Have no idea what I'm doing ? ....But I've been told not to make assumptions and have the courage to ask questions. About 3 months ago I was given 4 clones of mysterious origin, all about 15"-18" and in some kind of early flowering stage. I transplanted to bigger pots as needed, have been giving 'em some Alaska fish fertilizer [ 5-1-1 ] about once a week and they've been basking in Caribbean sunshine since I got 'em. Two only got to about 2 ft or so but they budded out nice enough - to my eyes at least - and they've been pulled, dried, cured [ minimally ! ] and gratefully consumed. But the other two are about 52" and 64" high now and don't seem to want to fill out and form buds ? If they ever change their mind I'll get a sizable yield as there is plenty of 'flower', but it ain't much more than a few wispy pistils still after 3 months. I'm not sure what a calyx is yet, but I suspect that this is the meaty essence of the bud, yeah ? A few weeks ago I was concerned about how much light they were getting, so I cut some branches from the nearby tree canopy. I thought that I finally detected some action since I did this, but now I'm not so sure and I think they've stalled again. Have they somehow reverted back to a veg cycle ? ....What exactly does the pre-flowering stage look like ? ....And id there anything I can do to induce flowering ?
Yes they will change their mind and start flowering as soon as the natural light cycle changes. They will be monster plants..transplant them to nice big pots at least 12 gallons, give the roots room to grow and breathe. Also the fish fertilizer is a veg nute, so only give it to them while vegging, find another nute to use when they start flowering. Flowering nutes will have a higher P value than N and K.
Many thanks for the reply, I was under the impression that the natural light cycle changed on June 21st, and I was expecting something to happen a coupla weeks ago - maybe it has and my untrained eye just hasn't noticed ? What generic fertilizer would you recommend for flowering stage outdoors then ? That 5-1-1 formula apparently refers to Nitrogen-Phosphate-Soluble Potash, so it's the middle number that needs to be upped I guess. Thanks for the vote of confidence too, I was beginning to wonder if I had some duds, but now I sense that this is just another invaluable lesson in patience. I read somewhere recently that the simple act of planting something, is a great way to express your faith in the promise of tomorrow.
Sativa strains will take longer to start showing..I just had my outdoor sativas start showing sex about 2 weeks ago. I don't know about the generic fertilizers..I suppose anything with a low nitrogen and high phosphate content would work..you can give them a mix of both for a week or 2, then you can stop using the nitrogen. Make sure you don't over feed them..they don't need alot, just enough.