Seeing pistils are just that pre flowers until you take the plant and switch its photo period therefore switching its bud producing genes on and veg genes off so to safely give the plant and yourself sufficient time for it to flip so it is fed right and you dont cut it early give it a week for all the genes to switch to their desired function and count flowering time from there but also flowering times vary from strain to strain so learn and study the plant you are growing also see what others have experienced with the same strain
hope this clears it a bit better for you
right right this i understand. i guess specifically what im wondering is for example when a breeders description says 8 week flower time, does that mean 8 weeks from flipping to 12/12, or does that mean 8 weeks from the 1st sign of flowers, and what exactly is the 1st sign of flower? i understand that this number is not exact, but more of an estimated time frame of ripeness. i currently have 5 strains that i have learned their flowering period, but i have been counting day 1 from when i flip to 12/12. is this wrong, should i be starting day 1 on the first sign of flowers? the breeder says 8-10 weeks, and i have harvested at week 9(from flip) with 70/30 cloudy/amber trics. thx for yr help!!