Autos not flowering

[laf6502 (Robert)]

So I decided to try some Autos this year. I germinated one OG Kush, one Bubble Gum, and one Cream. The cream as already been sh.t canned and the Bubblegum is growing like a runt.

They were germinated on 3/15/22. Neither or the two remaining have started flowering. I just put them in a small flower tent with some room… Not sure if the light cycle change will help or just stress the autos.

The OG Kush is coming along nice other than not flowering and we’ll see how much longer I keep the bubblegum.

Could the OGK be a photo? … Seems like flowering should have started. I did HST against recommendations on Autos but now im glad I topped or she would be 2.5 feet already. I just watered today as they were pretty dry. I grow organic and water my photos daily to every two days with no run off. Should I water the autos the same or keep wet to dry on the autos? Should I crank up some PK? Too much nitrogen to flower? Just not sure and don’t have experience with autos.

OGK germ 3.15

![IMG_9486.HEIC|375x500](upload

Bubble Gum ru germ 3.15

[MDBuds]

@laf6502 autos flower based purely on hormones and hormone production is directly affected by nutrient uptake and enzyme production.

In organic grows autos can take easily 6-8 weeks to flower (sometimes up to 10 in my experience but most will begin flowering by week 8) and will flower for 6-8 weeks after that.

This is because unlike hydro organic soil requires a healthy microbial population to break down nutrients and make them soluble which can make organic growing slower than hydroponics with salts.

To account for this using microbes and inoculates can help speed up the rate of growth and induce flowering quicker.

Based on how your plants look though the new growth is showing some calcium deficiency which may be why they aren’t flowering yet. Calcium is essential for creating the enzymes and hormones needed for plants to reach sexual maturity and begin flowering. If these are low or not being processed properly the plant will grow more slowly and be slower to flower. Autos need more calcium than photos.

To speed up growth and to help get them to flower I’d suggest doing a microbe drench and feeding with a calcium supplement. I personally like gypsum or oyster shell flour. Once it starts to break down and the plant starts taking it up you’ll see some explosive growth right before it goes into flower.

[MDBuds]

@laf6502

[laf6502 (Robert)]

Cool thanks for the info… Just more patience then. Interesting it seems the nutrient application on autos may be more critical early on then? Im surprised she’s calcium def as she has been getting molasses every other week. I try to keep the microbes active but it is tough when watering wet to dry so I do add them in every other watering… Maybe need every time?

Based on what you said…would a pre amended soil for the autos be better in the future? The OGK is a strong grower…And looks just like the OG photos I’ve grown. Just top dressed both and todays water included kelp and about 1tbsp/gal of molasses aerated for over 24hrs and super foamy when I watered. I don’t alter PH but I do check and was 6.1. For nutes I use Gaia Green and it seems like it can take a while to kick in on my photos… Top dressing included (per gal of media) 3 Tbsp worm castings, 0.5 Tbsp 4-4-4, 1.5 Tbsp 2-8-4. I just do it like I do the photos for the transition amendment. Should I still drop the oyster shell on her or give it a few days to see if the molasses can provide it to her? Also I live in the mountains and have well water.

For future autos Im thinking of using 50/50 happy frog - ocean forrest, worm castings and about 10% extra perlite to adjust for added density of worm castings… That has worked for photo seedlings for me in the past but is that hot enough for auto? Can an auto seedling take 100% ocean forrest? Or fill the bottom half of the pot in Ocean forrest and top half in Happy Frog might be better. It throws me off as usually I will amend for first time when I transplant out of 1.5 gal pots and then again right before transitioning to flower… but with the autos I just dropped the seeds in the 3gallon pots and only the initial amendments. Honestly I think it would have been easier to sprout in a dixie and transplant in two weeks. The germination in a 3 gal pot tested my patience and is very hard to water and maybe part of the problem with the bubblegum auto.

[MDBuds]

@laf6502 your feed is good. Autos just grow so fast that the biology has trouble keeping up so even though the nutrients are there they aren’t soluble and need to be broken down. You can compensate for that by a larger soil volume, using teas, or as previously stated microbe inoculations.

As far as the microbes a weekly inoculation is my go to just to keep them going and I try not to let the soil dry out completely as well. I still cycle wet to “dry” but my dry isn’t bone dry. Just dry up to my first knuckle.

[GrnyGrows]

@MDBuds

I’d suggest doing a microbe drench

As always, insane information. What is a microbe drench? Should use CalMag regularly – or only when we see deficiency?

[GrnyGrows]

I’m using a mix of OF+HF+Pearlite – and so far so good. I’ve been using peat pods for seeds/seedlings – then right into my 5 gal pots. But, I have no idea what I’m doing. But, you’ve got the doctor in the house. @MDBuds will keep you on the straight and narrow.

[GrnyGrows]

@MDBuds

As far as the microbes a weekly inoculation is my go to just to keep them going and I try not to let the soil dry out completely as well.

OK – so what is the recipe for a microbe inoculation? Do you need inoculation if you’re using a nutrient system like HGCC’s standard pack?

[laf6502 (Robert)]

I usually use kelp, molasses and aerated water. I don’t like adding a bunch a stuff if I don’t have too. As long as you are getting a lot of foam (not bubbles) then the proteins are separating and the microbes are alive and ripe and ready to get to work. I will add organic concentrated castings and guano if they need interim nutrients.

The kelp gets it all going, the unsulphured molasses gets you the cal-mag as well as many other benefits if growing organic. If they are hungry then just add some worm castings. Pretty simple, safe, and very effective. Nothing in there is going to screw your plant.

[laf6502 (Robert)]

Next autos… I think that is the best option Grnygrows. The peat pod would have fixed one of my problems. Or I will just germ in the solo cup and transplant within two-three weeks.

Not sure why I was told to not transplant on an auto? Ive never had a plant that wasn’t perked back up and growing again the same day. I see benefit of transplanting even for autos and really very minimal risk or downside. You are going to form a better initial root ball and you can care for the roots directly. If the plant flowered within three weeks I would probably cull it anyways.

[MDBuds]

@GrnyGrows you can make a microbe tea or use a microbe mix. A microbe drench is just a root drench with microbes. Pretty much just water it in as you would a feed but fully saturate the soil.

Yes though, even with using an organic dry nutrient line you will need microbes.

The tea @laf6502 suggested is an easy simple recipe and one I’ve personally used. Kelp, molasses, and worm castings will usually give you a good microbe rich tea with a good npk boost to keep everything going between feedings and top dressings.

If you don’t want to use teas I personally like to use a dry mix called mikrobs that’s pretty good.

[MDBuds]

@laf6502 it’s because if you transplant too late they’ll stunt and flower early. The second autos get root bound genes activate to make it flower so timing is crucial. Transplanting by week 3 before the roots bind just as you have been doing is exactly how it should be done. If you leave them in any longer they’ll be stunted after transplant and pretty much go straight into flower. I have a few examples I can show of what happens when you transplant autos late. I’ll get some photos tomorrow and share them.

[GrnyGrows]

I’m excited. I think I’d prefer the dry mix to making the tea – just for ease. Checking it out. Thanks Doc.
Look forward to the stunted plant photos.

[laf6502 (Robert)]

Ok thanks. That makes sense. I am the ultimate micro manager of my tents so a plant would never make it to being root bound.

I like to transplant as early as possible. I will just transplant to the 3 or 5 gal pot instead of the 1.5 gal for photos.

[laf6502 (Robert)]

Here they are after the drench a couple days later. The bubblegum looks like its starting to come along and the OG is growing as usually and I will probably do some light defol. I did add a little extra molasses for the cal/mag.

[MDBuds]

First photo is two transplanted a week late. Second is transplanted at week 2.

[MDBuds]

@laf6502 they look great man. Looks like that early stage calcium deficiency is clearing right up and I’m already seeing new growth on them. They’ll be flowering soon. That one on the right looks like it’s starting the preflower stretch.

[laf6502 (Robert)]

Yeah big difference… Still look like some dank buds on them… The little squat one with the fat cola is crazy… That tops gotta be 20grams.

[MDBuds]

@laf6502 I’ll weigh it up at harvest but yeah it’s looking like about 1 Oz by itself wet so that one there will probably be a 1/4 Oz bud when dry. The whole plant is just one fat bud.

[laf6502 (Robert)]

Im gonna bet 1/2 oz dry on that top. Ive only got my blueberry badazz OG left for this cycle and it will hopefully come down next week… so im jealous of your tent right now. That plant was kind of an afterthought and got thrown in to flower early as I had no where else to put it… Didn’t grow well as a seedling and has super skinny arms. I only top dressed it once prior to flower and the rest of the time only molasses and worm castings. It doesn’t have the baseball bats on it from the last time I grew that strain but the nugs are huge and sticky and smells like blueberry heaven with a hint of some sweet kush… Its been duck taped at the main stem for 3 weeks now as I accidentally broke it… I think I will easy pull 60-70 grams dry off 6 stems and I just about threw it out… You never know what you’re gonna get.