Autos in the ground

[Celtic voyager]

Afternoon all.

I'm planning on running some autos in pots as well as a couple of photos this year, but I'd like to try a few autos in the ground as well.

Do I just Germinate the as usual and just pop in the ground, like normal veg seeds, or should I start them off in biodegradable pots first.

[latitude54]

Just now, Celtic voyager said:

Afternoon all.

I'm planning on running some autos in pots as well as a couple of photos this year, but I'd like to try a few autos in the ground as well.

Do I just Germinate the as usual and just pop in the ground, like normal veg seeds, or should I start them off in biodegradable pots first.

 

One of the gorilla grow guys will probably be along soon to confirm things but I think you'd be better starting the seedlings indoors and then planting out. 

[MindSoup]

Autos in open ground can be a tricky one to get right. Root restriction and transplant shock can trigger flower, so starting them off in the conventional way (small plastic pots/plug trays) can often cause them to trigger way to early and end up really small. Directly sowing them into the ground would mitigate both of those issues, but you'll risk lower germination rates and or slugs/snails/mice munching on the wee sprouts.

 

Luckily there's a tried and tested method, recommended by a few of the top GGers on the site. You start them off in Jiffy pots (proper Jiffys pots, now only available on Real Gorilla Seeds website) and get them into the ground within 2-3 weeks.  The jiffys air prune the roots, which doesn't trigger the same response as root restriction, it also greatly reduces any chance of transplant shock. 

 

TBH I've never tried it out myself, but I've seen the results and they speak for themselves. Pretty sure it was @panik and @Ch@ppers that came up with the method, they might be able to offer more insight. 

[Celtic voyager]

41 minutes ago, MindSoup said:

Autos in open ground can be a tricky one to get right. Root restriction and transplant shock can trigger flower, so starting them off in the conventional way (small plastic pots/plug trays) can often cause them to trigger way to early and end up really small. Directly sowing them into the ground would mitigate both of those issues, but you'll risk lower germination rates and or slugs/snails/mice munching on the wee sprouts.

 

Luckily there's a tried and tested method, recommended by a few of the top GGers on the site. You start them off in Jiffy pots (proper Jiffys pots, now only available on Real Gorilla Seeds website) and get them into the ground within 2-3 weeks.  The jiffys air prune the roots, which doesn't trigger the same response as root restriction, it also greatly reduces any chance of transplant shock. 

 

TBH I've never tried it out myself, but I've seen the results and they speak for themselves. Pretty sure it was @panik and @Ch@ppers that came up with the method, they might be able to offer more insight. 

Thanks for this.

I've checked our RGSs for these pot, going to order them.

I've a load of auto seeds I should/want to use up, plus I'd like to give ths a try.

I've a couple of nice sheltered spots in the garden I can pop them into..

[MindSoup]

No worries geez, always happy to waffle away . They do tend to blend in better when they're planted in the ground and it a lot less work, bit of FBB in the whole when you plant them and a wee palmful of SOP when they start to flower and jobs a good'n.

Edited February 17, 2023 by MindSoup

[Celtic voyager]

Just now, MindSoup said:

No worries geez, always happy to waffle away . They do tend to blend in better when they're planted in the ground and it a lot less work, bit of FBB in the whole when you plant them and a wee palmful of SOP when they start to flower and jobs a good'n.

I have to ask 

What's FBB and SOP..

I'm not up to date on the terminologies

[MindSoup]

Oh shit sorry. Fish blood and bone and sulfur of potash, they're the industry standard for GGers, cheap and available at just about every garden centre. 

[Celtic voyager]

Just now, MindSoup said:

Oh shit sorry. Fish blood and bone and sulfur of potash, they're the industry standard for GGers, cheap and available at just about every garden centre. 

Thanks for this 

I've plenty of fish blood and bone here, just got to pick up the sulfur of potash.

 

[purepotstill]

2 hours ago, Celtic voyager said:

Afternoon all.

I'm planning on running some autos in pots as well as a couple of photos this year, but I'd like to try a few autos in the ground as well.

Do I just Germinate the as usual and just pop in the ground, like normal veg seeds, or should I start them off in biodegradable pots first.

@MindSoupknows his stuff, but your average peat pots are utter shit. Had to cut them with scissors to pot up the plants properly, so if you can't have these Jiffy pots he was talking about, you'd better start with classic 1L plastic pots.

[Celtic voyager]

2 minutes ago, purepotstill said:

@MindSoupknows his stuff, but your average peat pots are utter shit. Had to cut them with scissors to pot up the plants properly, so if you can't have these Jiffy pots he was talking about, you'd better start with classic 1L plastic pots.

Hi purepotstill 

I'm purchasing the biodegradable pots of real gorilla seeds.

Supposedly there the best for this type of growing 

[Crow River]

You can just use pound shop paper/fibre pots. Chuck some compost in them, water, plant your seeds in them. Once roots start poking through the pots, they're ready to go into the ground. Just like vegetables... 

 

Only thing with autos it's not recommended to keep potting up. Put them in their final spot once they've outgrown the starter pots. I have potted up autos into intermediate pots one time, and it was fine. But it was circumstances forcing that, I would usually not do it.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Crow River

[Celtic voyager]

1 hour ago, Crow River said:

You can just use pound shop paper/fibre pots. Chuck some compost in them, water, plant your seeds in them. Once roots start poking through the pots, they're ready to go into the ground. Just like vegetables... 

 

Only thing with autos it's not recommended to keep potting up. Put them in their final spot once they've outgrown the starter pots. I have potted up autos into intermediate pots one time, and it was fine. But it was circumstances forcing that, I would usually not do it.

Hi Crow River..

Thanks for the tip on the pots.

Since I have to buy pots, I'm thinking I might as well go for what's seems to be the best ones.

All this is just an experiment on my side..

I have a load of freebies, I might as well try them out, I'm going with Northern Lights (RQS) and 

Blueberry (fastbuds).

I'm only going to try 2 under some trees in the corner of the garden.

The rest will be in pots, even the photos.

 

[MindSoup]

I can only speak from my own experience but I've had all kinds of problems using the cheaper cardboard poundshop pots they definitely seem to hinder root growth. 50 for a tenner for the best ones you can get seem like a decent deal to me, I'm hoping they might be the key to me getting some Autos like Ch@ppers grows . 

[Crow River]

@Celtic voyager, at the end of the day, go for whatever you're comfortable using and what suits you.

 

My only experience using wee jiffy pellets was a disaster (not canna related) so I just stick to what I know. Doesn't mean it can't go wrong, nothing's foolproof.

 

Northern Lights and Blueberry should work fine outdoors. There's always mould to battle regardless of the time of year, but September onwards usually wetter and thus more likely to produce rot. I'll be doing a mix of autos and photos to try and get at least one harvest brought in intact. No guarantees though, Mother Nature decides ultimately... 

 

If you're growing in your garden, at least you're around to move plants indoors if a storm looms...  

[Celtic voyager]

Just now, Crow River said:

@Celtic voyager, at the end of the day, go for whatever you're comfortable using and what suits you.

 

My only experience using wee jiffy pellets was a disaster (not canna related) so I just stick to what I know. Doesn't mean it can't go wrong, nothing's foolproof.

 

Northern Lights and Blueberry should work fine outdoors. There's always mould to battle regardless of the time of year, but September onwards usually wetter and thus more likely to produce rot. I'll be doing a mix of autos and photos to try and get at least one harvest brought in intact. No guarantees though, Mother Nature decides ultimately... 

 

If you're growing in your garden, at least you're around to move plants indoors if a storm looms...  

The plan so far this evening is...

Refill the veg bed with fresh soil, 8x2,  and run 3 autos in that.

The run 3 autos in 12lt pots, I can move them in and out, if and when needs be.

And 2 photos, cream caramel and SAD. 

their going into 40 to 50lt pots.