Autoflower Growing: Week 1 - 3

Week 1:

Image by Grow Up

After sending out two starter leaves and another two of the iconic patterned cannabis leaves, your seedling will start to absorb light and water to send out further leaves as photosynthesis is carried out and growth progresses.

At this point in time, your young plant does not need any sort of nutrients for the first week when grown in a planting mixture.

It is important not to over-water the young plant as it may suffer from this and potentially be killed. Keeping the soil damp is enough to ensure the seedling has the amount of water required to grow healthily. You can use your finger to determine this. You want light moisture to be visible after touching it, and not drops.

Week 2:

Image by Grow Up

Entering the second week of its life, your seedling will begin to establish itself in its home. It will start to strengthen and continue growing its leaves as well as create new ones.

Should the young plant appear to be growing too thinly, or have a frail appearance your light may be to far from it. This results in the plant stretching itself in order to absorb more light. This can have a negative effect on its growth process and potentially hurt the harvest. To avoid this, decrease the distance from your grow light by dropping it closer to the seedling. This avoids further stretching and allows the plant to absorb the required light for healthy growth.

Week 3:

More leaves should begin to appear at this point in the plant's life. Vegetation has kicked in hard, and low-stress training (LST) may be introduced to make the most out of light absorption. The plant should now have grown to around 15cm in height, and a watering amount of 0.5l per day may be provided given the soil is well kept and not over-watered. Be sure to water when the surface has dried to the touch.

Using low-stress training during the third week will allow for further productivity during the flowering stage. Ideally using gardening wire, you may begin to wire midway up the main stem, and with extreme care, gently bend the stem towards the soil securing it with the wire to the planter's rim. This creates a flatter canopy which benefits the plant by allowing more light absorption by the buds.