Why do so many people struggle to grow auto flowers?

It seems, not so much on here but on other forums particularly "grow diaries", that many struggles with them especially outdoors. So many instances and journals where people have put out autos and they're tiny and never get decent in size. They end up harvesting 7 grams or something. Why do you think that is? Just lack of experience or are there a few keys to autos as opposed to standard plants?

I think a lot of people put them out with the idea that they are less work and don’t take any effort. There fore effort is not applied like it is with a photo I’m not saying that’s it but maybe a opinion. I’ve had a few decent autos never a seven gram auto that’s just preposterous and wouldn’t stand for it. But have had some smaller ones I don’t like them because they’re unpredictable and uncontrollable like my wife and kids.

They grow in soil and don’t know how to grow in soil

One very important factor is media density.

Since they are limited on veg time if they can root faster they will get ultimately get bigger.

I add about 30% perlite to my soil mix which already has perlite in it.

Dense soil = stunted plant.

And as @Gemtree said there is a few knacks to learn to grow well on soil

Short answer …….. Youtube

Honorary Mention…… Reddit

Because autos are for some reason being marketed as "new grower friendly" and they don't even research. Not sure why this is the case, but i think people think auto=easy and they really are not unless you learn enough to make them.

MATTYMATT726 said:

Because autos are for some reason being marketed as "new grower friendly" and they don't even research. Not sure why this is the case, but i think people think auto=easy and they really are not unless you learn enough to make them.

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Deffo. What makes photos harder anyways? A timer? lol

People struggle to grow photos almost as much. My best guess would be newbies gravitate towards autos because they think they’re easier.

I think it is a strain thing, probably the ruderalis taking over. There are some autos that should almost be considered a novelty item. I grew some cream freebies that started flowering at 18 days and were done after 85, all 7 grams worth. Grew 'em 3 separate times, they all came out the same i.e. one central stalk with no side branching. Damn things just start flowering too soon. I also grew some other autos that were good yielders. I grew a Haze auto that finished in 90 days with 3 oz of excellent weed. My feelings are if it doesn't side branch much on it's own it's a dud strain and I wouldn't wast any time on it, the autos don't give you much time to play around.

Step one: buy crap king beans.
Step two: watch youtube
Step three: severely overfeed
Step four: flush
Step five: go into flower with a boned plant
Step six: join a forum and complain that autos suck

Having grown autos since '06, I guess I missed all the above issues....yes, most struggle as some just wanna push the rope.

One improvement i have seen thru various runs , is that modern autos are much more tolerant to “ High Stress Training “ - Topping , cropping etc.

They also seem less prone to stunting as before.
I Remember some lowryder / dwarfy autos that were just weaksauce all the way. Mutations / stress sensitivity / stalling / weak cross were pretty common.

My first auto was back in 2010 or 11
Just a 250 hps 24/0.. did great but definitely the quality wasnt what youd see with mephisto, could i pull off an indoor photo grow at the time? Hell no.. they verymuch are easier than photos.. if your a highschool student growing in your closet

Overfeeding and/or inconsistent watering. Shit that a vegetating photoperiod plant can push thru assuming you catch it, without any permanent stunting like with autoflowers.

That’s why I say no complicated ( multi bottle ) bullshit feed. It only has to live for 100 days or so. Most modern peat mixes can carry feed load upfront for weeks - decide a simple nute ( dry 4-4-4 or similar ) to carry it the rest of grow. Even top dressing to keep main medium base “ charged “ as plant depletes it. No boosters or unicorn pee needed.

Bottom line a good general purpose feed will work fine in soil grows.

Re. producing tiny amounts of weed, perhaps the fact that autos are on autopilot does make it harder to recover if the grower does something wrong.

laddyd said:

autos don't give you much time to play around.

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This

This is why autoflowers are always overthought - they grow …. They bloom.

How hard is that ?

Budzbuddha said:

That’s why I say no complicated ( multi bottle ) bullshit feed. It only has to live for 100 days or so. Most modern peat mixes can carry feed load upfront for weeks - decide a simple nute ( dry 4-4-4 or similar ) to carry it the rest of grow. Even top dressing to keep main medium base “ charged “ as plant depletes it. No boosters or unicorn pee needed.

Bottom line a good general purpose feed will work fine in soil grows.

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Plus one on this, keep it simple and you won't regret it.

I know for myself I'll be starting next year's autos in larger pots. I sprout at the start of June but can't get them in the ground until the beginning of July and the 3 years that I grew some outside in the dirt, including this year soon to be cropped, I started tehm in way too small pots. Like those 9-hole seedling starter pots tehn as they got too big for that into 3" flimsy square pots that hold 500cc of 2 cups of medium. Next year I'll sprout them in 1 or 2L pots that will get transplanted into the dirt.

I got them in the dirt last year more than a week earlier than this year and we had those 2 heat domes that they seemed to love but killed a bunch of other plants. This year July was cooler and wetter so they are smaller but fattening up nicely and should be down by Sept. 11 like last year. Also grew some CBD Auto 'Hemp' plants that are those 7g ones. Some are the size of a softball and almost as dense. Like one big round cola on a stick. lol A couple grew out long side branches that are half again as tall as the main cola that is a smaller ball but the same as the others. Couple look ready to chop now.

Other than giving mine water and 3Tbsps each of Gaia Green Insect Frass a week ago they are growing in the mix I made for them when I set up the raised bed in June. Seemed to do fine with little maintenance. Tallest is 28". The two on the left are from 'A' plant and teh others are from the 'C' plant. F1 fems I made indoors. Making F2 fems now inside as well. Was going to dust some lower buds on these girls but the first plant I was spraying with STS started to produce balls but then stopped so I was too late getting pollen to do them. Dusted two small plants indoors a few days ago and have been picking off lots of 'nanners from the donor plant every two days. Might try dusting a couple buds on these and just leave those branches on when I crop the rest of the plant.



Those goofy hemp plants. Supposed to be regular autos but 7/7 girls? Was hoping for a couple males but don't think I'll be growing any more of these. Do need a good CBD auto for outside tho. There's 7 of them in there among the clover patches. See if you can find them all.



Next year will be better!!!