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Afterthought Autos Azure Rocket 10 year Celebration At Greatlakes Genetics


dragboatjeffy

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Here's a Lifecycle of Autoflower Cannabis to show you what should be happening. A fellow member of another form we participate in from Western Europe paraphrased the following:



The life cycle of Auto Flowering Cannabis:

Another common question I see is when to switch autos from veg to bloom nutrients. Many people are under the impression that as soon as they see the first flowers it's time to switch nutrients. Perhaps a little explanation of the life cycle of autos will help to clarify this.

Weeks 1 - 3: Once you've started your seeds and they break the surface of the soil, they are in their seedling stage. The first set of leaves to appear will usually single fingered, followed by a second set that may still be single fingered or perhaps 3 fingered. Once that second set appears growth will start to accelerate as the new leaves provide more photosynthesis. This process will continue, more new leaves, faster growth. Depending on the type of soil in use, mild vegetative nutes can be introduced at week 2. By week 3 most plants will start to show their sex. Males will start to produce pollen sacks and females will display pistols. 

Weeks 4 - 6: The plants are now entering a pre-flowering stage. During this time the plants should exhibit explosive growth, often as much as a new set of nodes and 1" vertical growth a day. This is the time when they will gain most of their vertical height. Many people make the mistake of switching from vegetative to flowering nutrients at this point, assuming that since they see flowers it must be the proper time. This is incorrect. If the switch to flowering nutes is made at this time the vertical growth will stop and the plant will put it's energy into producing buds. If you need to keep your plants small, or want them to finish earlier, they by all means switch nutes at this point. But if you want to get the most out of your plants continue feeding vegetative nutes until you see the vertical growth slow and stop. Depending on the strain that will usually be sometime during week 5 or 6. 

Weeks 7 - 9: By now vertical growth has stopped and the switch to flowering nutrients has been made. The buds will start to fill out and put on weight, becoming hard and tight. Pistols will start to change from white to brown, orange, red, etc. By now the plants will also have developed a strong smell. Toward the end of this phase the large primary and smaller secondary fan leaves will begin to turn yellow. This is an indication that the plant is moving toward the end of it's life.

Weeks 10 - 11: At this time flowering nutes should be discontinued and only plain pHed water fed to flush the remaining nutrients from the soil and improve the taste. Yellowing of the fan leaves will continue as the plant draws the stored energy from them. Eventually they will die and fall off. By the time that the smaller leaves that come from out of the buds will also start to turn yellow. Then it's time to harvest. 

I know that many of you are thinking that the seed bank said the plants will finish in 8-9 weeks, so why are you saying they take 10-11? The claims made by the seed banks are somewhat deceptive. If you switch to flowering nutes at week 3 or 4 the plants can finish in the times the seed banks say but they will remain small and not reach their full potential yield. Years of growing by myself and others has shown that autos do best if you follow this timeline.

Of course, there will always be variations depending on the strain, the environment, nutrients, etc. This information is meant to only serve as a general guideline.

 

The autoflower moderator of the forum regarding autos mentions this:

 

One of the most important nature of the autoflowers they DO NOT GIVE You a second chance to outgrow your mistakes like the photoperiod dependent types.. 

they will stunt and stop vegetative growth what will cause flowering and you end up with a "gnome" 
first days / weeks will define the quantity of the harvest very heavily


let's start with basic rule about the root size, development and the connection of the bigger yield
autoflower wants to grow their roots very aggressively in the early stages of their life. this means you have to use very light medium that time. also the shape and size of your growing container will limit your bounty, unless if it is grown in some hydroponic setups.

You don t plant directly into the final pot, this is an option to avoid transplant shock or early root bound this way you can ensure the roots to grow down easily into the zone where the nutrients can be found, and they will be strong enough to eat it, and don t get burnt of it. 

 

- give them as much light as You can, start them on a time schedule of 20/4 or 24/0 for the first weeks, let her take advantage on the limited vegetative period and boost her ! this is important. later you can set the lights back to 20/4 or 18/6 

-use very lightly the nutrients they are very sensitive on overfeeding.

 

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Guest Doug58

I started all in jiffy peat starters and within days put the two best into 3 gallon pots with coco coir, regular potting soil without nutrients, perlite and worm castings mixed in. The potting soil also is partly made up of Canadian peat. First week watered with distilled water, now using distilled water with Fox Farms nutrients at a very low level and the first two plants are growing fine. 

 

The Solar Wind seedlings are only one week old today and I put them into 16 ounce cups with same mixture today until I mix up more soil to get them into 5 gallon pots I have for them.

 

The two runts were planted into 16 ounce containers about a week ago and though they are adding leaves they aren't rapidly growing like the first two. Both of them originally seemed trapped in there seed hulls for days when they germinated. I was about to toss them when after a week they finally broke out of the hull that was keeping their first real leaves from spreading open. The 16 ounce containers are made of peat so I can slit them open before putting in 5 gallon pots.

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Guest Doug58

I also have them on a 20/4 light schedule. Originally had them on 18/6.

 

The first Azure Rocket is growing fine, I believe I started it the second week of March and it is sending out secondary shoots from leaves now and is bushing out, probably five inches tall and five fingered leaves.

 

The Blueberry Jar that is growing well is about one weekend younger. 

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Guest Doug58
6 hours ago, GoodEnergyGrower said:

Gotcha.....I have put a piece of 3 inch Styrofoam insulate underneath the grow tent, to help the floor temp of the tent.  Also, if you elevate your plants....i.e. put another pot underneath them to get them off the ground, this can also help remedy cold nights.    That is great you can see your plants respond to the sunlight.....keep doing it then!!   Good luck up there:)

They are elevated in the grow tent. Smaller pots are on 2x8 wood cut to elevate the pots off the floor. Larger pots are setting in drainage trays which are elevated on inch and a half corrugated cardboard packing inserts.

 

I do have some blueboard type construction foam insulation I considered using on the floor.

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All Azure Rocket seeds from various lots (we did 5 each,  5 different lots extending 3+ years) peeped up from soil sowing directly into soil with mycorrhizal inoculant sprinkled in 1/3" seed hole, lightly tamped down. 

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Hello @Doug58

This is Dragboat.

I was going to send you some replacements.

Could you send me a PM with your order number so I can get your mailing info.

I apologize for the delay. I told @aridbud I would do this on Wednesday, Thanks DBJ

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Pros/cons of coco

 

PROS

  • Inexpensive
  • Natural renewable resource
  • Works with organic and synthetic fertilizers
  • Can be reused if sterilized
  • Easily disposable outdoors

CONS

  • Attracts fungus gnats
  • Messy for indoor use
  • Most brands contain too much sodium and potassium

Coco Coir is better for:

  • Control – you can control exactly what nutrients your plants receive
  • Fast growth and bigger plants
  • Drainage and aeration

Soil is better for:

  • Beginners – as nutrients are already present and it is a more forgiving growing medium
  • Time-saving – requires less attention
  • Organic gardening
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All this talk of afterthought autos just makes me wanna pop some beans I've been sitting on for too long now.

Will get some Azure Rocket and Zesty Blue going here in the next few days or so.

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Ahhh, right on!

You grew some awesome Azure's! And Zesty Blue...a nice one, too, although never released to the public. Yep, autos in the Springtime!! Good luck, Tynehead!

 

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Excellent information @aridbud. Here’s an Anodyne that’s getting nursed back to health. I hit  a rough stretch all around and seedlings were in cups for almost ten weeks. They were so stressed that sexing is no longer needed. Plants  appear to be on the mend after a transplant and some TLC.

DD4F8466-FCFB-4CFF-A680-001F3121576B.jpeg

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Guest imiubu
On 3/31/2019 at 9:27 PM, Kingfish said:

Excellent information @aridbud. Here’s an Anodyne that’s getting nursed back to health. I hit  a rough stretch all around and seedlings were in cups for almost ten weeks. They were so stressed that sexing is no longer needed. Plants  appear to be on the mend after a transplant and some TLC.

DD4F8466-FCFB-4CFF-A680-001F3121576B.jpeg

woo woo!  Looking good now.

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Wonderful!! We always water before transplanting so entire root ball is intact! Hope it's a female! Way to grow, Kingfish!

And thanks, imiubu...woo! woo! 👍

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After germination of all Azure Rocket seeds we had as a freebie, I asked a novice grower nearby (he's finished 2 auto grows and 1 photoperiod grow @ 12/12) all but one seed popped up into soil that was directly sowed into organic soil. He admitted he made mistakes on growing autos the first time (planting seeds too deep in soil), coco that was cheap and salty and improved the 2nd grow after reviewing his mistakes with us. He prefers soil after the coco mess. Buy quality coco or mix with organic soil! He did that with the photoperiod (Pokey Doke) and had a nice harvest a few weeks ago! 

 

Stressing autos (environment) from the get go, handling seeds w/ tail in water can impact root. If it's too cold in their environment they will be slow to 'hatch', thereby stunting them.

 

Pleased to hear from others that their Azure Rocket plants are doing well and thriving.

 

Grow em great!

 

ab

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest Doug58

The runt Azure Rocket I planted back in March recovered and appears to be nearing time to cut in the next week or two. It got to be around 15 inches tall so on the low end for the strain and a few of the lower branches have buds that the pistils are starting to turn amber but the larger central cola pistils are still white and the buds have really swelled up the last few weeks. I used the Fox Farms three part nutrients in very small percentages during the grow and worm castings. All the other plants started at the same time ended up being male. 

 

I have a commercial worm grow just down the road from me and they have pallets of bags of worm castings for $3.00 a bag. Looks like 20 lbs of worm castings in each bag that previously contained peat moss I believe.

 

I started a Solar Wind about two weeks ago and it is growing like crazy and I hope it ends up being female because it is growing so well. The leaves are nothing like the Azure Rocket plant. The leaves are huge and really broad.

 

I started two Blueberry Jar seedlings a week ago. Still getting freezing temperatures and snow yesterday. Summer is going to be short this year so I started some photoperiod Afterthought Auto seeds yesterday which I will grow outside if warm weather ever gets here. I have a larger grow tent I will be setting up in my pole barn if it warms up in the next few weeks until I can move them outside around 1st of June and then finish them in the pole barn.

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Appreciate update, Doug.

Azure Rocket and Solar Wind are different strains, hence different leaf structure. Do not discount height being related to potency. How you treat/germinate autos from the get-go, it plays a pivotal role in how they finish. around 15 inches tall so on the low end for the strain 

You might run into the same problem as before with stress (cold temps) on Blueberry Jar.

 

Even in our area, we're not planting outside for a few more weeks.

 

Good luck with your bounty.

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