Bruce Banner Auto Cannabis Strain Week-by-Week Guide
- 1. Grow specifications
- 2. Grow set up
- 3. Germination and seedling stage | week 1
- 4. Early veg | week 2
- 5. Mid veg | weeks 3-4
- 6. Transition (pre-flower) | week 5
- 7. Early flower | weeks 6-7
- 8. Mid flower (bulk phase) | weeks 8-9
- 9. Ripening and harvest | weeks 10-12
- 10. Yield and smoke report
- 11. In conclusion
Bruce Banner Auto is an excellent choice for consumers who need a powerful yet focused effect. This variety will allow you to forget about minor problems and get completely focused on getting chores done while leaving you in a nice happy state of mind. On top of that, consumers can expect a boost in creativity and pain relief, making it the ideal strain for those who want to get rid of negativity and just feel good all day long. Expect exceptional aromas of fresh forest berries with a strong diesel background and a pinch of sweetness that smoothes out the smoke and just leaves you wanting for more.
But where do these enjoyable effects and delicious flavors and aromas come from? Well, Bruce Banner Auto contains a cocktail of cannabinoids and terpenes that give rise to these traits. High levels of THC result in a fast-acting and long-lasting high that will keep you elevated all day long. On top of this, a complex terpene profile underpins her irresistible tastes. However, these molecules do more than simply taste good. They also work in a synergistic fashion with THC and other cannabinoids and contribute to the unique effects of this cannabis cultivar. This strain also contains an array of flavonoids and volatile sulphur compounds that may also influence the high in some way.
If reading this left your mouth watering then continue reading our week-by-week guide in which we’ll show you how the Bruce Banner Auto develops through all growth stages, important highlights, and show the results other growers had in the hope it helps you get an outstanding harvest.
1. Grow Specifications
Bruce Banner Auto is a monstrous Sativa-dominant hybrid that in just under 11 weeks will reach 150cm in height and yield up to 600 gr/m2. This variety can take a little bit longer than most autoflowering strains but the wait is definitely worth it as this variety develops an impressive trichome production that covers the flowers from head to toe thanks to the 25% THC. This beautiful XXL strain produces even more attractive flowers that boast a delicate lime-green hue and almost neon yellow hairs all over, with a delicious blend of sweets, berries, and diesel giving it that final touch.
Overall, Bruce Banner Auto is a perfect autoflowering strain for all growers. Those with more space indoors and outdoors can allow this strain to grow to its full genetic potential. By sowing seeds in a large container or by transplanting seedlings directly into the ground outdoors, you’ll provide this variety with enough room to reach her maximum height and lateral growth. Leave plants untrained, and you’ll watch her develop a large and impressive central cola. However, don’t let a limited amount of space stop you from growing this autoflowering variety. You can use smaller containers and training techniques to easily keep her under control.
2. Grow Set Up
Bruce Banner Auto was just released a couple of months ago but you can already find at least 80 - 90 grow reports online. For this weekly guide, we have chosen one that shows it is possible to grow XXL strains in a limited space and without having to do anything extra, just some basic LST and basic feedings with Bio Vega, Bio Rhizotonic and Bio Flores, and Bio Boost from CANNA.
Grower Sublyme_ness grows autoflowers indoors under a 100 W LED in a fairly small tent and needs to keep his plants under 120 cm. As you may know, Bruce Banner Auto can grow up to 150 cm or more so if you’re having issues with your plants reaching the lights, read along and learn how this grower managed to grow an XXL autoflower in a small grow tent.
| Grow Space: | 0.6 m2 (6.5 ft2) | Pot Size: | 8 L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed to Harvest: | 11 weeks | Medium: | Soil |
| Flowering: | 7 weeks | Nutrients: | Organic |
| Light Cycle: | 18/6 | Day Temperature: | 27 °C (80.6 °F) |
| Light Type: | LED | Night Temperature: | 22 °C (71.6 °F) |
| Watts Used: | 100 | Humidity: | 50% |
3. Germination and Seedling Stage | Week 1
There are several different ways to germinate autoflowering cannabis seeds so there’s not much to say about that. Everyone grows differently, has different grow setups, and different strain preferences and the same applies to seed germination. Germinating seeds in a glass of water remains one of the most popular and easy methods. Soaking seeds in this way over a day or two keeps them fully saturated, which helps to accelerate germination and avoids the risk of the growing medium drying out, which can sometimes delay the germination process.
However, many growers prefer to sow their seeds and germinate them directly into jiffy plugs or pots. When kept adequately hydrated, these seeds are free to root down into a growing medium and immediately start to establish a root system. With that said, there is no “superior” way to germinate seeds—spend some time trying to find the best way that works for you. In this case, the grower opted for the paper towel method and didn’t have an issue at all. This process is pretty easy and popular but in case you haven’t tried it yet, it consists of letting the seeds soak in a glass of water for 24 hours in order for the seed shell to hydrate.
| Plant Height: | 4 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 60 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | None |
In some cases, the seeds could germinate while soaking but if they don’t, you can go ahead and transfer them to paper towels, making sure they’re damp but not completely wet. In around 2-3 days you should see the taproot coming out and once the taproot has grown to around 2-3 cm, it’s time to plant it!
As you can see in the pictures below, the seedlings have come out of the substrate and started developing the first pair of one-fingered leaves in just under 1 week. The grower then applied an LST technique in order to keep the seedling short as due to the limited vertical space, the plant cannot grow more than 120cm.
Keep in mind that seedlings are quite fragile at this stage so you should not feed them anything other than a root booster or a mild nutrient solution. In this case, the grower is using unfertilized soil so he gave the seedling 2ml of Bio Vega to provide what it needs to continue growing healthy.
4. Early Veg | Week 2
The initial weeks of an autoflower’s life cycle are normally slow. You won’t see the plant develop that much but rest assured the roots are growing like crazy underground. At this point, your main objective should be to keep the light at the right distance and keep the temperature and humidity on point to be able to provide a warm and humid environment for your plants. There are several approaches you can take when it comes to ensuring your plants are receiving enough light intensity. The easiest option, favored by many laid-back hobbyist growers, is simply to follow the rough distance recommendations below.
However, using different types of light meters will help you maintain a more accurate position, which ultimately results in healthier plants that grow fasters. Measuring lux can help growers get a rough idea of the intensity of their light at a specific height. Lux a unit luminous flux per unit area. For example, a lux a meter can help you work out the illuminance that your light provides per square meter in your grow tent. The catch?
| Plant Height: | 7 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 45 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | None |
Lux meters only measure wavelengths that are perceivable to the human eye, not all of the wavelengths that plants use for photosynthesis. However, these readings can still be useful when it comes to positioning your light. Overall, you’ll want to aim for approximately 6,000 lux during the seedling stage, 30,000 lux during the vegetative stage, and 50,000 lux during the flowering phase. Using a lux meter will certainly help improve yields and plant growing times.
“Downward leaf curl on tips. Must investigate. The leaves feel a bit papery, need to look at why that is. Not enough nitrogen?.. hmm. Loving the shape of the plant so far and real consistent growth. Thin stem.”
However, using a PAR meter will help push things even further. These devices are more expensive, but they measure all of the wavelengths that plants need to make sugars, known as photosynthetically active radiation. PAR meters use photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) as a measure of light intensity. You’ll want to aim for 100–300 100-300 µMol/m2/S during the seedling stage, 400–600 µMol/m2/S during veg, and 800–1000 µMol/m2/S during flowering. On the second week since germination, you’re officially in the vegetative stage. By now your plant should have already developed at least 1 or 2 pairs of leaves but there’s really not much to do other than keep your plant happy and keep an eye out for bugs.
The grower noticed how the leaves of the Bruce Banner were kinda twisted and thought it could be something related to nutrients but this can happen sometimes and there’s no need to worry unless the problem occurs with the new leaves. As long as the issue stays on the one-fingered leaves there’s no need to worry at all.
5. Mid Veg | Weeks 3-4
On weeks 3 and 4 of the vegetative stage is when you’ll see your autoflower seeds start to grow exponentially. When growing autoflowers in pre-fertilized substrate it’s recommended to only start feeding at the end of week 4 but these Bruce Banner Auto are not, so the grower fed them with 1ml of Bio Rhizotonic and 3ml of Bio Vega to make sure they continue growing healthily.
| Plant Height: | 20.5 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 45 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | None |
Take a look at the pictures below and notice how the plant developed around 3 - 4 new pairs of leaves and literally doubled in size during weeks 3 and 4. This is what you should expect from healthy plants. As you can see, there are no signs of yellowing or any signs of deficiencies, all the leaves are bright green and the first couple of white hairs started to appear, which means the Bruce Banner is getting ready to develop the buds.
For those wondering why we said the Bruce Banner Auto grows up to 150 cm and this plant is only 20cm tall, remember that the grower used an LST technique to bend the main stem and keep the plant as short as possible. Also, keep in mind that cannabis plants go through what is called the “flowering stretch” so this plant will still grow a bit more, but will not reach its full height due to the training techniques performed.
6. Transition (Pre-Flower) | Week 5
The development of white hairs in the flowering sites means that the plant is about to transition from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage but this doesn’t mean it happens overnight. As mentioned above, cannabis plants go through the flowering stretch and some strains can even double in size so make sure to keep this in mind if you’re growing in a small tent or grow space.
| Plant Height: | 20.5 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 45 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | None |
The most common mistake among beginner growers is to stop feeding Grow nutrients once the white hairs appear but remember that Nitrogen is needed to grow strong leaves and branches, and your plant is stretching like crazy. This means that yes, you should start with Bloom nutrients but you also have to continue with Grow fertilizers for at least 1 to 2 weeks.
But how do I know if my plants have entered pre-flower? Well, by taking a look at the pictures above you can see how hairs are coming out of the flowering sites, but even before that, you can identify your plant is about to enter this transition stage from veg to flower by the color of the flowering sites as they usually turn light-green when pre-flower is about to begin. On top of that, the elongation of the main cola and side branches is another thing that can help you know your plant is in pre-flower in case you have missed all the other signs.
7. Early Flower | Weeks 6-7
During early flower, cannabis plants will not only stretch but also start to develop and fatten the flowers. As the buds stack up, they will fill in the spaces between the nodes and soon enough will start getting covered in trichomes which are the resin glands where cannabinoids and terpenes are produced and stored, this means that your plant will start to smell once trichomes are produced, but don’t worry about that yet.
| Plant Height: | 24 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 45 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | Weak |
Weeks 6 and 7 mark the first 2 weeks of the flowering stage, which means that flowers will start bulking up, and to help your plant with this process you will have to start feeding Bloom nutrients. By this stage, your plant will not stretch anymore so you can stop feeding Nitrogen and focus on the Potassium and Phosphorus cannabis plants need to produce beautiful frosty flowers.
As you can see above, what was just a couple of white hairs have started taking form and resin has appeared all over the buds and surrounding foliage. This does not only mean your plant is happy but also that it won’t take much longer for you to enjoy the delicious buds.
8. Mid Flower (Bulk Phase) | Weeks 8-9
After the plants have finished stretching and the buds have started to take form, there’s nothing much to do other than making sure the growing conditions are on point and keeping an eye out for bugs and mold.
| Plant Height: | 27 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 45 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | Strong |
Keep in mind that weeks 8 and 9 are when your plants will start smelling. Remember that some plants will smell less than others but all cannabis plants smell a lot so you might want to install your carbon filter to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Other than making sure your plants are healthy, you just have to let your plants do their thing and keep them well fed. The growing part of growing cannabis is almost over, in a couple of weeks you’ll be chopping them down and getting ready for drying and curing.
9. Ripening and Harvest | Weeks 10-12
During the final weeks of the grow cycle, all you have to do is continue feeding and wait for the right moment to harvest your crop. There’s really nothing much to do as you’re just waiting for the buds to ripen and the trichomes to turn cloudy.
| Plant Height: | 27 cm | Day Temp: | 27 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance to Light: | 45 cm | Night Temp: | 22 °C |
| Humidity: | 50% | Smell: | Strong |
Because all plant growth stops during the last weeks, you should only feed your plant a PK booster and get ready to flush. Remember flushing is optional and there’s really no evidence that it’s beneficial, although most growers swear by it.
The Bruce Banner Auto takes 11 weeks from germination to harvest but the grow cycle could be a little longer or shorter depending on your growing conditions. Now, you should never harvest based on the flowering times specified by the breeder, the best way to know when to harvest your cannabis plants is to look at the trichomes. So whenever possible, grab a magnifier and check the trichomes, if the majority of the trichomes are cloudy and around 10 to 20% amber, you’re good to go!
10. Yield and Smoke Report
After harvesting, drying and curing the delicious Bruce Banner Auto, the grower got an average of 25 grams per plant, which may seem like very little but it’s actually not bad. Remember that the plant only grew to 27 cm tall due to the height restrictions the grower had.
Thanks to the 25% THC and its Sativa genetics, this variety packs a punch and will leave you in a joyful state of mind, ready to work. The happy, energizing effect comes hand-in-hand with a unique berry and diesel terp mix that’ll make you want to smoke all day long!
Expert Opinion by Jorge Cervantes - co-author
The Bruce Banner Auto strain epitomizes the remarkable progress in cannabis genetics and cultivation practices. As a seasoned cultivator and author, the advancement of cannabis strains never ceases to fascinate me, and Bruce Banner Auto is a shining example of this development. This strain's growth pattern is notable for its swift development and significant yield potential, captivating growers' interest. The week-by-week guide, co-authored with Enzo Schillaci, meticulously outlines what growers can anticipate during each plant's life cycle stage. Attention to detail is paramount in optimizing plant health and yield, from germination to flowering.
Bruce Banner Auto's prolific trichome production, which underpins the strain's potent effects and enticing aroma and flavor profile, is a highlight of this guide. It provides strategies for cultivating these attributes to their fullest, enabling growers to tap into the strain's exceptional qualities.
In essence, cultivating Bruce Banner Auto is a rewarding endeavor that blends the artistry of gardening with the science of plant genetics. This guide offers a detailed roadmap for growers, ensuring a successful and satisfying harvest. Recognizing that each plant possesses unique traits and understanding these nuances is key to maximizing your cannabis cultivation journey.
11. In Conclusion
This was a successful grow report, the grower was able to grow really nice bud in a very limited grow space and the results are there for you to see. Keep in mind that taking good care of your garden is a must in order to get the best flowers possible, but the main thing is to start with the right genetics. Genetics is what ultimately dictates the potential your plant has, so make sure to get seeds from reputable vendors and happy growing!
