Plant problems · Handling and timing · Seedlings · Act this week
Stunted autoflower
What you see
- An autoflower starts flowering while still very small
- Growth stalled in the first three weeks
Why it happens
Autoflowers have a fixed clock. Any stress early on (transplanting, overwatering, cold, strong feed) costs size that is not recovered.
What to do
- Keep the plant going gently: right watering, warm roots, light feed
- Do not prune or top it now
- Next time, sow autos straight into their final pot
Next time
- Sow autos in the final pot
- Feed lightly in the first two weeks
Easy to confuse with
- Overwatering: The whole plant droops with leaves that feel firm and swollen, not limp
- Cold stress: Leaves and stems turn purple (beyond what the strain normally shows)
- Transplant shock: The plant droops for a day or two after repotting
Not sure?
Take a photo of the whole plant with the pot for scale and ask the Grow Doctor, or send it to the grow companion on Telegram.