Autoflowering seeds come from the cannabis rudelaris indica. Crosses with rudelaris gen have as a characteristic: Be able to flower all along the year. As a fast growing strain and short flowering it is important to boost growing facts to get a good yield.
In this chapter we will detail how to boost autoflowering strain's growth indoors and outdoors.
Understand autoflowering growth
Autoflowering strains have the characteristic of being able to flower under any photoperiod of light recieved by plants As a short cycle plant, is so important to boost them during growing period to get best results possible. Are easy to grow plants, with not too much needings compared with normal indica and sativa strains.
Seedbanks usually offer characteristics of each strain: size, yielding, days of flowering... Sometimes they also give pot size advices depending on the strain selected.
In this chapter we will talk about benefits for all autoflowering strains.
Factors that alter autoflowering growth
There are many enviromental factors that can alter autoflowering evolution. Factors like strain, temperatures, pot size or fertilizers can mark huge and beneficial inprovements.
Recommended substrates for autoflowering seeds
Autoflowering strains are a fast cycle plant. For the first stages of growth it is better to use a soft substrate not too much fertilized. In the future autoflowering plants will value more fertilized substrates (if grower likes to do transplants it is better to use soft substrates for the early step and then change them to a high fertilized substrate).
Majorly autoflowering growers don't do transplanting (to avoid dirty jobs and to ensure plant doesn't preflower because of a small pot). We recommend using high quality substrates.
Substrates for fastest autoflowering plants: Fast autoflowering strains will have a shortest vegetative phase and a quickest flowering (less weeks of flowering). For them we specially recommend using a soft substrate or coco fyber to let plants root faster.
Substrates for autoflowering strains with longest flowering: Autoflowering strains that take longer usually have: a longer vegetative phase anda longer flowering phase too. Knowing that plants will keep alive for a longer time it is recommended to give them a high fertilized substrate to keep out defficiencies.
Recommended temperature for autoflowering growth
Marijuana autoflowering seeds, as common ones, react negative to high differences between temperatures, specially low temps and specially high temps. In cases of extremely low temperatures (les than 12ºC), plants can completely stop. For a maximum evolution:
Temperatures recommended for autoflowering plants indoors: Growing indoors we recommend a range of temperatures not superior to 28ºC and not lower than 22ºC. Temperatures lower than 18ºC as higher than 30ºC can decrease yield. In winter it may be recommended to use a heater to keep temperatures over than 20ºC (day or night).
Temperatures recommended for autoflowering outdoors: Autoflowering seeds like warm climates. Outdoors its best moment is during spring-summer (northern hemiphere). The less favorable season is during winter (temperatures may be rounding less than 10ºC). During winter it is specially recommendable to use greenhouses to keep temperatures as stable as possible. During hotter months is when autoflowering plants give its best production.
Recommended pots for autoflowering plants
Autoflowering seeds are very susceptible to pot's size used. From SantYerbasi grow stores we recommend choosing the size depending on the season and type of growth we are planning.
Recommended pots for autoflowering indoors: Indoors, the best size for autoflowering plants are 7l pots (16-20 plants for squared meter). Less size can decrese yielding per plant. A superior size can reduce possibilities of growth (again decreasing yields).
Recommended pots for autoflowering outdoors: Growing autoflowering plants outdoors it is better to use sizes between 7l and 20l depending on the season. Outdoors we should adapt pot's size to the average temperatures of the season. In summer is recommendable to use 12l to 20l pots. Winter time is better to plant seeds in 7l to 10l pots. *Never directly to soil.
Growth boosters for autoflowering plants
Nutrients in substrate (and composition), fertilizers and boosters, are an important part of the process growing marijuana plants. If we are looking for improving yields we shuld take note of special atentions in these parameters. Get the perfect balance can make substantial differences harvesting.
Growth boosters for autoflowering strains
It is understood as growth boosters, all those products able to improce the process of adapt to enviroment. Using a growth stimulator, growers, try to save time necessary to reach a concreet phase. Use stimulators for a long phase, during growth, become in stronger plants with improved crops.
Toot stimulators: Root stimulators multiply root system expansion capacity. Plants with a vigorous root system may grow faster as well as give weighter buds. Root stimulators are not a fertilizer. Their formula is to promote actions in plants not fertilizing.
Growth boosters: Growth boosters are products specially developed to complement nutritive diet given to plants. A growth booster usually adds minerals (in composition) that multiply vegetative capacities (offering extra addings).
Bacteria en beneficial fungi for growth: There are many products available to improve substrate's composition. Microbial and beneficial bacteria are able to improve plants intake up to 700%. Using microbial and bacteria generates explosive growth with a increased demand of nutrients.
How to stimulate autoflowering strains growth
Grouping all concepts (wrote before) we can contrast huge differences in how our autoflowering plants grow.
- Combine use of fertilizers, stimulators and growth boosters.
- Use, in every watering, trichoderma and mycorrhizae until flowering phase.
- Proceed to a correct quantity of water (depending on plant's size, pot and temperatures). Keep the substrate humid for a long time slows growth.
- Avoid low temperatures.
Consult other articles about autoflowering seeds
I would really appreciate the assistance with this
Regards
Bash
Take a look to endo mycorrizal products. You'll find many of them in market, like Aptus mycormix. If you feed your plants with it, you'll notice a nice improvement in growth, in addition to increased nutrient uptake, what derives in larger yields.
Why shouldn't the plant be plantet directly into the soil? Why would it be bad, to not give a limit as to how far the root system grows? This seems kinda counter-intuitive.
The reason is pants grow in height in relation with their roots. Once the roots find limits they know how big the plant can become and then start growing taller than wider what derives in higher yields. So with these limited vegetative stage plants it's better to plant them in pots rather than in-ground.
Best