No More Autos, thanks 👍

[Steven]

Why I’m Done with Autos
(And Why Photos are King)

Hey everyone,
I’m making it official. I am completely done growing autoflowers. They are clumsy, stubborn, unforgiving little divas, and I’m switching back to photoperiods permanently.
Here is exactly why autos are a waste of your time, space, and electricity.

1. The Core Difference:
   Teamwork vs. An Unpauseable Panic Attack
   Growing a plant should be a partnership where you are the boss. With photoperiods, it is. With autos, you are dealing with a plant that has severe time-management anxiety.
   Photoperiods (Photos): We are a team. The plant stays in the leafy vegetative stage until I decide it is ready. If it needs more time to get big and strong, I give it more time. I flip the light switch to 12/12 when we are both ready to make buds.
   Autoflowers (Autos): These clumsy things run on an unpauseable countdown timer. The second the seed pops, a 30-day alarm clock starts ticking. It doesn’t care if it’s healthy, sick, big, or small—when that alarm goes off, it starts flowering.
2. The Logic Flaw: Why Breed a Defective Plant?
   Let’s look at this logically. If a standard photoperiod plant randomly starts flowering on its own under 18 hours of light, any grower will tell you something is wrong with it. It’s defective. It’s a genetic glitch.
   So why are we actively buying seeds specifically bred to copy an unstable, unpredictable genetic defect?
   The biggest lie in the grow community is that autos are “good for small spaces.” Think about it:
   If you want a small plant, you don’t need a ticking clock.
   Just grow a photo, let it get to the exact small size you want, and flip the lights to 12/12.
   Boom. Done. You get a perfect mini-plant, but you controlled the timing, not a broken gene.
3. One Minor Mistake = A Ruined Harvest
   Autoflowers have absolutely zero chill. If you make a small mistake with a photo plant, like overwatering or messing up the nutrients, it gets stressed and pouts for a few days. Because you control the timer, you just wait a week for it to heal before switching to the budding stage. No harm done.
   If you make that exact same mistake with an auto, it spends its short 3-week childhood trying to heal instead of growing. While it’s throwing a tantrum, the alarm clock is still ticking. Before it can recover, the timer runs out, and it forces itself into flower while it’s still the size of a teacup.
   How Photos Handle a Mistake: You overwater Plant pouts for 4 days​You fix the mistake Plant recovers Huge Harvest.
   How Autos Handle a Mistake: You overwater Plant pouts for 4 days Alarm clock rings Plant flowers as a 4-inch stick Sad Harvest.
4. They Hate Being Managed
   Autos force you to walk on eggshells, whereas photos let you actually enjoy the hobby and train your plants like a man​.
   No Pruning: If I cut the top off a photo (topping), it grows back twice as bushy​. If I try to top an auto, the sheer shock stunts it for days, completely ruining the yield because it doesn’t have time to recover.
   No Room for Error with Roots: Accidentally let the roots get a little tight​? A photo bounces right back when repotted​. An auto will panic​, think it’s dying​, and immediately start flowering out of fear​, leaving you with a single bud on a stick​.
   The Free Plant Theft: I can take cuttings (clones) from my favorite photo plant and grow a hundred free copies of it forever​. If I take a cutting from an auto, that tiny clone inherits the exact same ticking clock. A two-inch cutting will literally try to grow a single, microscopic bud right away. It’s totally useless​.
5. The Financial Roast (The Electricity Math)
   Let’s talk about the electricity bill, because keeping an auto under heavy lights for its whole life is a terrible financial deal.
   Autoflower Flowering Stage: Really requires 20 hours of power every single day from seed to harvest just to get a decent yield. That is a massive, non-stop power draw for a small harvest.
   Photoperiod Flowering Stage: Requires only 12 hours of power every day. That is 8 hours less electricity used every single day during the heaviest, most expensive part of the grow​.
   You are burning way less power during the bloom phase with a photo, yet you walk away with three to four times the amount of buds​. Autos make you pay premium electricity prices for a miniature harvest.
6. The “Auto Recovery” Myth (Stop Wasting Your Time)
   We have all seen the forum threads where people try to “save” a stunted, clumsy auto. Let’s call it what it is: a complete waste of time. You might as well toss it and start over.
   When an auto gets shocked in week two, it stops growing. By week four, it triggers flower anyway​. You end up with a plant that looks like a 6-inch Charlie Brown Christmas tree​. Guys will spend weeks feeding, watering, and burning electricity on a ruined auto just to harvest a single gram of airy bud​.
   If a photo gets sick early on, I don’t have to throw it away or live with a tiny plant. I just leave it in the vegetative room for two extra weeks. It fixes itself, grows huge, and still gives me a massive harvest​. Photos respect my time; autos waste it.
   Conclusion
   I’m done walking on eggshells for a plant that rewards my hard work with a single nugget of bud and a high power bill. I’m sticking to photoperiods where I am the boss​, the plants have a backbone​, and the yields are actually worth the effort​.
   
   

[Treebeard]

I think you’ve just perfectly explained why auto seeds are only worth a fraction of what regular seeds are going for. It’s not that I don’t want to grow them, but if I have to pay 6-10 dollars a seed I’m going with something I only have to buy once. That being said, it would be nice to stick a couple autos out in the garden for a staggered harvest. Have you been satisfeid with the potency of autos, or do you notice a diference?

[Steven]

I do think they are a “light” version of the original, kinda like beer

[TruBluGrower420]

@Steven Lol well that is extremely good to know and I am very happy that I was able to at least relieve you of that burden of those autos really I am very appreciative of it but also the info help dramatically too so hey you might have just convinced me to go to photos as well I’ll see how it goes though and of course all you guys will be watching as well as I’m doing so cuz like we discussed it early on about a week or so ago you asked me which one I preferred and as a new grower still that’s the part that like I said I’m not sure yet so this would be my test right here and you just might have another photo homie on your side

[KeepemGreen]

I agree. Autos are like a box of chocolate, you never know what you will get. The only thing most are good for is getting to have some flower to look at while the photos are vegging.
There have been maybe 2 that’s been alright. One was given to me by a friend who wanted me to get into autos. It was called blue pyramid. Grew great, nice smoke, but it was the blueberry taste that made it. There was one more that hit like a photo. Actually got more seeds, halfed with that friend, he grew a huge auto from the seeds, mine were straight male. The guy said “Sorry about your luck” so he has never got another dollar from me. Never will.
They are fun to play around with, but not worth what they sell for. 10 seeds out of the same pack will give you 10 different types (most of the time) , characteristics, and like I said, Ive had only 1 out of 100s that came close to the féel of a photo.
I still like to grow them though, small outdoor, secretive , quick , they can be grown and done B4 the thieves and others start looking for them or indoor while vegging photos. If I have to pay for seeds though it’s going to be for photos. 1 can make 100. You can make your own seeds from photos also. Photos will give ya 10xs the harvest. (Usually)
Autos have their place in grows and growing but they are not center stage. I’ll grow them if I happen to be gifted some or win any. I enjoy messing with them. Like B4 , I have a 50/50 chance they will grow good and more importantly be good afterwards. I’d rather have the 100% chance of getting what I want with photos though.

[Mrgji7]

I agree with everything you said .I was sent Blue Dream auto Green Crack auto and gorilla zkittles auto the green Crack two out of five seeds germinated one died days after the leafs broke thru the soil the other was a male, the blue dream only reached bout knee high and started the budding cycle its almost ready to harvest . I just put a gorilla zkittle in to see how it’ll do .

But I got a couple autos by mistake I wont make that mistake again. AND I’m a forty year Grower that thought I had made every mistake possible and experienced bout everything you could do good or bad from over watering to killing with kindness to having a couple that were even morphidites. BUT these auto so far haven’t been worth the cost time or space to grow.

[MrNice]

I’ve only done a few autos, and not for years. Wasn’t impressed but latest stuff does look to be improving. Breeders and seedbanks obviously like them because you can’t clone so more repeat customers.
I don’t see an advantage to them unless you need the auto trait. Outdoors it means you can have an early crop to beat poor weather or 2 crops in longer seasons, can’t think of any benefit indoors.

[Stemsnapper617]

The autos are pretty tricky for sure and maybe just running them along with photos is the best solution in a mother room the light need rest and the soil and plants do too!

[TruBluGrower420]

OMG thank you so much I love it I love it I love it @Steven and I already put it in my little grow space there how’s it look… I’m trying to upload the pictures now it’s just taking forever

[Steven]

Glad you got it can’t wait to see what you can do with it

[Dogfart77]

You hit the nail on the head. If I am going to invest time, money etc is phot for me​

[StrawberryBanana]

C’mon man really, and what about all those beautiful plants around, my self I had both, buds on a sticky, and some good sized plants.

Autos are another specie of the same plant, both having pros and cons, I like photos and you covered well their pros…

So autos, they will eat ferts light and grow very rapid, for 45 days from seed, not seedling, from seedling you have only 30 daye, clock is running, if things are not tunned in, they don’t grow right, I1m not telling is not big, saying is not right, even little if they have multiple branchs, it will work, using silica is mandatory.

See, if you get an auto to 30cm with multiple branch, is enough, she will get to 70cm by harvest time, will not be giant, but will be good.
Now, if you make only 15 or 20 cm with little vegetal mass, changes are you’re gonna get stickys…

And is goes on, those are just basic comparission, maybe autos are not for your style, and by matter of fact, they are’nt fotos, they are their own thing, same plant diff genectics, like we have all birds, they are dinossaurs, same plant, diferent branch on evolution three.

Peace brother.

[Marc]

Hi and welcome​That’s a good point. Have fun looking around and feel free to ask if you have any questions about growing. If you have any questions about this forum send @marc_seedsman or @james_seedsman a direct message

[MrNice]

So is industrial Hemp but most people don’t bother growing those varietals in tents either