Photo grower looking to start growing autos

[krackerwhacker]

Hey guys,

I've been growing for a few months and have a decent setup for my photoperiod plants but I'm interested in giving Autos a try.

I ordered some Barneys Farm Sweet Tooth from attitude seed bank and they arrived today.

2 questions..

1. I've read that I should just have them in a 20/4 cycle for the full life span, but I'd prefer to not have to completely move over to autos or having to create a third room for them. Is there a way I can just keep my autos on the same cycle as my Veg photo plants, or is that really going to diminish the returns?

2. I only have 3 feminized seeds and I know I cant clone autos - so how do I perpetuate a plant to seed as well as bud? Or should i grow the first few plants to seed to gain a supply, then start budding them? And how do I make them seed without a male?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Schmokin]

Hi KrackerWhacker
I'll try and answer your questions.
1. If your veg is on 18/6 then I can't see a problem. Because autos aren't photoperiod they should just grow. Obviously then, the more light they get the more they grow. Some people stop short of 24/0 because of fear of stressing the plant. Most seedbanks recommend 20/4, although I have seen 18/6 recommended before and seen them grown on 18/6 myself. So I think they would go OK at even less than 18/6, but with diminishing returns. If your veg room is 18/6 they will be fine.

2. I don't see how you can do this. For me, one of the problems with autos is that you are unable to propogate your own new stock. Without a male you will be unable to produce seeds. You could get a male of a different strain and try breeding, but I would find the thought of messing about with those ruderalis auto genetics quite daunting. It would be interesting to see or hear of it happening. But it's not for me. My experience is that with autos, you just have to keep buying the seeds.

Maybe someone else has an idea here....?

[krackerwhacker]

Hey Schmokin, thanks so much for the help.

Based on how much the seeds cost I'm going to have to try and cross-breed them to at least get SOME returns. Does EVERYONE just keep buying seeds? That seems crazy expensive.

I've read a few places about adding silver nitrate to some branches so that they change sex and pollinate the plant - is that what's referred to as a hermaphrodite plant? Is that recommended, or does it cause issues with it?

I'm thinking that just crossing it with a similar style photo and maybe try to breed the auto out of it.

Anyone else with some more insight?