Basics of growing autoflowering in soil from seed to harvest | Fast buds (2023)

• 1. The best lights
• 2. The best soil mix
• 3. The best nutrients
• 4. germination
• 5. week 1
• 6. week 2
• 7. week 3
• 8. week 4
• 9. week 5
• 10. week 6
• 11. Week 7
• 12. week 8
• 13. week 9
• 14. week 10
• 15. harvest
• 16. Finally

An autoflower is a special type of cannabis created by mixing ruderalis genetics with itIndicaAndSativa. Over the years they have become autoflowersstrongerAndmore stableenough to be grown by both commercial and home growers. The biggest difference between autoflowering and photoperiod plants is that autoflowering plants start flowering regardless of floweringLight cycleprovided. Hence a18/6Light cycle from start to finish will work perfectly. Although autoflowers are easy to grow, it's best to learn the basics before you get started.

There are a number of different ways to grow autoflowering strains, including hydroponics and aquaponics. However, we will show you the best way to grow her in the most traditional growing medium of all: soil. Many growers mistakenly view soil as an inert substance that merely provides a place for roots to anchor plants to the ground. However, soils are living and dynamic environments teeming with billions of microbes that affect plant growth either positively or negatively. Biology aside, soils also have critical chemical and physical properties that support plant life; they hold water and nutrients, they have small air ducts that allow roots to breathe, and they have organic matter that nourishes microbial populations.

So you want to grow autoflowering cannabis in soil? But why grow autoflowers in the first place? Well, there are a number of important reasons. First, these strains are really fast. They develop from a young seedling to a mature plant ready for harvest in a matter of weeks. In addition, they maintain a compact and easy-to-manage structure throughout the growth phase. As you can see, these two traits combine to make all autoflowering strains very stealthy by nature. They areperfect for growers who want to keep a low profile, especially those living in areas where growing cannabis is not accepted by the legal system. But you don't have to strive for discretion to grow autoflowers. Ultimately, they are an excellent option for any grower looking for a harvest of strong and tasty buds as soon as possible.

So here's onestep by stepGuide to help you through the entire process of growing autoflowers in soil.

1. The best lights

When growing autoflowers indoors, light is a super factor, even if you're not growing in soilimportantPart of growing any type of plant, including cannabis plants, it is important that you know what is available and choose the one that best suits your grow setup. However, the type of light becomes meaningless if you don't properly adjust the intensity of the light used. A lack of light intensity can cause various problems. At the beginning of the growth cyclesub-optimal light conditions result in leggy seedlings that can affect plant shape and structure as they grow.In contrast, too much light can burn leaves and cause a grow area to get too hot. This leads to the fact that plants lose their tragedy, begin to wither and lose the ability to photosynthesize. In order to get your light intensity right, you need to achieve the right LUX or PPFD levels at certain growth stages.

As you probably remember from biology class, plants need light to survive. As autotrophs, they use a combination of water, carbon dioxide, and light energy to create their own food. If you really think about it, plants are literally eating the atmosphere. How? They use energy from the sun (or artificial light) to convert carbon dioxide and water into a carbonaceous sugar we all call glucose. Autoflowering cannabis plants use glucose for a number of physiological reasons. They use it as a source of energy, but also as a building block in their cellulosic tissue. Amazingly, however, plants send between 10% and 40% of the carbon they make through photosynthesis into the rhizosphere (the bit of space that covers the surface of plant roots). Why on earth are they treating such a valuable resource with this? Well, they use it to feed and breed microorganisms.

When growing autoflowering cannabis plants in soil, it helps to have a basic understanding of soil microbiology. Countless types of bacteria and fungi live in the soil. By pumping glucose from their roots, plants attract these organisms to the rhizosphere. Here they help to break down organic matter into plant-available nutrients. In addition, larger predators (like nematodes and protozoa) come along and feedbacteriaAndMushrooms, and poop out their nitrogen in a plant-available form.

With this in mind, it is extremely important to provide your autoflowering cannabis plants with a powerful light source that will allow them to produce as much sugar as possible. The sun does the perfect job outdoors. Indoors, you need to choose a strong light to push photosynthesis to optimal levels. Explore multiple options below.

HPS

High intensity light bulbs have been used since the beginning of indoor cannabis cultivation and are the most commontogetherLighting fixtures used for home growers due to their low cost and effectiveness.

Cannabis plants thrive under lightbulbs.

There are two main types of lightbulbs,metal halide(MH) andHigh Pressure Sodium(HPS), each of them is used in different stages of plant growth due to the emitted spectrum and the results are quite good. A few years ago LEDs weren't too good that growers didn't even think about using themHigh costsand because they weren't as good as they are today.

light-emitting diodes

LEDs have been around for a few years now, they weren't worth it at first, but they havedevelopeda lot and are considered the best these days not only by home growers but also by commercial growers. These lights can cost up to10x morethan incandescent bulbs, but emit a full spectrum, so despite the high price, you can get better results and higher yields that are ultimately worth it.

LEDs emit less heat and are easier to install, making them better suited for novice growers.

Obviously there are several brands and qualities, but most LEDs consume up to60%of energy and growers say their plants produce more trichomes, so depending on why you're growing and whether you can afford it, it's definitely a good choice.

Lights when growing outdoors

When growing autoflowers outdoors you can't choose a light, but luckily the sun is the best light source, although you don't have to worry about the light intensityspectrum, you need to make sure your plants get enough sunlight so they can develop properly and the buds can get nice and fat. However, things are not always that simple. When growing cannabis outdoors, you need to consider several factors to ensure they are getting enough light. If possible, transplant your specimens to a south-facing area of ​​the garden. Because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, a south-facing position receives the most sunlight during the day. By this logic, placing your plants in a north-facing position means that they will be in the shade for most of the day and therefore will not receive enough light for them to develop their full genetic potential.

Before placing your plants in an area of ​​your garden that gets as much sun as possible, however, you need to consider the type of climate you're growing in. Plants will thrive in the most exposed spot you can place them. However, if you live further south, such high sun exposure can end up doing more harm than good to plants, especially during droughts. Consider placing your plants in a spot that gets some shade in the afternoon. If this is not possible, you can use a shade cloth to protect your plants from excessive sun and heat during particularly hot and harsh weather periods in midsummer.

2. The best soil mix

When growing autoflowers in soil, there are several mixes that can improve the medium in which the roots grow. Depending on the conditions you are growing in, you may want to oxygenate your soil or provide more drainage so you can find severalAdditivewhich serve in different cases, but all will end up improving your soil and consequently plant growth.

We recommend a mixture of soil, perlite andCoconut phasesto provide adequate drainage and oxygenation, resulting in the best soil for autoflowers.

There are many high-quality sack soil and compost options on the market that help cannabis plants thrive in containers. Alternatively, outdoor growers can use the native soil in their gardens, provided it has a good profile. Soils that are mostly sand or silt provide good drainage and aeration, but do not retain nutrients very well, meaning they can wash away. Ideally, you should have a good amount of loam in your soil. This part of the soil has a negative electrical charge, meaning it holds onto positively charged cations like ammonium, calcium, magnesium and potassium - all vital plant nutrients. If you have relatively poor soil that lacks clay, you can supplement native soil with organic material like compost, which also has a negative electrical charge and holds even more cations than clay.

While these points are extremely important to successfully growing cannabis, any good grower will know that there is a lot more to know about soil. The ratio of sand, silt and clay plays a fundamental role when it comes to structure, aeration, drainage and cation exchange capacity. However,Soil organic matter is arguably the most important part of healthy soil. This fraction of soil consists of organic materials that are in various stages of decomposition. It consists largely of rotting plants that have completed their natural life cycle, or plants that growers have terminated and processed into compost or mulch.

Soil organic matter also includes manure, which is essentially plants that have passed through the digestive tract of animals such as cows, horses and chickens. These decomposing substances are packed with nutrients that enable cannabis plants to thrive, including the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients like boron, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, chlorine, and molybdenum. However,Unlike bottled synthetic nutrients, these compounds are locked up in decaying plants and are not immediately available to living plants. However, soil organic matter also includes living microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. These life forms break down the inanimate organic matter and release those nutrients for use by plants. What does that tell you? That when growing cannabis you should also carefully consider the life in your soil, not just the structural components, to get the best result when following organic methods.

3. The best nutrients

Nutrients are another crucial factor for cannabis growers, of which there are several brandssyntheticAndorganicNutrients that provide basically the same results but work differently and you should choose the best one based on your grow setup.

Synthetic Nutrients

Synthetic nutrients are basically artificial nutrientsextractedof minerals they contain a certain ratio ofmacroAndmicronutrients, which makes it easy to use, you just have to mix and pour. But the way they work is completely different than organic nutrients, while organic nutrients focus on maintaining a living soil, synthetic nutrients just feed itroots directlyTherefore, while it is easy to use, it is also easier to overfeed and cause deficiencies in your plants.

Synthetic nutrients are added to the soil in the form of ionic salts (ie they have an electrical charge). Once applied near plant roots, they are taken up directly by plant root hairs or the cations they contain bind to clay or organic material particles. Because synthetic nutrients work so quickly, they do an excellent job of treating nutritional deficiencies. However, because they are in mobile form, they can quickly leach out of poor quality soils that lack clay and organic matter. The administration of synthetic nutrients also skips the steps that convert organic matter into ionic nutrients (a process performed by microbes) and therefore does little to build a useful food web in the soil over time.

Organic vs Synthetic and how they work.

Organic Nutrients

On the other hand, organic nutrients are obtained from itliving springsand focus on keeping the beneficial microorganisms alive in the soil so they develop a symbiotic relationship with your cannabis plant. This way your plant feeds them and in return gets more water and nutrients to absorb when they need it.

Organic matter simply refers to anything that once lived. This can include mulches such as wood chips, hay, straw, manure, and plant debris. All of these substances contain varying amounts of carbon, nitrogen and other elements and nutrients. When applied to the soil, microbes usually start the decomposition process and boost the nutrient cycle. Fungi and bacteria perform digestion outside of their own bodies by secreting enzymes that break the bonds between complex molecules (polymers) and convert them into simpler chemicals (monomers). As these microbes consume the nitrogen from these materials, they immobilize it in their bodies and prevent it from being washed out. When they die or are eaten by predators, they release nitrogen in the plant-available forms of ammonium and nitrates. Adding organic matter to your soil means nutrients take longer to reach plants, but those nutrients feed beneficial soil life and actually stay in and around the rhizosphere.

Well, organic nutrients can be pretty expensive, but they're pretty easy to getdo at home, it may take time and you will need to learn how to do it properly, but there are several ways to make your own organic nutrients that will not only save you money, but you will also learn a lot about cannabis plants and the nutrients they contain need to contain.

DIY organic nutrients

great earth

great earthis a technique used to make your ownchange in advanced soil that contains everything to nourish your autoflower from seed to harvest, this method consists of only watering your plants to help the microorganisms break down the nutrients and make them available for your plants to absorb and grow place.

Well, there is no super soil for autoflowers, as long as you do it right you can use them to growany shapethe plant!

composting

compostingis very similar to making super soil, but is usually made from the leftovers of food left after cooking and basically consists of burying themleftover remnantsIn moist soil, this activates microbial life and provides nutrients for your plants. You can also add worms to speed up the process. It's a super effective technique called vermicompost. Composting is an easy and free way to add fertility to your grow space. When you compost, you're essentially turning kitchen and garden waste into black gold that's packed with nutrients and microbes. It's a simple process, but things can go wrong if you don't know what you're doing. When starting a compost pile, the most important thing to keep in mind is a balance between green and brown ingredients. Green composting materials are high in nitrogen and include grass clippings, food scraps, coffee grounds and manure. Brown materials are high in carbon and include dead leaves, cardboard, and wood shavings.

Composting consists of breaking down food scraps to feed your plants.

When building a compost pile, you must aim for 50% green materials and 50% brown materials. You should also layer green and brown materials on top of each other as you build up your stack. A balance of these two types of materials will help maintain ventilation and drainage and keep things from becoming anaerobic. These also feed on different types of microbes. Beneficial bacteria have an appetite for green materials, while fungi prefer carbon-rich brown composting ingredients. There are also two different ways to compost: hot and cold. Hot composting produces usable compost within a few weeks and requires growers to add all of their ingredients to their pile at once. This leads to a sharp increase in microbial activity, which breaks things down faster. You'll need to turn your stack over once every few days to air out to keep things from getting too hot, which can kill good microbes. Cold composting, on the other hand, takes up to a year or more and involves slowly adding materials to a pile as you have them available.

KNF

KNFis another way to get minerals from plants and vegetables, but unlike super soil and composting, it consists of fermenting the vegetation, which contains the nutrients your plant needs for each stage.

With this technique you will end up with some liquids that are suitable for youvegetative Phase,Blütephase, others that act as natural pesticides, and natural sources of calcium and magnesium that are used like synthetic liquid fertilizers but are completely organic.

KNF consists of fermenting certain vegetables, fruits or plants to produce nutrients for your cannabis.

So toStartTo grow autoflowers in soil you will need:

• Good quality autoflowering seeds
• Potting soil with equal parts peat moss or coco peat/coir, compost, perlite, vermiculite (optional) or a commercial potting mix
• Use cloth pots with a capacity of at least 12 liters.
• Good quality lights like HPS or LED or at least 12 hours of sunlight if you plan to grow outdoors. Use CFLs during the seedling phase
• Nutrients for the vegetation and flowering phase.

4. Germination

Germinating cannabis seeds is fairly easy. You can sow the seedsstraight into the pot, but if you don't have much experience or are impatient like the rest of us, soak the seeds in plain water for 24 hours. It's common to see a tiny taproot after a day of soaking, but it's okay if you don't see it.

Many growers use nail files to gently scratch the surface of the seeds, but don't do this unless you're fairly new. A scratch on the seed coat allows water to seep into the shell and the seed develops a taproot faster. Place the seeds in damp paper towels for2-3 daysuntil you see long taproots. The next step is to plant seeds in their final containers and wait for them to penetrate the soil.

Here is a short video to help you germinate:

The best way to start your autoflowering seed.

5th week 1

The first week is extremely crucial for autoflowers. it is important, thatNOTDo not use fertilizers at the seedling stage as the plants are very tender. You risk burning them and a single mistake could prove very costly later. The seedling will have two cotyledons (sometimes 3) that are almost round when they just emerge.

There are various products that can be used for seedlings but they are not necessary as they are fine even if left alone. At this point you can usecompact fluorescent lampsorfluorescent lightsto ensure that the seedlings do not burn under strong light.

LSD-25 in week 1 of growth throughStinkfuchs.

However, many growers are spurring this on by adjusting the spacing between the lights and the seedlings so that a single LED light is used for the entire cycle from seed to harvest. Water the seedlings sparingly when the pots are almost dry.overhydrationor under-watering the seedlings can either stunt or kill them, so it is recommended that you only water when the plant needs it.

The seedlings will develop at least two leaves apart from theGerm leavesend of week 1

6th week 2

You can use quarter strength nutrients once the seedling is happy with at least two leaves. At this point, continue to use quarter-strength nuts, but adjust themPH valueand maintain the range of 5.8 to 6.5 at all times. Some growers use half strength, but that depends on how big the plant has grown.

The plant continues to grow healthily into week 2.

If you see more than 3 to 4 knots in week 2, use half strength Nutes. Monitor the plants carefully to spot themlockoutordefects. As always, only water the plants when the pot is almost dry. Move the lights closer to the plant if it starts to get too lanky.

7th week 3

Now that the plant is at week 3, use the nutrients at full strength. Some plants like LSD-25, for example, need a lot of nutrients, while others don't need too much. "Less is more” So when it comes to nutrients in autoflowers, only use nutrients at full strength if the plants have responded positively up until now.

Autoflowering plants recover quickly when given fewer nutrients; However, they become stunted when an overdose occurs. Watch the plantscarefullyfor signs of imperfections and water as needed.

Plant continues to grow healthily.

If the plant has more than4-5 knots, you can “beat” it or use the FIMming technique. Both methods require you to cut off the top of the plant to allow for more colas. The lights must be at least 20 inches from the top of the plant; However, reducing it to 18 inches is fine, especially if the plants are stretching.

8th week 4

Now that the plant is a month old, it is growing very vigorously when healthy. Use nutrients at full strength now. It's a good idea to start with training techniques such asLSTin week 4, but if the plant has grown more than expected, you can start at the end of week 3.

Cannabis shows signs of its gender.

Most autoflowers will reveal their gender by week 4, but some may not. Keep watering the plants and feeding nutrients intended for the plantsvegetative Phase. If you're using a two-part commercial nutrient solution, only take the "grow" part with youmicronutrientsmust be used.

9. week 5

You will see more pistils now, start using the bloom nutrients you will deliverPhosphorAndPotassiumwhich will help your plant produce flowers and fatten them up once it starts doing so.

Cannabis begins to turn purple in week 5.

Water as usual and check for defects. It's also a good idea to check the undersides of the leaves to spot themspider mites. Of course, this must be done right from week 1 to prevent pest infestation. Start preparing for training techniques like ScrOG to get more returns.

10. week 6

The plant can now start to stretch like crazy, by which time you should already be feeding Bloom nutrients. Always remember to use products like CalMag or anything that provides good amounts of itcalciumAndMagnesium.

Trichomes begin to appear.

You should be using CalMag from the start, but now that the plant is preparing its buds, micro and macro nutrients are even more important. If you use lightbulbs, make sure you use morered lightduring the flowering phase.

11. week 7

Continue using Bloom Nutes throughout the 7th week. Other products intended for buds can be used right from thepre-floweringStage.

Buds take shape.

The lower parts of the plant also need light, so manage the plants with training techniques like thatparty favorsMethod. The plants stop stretching and are now fully focused on the buds.

12th week 8

Water as needed and just keep the plants happy. Depending on the strain, your grow tent will smell pretty strong. It is best to usecarbon filterto mask the smell as much as possible.

Buds begin to fatten.

If you can't afford it or fit acarbon filterindoors (or if you're growing outdoors).odor neutralizersor resort to itcompanion plantingwhich consists in having several aromatic plants that help mask the smell of cannabis.

13th week 9

The leaves can beginGelbslightly, but they shouldn't fall off completely. It's natural and you can continue to use Bloom nutrients and other supplements.

This happens because your plant knows it has italmost finishedproduce flowers and soon she will die.

14th week 10

It is important to now check the color of the stamps. You should start now at the latestrinsewhich consists in providing plenty of water to remove salt deposits in the soil.

For example, if you are using a 5 gallon pot, start flushing with 15 gallons of water to force the nutrients up off the bottom. Most of the leaves will be yellow now, but that's entirely to be expected. Rinsing also improves thattaste goodthe buds largely.

LSD-25 fromStinkfuchsvon Grow Diaries.

Some growers don't bother to flush, but it's necessary to prevent a harsh taste when you smoke the buds. Of course, curing the buds takes care of the toughness, but rinsing shouldn't be ignored. At least keep rinsing2-3 daysto eliminate the salts.

Harvesting the buds has a lot to do with personal choices. For example, some growers harvest when at least60%the trichomes are amber in color. Waiting too long for everyoneTrichomeWhen she turns amber, buds are produced that are very sedative.

On the other hand, if you harvest too early, when most of the pistils are white, you will get buds that are very psychoactive. Therefore, wait until 60 percent of the trichomes are amber. To be safe, use aLupeto check if 60-70% of the trichomes are cloudy.

15th harvest

Go ahead and harvest the buds with clean and sterilized scissors. Let the buds continue to grow on the lower parts of the plant if they are too small. If you harvest one after the other, you will get a better yield.dryAndcurethe buds is a very important part of the process.

Beautiful purple buds fromUK auto.

So that's pretty much exactly how to grow autoflowers from seed to harvest. It is obvious that you needhigh quality seedto go through the cycle without problems.

16. Finally

Growing autoflowers in soil is an inexpensive and effective way to grow cannabis. With a combination of the right genetics, nutrients, and growing conditions, you can successfully obtain top-notch bud with minimal effort.

If soil is your preferred medium, then feel free to share tips and tricks with other growers, leave a comment in the comments section below!