HYDRO Switching nutrient week

[Maudro88]

Hello everyone this is my first time asking a question on this forum but I've been following GWE since 2018 and also started my first grow with the help of GWE in 2018 as well. Now all grows I've done (besides my first one in 2018) has always been hydro with that being said I can't seem to find this answer anywhere on the GWE website but here it goes. So how do I know when to move on to week 9 when doing hydroponics? Everything i grow is an autoflowering plant but I seem to always just finish the plant still doing week 8 and never make it to the other weeks...I just seem to always end every grow since 2019 in week 8 then I rinse and prepare for harvest. Now I'm not going to lie I seem to always get some decent smoke but idk if that's by luck or if the plant just matured over time and u know, that wuz just the way it was suppose to go...so I need help guys i feel like this one thing is keeping me from something and I also feel I'm not getting everything I can have in the plant if I'm always ending my grows doing hydroponics on week 8...thanks guy's if you're able to help me with this question.

[Orggrwr]

Welcome. I don't have any experience with hydro but have grown many autos. Nutrient schedules are a a rough guide only, your plants will tell where they are. Especially when you get a little experience. Autos live life in the fast lane and finish flowering faster than photos ( from first sign of flower to harvest). Are you counting 8 weeks from germination or from first sign of flowering? 8 weeks of flower is usually about right for autos plus 3 to 4 weeks of veg for about a 12 week life cycle. Are you checking tricomes for best time to harvest?

[Orggrwr]

Of course the 12 weeks are only an average. Strains and individual plants vary greatly.

[Maudro88]

What's going on Orggrwr and thanks for the reply back, i really appreciate it! So I usually start with week one nutrients as soon as the seed sprouts after germination. Sometimes when I put them in the rooter the shell hasn't even come completely off just of yet but there's always a nice length size of a tap root before I put it in the rooter. And the first nutes I start with in the reservoir is week one. Now you asked me if I check trichomes and to answer that I definitely do. Now my results after I check are usually an amber color because most times I like to allow my plants to go past cloudy to amber. But for instant I'm going to share an image of one I finished but when I finished I was still giving week 8 nutes in the reservoir and never got a chance to move on to week 9-11 dailing the nutes down going into flush stage because I didn't know when to move on...I just follow the method of continuing to give week 8 nutes for longer flowering period as it says on GWE. Now when I finished this plant I was still mixing up week 8 nutes to put inside of the reservoir...and just kept checking trichomes until they were the color I want which is amber color...then I start the flushing process without moving on to week 9-11.

[Maudro88]

For example here are some I just put down. In the first set of images that one is THC Bomb Auto from breeder Bomb Seeds. In the second image that one is Zkittlez Auto from breeder Seedsman. In the first images(THC Bomb)I'm switching to week 2 nutes today. Now wit the Zkittlez(second images) that has week one nutes in the reservoir because I literally just put it down Wednesday this week. I just purchased a 600W HLG Blackbird as well but I have yet to put it up because currently I'm growing in a garage and it's cold where I am so the 600W HPS and the two 200W Vipar Spectra keeps everything nice and warm for them but when summer hits I'm definitely switching to the HLG Blackbird because as we all know that's been growing for a while 600W HPS gets very hot in the spring and summer.

[Bluey]

I wouldn't change anything.

Your just growing plants that finish quicker than most and you're growing them well.

[Maudro88]

Sure thing Bluey thank you🙂!

[Rootsruler]

Uhm.....so your experience is that when you do your auto runs they're finishing at 8 weeks? How about you adjust your schedule to taper your nutrition in week 6 like you would in week 9 - 11 so that by chop time you're just giving them water?

[Maudro88]

No their not finishing at eight weeks...seems to me their finishing when they're suppose to and maturing when they're suppose to...it's just that when I'm at the finishing line Im still giving them week 8 nutes instead of finishing at week 11 with them still being mature then on to flush...I hope it makes sense what I'm trying to explain to you friend...

[grouchyoldman]

Rootsruler nailed this one above.

Since you are growing Autos you can ignore that GH chart because it is intended for photo plants.

Consider this approach:

Seedlings-Veg: Use GH week 1 & 2
First sign of pistils: Use GH week 4
Flowering - white pistils: Use GH week 7
Late flower - red pistils: Use GH week 11


That will roughly coincide with your Autoflower plant's needs and it will tell you when it wants you to switch.

Make Sense?
-Grouchy

[Maudro88]

grouchyoldman thank you friend I understand exactly what your saying ill take this approach then Rootsruler thank you as well friend I didn't understand thats what you were saying as well...im still trying to catch on u know because im still a student so its great to be among some awesome teacher's now for the toutilege and knowledge to understand how to do things correctly instead of assuming I'm doing things correctly thank you as well Orggrwr for the encouraging words u guys are great man!