Flowering Week 6

Is the plant still making new flower tissue?

Look at swelling bracts, clusters on more than one branch and the pace of new stigmas. Some plants continue flowering well after six weeks, especially when genetics and growing conditions differ from the grow journal. Brown or orange hairs alone do not prove that flowers have completed development.

Inspect bud trichomes in context

Use a clean handheld magnifier or loupe to compare glandular trichomes on the flower bracts at several sites. Sugar-leaf trichomes can mature differently and can mislead an otherwise careful inspection. Cloudiness and amber coloration are observations, not a validated one-size-fits-all percentage that guarantees potency or a particular effect. Laboratory analysis is needed to determine actual cannabinoid composition.

An optical loupe can help reveal visible structures; the original grow used a BelOMO loupe. Compare current BelOMO loupe listings on Amazon (paid link), or use another clear magnifier suitable for close inspection.

Do not overlook mold while evaluating maturity

Examine dense interior flowers for brown-gray damaged tissue, a musty smell or other signs of bud rot. Keep airflow working, avoid wetting buds and support top-heavy branches. Do not try to salvage moldy cannabis for consumption. Late-flowering leaf fading is not by itself a reliable maturity test.

Choose your timing from the plant, not a fixed trichome rule

Compare the breeder's expected range with the flowers' continued development and repeated inspections. If growing tips are still producing substantial new flowers, harvesting on week six just because the calendar says so may be premature. Conversely, a genuinely mature fast cultivar need not follow a longer plant's schedule. Keep records, note actual room conditions and avoid universal promises about amber trichomes.