Modified on: 27/04/2022
How to recognise the male and female cannabis? Here is the fastest method par excellence
Determining the sex of a hemp plant is crucial for cannabis growers because male plants can pollinate female plants, interrupting flowering and producing cannabis seeds.
Most farmers grow cannabis to obtain buds, therefore inflorescences, rich in THC, so an effect of this kind would compromise months and months of effort.
Other growers, such as seed banks (e.g., BSF Seeds), aim to produce as many marijuana seeds as possible. Therefore, they must identify the male plants to be able to distribute them well among the female hemp plants.
In any case, knowing how to immediately recognise male or female cannabis is essential both for those who want to get flowers — and don’t want a pollinated female hemp plant — and for those who grow marijuana for seeds.
We at SensorySeeds have learned of a foolproof method in this regard, which allows farmers to recognise male and female hemp plants at a glance! Here, then, is how to distinguish the two sexes in just 3 steps.
1) Observe the nodes of the cannabis plant
The nodes are the parts of the stem from which the branches develop, in correspondence with which (in the case of hemp) the parts of the plant that indicate the sex grow. Pollen sacs develop in the internodal spaces of male marijuana, while buds rich in THC and other cannabinoids develop in those of female marijuana.
When should a grower look at cannabis knots? Typically 3 to 7 weeks after germination, therefore, when the plants are in the pre-flowering stage.
In this period, the herb begins to develop its sexual organs: the buds, in the case of the female plant, and the pollen sacs, in the case of the male plant.
Some plants may be hermaphroditic, developing both sex organs. It is therefore advisable to pay attention to all internodes since if in some, there are flowers. It is still possible that in others, pollen pockets develop, capable of interrupting flowering.
Read also: Cannabis effects in the short and long term
2) The trick to distinguishing developing buds from fledgeling pollen sacs
As you have read, the first sign that confirms the gender of a cannabis plant is the sexual organ. But how to recognise the flowers in the formation and how, instead, to identify the pollen pockets?
You must know that marijuana flowers are covered with pistils’ hairs: these pistils are the first distinguishable part of a cannabis bud. They peek out from the internodal spaces (the so-called “armpits”) of the stem and, when the flower is not yet ripe, they are of beautiful white colour.
Therefore, recognising a female plant is very simple because, after a minimum of 20 days up to a maximum of 1 month and a half from germination, you can see white pellets in the spaces between the branches and the stem of the plant.
As for the male plants, however, pollen sacs can be seen. These have an appearance similar to that of the buds. However, they lack the characteristic white pistils that determine the female sex of the plant. Furthermore, the pollen sacs grow in clusters and are usually facing downwards.
But pre-flowering isn’t the only time when male or female cannabis can be recognised. There are other methods to identify the different sexes. The stem can also be seen.
3) Examine the stem of the hemp plant to identify the male or female gender
Generally, the stem of male cannabis is much thicker than that of the female plant.
The reason is simple: the male plants are very tall. Therefore, the relative thefts must be very resistant to support their own weight, that of the branches and pollen sacs.
That’s not all: a male cannabis plant is also distinguished from a female one by the foliage density. The stems of female plants are rich in leaves, so much so that they are swamped.
On the contrary, the foliage of the male plants is sparse, so the stem is almost bare and very tall.
In any case, the best seed banks have adopted a method to allow growers to relax and avoid looking for male hemp on the plantation. This method is called feminisation and is one of the most innovative in the field of marijuana.
Read also: Marijuana resin: what it is used for and where it is found
Male or female? No, feminized!
The feminisation method is based on the hormonal modification of a female cannabis plant to produce pockets of pollen. When this plant fertilises a female one, one thing is sure: the marijuana seeds that will be born will only have female chromosomes!
It means that cannabis plants born from feminized seeds have over 90% chance of being female, producing THC-rich flowers.
Would you like to add the best feminized seeds BSF to your collection (remembering that growing cannabis is prohibited in the UK)?
Visit our SensorySeeds shop now to buy the best seeds online! We are waiting for you!
