Transplant stress, the silent crippler of autoflowers

[Northcountryguy]

The magic of autoflowers is, they bloom, whether you’re ready or not.

That can make even mild transplant stress trigger stress reactions that are virtually impossible to undo, because autoflowers, like time and tide, wait for no root.

Exhibits one, two, and three. Autoflowers, blueberry flavor, sisters out of the same order.
All three germinated after soaking, sprouted without incident, looked great. Transplanted at sixteen days, and UH OH!, the soil was too dry, crumbly, and there was some mild root damage to two of the three.
Number one came through perfectly. Number two and three had mild damage, and lower leaves yellowed off soon afterward. Three was the worst, losing a couple lower leaves outright.

At 37 days above ground, nineteen days since transplant, number three is ahead of the others, showing white hairs and the beginnings of a stretch. Number one, the happy, healthy transplant, is a squat little bush that still seems the picture of health, and is at least a week behind the rough and tumble number three. Number two is in between, both in the stress effects immediately, and any residual effects now.
If my last grow is guide, the rough starting seedling stretched like crazy, but the squat bush brought the weight to the scale.

I should note, all three have only had some mild LST to stimulate secondaries, released at first signs of flower. That’s got all of them hobbled.

[Northcountryguy]

Update:
Took the girls out for some light grooming and a twirl for the camera.

Number one, winner of the best transplant award, is still big and healthy, although she is a week or two behind her sisters. A sheltered upbringing, no doubt.

Numero dos, the tall, gangly thing that endured mild transplant stress, is still looking a bit lean, threatening to end larfy.

And number three, that scrappy, back alley looking thing that got roughed up during transplant? She is short, but bringing the weight, although number one is gaining on her.

At a day short of nine weeks, the prematurely aged number three has the least time ahead of it.

Plan is to run each as long as I dare, basically until they stop drinking or show heavy amber trichomes.

But it’s looking like transplant stress is a factor, though confounding. It seems to trigger early flower.

[pc420 (Patricia m Carlson)]

they look really good ,I just got done / well their not done yet but they have about another week ,on 3 of my girl’s the others prob. a week longer ,your girls flowers look nice & big !

[Northcountryguy]

Thanks. And another week (one day short of ten weeks above ground). The stumpy number three, roughed up in transplant, still only 17” tall, looking pretty good with some decent flower.

Number one, the transplant prince, a decent 23” with some healthy flowers,

As before, number two is somewhere in between.

I’ll admit I’m pretty proud of the way they’re coming along. Two of them looked pretty rough at transplant. It’s interesting when two or three sisters, given as equal treatment as possible will vary, and the trick is teasing out why. It’s not always clear.

Though they’re actually pretty small plants, they’re looking like they’ll bring decent harvest numbers. Of course like everyone, I’m working on my technique, figuring out what works and what is too much effort for the results, etc.
I’m working with a 27”x27”x63” tent, spider farmer sf1000, 100w dimmable LED run wide open at reasonable range throughout. Tap water, fox farms ocean forest, the liquid trio dosed lightly, etc.

The shortest girl is a week or more ahead of the others. I’m gonna run them until they stop drinking, or the trichomes are half amber, whichever comes first. Having a dedicated drying box means I can grow and dry at the same time, rather than forced to chop all at once.
As it is, my next crop went through some blind man changes. I knocked over a rack of three small pots with germinated seeds in them. It happened at night, when my glaucoma is worst, so I just scooped the spill into the pots, figuring them a loss. All three eventually sprouted, in the same small pot. Gonna be magic transplant attempt when the time comes. For the moment, they’re in the nursery.