need some direction

[basspirate]

hey folks! just a couple quick questions, i would post this in the new growers section and if it needs to be moved, no problem---i've just noticed so much auto hate that i didn't want to get any little comments from the peanut gallery.

is there a definitive auto-grow how-to in here? i've been looking but can't quite find what i am looking for. i am just left pondering a couple things and maybe someone can shed some light on the subject for me.

first; should i plant autos in huge 3 gallon containers to start so they can have free range to stretch out roots or should i start them small and then transplant around day (##)?

secondly; i definitely want to make some f2s of my sour60. i can't believe how convenient it will be to have a complete harvest in this amount of time. it will really give me a good boost while training some of my other genetics i've got waiting to go. so my question is...

Can a male just be left to flower on a windowsill? does it need all that much light as a small amount of pollen seems to be able to provide more than i would need? will the quality be affected by a lower light level?

if i put the male under ~130 watts of cfls, will that be enough?

thanks for reading, sorry for the junior-scout questions, but I am still getting my wings. cheers folks!!

 

[mitch_connor]

hey basspirate - If you have the room to start them in big pots, most people will say to do it that way.

If you're running fem seeds thats the better way to do it I think.

I run regular auto seeds though, and run them in SOG's, so I usually start double the amount and a few extra to finish up with the right amount of girls for my cab.

Some people start there auto's in beer cups, then transplant when they see preflowers, I prefer 2 litre pop bottles cut down - they don't take up any more space than the cups, and you'll be surprised how quickly the roots find there way down to the bottom!

In cups I found the autos quickly used up the available nutrients in the soil! One thing you don't want to do is stunt your AF's in this critical seedling stage.

I'm sure other people will chime in to help you out further, but just giving you some food for thought on how I do it.

Males should do fine on a windowsill. I've also kept males in a wardrobe with just a single CFL light bulb on them (25w) for a couple of hours a day and they have produced pollen no problem.

If there isn't an auto guide for new auto growers, then there should be one

Good luck,
MC

 

[basspirate]

Thanks for the reply man, I definitely appreciate it. I'm also running regular seeds, so I am going to have some things to think about. I like the idea of 2L soda bottles-esp. sprite or mt. dew, ginger ale as i will be able to check out the root action without stressing anything.

My only problem with them, and you may be able to advise is that soil never wants to come out of those damn things...everything falls apart when i take it out....this really happens with the new style of bottles that have the contoured shape. I'll probably just run 4 for the first go to see what happens, but this should be interesting.

thanks again!!!

 

[mitch_connor]

Hi man no problem,

That can be the downside to using pop bottles, but i'll explain how I do it for you.

I transplant the day they show sex if I can, I give them a good watering and let them sit for 10 - 15 mins, I put the stem between my fingers and keep my hand over the open end and turn it upside down, pressing the container around the sides and on the bottom will free it up and it should come out.

However, I do abit of a raised transplant, where I will pot up into a 1 gallon square pot, so the plant is sitting 2-3 inches into the new pot so the roots have more volume to grow down into. Mdanzig did a thread on raised transplanting autos some time ago you may be able to find it through search..?

Because i do it raised transplanted style, I just cut off the bottom 2-3 inches of the pop bottle. It does require abit of care but it isn't too hard once you've done a couple. And it never appears to stress them.

If I could find tall thinnish pots off the shelf then I would use those, but pop bottles are cheap/free there are + and - points I guess but I'm sure you'll find a way that suits you.

I'm not sure where you are but 2 litre coke bottles, or tesco brand water bottles don't have funny shapes to them.. just straight sided, so that should make it easier if you wanted to remove plants from them completely.

I'll see if I can take a pic for you tomorrow, if what i've written isn't too clear.

 

[Muddy]

I grow autos from regular seeds also. I start them in 4" square by 5" deep pots. These are big enough for the first 3 weeks or so, until I can sex them. I know some people who use those big drink cups from Taco Bell and they seem to work fine also. Autos have a tap root so the deeper the pot the better.

Then the females are transplanted into 2 gallon pots for dwarfs and 3 gallon for supers. Males go back under my 175 watt MH veg light till I harvest the pollen. A window sill or the CFLs will work fine for the males. Won't get very big but still more than enough pollen.

 

[basspirate]

Come to think of it, I read some of that raised transplanting thread. That's a really neat idea, I am going to look into it for sure; as my first run will be a bit smaller, I want to definitely do anything I can to give them a little more elbow room/increase my yield.

I've already saved some soda bottles, I'm definitely going to give them a try. Super helpful information!!!

...now I just hafta save the last bit of cash before I go pick up the light!!