Hello, I am new here so thought I would introduce myself with a diary. Got some spare time in the flower room while I prep my Barneys Blue Cheese, so I thought id play with some auto's to get it out my system. In the process pick up some tips as I have no clue about feeding auto's, and also log the grow for others interested in auto's. I'll be using 400MH & 600HPS later on. I have 7 fem seeds so far in a 1 metre sq, how many more could I fit in that space? This is what i have so far: 5 lowlife White Russian Auto's 1 Kannabia La Blanca Auto 1 Kannabia Mataro Blue Auto I will be picking up 3 x Easy Rider AKA Lowryder #2 x AK47, and getting some: 1 Short Stuff Seeds Onyx 1 Short Stuff Seeds Himalaya Blue Diesel Short Stuff Seeds Super Cali Haze (billed as Super-Auto, think this is left for next summer though) It seems I will have auto 12 fems to choose from, could I possibly run all in my 1msq tent in 6.5 litre pots?
Well, I popped the 12 into jiffys, and into the propogator. No Germ! So I potted the jiffys into small pots, watered, and then cling filmed the pots to create condensation. No Germ! I have now pulled the seeds out, and put them in cups of warm water in the hope they germ. FUCKIN NIGHTMARE MATE!
I'm interested in the auto's. I've never grown them and I know there's some passionate debate that goes on with folks about them. There's someone in GC I was dialogging with a while back who was doing an auto grow. I'll try to try to find it and post the link for you. Sorry to hear about the germ'ing problems. But, it also reads like you've got some experience behind you and you know the drill on that. I know how that feels..... Just to offer my opine on your question. Others will chime with theirs. With a 6.5l (1.5 gal +/-) container I'd allow for 24" squared for each 6.5l container depending on your grow style, i.e. how long you veg them and how you address canopy management. One could argue that you could grow all 12 in 1msq if you grow only the main cola and snip off most or all of any lateral branching - "lollipopping" I think some call it. Throw in some LST and it might work just fine to keep a few lateral shoots going. If you place the containers "lip-to-lip" (for lack of a better way to describe it) you'll have to keep the canopy/lateral branching within the confines of the size of the container top. Does that make sense? Otherwise maintenance can get to be a problem as the growth from the plants gets intertwined. I'm growing 4 plants in a 32"sq area in 4 gal containers and it's not enough space even with some very careful attention given to trimming and pruning. My last grow in the same space was in 2 gal containers and that was a good size container for that space. At the end of the discussion it's going to boil down to good air flow/circulation and light penetration. With that wattage you'll have plenty of light penetration if the light isn't blocked by the upper canopy. So, then it's back to canopy management. Make sense? Each grow is a learning experience for sure. Just for me and what I've experienced about 2 sqft is the minium up to a 3 gal container. The plant is going to grow as large as the container will allow it to. Smaller container, smaller plant. etc. I've found that 'less is more' when growing in a tightly confined space. One will experience better plant health, more budding sites, and denser buds with fewer plants receiving all the light they can process. JMHO and perhaps a bit wordy. But keep us posted on your efforts. It's always nice to see what other brothers and sisters have going on. Good Luck Mate!
Thanks for the reply. I am now down to 11 though as I lost the Onyx. I am hoping I have not had it humid enough to penetrate the casing, and soasking will do the trick. if it does not, thats a lot of money down the pan. Usually a 4 plant scrog'er in that space, but I can bash some auto's and get a cheese harvest in before xmas. Well that was the idea a week or 2 ago.
Hey dude, id love to see you come back on here. I know you had to have several auto survivors. Well in my experience with the auto strains is that i almost tossed out a few Gnomos from Kannabia seeds bcuz i thought they were dead. I'm used to having all my bag seed germinate in 2-3 days but with these it took almost a week to 10 days for them to break through and grow a tap root using the paper towel method. I now have 8 survivors. Idk if that helps any but that is what i experienced with my beans from Attitude. I lost 2 Gnomos 1 Easyryder and 1 UFO Fruit automatic. Sad day in growing...But I am very interested in the Mataro Blue strain. Hope to get the real thing some day and not the auto( i hear good things) Well good luck on your grow and ill sub just incase u decide to surprise us with some fresh updates. Take care and keep burnin.