How Big Should Buds Be At 5 Weeks? (Answered)

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If you are growing your own marijuana, something you might be wondering is exactly how large those buds should be at various stages during the growth cycle. So, how big should buds be at five weeks?

Now, keep in mind here that we are talking about five weeks into the flowering stage, not five weeks into the growth cycle. The vegetative state comes first, and this doesn’t count, because buds don’t grow during the vegetative state.

Generally speaking, at five weeks into the flowering stage, those buds should be anywhere between one and three inches in length, and between one half and one inch in width, which is especially the case for the colas, otherwise known as the crown buds on top of the plant.

How Big Should Buds Be At 5 Weeks

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So, How Big Should My Buds Be At 5 Weeks?

At five weeks in, those marijuana buds should be anywhere between one and three inches in length, in between 1/2 inch and one inch in width.

This is especially the case if we are talking about the colas, which are also known as the crown buds at appear at the top of the plant.

If we are talking about other butts further down the plant, expect them to be between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch in width and between one and two inches in length.

At around week 5, you’ll also notice that your buds start growing really long white hairs, otherwise known as the pistils, which are how female marijuana plants reproduce.

Over time, these white hairs will slowly turn orange as your plant matures.

For week 2 information, see this article.

What Changes From Week 4 To Week 5?

During week four of the flowering stage of marijuana plant, it is most likely that your plants stop growing in height and width.

At this point, they should be putting most of their energy into growing those buds. You’re going to see small white hairs sticking out from the buds, and those buds are going to become a bit bigger and thicker each day.

Now that more larger buds are growing, the plants are going to start producing more trichomes, which means that your plant or plants are going to start smelling a lot more.

At this point, the buds of your marijuana plants are going to be anywhere between one and two inches in length, and between 1/3 and 1/2 inch in width, particularly the colas or the crown buds.

From week 4 to week 5, you’re going to notice that the buds on your plantar becoming noticeably thicker and longer. You’ll probably also notice that more buds start growing on your plant, especially on the branches, and in between the leaves.

With more buds growing, and existing buds growing bigger, you can be sure that your plant is in full flowering mode.
At this point in time, you will notice that your marijuana plant also has an extremely strong and pungent odor, which means that if you are growing indoors, a good ventilation system is called for.

What you might also notice at this point is that some of those white hairs or pistols that we talked about above are turning a slight brown, red, amber, orange color, depending on the exact weed strain in question.

Moreover, when you look at those small trichomes or crystals on your plant, you will notice that they start becoming opaque, more of a milky white color as opposed to being clear or translucent.

From week four to week 5, the buds should have grown significantly.

week 6

What To Expect In Week 6?

During week six of the flowering stage of your marijuana plant, you can expect a few different things to happen.

First of all, those buds are going to get a lot bigger. Generally speaking, those buds can grow anywhere between 25% and 35% from week 6 or 9 to when it is time to harvest, which is generally going to be at around week eight to week 12 of the flowering stage.

How long it takes depends on the plant itself. By the time your plant is ready to harvest at around week 9 to week 12, those buds maybe as long as three or four inches, and as wide as two inches.

Next, you can also expect your marijuana plant, the buds, to develop a whole lot of those trichomes, or in other words, those Milky white crystals.

At this point, your marijuana plant should smell quite a bit. Moreover, those white hairs or pistils on the outside of the buds should it start all turning reddish brown or amber in color.

By the time your plant is ready to harvest, all of those white hairs should have turned amber. Depending on exactly how long your marijuana plant is going to take to mature, this may also be the time when you start flushing your plant.

In other words, you’re going to start feeding your plant only water to get rid of any nutrients and fertilizer in the soil and the plant, because nutrients and fertilizer are not things that you want to smoke or ingest.

What Week Do Buds Put On The Most Weight?

If we are talking about normal flowering time, which can last anywhere between 8 to 12 weeks, marijuana buds will usually put on the most weight and size during the last two or three weeks of the flowering stage.

For the most part, cannabis buds can increase in both thickness and weight by as much as 25% in those last two or three weeks.

Of course, the other 75% is put on during the first 8 to 10 weeks, but in terms of the ratio, most of the growth does happen in those final few weeks. They really explode in size in those last few weeks.

Tips To Keep Your Plants Healthy

Before we call it a day, let’s just go over some valuable tips on how to keep your weed plants healthy. There are a few important factors to keep in mind here. These include temperature, humidity, sunlight, air, water, and soil.

  • While your report is in a vegetative state, the temperature should be anywhere between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, or between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. During the flowering stage, keep the temperature between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit, or between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius.
  • For the humidity level, if the plant is in the vegetative state, between 40% and 60% is called for, and if the plant is flowering, between 40% and 60% called for. If the humidity is too high, the roots and the plant may begin to rot.
  • When the plant is in its vegetative state, give your plant 24 hours of light per day, or up to 18, and during the flowering stage, they need 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. During the vegetative state, between 125 and 250 watts of lights are recommended, and for flowering, between 400 to 1,000 watts is recommended. Also, keep lights between 12 and 18 inches away from the plants so they don’t burn.
  • Make sure to provide your plants with plenty of ventilation and airflow so that pests and mold cannot take hold. Ventilation is also good for controlling both temperature and humidity.
  • If you are growing in soil, make sure it has good drainage, and make sure that the pH level is always between 6 and 6.8. The soil needs to be slightly. You also need to keep the NPK levels ideal as well, which are the three main nutrients that marijuana plants need. Each stage of growth needs a different NPK ratio, so you need to do some additional research on front.
  • Your weed plants also need ample amounts of water. Although make sure not to overwater them, or else they may develop root rot. As a rule of thumb, if the top inch of soil is moist or wet, you can wait another day. Also, if you are using city water, let the water sit for 24 hours to allow the fluoride to evaporate. Also, make sure that the water has a neutral pH level.

Conclusion

So, by around the end of week 5, your buds should be substantially sized, and some of those white pistols should have started to turn amber or brown.

If by week 6, your buds are still very small and those hairs are still white, then it is likely that you are doing something wrong, in which case you want to refer to the section about tips to keep your plants healthy.

Fabian

My passion for the sticky icky started nearly a decade ago, and it all began when I first laid my eyes on the beauty that is the marijuana plant.

I cover all aspects of growing from equipment recommendations to plant health/care tips to help both new and experienced growers.