Quote Originally Posted by crazypumpkin
1) how long does it usually take for the buds on a plant to mature once you see its pistils?
Strain dependent. Usually for indica dominants, 6-8 weeks.
2) what do you do once they mature? I hear youre supposed to dry the entire plant in some way, but cant you just cut off the buds and dry them out? why not just do that?
Cut the plant at soil level and hang. Or cut buds off and put in paper bag.

The more stem and the longer you dry, the smoother the smoke.
3) my plant's like 6 feet tall...I heard that there is some way to cut the plant while it is growing so that it grows outwards instead of up...how do i do this?
Topping. You do it at least a week or two before flowering. Would decrease your yield now if you tried it.
4)now that I've got a female, I'd like to keep cloning it...what part of the plant do I cut off and how do i plant it?
I don't like cloning after flowering, myself. Takes too long, in my experience.

But if you want to...Read This.