I’m far from an authority on AFs but here’s what Ive picked up here:
Five gallon fabric bags are fine. They breathe.
I usually transplant from biodegradable 3"pots. Nice low stress approach.
I’d recommend Mega Crop one. Simple and effective.
18/6 seems like a reasonable way to go. There’s no consensus on this.
You can top at the fifth node or bend the plant over to disrupt the apical dominance. This forces the lower branches to grow out and develop more bud sites.
We need a bit more info ie your medium. Soil? Coco? Tent size? Wattage?
If you don’t have lights, talk to @AutoGrowerMo he builds lights and knows his stuff.
#1 mistake isOverfeeding and Overwatering. Fresh soil doesn’t need feeding just yet. When feeding start with ½ strength nutrients and make sure there is good drainage. Watch pH. 5.8-6.2 depending on medium.
#2mistake isDoing Too Much. Especially as a beginner! Stick with simple training your first grow. As you learn the plant you will add more techniques and know when to apply them.
Opinions vary. I usualy grow autos on 18/6 but have done 20/4. Heat is a factor in my tent.
Some people do 24 hours but honestly I thinkthey need a dark period.
Pot size. Depends largely on strain. Big plants need big roots. Size of space, environment, plant count…
I tend to grow 3-4 small to medium plants in a 3x3 so I use 2 or 3 gal bags of coco. I used 3 and 5 gallon when I grew in soil.
I sprout seeds in starter cubes and when I see roots at the bottom I put them in their final pot. Autos are on a fixed schedule meaning they don’t have much time to recover from transplant.
Most techniques to maximize yield involve stress. There are LST (low stress tech) like bending and tying, and HST (high stress tech) like topping, pruning, etc.
#1 technique is healthy happy plants
As a beginner I’d start with simple LST bending and tying if anything. …There’s also value in watching a plant grow without intervention.
Have fun! Drop by Live Stoners for fun and lively discussions
Cannabis will grow no matter what, it’s just up to you to kill it. Less is more Broette.
I use Coco, start in solo cups, and transplant into final 20L airpots at around day 12/14. No handling roots, exposing roots to light, no stress AT ALL for the first 28 days. Lights are on 24/0.
Then the world’s your oyster, top em, bend 'em, or just leave them, see what’s right for you.
The best thing you’ve done is ask here for advice, you’ll get it in bucket loads.
For a first grow, 3-5 gallon pots are great. Fabric is fine. Now here’s where I differ. I almost always start in small pot and transplant. Why? Learning to properly water a large pot with a sprout in it is a skill that has to be learned, and is not often mastered by a new grower. Over watering is the number one killer of very young plants. You can literally drown seedlings. With starter pots, that is much less likely as they tend to dry out faster.
Transplanting is not all that tricky. My method always works, I’ve never lot a transplanted plant.
You time your transplant by the growth of the seedling. Using 3 1/2" pots, seedling are ready to transplant in 7-9 days, or when the leaves are as wide or slightly wider than the pot. At that point, the roots have reached the bottom of the pot, but have not started circling yet.
I prep the main pot by taking of of the small pot and fill it with soil to hold it’s shape. I then bury it in the middle of the pot, compact the soil around it a bit then pull it out, leaving a hole the shape of the pot.
Holding the seedling pot close to the hole in the large pot, I place the stem of the seedling between my fingers and flip the pot upside down. I give the pot gentle squeezes on all sided to release the soil from the walls of the pot then lift the POT of the rootball, not pull the plant out by the stem! Then just flip the plant into the hole and press the soil around it!
With this method I have never had “root shock”. I usually see measurable growth within 8-12 hours! The seedling is now at a point where it can withstand a little over watering.
I also recommend that new growers start with organic grows. Not because I fell it is superior, all methods work equally well WITH experience. Organic grows let you learn about your plants , see the growth stages, learn plant training, and having a successful first grow is much more likely than with any other method. Once you’ve had a successful grow, learning the other methods is somewhat easier and you feel more confident in your abilities. Hell, I’ve done a Kratky grow in a Mayonnaise jar!
