The Auto Critical Orange Punch has earned its place as one of the Dutch Passion team’s most impressive autoflower harvests ever. Grown indoors using LED lighting above and below the canopy, this crop was cultivated by 420autoflower, a seasoned hydroponics expert from the USA renowned for sharing his growing experiences on the Autoflower Network (AFN) forums.
| Type of grow room: | A garage with no climate control, plants are grown in tents |
| Size of grow room: | They spent most of their life in a 28’x28’’ (70x70cm) tent and the other in a 32×32” (80x80cm) tent (or 27×27 and 31×31’) |
| Number of plants: | 1 in each tent with 2 different lighting set-ups |
| Type / size of pots: | 9×6” (23 x 15cm) chunk of Grodan Hugo block (rockwool) with a 4×4” (10cm x 10cm) cube stacked on top |
| Grow medium: | Hydroponics |
| Nutrients: | General Hydroponics FloraNova Grow/Bloom as my main N-P-K |
| Grow techniques | Custom scrog method |
| Grow lights: | A 240-watt FarmLite and with the other a DIY self-contained hydro unit and a 240-watt Yehsence light – I gave them more light(s) as they progressed/became older. |
| Light distance from canopy: | 12”/30cm in general – added canopy lights during the last part of the grow. |
| Light cycle: | Permanent 24-hour LED light from autoflower seed to harvest. |
| Average temperature: | High 80’s F (around 30ºC). |
| Average humidity: | Low 40’s during late flower (RH 40-45%) |
| Stretch during flowering: | Solid stretch and vigorous growth. |
Germination Stage
“Germination was pretty straightforward—just keep things moist and give them time to sprout. The key is to be patient and let them do their thing. That’s the start of everything!”
420autoflower started growing with three Auto Critical Orange Punch seeds and a mix of other varieties, including SFV OG and Auto Candy Bubatz XL.
The seeds were germinated using the usual method: placed in a wet paper towel inside ziplock baggies marked with strain names. Once they sprouted tails, the seedlings were carefully transferred to Grodan starter cubes and eventually placed in larger Grodan rock wool blocks.
Germination rates were about 70-85%, with a minor hiccup involving one seed that didn’t sprout, likely due to stealth shipping conditions. However, the rest germinated without special issues, and the plants quickly progressed into vegetative.
Vegetative Stage
“Training them early with SCROG and supercropping is the best way to get even growth. It’s about building a solid foundation—if you mess this up, the whole plant can suffer later.”
420autoflower set up the plants in three different tents: the Auto Critical Orange Punch plants were positioned on either side of the middle tent, which housed Auto SFV OG. The setup was simple yet efficient, using automated fertigation to ensure a consistent nutrient supply.
The plants were immediately subjected to the 420autoflower scrog method, which involves training the plants using a screen of green (SCROG) to maximize light exposure and control canopy height.
During this phase, 420autoflower experimented with supercropping to flatten out the tops of the plants, encouraging more horizontal growth. He noted that the plants responded well to the technique, with robust growth patterns that set the stage for the flowering period.
One of the plants did experience a minor mishap when the main top was snapped during training, though the plant healed well and continued to thrive.
Flowering Stage
“When they stretch during flowering, they’re ready to burst. You’ve got to give them room and light to thrive. The canopy needs to be dialed in perfectly, or you’ll end up with airy, leafy buds instead of dense, solid ones.”
As the plants transitioned into the flowering stage, the Auto Critical Orange Punch plants showed vigorous stretching and strong growth, which prompted 420autoflower to upgrade their growing environment. Two plants were moved into larger tents to give them ample space, allowing for more extensive SCROG work and ensuring the plants wouldn’t become overcrowded. He emphasized the importance of giving the plants plenty of room to stretch during flowering, as cramped conditions can lead to airy, leafy buds.
420autoflower utilized a variety of lighting setups to suit the plants’ needs. Auto Critical Orange Punch #1 was kept under a 240-watt FarmLite LED, while Auto Critical Orange Punch #2 received light from a 240-watt Yehsence LED. Both setups ensured the plants received plenty of light for optimal growth, especially as they matured.
420autoflower employed multiple techniques to manage the canopy, including pruning, schwazzing (intense defoliation), and removing any unnecessary growth to direct energy towards the colas. He also experimented with blacking out parts of the canopy to focus energy on the lower nodes, further ensuring an even and productive canopy.
| Question @420: at what point do you schwazz? Is it by day count? As always, the plants look stupendous!
“I’m constantly defoliating starting from day 20 but I do my first leaf schwazz when I’m prepping them for the SCROG net. I’ll do 2 to 3 more during flower but it all depends on how much foliage each individual plant grows. The first Critical Orange Punch I just posted required 4 schwazzings to get her to where she is and the other Critical Orange Punch only needed 3 rounds, so the amount of pruning varies from plant to plant.” |
Harvest report, a historic haul…
The result was outstanding: the two Auto Critical Orange Punch plants were the biggest and highest yielding in the entire grow. The first plant yielded 1.48kg (3.3lb), while the second produced 1.36kg (3lb).
These were grown in rockwool blocks with drip feeding in a hydroponic setup, showcasing the effectiveness of a well-planned and executed grow. Both plants were nurtured with General Hydroponics FloraNova Grow/Bloom nutrients to ensure sustained growth throughout the cycle.
The long grow cycle (110 days) was likely a result of the stress caused by the tough plant training & schwazzing. But with such heavy yields, there were no complaints from the grower! The Auto Critical Orange Punch plants had performed exceptionally and provided a glimpse into the future of autoflower cultivation when paired with the proper techniques and a bit of patience.
Calyx-leaf ratio (Easy trim/yes or no):
Good-sized buds, easy trim, not a lot of leaves. Frosty, colorful display.
Quality (Resin/Smell/Compactness):
Hybrid style buds, pleasant aroma, and solid resin development on the buds!
| 420Autoflower harvest ratings | |
| Overall rating | 4.5 /5 |
| Aroma | 4.5 /5 |
| Taste | 4 /5 |
| Effect | 5 /5 |
| Bag appeal | 4.5 /5 |
Observations and expert tips from 420 autoflower
“Buds/colas on both Auto Creepers look great with plenty of trichomes and very greasy, comparable to the 1480 gram Auto Critical Orange Punch I harvested.
Your Auto Candy Bubatz was harvested on day 98 and Auto Critical Orange Punch #1 on day 110, but in general, my autos have been taking anywhere from 100 to 120 days lately.
I’m sure the stress I put on my plants does slow them down a bit, but it’s also a known fact that running hydro properly will increase your veg and preflower time. It must have something to do with the consistent nutrients they get every 4-5 hours.
Suppose I hook them up to automated fertigation on day 21. In that case, my preflower pistils don’t usually appear until around day 45, giving me a little extra time to work on the plant compared to your average soil grow. The 420autoflower scrog method is entirely different from your typical scrog. People usually use scrog netting to even out a canopy (or cola support), but with the 420 process, the net is used for training only.
If you’re going for the 420-method, timing is very important, so it’s good to scrog out your autos 3-5 days after seeing your first preflower pistil or about 10 days after flip with photoperiod strains. This allows the last remaining stretch to be done under the net. By keeping all your main branches pointing horizontal, the energy will be diverted to the smaller nodes in the middle, which helps create a nice canopy of colas.
There is no room for errors with autoflowers. Everything has got to be spot on from the beginning, or yields will be sacrificed. My new youngsters are only a few days old, and from day 1, I have been doing everything I can to provide them with the ideal environment for optimal growth. Every day counts!
I am doing what I can to make your cultivars shine, and I’m convinced I can grow a bigger and “badder” plant indoors in a controlled environment, so I put the smaller phenos in the outdoor scrog carts.
I’m getting a good 12 hours of sunlight where I am (7:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.), but it doesn’t compare to the 24/7 LED lighting my indoor plants are getting, and there was a noticeable difference in cola density and size with my last outdoor/indoor grow I just harvested.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to showcase your cultivars. I had a lot of fun growing out your genetics over the summer, and now I have some wonderful memories to look back on.
Hope to work together more in the future.”
Final thoughts on an epic grow.
The 420autoflower grow method delivers incredible yields in return for the effort. By combining fine-quality autoflower seeds, LED lights placed above and below the canopy, expert hydroponic nutrient control, the SCROG method, and regular schwazzing, the result was a harvest that all home growers dream of. This meticulous approach maximized the plants’ potential, proving that with the right techniques and dedication, extraordinary results are achievable.
Published in Weed World Magazine issue 173
