Outdoor grow...how long from pre-flower/flower to bud?

and what should I be looking for to happen? I wish I had taken pics, but I do not have a digital and develop everything, so I'm too scared to take a pic of my plants. But from what was explained to me in an earlier post, there are pre-flowers, than flowers, which turn into buds, do I have this correct?

Oy...This is giving me a head ache :confused:

I know ( at least assume ) my plants are female as they have tons of white/iridecent hairs and no nodes at all. I am 99% sure they are sativa. I just took seeds from a bag.

Oh, and if it makes a difference I am in the Eastern U.S.

And another thing ( promise last one ;) If it is not going to be ready to harvest until after the frost comes, should I pull them in at night? I only have 3 and they are potted on my balcony, so easy thing to do.

I have many more Q's...but I will save them.... :cool:

preflower to flower whcih is relly alredy little bud if u look close. so yes. and most bagseed is sativa because most comercial grows sativa cuz it has a higher yield, cuz.

Its really hard to tell how long it will take as strain is the biggest factor in this outcome..My only suggestion as to how long from pre-flower to smoke is, be patient. It can take a while with some strains..Youll know when its done by simply lookin at the "hairs". When you see some of them start to dry up and change color, harvest and cure that baby...

As for when to harvest it..Well day or night has never made a difference for me. But for security reasons ya may wanna harvest at night. If security isnt a problem, then simply harvest when you think its time, day or night..

PS- about your pre-flower then flower and then bud question. Well, its partially correct. A bud is a pre-flower in botony terms, but the cycle goes pre-flower-flower-mature flower...The "bud" that you smoke is nothin more than a mature flower..

"The "bud" that you smoke is nothin more than a mature flower.."
and the preflower you see around week 5-7 is a single flower of which it takes many to make up a bud...one of them will produce one seed if pollinated...if that helps ya picture it.

and your plant has many nodes...it's the point on a stem where a leaf is attached or has been attached