auto characteristics

Humanrob

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Currently, jarred and stored, we have a bunch of last winter's grow, which was indoor photos, and last summer's grow, which was outdoor autos. So far I've only grown autos outside. The autos are all Mepshistos, and they are every bit as frosty and potent as the photos. The difference is in the bud structure, the photos are dense and have thinner stems in the buds, so you can break a chunk off a bud and fill a bowl with it. The autos are fluffier and woodier, so you sort of have to collect the sticky frosty leaves and separate them from the thick stems, and then pack a bowl.

Would you say this is just a characteristic of autos? or of outdoor autos? or maybe it's a result of shortcomings with my outdoor setup? I suppose another way to ask the question would be; if I were to grow autos indoors under 20/4 lighting, would the buds more closely resemble the buds from my photo indoor grows?
 
Marq1340

Marq1340

Well-Known Member
I would say it's way too many variables to give you a correct answer. Then again I've never even grown a single strain of grass.
 
shackleferd

shackleferd

Well-Known Member
I agree with you on bud structure, noticed that as well. I have also noticed some of my autos grown next to photos have been hardier to disease. Ive had photos get torn up by bugs while the autos havent been touched in the same room right next to each other. Photos also tend to keep stretching after flower begins whereas most autos hit flowering hard.
 
Humanrob

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Thanks @shackleferd , I wasn't trying to dis autos with my questions, I've just spent a boatload of money on auto seeds and I'm all in, it's all I'll be growing for a while. I'm just trying to figure out how much of what I'm seeing is because of the way I'm growing, and how much is just their nature. They are what they are and nothing is perfect, and I'm fine with that. I'm also considering growing them indoors and trying to figure out if that would change or impact any of what I'm seeing.
 
Nutty sKunK

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
Humanrob said:
Thanks @shackleferd , I wasn't trying to dis autos with my questions, I've just spent a boatload of money on auto seeds and I'm all in, it's all I'll be growing for a while. I'm just trying to figure out how much of what I'm seeing is because of the way I'm growing, and how much is just their nature. They are what they are and nothing is perfect, and I'm fine with that. I'm also considering growing them indoors and trying to figure out if that would change or impact any of what I'm seeing.
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From what I’ve experienced outdoors autos are always fluffy.

Indoor autos are fluffier than some photoperiods but I only see that in more sativa dominant strains.

Although ACE seeds Malawi auto had an incredible bud structure and was high sativa :)
 
Humanrob

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Nutty sKunK said:
From what I’ve experienced outdoors autos are always fluffy.

Indoor autos are fluffier than some photoperiods but I only see that in more sativa dominant strains.

Although ACE seeds Malawi auto had an incredible bud structure and was high sativa :)
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Thank you! That's exactly what I was wondering. I mostly grow Sativa doms, so it looks like that could be part of the equation. I consider my outdoor grows to be successful, but it's also not an optimal situation. I get 6-7 hours of direct overhead sun per day, but that's cut about 20% by bug netting I have to use to keep the moths/worms out. I get good weight and lots of frost, but the buds are very loose. From one perspective that's not a bad thing, I suspect the 'air flow' through them minimizes mold and bud rot.

As I mentioned, I'm weighing the pros and cons of setting up an indoor grow again, and if the buds would be easier for the person I'm growing for to work with, that's another reason to move in that direction. Thanks again!
 
Nutty sKunK

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
Humanrob said:
Thank you! That's exactly what I was wondering. I mostly grow Sativa doms, so it looks like that could be part of the equation. I consider my outdoor grows to be successful, but it's also not an optimal situation. I get 6-7 hours of direct overhead sun per day, but that's cut about 20% by bug netting I have to use to keep the moths/worms out. I get good weight and lots of frost, but the buds are very loose. From one perspective that's not a bad thing, I suspect the 'air flow' through them minimizes mold and bud rot.

As I mentioned, I'm weighing the pros and cons of setting up an indoor grow again, and if the buds would be easier for the person I'm growing for to work with, that's another reason to move in that direction. Thanks again!
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Avoiding bud rot is paramount for me so I learnt my lesson this year.

I simply grow indoors during winter then prepare some seedling for outdoors end of March/April.
 
JoeBlow5823

JoeBlow5823

Well-Known Member
Humanrob said:
Thanks @shackleferd , I wasn't trying to dis autos with my questions, I've just spent a boatload of money on auto seeds and I'm all in, it's all I'll be growing for a while. I'm just trying to figure out how much of what I'm seeing is because of the way I'm growing, and how much is just their nature. They are what they are and nothing is perfect, and I'm fine with that. I'm also considering growing them indoors and trying to figure out if that would change or impact any of what I'm seeing.
Click to expand...
Yeah i have found the same with autos vs photos when both are grown indoor. Autos have no problem holding themselves up where photos topple under their own weight. Its kind of like autoflower stems keep growing and stretching almost until harvest where photos sort of hit a wall and completely stop stretching and just bulk up. Autos are likely better for outdoor anyway. Winter comes to early in most places and autos have a more sturdy structure for the elements.
 
Humanrob

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Nutty sKunK said:
Avoiding bud rot is paramount for me so I learnt my lesson this year.

I simply grow indoors during winter then prepare some seedling for outdoors end of March/April.
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What latitude and continent are you growing on? The timing itself makes no sense to me, so I'm trying to figure out what the lesson is? :):peace:
 
Humanrob

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
Nutty sKunK said:
Indica strain rotted in parts sativas didn’t even with rain.

54’ north Northern Europe :)
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Interesting, I'm at 45.5N west coast US and I don't put autos outside before June 1st. Since cool nights and mornings stunt some strains, I wait as long as I can to put them out. In my area, summer is usually predominantly dry, and the rains start mid-to-late September, so I plan backwards to be harvested before then.

Do you think it's Indica's denser buds and bigger leaves are trapping moisture and causing the rot, or something else in their genetics? Just curious. I grow mostly Sativa doms but with autos it seems the leaves most often look more Indica.

So far I haven't trimmed my outdoor autos much, just lower leaves that get no light. I used to trim my photos a lot. Next summer I might try thinning out the leaves some for more airflow, towards the end of the season I lost some buds to rot and there was little rain, it was mostly morning dew that took hours to cook off.
 
pop22

pop22

Well-Known Member
Without a doubt, it's the outdoor environment. And yes, indoor grown auto buds, in a good environment, will make buds indistinguishable from photoperiod bud. Remember too, genetics affects the bud structure and characteristics. Many Sativa dom strains have fluffy buds, it's not a fault, it's just how they are. A strain grown out doors that normally has dense solid buds, that are spongy, etc, have been exposed to high heat, and even too much sun. In my greenhouse, I have to use a shade cloth from mid June to late August, mid day to reduce heat and light levels. Boom! Dense, frosty buds! Made a huge difference. Open grow, plant where you can get a little shade mid day, you'll be surprised at the difference

Humanrob said:
Currently, jarred and stored, we have a bunch of last winter's grow, which was indoor photos, and last summer's grow, which was outdoor autos. So far I've only grown autos outside. The autos are all Mepshistos, and they are every bit as frosty and potent as the photos. The difference is in the bud structure, the photos are dense and have thinner stems in the buds, so you can break a chunk off a bud and fill a bowl with it. The autos are fluffier and woodier, so you sort of have to collect the sticky frosty leaves and separate them from the thick stems, and then pack a bowl.

Would you say this is just a characteristic of autos? or of outdoor autos? or maybe it's a result of shortcomings with my outdoor setup? I suppose another way to ask the question would be; if I were to grow autos indoors under 20/4 lighting, would the buds more closely resemble the buds from my photo indoor grows?
Click to expand...
 
pop22

pop22

Well-Known Member
I've grown thousands of autos and probably more than 100 strains and if your buds are fluffy and it's not genetic, your environment is off. I also grow photoperiods and THE hardest, most dense buds I've grown have been from autos. Keep the temps between 70-78F, minimum 700PPFD, nutes dialed in right, proper PH for the medium you use, good airflow in the tent/growroom, and you won't know the difference between a Northern Lights auto and a photo period of the same strain.

Nutty sKunK said:
From what I’ve experienced outdoors autos are always fluffy.

Indoor autos are fluffier than some photoperiods but I only see that in more sativa dominant strains.

Although ACE seeds Malawi auto had an incredible bud structure and was high sativa :)
Click to expand...
 
Nutty sKunK

Nutty sKunK

Well-Known Member
pop22 said:
I've grown thousands of autos and probably more than 100 strains and if your buds are fluffy and it's not genetic, your environment is off. I also grow photoperiods and THE hardest, most dense buds I've grown have been from autos. Keep the temps between 70-78F, minimum 700PPFD, nutes dialed in right, proper PH for the medium you use, good airflow in the tent/growroom, and you won't know the difference between a Northern Lights auto and a photo period of the same strain.
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I don’t doubt it.

Ive only grown high sativa photos before autoflowers so not much to compare just my experience.

All I know is having good light is a key factor in bud density.
 
Humanrob

Humanrob

Well-Known Member
pop22 said:
Without a doubt, it's the outdoor environment. And yes, indoor grown auto buds, in a good environment, will make buds indistinguishable from photoperiod bud. Remember too, genetics affects the bud structure and characteristics. Many Sativa dom strains have fluffy buds, it's not a fault, it's just how they are. A strain grown out doors that normally has dense solid buds, that are spongy, etc, have been exposed to high heat, and even too much sun. In my greenhouse, I have to use a shade cloth from mid June to late August, mid day to reduce heat and light levels. Boom! Dense, frosty buds! Made a huge difference. Open grow, plant where you can get a little shade mid day, you'll be surprised at the difference
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing your experience. My backyard garden is what it is, it gets the sun it gets, and the bug netting is mandatory, not optional. I've dialed it in to successfully get the plants to harvest as best I can and I will accept its limitations and I'm grateful it produces as much as it does. What is most interesting is your claim about autos potentials, and now I'm really curious to grow some indoors where I have more control and see how close I can bring them to the photos I used to grow.
 
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