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Sexing Marijuana Plants

What is sexing marijuana plants?

Sexing marijuana is the process of distinguishing male from female plants. Why is this important? Well, it's all about the flowers - the part of the plant that is harvested for smoking and it is only the female plants that produce them. Male plants, on the other hand, produce pollen sacks. When these burst they pollinate any surrounding female plants and the female then begins to produce seeds. This results in lower-quality, seed filled buds. Hence, growers prefer identifying and separating male plants early in the growing process.

How to sex marijuana plants

Learning to sex marijuana plants is an important skill for any cannabis grower. So, how do you do it? It all comes down to spotting the early signs.

What are the early signs of a male plant?

In male plants, the signs of gender begin to show as they develop small sacs, which eventually produce pollen. These sacs appear as small clusters or balls on the joints of the plant, usually between the nodes where the branches and the stem meet. If you spot any of these formations, chances are you're dealing with a male plant.

What are the early signs of a female plant?

Female plants display their sex through the development of small, hair-like stigmas that protrude from a tiny, teardrop-shaped calyx. These pistils appear at the same spots as the male sacs but you can tell the difference by their V-shaped orientation. Their function? To capture pollen from male plants. Male preflower

Flowering is the only true way to sex your plants

While early signs of sex provide helpful clues, the flowering stage is the definitive time to ascertain the sex of your plants. The flowering stage in photoperiods occurs once the light cycle is changed from 18/6 to 12/12 or for outdoor growers when the daylight hours drop down to around 12-13 hours of light. During flowering, male plants form clustered balls filled with pollen, while female plants produce distinctive, pointed calyxes with two long white hairs, or pistils. It is important to pay close attention to your plants during the flowering stage, as male plants must be removed from the crop quickly to prevent them from pollinating any females. Once this happens its too late and the rest of your crop will most likely be seeded. Male preflower

What do male and female cannabis plants look like?

While there might be some variations depending on the strain, generally, the telltale signs are relatively consistent. Male marijuana plants grow taller and have thicker, sturdier stalks to support their weight. Their leaves are typically larger, and the internodes, or gaps between the leaf sets, are more extensive. The most definitive characteristic is the development of pollen sacs, which are small, round, and grow in clusters along the plant's nodes. Female plants, on the other hand, are usually shorter and bushier with more branching. Their leaves are smaller, and the internodes are closer together. The key to identifying a female plant is the appearance of the pre-flowers, which also develop at the nodes. They look like small, bulbous calyx’s from which two white, hair-like structures called pistils emerge. Female preflower

How to sex your plants early

Sexing your cannabis plants early will save you a lot of hassle further down the line. But, how early can you tell? And what signs should you look for? Typically, you can start to determine the sex of a cannabis plant a few weeks into the vegetative stage but you cannot be 100% certain until you see the first signs of a calyx or pollen sack.

When can you tell if a cannabis plant is male?

For male plants, small, round pre-flowers begin to appear at the node regions - the junctions where branches stem from the main stalk. These pre-flowers look like tiny balls on short stalks. As the plant matures, these balls will grow in size and number, eventually becoming the pollen sacs.

When can you spot the early signs of a female plant?

The early signs of female cannabis plants usually become noticeable a few weeks into the vegetative stage, even before the flowering phase kicks in. These signs are subtle, and require close and careful inspection of your plants to see.   Male and Female Marijuana Look out for any signs of pre-flowers, which are small bulbous formations that develop at the plant's nodes. The key is to look for two tiny, hair-like structures, known as pistils, which protrude from the calyx of these pre-flowers. The pistils are typically white or light-colored and appear in pairs. Female preflower

What causes cannabis plants to hermie?

Cannabis plants turning hermie refers to when a plant develops both male and female sex organs. While this trait can be naturally inherited, it's often stress-induced. Almost any kind of excessive stress can cause a plant to hermie, including things like inconsistent light schedules or light leaks during the dark period in the flowering stage, temperature extremes, nutrient deficiencies or overfeeding, physical damage, and even certain pests. When a plant perceives a threat to its survival, it may try to self-pollinate by producing both pollen sacs and buds as a survival mechanism to ensure reproduction.

How to spot the early signs of hermie plants?

Spotting the early signs of hermie plants could be vital for salvaging your entire crop. A hermie plant can quickly ruin all of the plants around it, as it can produce pollen capable of fertilizing other female plants, again resulting in seeded buds. The very first sign is the appearance of both male and female sex organs on the same plant. On a hermie, you might see pollen sacs, or 'bananas', developing amidst your buds. These bananas are yellow, elongated, and typically appear at the nodes or within the buds themselves. Also, look out for single seed pods or clusters that don't have the regular ball-like shape of standard male pollen sacs. These can sometimes sprout directly from the bud and are often the first sign of a hermaphroditic plant.

Do feminized seeds guarantee that you will grow female plants?

Feminized cannabis seeds undergo a special treatment process where the parent plant is sprayed with colloidal silver, this ensures that the offspring (its seeds) are nearly all female. We say nearly because they are 99.9% female, however, on the rare occasion a male plant may grow. However, while feminized seeds significantly increase the chances of growing all female plants, they don't provide an absolute guarantee. Stress factors such as extreme temperatures, inconsistent light cycles, or physical damage can still cause feminized plants to turn hermaphroditic, developing both male and female sex organs.

Are regular cannabis seeds male?

Regular cannabis seeds aren't inherently male. Instead, they carry the potential to grow into either male or female plants, with roughly a 50/50 chance for each. Unlike feminized seeds, which are manipulated to nearly eliminate the likelihood of producing male plants, regular seeds are naturally produced without any interference in their genetic composition. Growers often choose regular seeds for breeding purposes as they provide both male and female plants necessary for cross-pollination.

FAQ

Do male cannabis plants have white pistils?

No, male cannabis plants do not produce white pistils. These hair-like structures are unique to female plants, emerging from the calyx to capture pollen from male plants for fertilization.

Why did my feminized plants have seeds?

Feminized plants can develop seeds if they've been pollinated, either by a male plant or a hermaphroditic plant. Environmental stressors can also cause feminized plants to turn hermaphrodite, producing both pollen and flowers, thereby self-pollinating.

Can a male cannabis plant turn hermaphrodite?

While it's less common, male cannabis plants can develop female flowers under severe stress, becoming hermaphroditic. However, these male hermies aren't of much use to growers, as they still mainly produce pollen rather than desirable buds.

Do male plants produce buds?

No, male cannabis plants do not produce the cannabinoid-rich buds that are typically associated with marijuana. Instead, they produce pollen sacs for reproduction.

Can a female cannabis plant produce seeds on its own?

Under normal conditions, a female cannabis plant cannot produce seeds on its own; it requires pollen from a male or hermaphroditic plant. However, under severe stress, a female plant can turn hermaphrodite and self-pollinate, resulting in seeds.