I thought I saw an LED ad for a new light that had the sunrise/sunset capability but I may have been looking through a Purple #1 haze at the time, lol. At any rate, I was thinking about that when I read your post. A simulated sunrise/sunset may not do a thing for the plants but it might be cool to watch. And, I'm interested in the technology that might be used to imitate the sunrise. If its out there.

[bboyfromwayback]

I agree that I prefer photos over autos if a choice had to be made between the two. I’ve grown photos for a long time and I’ve only been growing autos since March but I’m starting to gain a better appreciation for them. I run a perpetual system and usually have space in the veg tent so I upgraded from a T5 to a full spectrum Mars Hydro. Now I’ll be able to harvest a couple autos every 10wks.

[swegrow]

I use 20/4 and plants dig it! General advice for growing autos? Take it easy with the nutes and dont overwater!

[Cazald68]

swegrow Thank you for that! It's totally different from the Sativa grow! I wonder if I could trouble you with one more question, how and when will I know to turn lights to bloom? If the Pistills show up in 2-3 weeks after the seedling has been planted, that wouldn't be long enough in Veg? Thank you again for your advice and help.

[swegrow]

@Cazaid68 You dont have to change light cycle ever! Thats the thing with autos, they have a short lifespan and flower when ready and not according to time of daylight! So blast her with 20/4 from start to finish and you will do fine!

[Cazald68]

swegrow thats just blown my mind lol! Ok brilliant Thank you - Thats the part I couldn't get through my head - :-) WOW this is exciting! Lets get these babies growing!

[SoOrbudgal]

Good luck on those first autos, any one of those light times will be fine. 20-4 or 18/6 either one. Mini plants quicker and pretty care free.

[Cazald68]

Thank you - Im really looking forward to it to see the difference between the autos and photos - I think I'm leaning towards 20 - 4