IS my plant just REALLY FUCKED UP?

So.....My plants have been growing for about 5-6 weeks now and they are getting to be about 12" tall or so....

But a few problems:

1. They aren't really branching. The leaves are growing out all-right, but they aren't nearly as well developed as all on the plants that I have seen online. They are two branches per node which produces a set of three leaves and that's it. They haven't expanded past that.

2. They only have three leaves per set. Isn't weed supposed to have like 5+ per set of leaves. Everybody's see the five leaf design, but mine only has three.

3. They are really tall and weak. They can't hold them selves up. What do I do?

4. How do I know when they are ready to flower?

THANKS!!!!

got any pics by chance?

Sounds like your using the wrong lights or there just to far away, if your using floros keep 1-2inches away from your plant or they will reach for the light. Put some pics up

You should also put a fan blowing on them to strengthen the stem.

there are some strains that only have three leaves I harvested 17 of them last season.

cosign with jmac

I'll try and get some pics up but I don't have a camera right now....

I'll move the light down, that's probabally a good idea.

Should I wait a little longer before flowering then? They are at the fifth/sixth node right now and people are telling me that I should put them under 12/12. But I'm thinking I should wait at least a week or two before putting them under 12/12.

Either way, would I be fucked for my harvest?

Secondly, is there any way I can tell (even with a microscope) that the plant is male/female before 12/12?

THANKS!!

once in 12/12 it will start 2 show its sex shortly after.Where did u get the plant from?seed or clone?

just randomn shit my buddy had left over from the summer. Just threw it into some cups and they sprouted!

put a wooden dowl in the dirt and tie the plant to it
keep a fan blowing on it
as for the leaves its probly just satvia dominant nothing to woray about