Which is more cost-effective over time, growing autos or a perpetual bloom photo setup? Perhaps a mix of both, or run autos when you buy 1000 seeds?

Current considerations
- I don't like that autos are dependent on seeds.
- However, unlike photos, autos wouldn't need separate veg and bloom space. So, autos might allow you to double your flowering space.
- Not every auto is convincing as a photo (i.e., given the choice, I wouldn't smoke it).
- There are more photos than autos available.

For me personally it would be photos, based on just clonability.

My limited skills wouldn't be comfortable with propagating autoflower seeds, but I'd have no qualms about chucking my own photo pollen, reg or fem, for my own use. But clones are easy even for a relatively new grower like myself.

Therefore, with each single autoflower plant, I'd have to source quality genetics whereas with photos I can just do that once & keep propagating that, something always ready to flower.

The predictably of flavours and yeild are key for me, it's irrelevant in terms of money but I think photos will be cheaper?
Using a 600w...
Say 90 days of 18hrs for auto = 972 units

Say 75 days for a photo = 540 units + 4 weeks of 18/6 = 324 total 864 versus 972 for auto + zero predictably + shorter life on yer lights by 30%

I'm sure there's pro and cons I've overlooked but I've covered the important stuff... I think

Star Dog said:

The predictably of flavours and yeild are key for me, it's irrelevant in terms of money but I think photos will be cheaper?
Using a 600w...
Say 90 days of 18hrs for auto = 972 units

Say 75 days for a photo = 540 units + 4 weeks of 18/6 = 324 total 864 versus 972 for auto + zero predictably + shorter life on yer lights by 30%

I'm sure there's pro and cons I've overlooked but I've covered the important stuff... I think

Click to expand...

Right, today it occurred to me that, with autos, you wouldn't really need separate veg and bloom grow areas. And I haven't ruled out whether there are fast-lowering, high-yielding, highly potent auto strains available with great bag appeal. Some purport to be F2-F7.....

But I agree with both of the comments so far, that's been my position. I prefer photos. Hell, I'm just now to the point of mothering the best pheno of the strains I've tried and selected over the past 14 months ... you can't get that sense of accomplishment (i.e., "you did something") relying completely on someone else's homework. I selected the pheno I want to represent each strain and it took work to get there.... Idk, if it were all about money I guess you could. Autos really don't appeal to me, I just see them promoted everywhere and I'm like, am I missing something? What's the big deal?

Apostatize said:

Right, today it occurred to me that, with autos, you wouldn't really need separate veg and bloom grow areas. And I haven't ruled out whether there are fast-lowering, high-yielding, highly potent auto strains available with great bag appeal. Some purport to be F2-F7.....

But I agree with both of the comments so far, that's been my position. I prefer photos. Hell, I'm just now to the point of mothering the best pheno of the strains I've tried and selected over the past 14 months ... you can't get that sense of accomplishment (i.e., "you did something"), relying completely on someone else's homework. Idk, if it were all about money I guess you could. Autos really don't appeal to me, I just see them promoted everywhere and I'm like, am I missing something? What's the big deal?

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And indeed you should feel a sense of accomplishment it's a lot of time and effort involved it's not easy

Edit... I run my veg/mothers from a clone tent with a pair of T5s for cloning and 4x for seed/clone early veg.

Get a good photo, and clone it over and over, and grow it perpetually. I paid $15 for a clone only Green Crack and I've harvested it at least 15 times so far. I have another that I'll be harvesting in a few weeks, and another that I just started, that will be ready in 8-9 weeks. And clones in the veg tent. In another month that will make it 3 years since I got it.

PadawanWarrior said:

Get a good photo, and clone it over and over, and grow it perpetually. I paid $15 for a clone only Green Crack and I've harvested it at least 15 times so far. I have another that I'll be harvesting in a few weeks, and another that I just started, that will be ready in 8-9 weeks. And clones in the veg tent. In another month that will make it 3 years since I got it.

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Clones aren't available in my market but I'm running perpetual bloom, cloning 8 strains (focusing on 4-5 in the starting rotation, then whatever space is available for the other 3-4). Variety of flavors and genetics. Some bloom fast, some take a while; all are LST'd; young to more mature before bloom; young, untopped and more mature, topped (depending on past performance). Use a combination of shelves for topped and start the young, untopped strains in a stand on the flood tray. Cool, solidarity is reassuring.

Apostatize said:

Clones aren't available in my market but I'm running perpetual bloom, cloning 8 strains (focusing the 4-5 in the starting rotation, then whatever space is available for the other 3-4). Variety of flavors and genetics. Some bloom fast, some take awhile; all are LST'd; young to more mature before bloom; young, untopped and more mature, topped (depending on past performance). Use a combination of shelves for topped and start the young, untopped strains in a stand- on the flood tray. Cool, solidarity is reassuring.

Click to expand...

I'd do multiple plants from seed and pick the ones you like. Maybe take clipping of each strain and throw them in a veg tent, and flower the originals. Then after you harvest you can decide which one or ones you like best and keep growing those perpetually. You can find great shit from seeds, it's just less predictable.

Photos are 100% more efficient, potent and profitable. Frankly, they will be faster and easier in the long run too. You find a couple keepers to use as your main growing stock, clone them and dial in your grow environment so they flourish. They can be put almost directly into flower as small plants and greatly reduce the amount of veg time and space needed. This allows you to run more flowering cycles per year, and more plants equals higher yields in less time. SOG style growing with small plants is definitely the highest-yielding method for the time involved. Veg space can be relatively small when you are vegging small plants. In my last set up I had a 2x4 tray under a T5 and a small 2x2 clone station under a cfl fixture.

As was mentioned before just the amount of electrical costs associated with autos makes them less then ideal for anything other than a hobby grower in my opinion. With autos you also can't clone them and maintain a genetic line, which means you have to play guessing games on genetics every grow, and deal with male removal every grow.

PadawanWarrior said:

I'd do multiple plants from seed and pick the ones you like. Maybe take clipping of each strain and throw them in a veg tent, and flower the originals. Then after you harvest you can decide which one or ones you like best and keep growing those perpetually. You can find great shit from seeds, it's just less predictable.

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Started from seed. Initially blew like $800 at ILGM ... lol, everything was blah, discontinued all of it.... Tried out 15+ strains and a handful from multiple sources (including a few direct from reputable breeders, not just a seed bank), I've got it down to my A side and B side.

A side is 4, maybe 5.
B side is where I'll tryout new seeds. The current B sides are fine, I mean I did cut my initial list by half. Now, I'm getting each strain down to a preferred pheno and putting it in a Big Mama block and cloning it until, ultimately, all my clones are from the preferred seed line.

14 months.... First 6 were really learning that I had no idea what I was doing with lights (top, sides, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 10 over plants ... tried them all, each way, weird stuff ... moving in the right direction.

I appreciate your feedback. Biggest obstacle is renewing my lease for 2+ years, then I'm good to go. Could use a few sets of used warehouse shelves 8' long x 6' deep 'x 8' tall ... but apparently, I need a loading dock and forklift. Getting there!

Finally selected a Gorilla Cookies seed line to mother for all clones. Still can't come close to what it yielded from seed ... I'll try vegging an extra 4-8 weeks....

Apostatize said:

Finally selected a Gorilla Cookies seed line to mother for all clones. Still can't come close to what it yielded from seed ... I'll try vegging an extra 4-8 weeks....

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growing a healthy plant and not trimming everything off it will definitely increase your yields