First time growing Autos...tips?

Hey folks, I just started my first auto grow. I received 2 Creamatic and 2 Bluematic seeds (feminized) from a local growshop for testing. These are autoflowering versions of Caramel Cream and Blueberry, created by Royal Queen Seeds. I've never grown autos before, so any tips would be most welcome. One question I already have is about topping. Since I'll be growing these outside, in a guerilla-style grow, mold could become an issue towards the end of flowering. That is why I thought that maybe I should top them to make the colas smaller. However, I am wary of doing so since topping will take away precious growtime...a week or so... Would this affect yeild/potency so much that it would be better to risk mold with untopped plants?

Does anyone have any experience with these strains? I would love to hear your results!

I'll folow this thread for i am interested in them too. I'd sugest you google whatever you can on the subject.

Topping will not take away from grow time. Autos have a predetermined veg and flower period cause they are autos. If anything your yield might be effected but not grow time. If you dnt want to top then lst. Mold shouldnt be a problem unless you live in a wet rainy or very humid area. Most of the time just a small breeze blowing on yoir plants will be enough to keep them from molding. Check out my grow for differences in topped vs lst vs normal autos. Its an indoor grow. Good luck!

808killahz said:

Topping will not take away from grow time. Autos have a predetermined veg and flower period cause they are autos. If anything your yield might be effected but not grow time. If you dnt want to top then lst. Mold shouldnt be a problem unless you live in a wet rainy or very humid area. Most of the time just a small breeze blowing on yoir plants will be enough to keep them from molding. Check out my grow for differences in topped vs lst vs normal autos. Its an indoor grow. Good luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! I know it won't actually shorten grow time, and probably affect yield.But, since autos have a predetermined amount of time to grow and flower, wouldn't topping take a good chunk of that time away, while the plant recovers? With regular plants it takes about a week for normal growth to resume. If that's the case with autos, it may not be wise to top them. With regular plants topping results in a higher yield, but is this the case with autos, when taking into account the time it takes for them to recover after topping? If the yield is reduced and not increased, is it still worth topping to produce two smaller colas per plant to avoid mold? I live in a pretty rainy climate, so mold could become an issue towards the end of flowering (i'm growing these outside).

I decided to not top them and just let nature take it's course. Since autos are usually grown by beginners who don't know much about growing techniques, I will grow them in as simple way as possible (seeing as I'm testing them). They are now under a LED until they start secondary growth, then they will get planted outside in regular potting soil with a bit of nutrients mixed in at the bottom. Should be done before September, so if we have a reasonably dry summer, mold shouldn't be a problem.

ddimebag said:

Thanks for the reply! I know it won't actually shorten grow time, and probably affect yield.But, since autos have a predetermined amount of time to grow and flower, wouldn't topping take a good chunk of that time away, while the plant recovers? With regular plants it takes about a week for normal growth to resume. If that's the case with autos, it may not be wise to top them. With regular plants topping results in a higher yield, but is this the case with autos, when taking into account the time it takes for them to recover after topping? If the yield is reduced and not increased, is it still worth topping to produce two smaller colas per plant to avoid mold? I live in a pretty rainy climate, so mold could become an issue towards the end of flowering (i'm growing these outside).

Click to expand...

When my auto got topped on day 14, i saw very noticable growth the next day. Check out my pics in my sig. Growth took off in the next couple of weeks. However the yield looks like it will be a lot less when compared to my lstd plants.

Hi Guys,
Im also growing a creamantic from royal queen seeds and its growing at a crazy rate, is yours doing the same???
ive started a journal here but its in another thread i might start one up on its own,
heres some pictures at day 21 ,does it look like yours?
yeh easyryders are great the growth just explodes after a few weeks

Root mass for Autos, even larger Sativa dominate hybrids, tend to produce smaller root structure than Sativas and Indicas. Therefore, your pot sizes shouldnt exceed 3 gal, unless you are using some kind of DWC, or fast growing hydro medium. Veg your plants on 24 hrs. of light for the first 3 weeks. More vegging hours= more vegetative structure= more support for buds= higher yield. Try it out. Cracking Blue Mammoth, Trans Siberian, White Widow auto (Dinafem), and Purple Cheese atm. Best of luck. Stay Crunchy! Crunch*

silvermandy said:

Hi Guys,
Im also growing a creamantic from royal queen seeds and its growing at a crazy rate, is yours doing the same???
ive started a journal here but its in another thread i might start one up on its own,
heres some pictures at day 21 ,does it look like yours?
yeh easyryders are great the growth just explodes after a few weeks
View attachment 2284594View attachment 2284596View attachment 2284597View attachment 2284598

Click to expand...

I planted two creamatics and two bluematics outside in full sun. Since then one of each died (base of stem went brown and dry, killing the rest of the plant). The surviving creamatic looks bigger and better than the bluematic, is growing buds and trichs, and smells rather nice. It's not as big as yours, but it got less than optimum veg conditions (window sill). What would happen if I pollinated one of the autos with pollen from a regular plant (like Tahoe OG)? Would I get plants that flower regularly, automatically, or semi-automatically? Mix of all three?

808killahz said:

When my auto got topped on day 14, i saw very noticable growth the next day. Check out my pics in my sig. Growth took off in the next couple of weeks. However the yield looks like it will be a lot less when compared to my lstd plants.

Click to expand...

808's topped plant weighed in almost half times extra than the other plants seems there is hope for topping with autos. Check his sig, La Diva grow im topping on of my ultra lemon haze autos to see how that one copes.

Dameon said:

Root mass for Autos, even larger Sativa dominate hybrids, tend to produce smaller root structure than Sativas and Indicas. Therefore, your pot sizes shouldnt exceed 3 gal, unless you are using some kind of DWC, or fast growing hydro medium. Veg your plants on 24 hrs. of light for the first 3 weeks. More vegging hours= more vegetative structure= more support for buds= higher yield. Try it out. Cracking Blue Mammoth, Trans Siberian, White Widow auto (Dinafem), and Purple Cheese atm. Best of luck. Stay Crunchy! Crunch*

Click to expand...

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm are you gonna journal your grow? i really need to see this one, my mouth is watering already :O

Tips:
Put plant straight into your finish pot from the start. 2G or 3G.
Treat as a veg plant the first two/three weeks. Treat as a plant in bloom from that point on.
LST is were you'll get the most yield and the plants will be more readily able to recover from it. Topping can be done but for the most part will slow growth. ie: yield.
Provide long periods of light throughout. People will say 24/0, or 20/4 or 18/6. ANY of those will work, 20/4 is your best bang for your buck.

Enjoy!

How about fim on an auto? That does not slow the plant as much as topping. I'm doing auto next time round as I can't wait 4 - 5 months again and I aint got a lot of room, 1 a month should keep me happy.

Last time I checked on the autos (last thursday) two were alive and two died for some reason... But at least I got one of each strain. The Creamatic that got damaged during transport is now the bigger and better smelling of the two (I am surprised because the main stem snapped, and had to heal back together). Going to give them some worm casting tea one of these days...I will post a proper grow report once they are harvested cured and smoke-tested...pics and everything...

ddimebag said:

Last time I checked on the autos (last thursday) two were alive and two died for some reason... But at least I got one of each strain. The Creamatic that got damaged during transport is now the bigger and better smelling of the two (I am surprised because the main stem snapped, and had to heal back together). Going to give them some worm casting tea one of these days...I will post a proper grow report once they are harvested cured and smoke-tested...pics and everything...

Click to expand...

have you any pictures of it now

I no this thread is a bit old but any way topping wont slow growth it will actually help the lower nodes grow while its busy healing the top. I F.I.M. mine, google it if you dont no what it is. The info about nutes is BS, I feed them heavy and never have a problem and dont waste your money on fem seeds as there is no guarantee they'll be female. if you can only get them feminized stress the shit out of one so it will become male or a hermie then separate it from your females and keep some pollen to make your own seed plant safer and cheaper then ordering seeds

script420 said:

I no this thread is a bit old but any way topping wont slow growth it will actually help the lower nodes grow while its busy healing the top. I F.I.M. mine, google it if you dont no what it is. The info about nutes is BS, I feed them heavy and never have a problem and dont waste your money on fem seeds as there is no guarantee they'll be female. if you can only get them feminized stress the shit out of one so it will become male or a hermie then separate it from your females and keep some pollen to make your own seed plant safer and cheaper then ordering seeds

Click to expand...

^^^Wrong! Not with autos. Autos do not have enough time to recover from the topping and will yield less overall.

If you do not know what you're talking about I suggest not slinging "advice".

I won't even address the other misinformation in your ignorant post.

silvermandy said:

have you any pictures of it now

Click to expand...

Yes, i do have some pics, but I'd rather post them all at the end of the grow when the grow report is done. The Creamatic is taller of the two. It has well developed bottom branches, and somewhat developed branches at second and third nodes. Height is about 30cm. Last I checked it was growing a terminal bud and starting on the buds along the main stem. It has a surprising amount of trichomes, including on the larger leaves, and smells sweet and fruity. The Bluematic looks a lot more compact and has less developed branches. Smells hashy and a bit citrussy. Also resinous. About 20 cm in height. I gave them the worm casting tea when i last saw them. That's all they'll be getting from me until they are done. They look like they have two or three weeks to go.

script420 said:

I no this thread is a bit old but any way topping wont slow growth it will actually help the lower nodes grow while its busy healing the top. I F.I.M. mine, google it if you dont no what it is. The info about nutes is BS, I feed them heavy and never have a problem and dont waste your money on fem seeds as there is no guarantee they'll be female. if you can only get them feminized stress the shit out of one so it will become male or a hermie then separate it from your females and keep some pollen to make your own seed plant safer and cheaper then ordering seeds

Click to expand...

I decided not to top them, in the end, because I am testing these for a grow shop. Most other people who buy auto seeds there are beginner growers, and just want something easy. Hence, they would be unlikely to use more advanced techniques like training the plant, topping, fimming, scrogging, etc... So I got 50 liters of high quality organic soil, put it in a garbage bag, stuck it in a field (direct sun all day ), and planted the four autos. No training, no topping, just left the plants to grow naturally. Makes it easier to observe their growth pattern too. I should add that the Creamatic's main stem got bent when i was transporting it to the final grow spot. It recovered, and grew faster than all the rest. Kind of like super cropping a whole plant at once...

The soil had nutes in it, so I fertilized lightly and rarely with BioGrow, BioBloom and that root stimulator from plagron. A few days ago I gave them worm casting tea...last feed before harvest.

About fem seeds, yeah, I generally disapprove of feminized seeds, but this is what the grow shop wanted to be tested, and it was free, so might as well...plus the rest of my plants are from regular seeds, so it's nice to have some (nearly)guaranteed females. I also pollinated them with Tahoe OG pollen, just for the hell of it...

Ok, so this grow is done (for some time now)... here is the full report and pics: https://www.rollitup.org/seed-strain-reviews/573265-royal-bluematic-royal-creamatic-grow.html#post8140099