Those hairs at the base of the branches are preflowers, plants vegged for extended times get those even with long light periods. Means the plant is ready and wants to bud. I'm sure an auto flower is always ready.
If plant growth is being held back for arrival of nutes that would go far in explaining the preflowers going brown and what appears to be nute problems on the leaf. A weak solution of general purpose vegging nutes would not hurt the budding to come at all, might even perk it up some while waiting.