EXISED
Member
Used to hang around commercial growers (uncles and cousins basically) back in the old country - somewhere tropical. Anyway I learned some things while growing in that part of the world. I remember a nifty little trick to make them flower faster and that is to give them a bit of smoke. Ironic isn't it....
I am not sure what the availability of "whole coconut husks" are in your area but it is the main ingredient in this process. Basically you put a burning piece of red hot charcoal between two pieces of dried coconut husks and leave it under your bush making sure that it doesn't burn the whole place down of course. This would smoke the plants for hours during the day. apparently it is bad if the husks burn too fast but the burn is controlled via moisture content in it. Too much moisture and it doesn't burn at all too little burns too fast. The only remnants of it the next day would be some ash at the base of the plants.
Ahhh brings back memories. Hard work i know but imagine doing a couple of hectares of this it was tiring work. Family thing farming in that part of the world - you have to pull your weight I guess.
Anyways "Horticulturaly" speaking it does have it's own merits - it might be the ash stabilizing the PH of the soil, increased CO2 produced by the burn, reduced pest aphids/insects etc due to the smoke or some other organic chemical material released in the process or a combination of it but I've seen it work with my own eyes. Forces the plants to flower/flower faster before the rainy season starts to spoil everything in that part of the world. Anyway just a tip to help fellow outdoor growers...
I am not sure what the availability of "whole coconut husks" are in your area but it is the main ingredient in this process. Basically you put a burning piece of red hot charcoal between two pieces of dried coconut husks and leave it under your bush making sure that it doesn't burn the whole place down of course. This would smoke the plants for hours during the day. apparently it is bad if the husks burn too fast but the burn is controlled via moisture content in it. Too much moisture and it doesn't burn at all too little burns too fast. The only remnants of it the next day would be some ash at the base of the plants.
Ahhh brings back memories. Hard work i know but imagine doing a couple of hectares of this it was tiring work. Family thing farming in that part of the world - you have to pull your weight I guess.
Anyways "Horticulturaly" speaking it does have it's own merits - it might be the ash stabilizing the PH of the soil, increased CO2 produced by the burn, reduced pest aphids/insects etc due to the smoke or some other organic chemical material released in the process or a combination of it but I've seen it work with my own eyes. Forces the plants to flower/flower faster before the rainy season starts to spoil everything in that part of the world. Anyway just a tip to help fellow outdoor growers...