Pistils are not a good indicator of maturity.

According to The Cannabis Grow Bible by Greg Green:

Here are some indicators to help you identify it's harvest time....


  • 50 percent to 70 percent of the pistils change color

  • Plants stop producing crystals (trichomes)

  • The fan leaves and lower leaves have turned yellow and are starting to die off

  • The smell has reached it peak

  • Bud mass has not increased in the past few days
Neither are fan leaves. Also:

As some of these older pilstils wither the other pistils begin a visable transformation in color from white to orange, red or brown.

1. less than 5% of the pistils are withering
2. approximately 90% of the pistils have reached maturity
3. less than 5% of the pistils appear to be in the early stages of growth

The 90% group is the one that you should gauge your harvest with.
Brown hairs can also be a sign of pollination. I don't give any nutes the last week or two of flowering. If you're not sure, take a sample!