outdoor growing south africa

Trees are about 4 - 5 metres and have been pruning to expand growth laterally. I think they started about July 2012 and now almost end of Jan 2013 and no signs of budding. Have about 7 plants of different types. I dont usually prune so radically but cant let them get too high or they will be seen. Some are under shadecloth. Do you think I am doing ok so far? They are fed well point water and also some koi pond water.Try hard to only water at ground level but sometimes this is also tiring so i use the hose against the wall to water. It has been extremely hot and windy and i have lost a few finer plants.No signs yet of male plants. In previous years i just took off yellowing leaves and a few small side growths. Concerned that I have overdone it this year. I check for bugs almost every day and have removed mealie bug and a black shiny beetle or two. Otherwise reasonablly bug free as i have eliminated the ants.Usually get a good crop round about march or april. Your comments would be appreciated, getting nervous that i have a dummy crop! Thanks [ATTACHAttachment 289033Attachment 289034Attachment 289033

We don't know the strains, so its hard to comment. I'm not sure on the lighting in SA, are they starting to get a full 12 hours of darkness? Lets say this - The plants look great, I'd love those in my garden, so everything is going well as far as health, but if you've had to wait til april to harvest before, then I'm sure you'll start seeing some hairs soon. As far as a dummy crop, I think they're just waiting to adjust to the lighting :) Remember, even after 12/12 starts it can take a few weeks before you see your first hairs!

HI, thanks for the info...At the moment only getting about nine hours of darkness, so that was my gut feeling,but always good to get an opinion.Thank you for the reply,much appreciated.Think I was just having a panic!! :D

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Originally Posted by low_rdr

We don't know the strains, so its hard to comment. I'm not sure on the lighting in SA, are they starting to get a full 12 hours of darkness? Lets say this - The plants look great, I'd love those in my garden, so everything is going well as far as health, but if you've had to wait til april to harvest before, then I'm sure you'll start seeing some hairs soon. As far as a dummy crop, I think they're just waiting to adjust to the lighting :) Remember, even after 12/12 starts it can take a few weeks before you see your first hairs!

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I Threw some seeds on my compost heap after a clean. It was there for over 6 months before I was surprised with a plant. Initially 3, but now only 2 (one male, one female) due to my dogs running everywhere. They broke the stem of the smallest. :(

Seeing that this is my first own plant. I looked into this site for guidance for the past 3 months. I can post pics of it if you would need it, but "HomeGranny's" comment of 4-5m high plants really worry me. Mine is 1m high and shows the female v hairs already, but there is about 15cm left before the tips will be visible to the back neighbor.

How long will it still take to make buds? And how tall do you think it will get?

I'm a new member here, so forgive if I replied wrong,....weird buttons on the forum screen...

Thanks

Micooy

I decided to download the pics for you to see. Maybe a strain would be visible for the trained eye. Btw, homegranny, your's look beautifull! Wish I could be there for the testing...:)

Here is mine...

nice looking. but id be highly dubious of anyone who says they can look at a pic and tell you the strain....pretty much impossible. the only thing anyone could be sure of indica dominate vs sativa dominate. even that can be tough if the plant is a 50/50 mix and doesnt really display traits of one over the other.
yours look like sativa by the leaves and indica-like from the spacing between nodes.
the only i can be sure of is it looks healthy. being in south africa probably a good guess its maybe durban or malawi?

just saw your first post. flowering times vary by strain etc. as for height you may want to look into low stress training to keep out of the neighbors eye.

Hi Mal420,

Yes South Africa. Gauteng province,....right in the middle. Inland.

I thought it is indica probably from a flawed assumption that sativa goes high up. Maybe because I just didn't want to cross the border of that back wall.

Any guesses on what stage she is? My phone didn't take such great pics, but the female sex is showing and the "bark" is getting a thin white film on it close to the nodes and upper parts of the plant.

Thank for your reply.

Just saw your new post....low stress training? For the plant or me?......lol!!

Would that be like pruning it lower? Won't that mean me loosing a lot of heads?

Hi Homegranny

You got a bb pin? we can share recipes...lol. You're the first South African I see here.

Regards

Micooy

no you are right sativa does tend to be taller but if its mixture of the 2 and thats most likely the case it can show signs of both. i cant gauge the height from the pic because i really have no reference. but low stress means tying the taller parts so they are bent over. several benefits can come from that like more buds.
as for what stage they are at..... summer is coming to an end for you yeah? how many hours of daylight do you get right now? if they are starting to show id have to guess your getting maybe 14- 12??
lots of unknowns. it might be an autoflower, might not id guess no but its only guess. either way let em go until the trichomes are all milky or before temps get colder.....does it really even get cold there?
i like the thatched roof in the pic is it real? or one of the fake ones?


just took a quik look at the pics again. one looks mostly sativa the other looks mostly indica(smaller one)

Thanks Mal

Ya, the thatch is the back neighbor's lapa (as we call it). It's his entertainment area. He has a pool next to it which would not be visible due to the wall.

Summer here lasts pretty much up to end March. March and the better part of April is seen as Autumn. June is the start of Winter. We have average winter temperature varying between 10 and 18 degrees Celsius. Some nights reach 2 to 5, and the really cold exceptions are 0 to -1 degrees.

After your post, I reserched more about the various kinds and realised that my male plant (the small one) would be closer to pure indica. The female (larger plant) does have sativa characteristics, but I would guess a 80/20 or 60/40 indica. The leaves show sativa.

What will happen if I allow the indica male to pollenate this indica/sativa female? Will the seed be more indica?

We have 10 hours darkness at the moment.

Thanks for your input.

Hey Micooy,sorry havent been on this site for a while...been too busy taking care of my plants! Checking for bugs every evening..Am in south of SA...Not sure how safe it is to discuss here. what the .... is a bb pin as in Blackberry????? or on here..if here it looks too complicated for me.Yours look like sativa..suggest you nip them a bit..there is a helpful guide i think on another site(icmag.com) with pics on how best to do this if you are a beginner. Mind are blooming well...we are heading for cooler weather and Mal is right you need to bend them over a bit to get max sunshine...watch out for small shiny little bugs that lurk in the stem cross section and mealie bugs once your flowers start. If any ants...you know you have bugs

That looks like sativa dominant cross, if you pollinate it with indica you will get a bunch of F1 seeds that each will be different and only by breeding them further you could get equal seeds!

Hey Homegranny

Yes, bb pin is blackberry. Thanks for the info and like yourself, I haven't been on the site for a long time. My lack in knowledge cased me some dismay with the plant in the backyard, but I'm cherpy about it again. I thought I might sit with a hermaphrodite, but it seems it was the successful pollination from the male Indica that caused my confusion. I'll take some new pictures tomorrow and get your feedback on where we stand now.

Hi Midowo

I had a beautifull Indica male that polinated the plant in the picture. Actually, if looking closely, you may see it there. But as I said to Homegranny, I will take some new Pics tomorrow and post it.

Thanks for the info....