What is the difference between female and male cannabis seeds

Cannabis seeds can be male, female or hermaphrodites. Females produce the resin-secreting flower, and males make small sacs of pollen near the base of the leaves. Over the years, cultivators have learned that un-pollinated females remember, males produce pollen continue to make resin as they grow, and flowers that have not been pollinated are much more likely to produce high-potency cannabis.

This is the basis of all modern medical and recreational cannabis cultivation, so determining the sex of a plant is highly important. But is there a way to know if a seed is female before growing? After a period of several weeks, the plant will begin to pre-flower, or form a small bud in the crux of a branch. One of the first signs your cannabis plant is female is the appearance of pistillates that are wispy and generally white in color.

Male plants will instead produce pollen sacs that look rounded with distinct splits running lengthwise, a bit like a tiny crab claw.

Feminized seeds are selectively bred to produce only female plants. There's a chance that a small fraction of the seeds produced via the feminization method will sprout hermaphrodites , which are still capable of producing pollen. There are many companies that sell feminized seeds, but buyer beware, do your research to make sure the seller is reputable, especially if purchasing online. If you have some experience growing cannabis and would like to bend a crop to your will to ensure that the seeds will be female, there are a few feminizing methods you might try.

One such technique is to literally stress out a healthy female plant by interrupting the light cycle during flowering, called Rodelization Feminizing. The pre-flowers starts before they even begin serving their reproductive purposes, but they are not always easy to recognize to the naked eye. If your plants have really small pre-flowers, may need to use a small magnifying glass to determine whether its a pollen sac or a stigma. Producing THC the male cannabis plants are essentially useless, so most growers eliminate the majority of their male plants as soon as the stigma pre-flowers show.

You will have more room for the female plants that produce resinous buds. You may want to keep a few male plants around for breeding purposes.

As male plants grow, the little balls of pollen will eventually break open and spread pollen. The pollen can then be carried to a female pistillate, pollinating the female flowers. Genetics are important if you plan on keeping male plants around.

They will produce half the genetic makeup of your plants to come, so you want to make sure that they resist disease, mold, and pests. Male cannabis also has a light psychoactive factor thanks to the fact that a small number of cannabinoids can be found in their leaves, stems, and pollen sacs, not as potent as the THC-stacked female plants, these cannabinoids can be used to make concentrate oils. Sometimes a female plant will develop both male and female sex organs, rendering it intersex, also referred to as hermaphrodite.

Images of male and female cannabis plants are useful if the less experienced grower is unsure. Cannabis male female identification is an easy skill to learn. Hermaphrodite cannabis plant pictures can show varying numbers of pollen sacs. Small numbers of them can be plucked off and the plant can be saved. Heavily affected hermies are often simply removed. Any seeds produced by cannabis hermaphrodite plants should be treated with caution - they may give rise to hermaphrodite cannabis plants if germinated.

If you grow from feminised cannabis seeds or autoflowering seeds you may rarely see male plants. Male pollen sacs are easy to see, allowing males to be easily identified. Sexing cannabis pictures are a useful reference if you are new to the subject. Sometimes, if bloom has only recently begun, it can be difficult to know for sure if you have male or female cannabis plants. If unsure take another look a day or two later, it may be easier to tell the difference.

Simply looking at a cannabis seed appearance can't tell you whether you will have male or female plants in future. Only the genetics inside the seed will determine the final plant type. Some old school growers and breeders prefer to use regular cannabis seeds which will produce male and female cannabis plants. These will usually only produce female plants. Related: What does the appearance of a cannabis seed indicate? Few cannabis growers can be bothered with the hassle of producing their own seeds.

If you grow good quality photoperiod feminised seeds, or autoflower seeds you should be assured of female plants and a great harvest. Related: Top 5 best yielding indoor feminised seeds. Related: Top 5 autoflower seeds with the best yields.