I found this piece after a bit of searching and thought I'd share for the new growers like myself.
It is simply a week by week breakdown of the flowering stage and what you can expect during each week. I found it helpful so I'm sure others will too. Credit goes to StonerCircle.net
The Flowering Stage Of Cannabis Week By Week Cannabis goes into its flowering stage when certain levels of uninterrupted darkness are given to the plant. When you are ready for the flowering phase you should give your plants about 10-12 hours of darkness, this will cause them to change from their vegetative stage and begin the flowering process. On average the flowering period will last about 7-9 weeks but some sativa strains could take longer. Make sure to research your specific strains flowering time before you start your own grow. To ensure that your cannabis plant fulfills its maximum potential during its flowering period you need to make sure that your external factors such as the light you use, or the specific color spectrum you choose are perfect for your plant. For more information on how a specific color spectrum affects your plant during flowering then click here. It is also important that you provided your cannabis plant with all the nutrients it required while in its vegetative stage, this will ensure your plant grows to its maximum size before flowering to ensure the highest yield possible.
Week 1 Your plant will need some special attention during the first week of the flowering phase. This is due to the fact the plant needs to be flushed of any nutrients that you used in the vegetative stage, these will need to be replaced with nutrients that aid with flowering. It is not uncommon for a plant to go into shock during this phase due to the change in nutrients, keep an eye on your plants.
Week 2 During your second week of flowering your plant will start to form small marijuana buds. You will be able to find white pistols, which are like hairs, sprouting out from the plant. This lets you know that you have a female plant and not a male plant. You should continue to feed your plant flowering nutrients to help it reach its maximum potential. By feeding your plant the required nutrients you are making sure that it will not experience any deficiencies during the grow which could have an impact on the bud quality when it comes to harvest time.
Week 3 In the third week of flowering the plant is still growing and it should be around 25-50% bigger than when it started the flowering process. In week 3 there are a few resin glands and trichomes present on the flower, this gives us a small glimpse of what the future holds for this particular plant. The smell will not be too bad at this stage of the grow and the plant will continue to develop during this week.
Week 4 As you move into week 4of flowering, the vegetative growth will have ended and the plant will now be able to focus all of its energy into flowering. As a result of this you will see huge changes in your plant over the next few weeks. Buds will start to show on various bud sites around the plant, over the coming days and weeks you will see your bud density continue to increase as you get nearer to your harvest date. The odor will become a lot more noticeable in week 4 as the plant begins to produce capitate trichomes.
Week 5 As you move into the fifth week of the flowering process you will notice a sharp increase in bud production. existing bud sites will have grown out and became thicker while new bud sites will appear all along your main cola. As a result the odor will also increase so make sure you have a good ventilation system to combat any strong odors. All of this means that your plant is nearing completion you will also notice that the pistols are turning into an amber color from their previous white color. The trichomes are also beginning to turn opaque, all these are clear indicators that you will need to begin flushing your plant soon to rid it of any chemicals before harvest.
Week 6, 7 And 8 As all strains have different flowering times it is hard to say when yours will be ready, however the average plant will be ready within these last three weeks. You will notice a very strong odor coming from your plant, make sure to mask this to avoid any unwanted attention. To check if your plant is ready for harvest you can check the thc glands to see if they have turned from clear to opaque. If the majority of the thc glands are opaque this indicates that your plant is ready for harvest. Amber trichomes are another clear indication that the plant is ready to be harvested, cut, dried and cured for your enjoyment at a later date.
