Autoflower's in the Winter: An experiment

[OrganicOzarks]

So I was in the seed fridge the other day, and came across some autoflower seeds I made a couple of years ago. They are lemon skunk autos from Lowlife I believe. Then I was thinking that I am about to have room in my raised beds once the radishes finish up in a a couple of weeks. So I decided to pop 12 beans, and see what happens.


I will grow these indoor under t-5 for 2 weeks before I transplant them outside. The temperatures this year have been pretty mild. The lows are hovering around 32 with some nights going down to 20 or so. But the majority of the nights are above freezing with day time temps in the 50 degree range. It has been such a great winter to grow vegetables.

I do have cold frames over my raised beds so that should help to keep the temps up. What got me thinking was the fact that I saw that autoflower's grow in Russia. Russia obviously not having much of a warm climate. So let's see what these bitches will do. Should at least learn something new about the Cannabis plant.

 

[S_a_H]

Let us know how long it takes to sex. I think the cold temps is going to delay the flowering process.

Goodluck

 

[Big Eggy]

I'm also gonna give this ago.. i've got 6 seeds just about to pop their heads up.

will be interested to compare results.

BE

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I have 11 of the 12 above soil now. The other looks like it will be there by tomorrow. 1 of them already looks weak, but this early it is anyone's guess.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

12 for 12!

 

[shroomyshroom]

ill be running 100 autos this winter season in Aust keep your eyes open for that one

 

[Dopeboy668]

So how are they lookin? I've thought about tryin to grow somethin in the winter before, mostly jus to satisfy my cravings. Im addicted to growin it insteada smokin it. Make sure you let us all know how it turns out. Peace.

 

[GP73LPC]

 

[Passion99]

hey

how's that project going?

yesterday i started the same thing as you did, with the auto mazar, just that i'll be growing in a glasshouse and i have almost the same temperatures so far. but i've never planted so early in season before, so i am here for some tips about quality and yield of end product... i personaly think, that the product will have less yield but the qualitly will be better, because of the low temperatures so early... am i assuming right?

well i hope for some new posts, maybe some pictures, becuse i'd like to learn some theory about early in the season, before the real deal happen

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I will post some pics in a day or two. They are outside, and growing very slowly. I think the yield will be funny. I did get 7 girls I think. Maybe 8 I can't remember right now. Damn this Casey Jones tastes good.

 

[OrganicOzarks]

Here is an update.


First off the weird spacing is because this bed was full of radishes. I had already harvested some radishes which gave me the open spots for the auto flowers. Now as you can see all of the radishes have been harvested. Which now leaves the auto flowers spaced awkwardly.

These girls are all about 6 inches tall. They are growing extremely slow. We have had a few freezes since I put them outside. I am actually surprised they are still alive. I just amended this soil for the summer crops. When I brew a compost tea I empty out the bag into a bucket to save for later. There is some good shit in their, literally. So this bed has about an inch or so of those ingredients on top now. I have also added kelp meal, blood meal, bone meal, greensand, azomite, a little lime, fish meal, composted turkey litter, earth worm castings, and mushroom compost. I am sure I am forgetting some things, but there is a lot of shit in there. Literally.

So these girls will have more than enough nutrients to continue to grow. I also will give them a compost tea every couple of weeks.

Again I am surprised that they are alive, and actually looking good considering their environment. My entire reason for doing this is to see how auto flowers grow in not so perfect conditions.

Who knows, I may one day have to live in Alaska in the arctic circle, and I can't go without my cannabis now can I?

 

[Snoopster]

Thanks for the update. I thought the cold would slow them down.


In Russia plant grows you.

 

[Passion99]

good looking plants so far.. it's getting warmer with any day so they'll start to grow faster anytime now. i would start watering with flowering fertilizer from now on.

make sure to post new updates in this topic =)

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I use compost tea's for nutes. I give them one per week. I also foliar feed witht he tea until the 2nd or 3rd week of flower.

The plants are all about 10" tall now. They seem to be doing really well. I have never grown anything outside so this has been a lot of fun.

I will post some pictures in a day or two.

 

[Passion99]

any new updates?

 

[OrganicOzarks]

I harvested them back a while ago. The low temps early on really made them grow at a slow rate. Most of them did not even develop a bud as we know it. It was just swollen calyxs on a stem. It was kind of funny actually. I have not even trimmed it, or weighed it. I am just going to use it in some tincture. It was an awesome experiment though, and i learned a lot about the effects of low temperatures on autoflowers. I am glad that I did it.

 

[mitch_connor]

I know my buddy Rudedog put some a few Auto's out in his green houses pretty early.. early march I think.

They kind of went in to a stasis of growing very slowly due to cold soil temps, but remember him saying recently they had picked back up.

I'll try and get more info, or get him to pop in here

 

[stealthcabber]

ya you could put a cold frame over that plot...you woulda done great i bet..nice expierement tho!

 

[RudeDog]

Just stumbled in.

I grew just the one plant. Like Mitch said it stopped growing and then picked up once the temps got up. I'm sure the static state was down to the soil temp.

I know if you are to grow potatoes in sacks then the soil temp needs to be warmer than cold for growth.

I also think the cold soil has had an effect on the plants ability to finish. Not getting much flower growth at all.

Soil temperature and frost protection from the off is the key for winter growing of autos outdoors.

I'm getting some heating in the greenhouse for all year growing not just herb either.

 

[CharlesDPaullen]

i had great results with some spyder autos i grew out in a tent in a garage with an average temp range of 35-50 degrees the entire run
yield suffered a bit, but i was quite impressed with the resilience of the plants