Every hemp farmer must be able to identify males and females out in the field. Why? Because if your goal is to produce as much resin as possible (which can be processed for its CBD or CBG), then it’s all about the ladies. Keep reading to learn why your profits lay with female hemp plants.
MALE VS. FEMALE HEMP PLANTS
Many hemp farmers would love to be able to tell whether a hemp seed will eventually grow into a male hemp plant or a female. This is possible through DNA testing of a seedling that is just a few weeks along. Outside of this genetic test, the way to tell a hemp seed’s sex is to plant it in the ground and wait four to six weeks until the hemp plant reaches the “pre-flower” stage.
At around six weeks of growth, farmers should be able to accurately sex their plants by looking closely at the crux of the plants’ branches, also known as the plants’ “nodes.” Male hemp plants grow small pollen sacs at their nodes, while female hemp plants grow bracts. As the female plant matures, wispy, hair-like stigma grow from her bracts, which catch the pollen released by the male. Hermaphrodite hemp plants will typically grow both male and female sex organs.
MALE CANNABIS
Male weed plants grow “balls” that open up to let their pollen out, ending up looking like a small bunch of flowers. You’ll need to get rid of them way before this happens. If they manage to release their pollen it’ll be too late. They can take up to three weeks to burst. If you’re still not sure how to tell them apart, male flowers do not have any pistils on them at all.
FEMALE CANNABIS
You can tell females apart due to the fact that their flowers don’t fully close, they’re actually quite open and they produce little hairs called pistils. They’re incredibly easy to recognize, as the first thing they produce are their pistils, which male plants do not have at all.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW
- “How long does it take to get the buds?”
- “How much weed will I get?”
- “Can I smoke it straight off the plant?”
The first few weeks went perfectly, and he kept the seedlings in their vegetative state for almost an entire month (he was growing four plants in total). Finally, after several painstaking weeks of relentless love and care, he invited us for the “pleasurable chore” of helping him trim the buds. He was disappointed that one plant “didn’t produce any flowers at all.”
‘Oh no,’ we thought.
Sure enough, as soon as we got there, we saw that one of the plants in the closet – a tall, skinny sativa variety – had fully “hermed out.” It had pollinated the other three plants!
While he was pretty devastated, he chalked it up to a learning experience and vowed not to make the same mistake the next time around.
You can smoke buds that have seeds in them; it’s just that they are a royal pain in the ass to work with.
HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE A CANNABIS PLANT’S GENDER?
If you cannot tell the difference yet, wait a few more days. If the green pre-flower grows a white hair, known as a pistil, it is female. Pistils are never green in color, so look for something light-colored and fuzzy.
Females typically take a bit longer to express their gender than the male cannabis plant does. As a result, be patient with your crops and regularly check them so you can manage any males in the bunch accordingly.
The male plant’s “little green balls” will continue to grow larger, filling up with more pollen until they eventually burst and leak pollen everywhere. You need to catch the male before this happens, as the spread of pollen will fertilize the females. At this point, their buds will stop developing.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR GROW SPACE
However, seed production is still very important as cannabis and hemp are both annual plants. This mean they grow from seed, flower, and die all within a year. Where as perennial plants like trees grow from a seed and have many years of fruit or crop production throughout their life. This is why hemp/cannabis seeds are still very valuable and are becoming more of a mainstream crop.
These seeds are sought out not only for cannabis growers and hybridization, but also for the food industry. More and more frequently, hemp seeds are being used in kitchens and restaurants across the world for their high protein and fat content. They add a little more nutrition to each plate or smoothy.
Whatever your harvesting goals are, the ability to tell the male and female plants apart can go a long way.
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These complete grow tent kits come with everything you need to start growing. This includes all electronics such as grow light with hangers, a circulation fan with carbon filters, and other necessities like nutrients for the plants. Full spectrum LED grow light provides plants in all stages from veg to flower with everything they need in the natural sunlight.
Finally, grow tent kits are movable, so you can take them with you wherever you go. This is especially useful because grow tent kits are a big initial investment. Being able to pack up them up with you saves costs of setting up a new growing operation.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Pollen is potent and good at travelling so the grower needs to be aware of this. It is highly recommended to keep the males being used for pollination away from the growing area and be cautious when working with that pollen.
Also, you can choose a best LED grow light for your cannabis.
Hopefully, now that you understand the difference between male and female hemp plants, you understand the value of feminized hemp seeds. Have more questions about male vs. female hemp plants? Contact us. We’d love to help you learn more about hemp seed genetics as you plan your next hemp crop.