Auto's and lighting

Do Autoflower plants care if you add light 5 weeks into bloom? I went to 12/12 to help another plant start flowering. That plant has been harvested. Now I have the auto white widow 5 weeks into flower and I would like to up light to help new seedlings.

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Yes you should be just fine as autos are supposed to flower no matter what the light schedule. But if you are starting a seed you can get a cheap fixture and a couple cfl 6500k house bulbs will grow a seed and provide a good start for a veg plant.

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On a similar note, are light leaks critical to avoid for autos as they are with photos?

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No it’s not, that’s a huge benefit to autos.

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They are growing on me :wink: I had one in my first grow, in the same tent with 2 photos. I wasn’t super impressed but had already ordered WWA from ILGM and was given a single seed of another auto strain (Psycho) and they are currently 18 days from sprout. The WWA is a beast in comparison. I’m looking forward to a little quicker turnover.

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Out of likes, but I’m growing autos with photos in my flower tent. Autos have been on 12/12 from week 2 and love it. I just got 10 WWA seeds and they will be next after Maui Wowie, Blue Dream and ATF photos go in the flower tent.

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My auto that shared the tent yielded half what the photos did. The tent is (nearly) filled with 2 scrogged SD clones so I’ve created a separate space for the autos. That’s why I wondered about light leaks… the closet has many. I wanted to put them on a longer light cycle, but also wanted to grow more variety :v::green_heart::seedling::seedling::seedling:

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Variety is the spice of life! Lol. I have 6 plants going and 5 different strains. I’m hoping for some decent yields from these autos.

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The term “Auto-flower” is a sales term to make it easier for the consumers to understand what they’re buying.

When it comes to Botany, there are categories to plants, when dealing with what triggers flowering; “short day”, “neutral day”, and “long day” plants. In cannabis, we’ll be focusing specifically on “short day” and “neutral day” plant types .

A “neutral day” plant, is a plant that flowers regardless of the length of the period of light it is exposed to. This is your “Autoflower” seeds.

A “short day" plant, is a plant that requires a longer periods of uninterrupted darkness to trigger flowering. This is your “Feminized & Regular” seeds.

Again, these are what triggers flowering, but light itself is also responsible for growth.

The more light photons that make contact pigments in the leaves, the more growth response you’ll see. This means you want the maximum light exposure possible while still limiting stress, to obtain the fastest maximum yield.

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Adding more lighting to the “light cycle” will only increase photon/leaf exposure, and growth, as long as the pigments in the leaves are being replaced at the same rate of decay (with respect to heat buildup hindering the photoexcitation). The fact you have an “Autoflower”, and what triggers the flowering itself is irrelevant.

You don’t want too much light or you’ll end up with bleaching and chlorosis.

Good luck and happy growing :slight_smile:

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Thank you all!! Great advice. I’m loving these White Widows!! Taste yummy, feels yummy.