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How to Sex Marijuana Plants

Marijuana Preflowering

Although generally considered one of the trickiest parts of growing your own marijuana, sexing is quite straightforward and will become easier as you gain more experience. The reason for sexing your plants is so that you can remove male plants before they have a chance to pollinate the females. If this occurs the females will start to develop seeds and this will divert their energy from THC production. Pollinated weed is still smokable, we’ve all had weed with seeds, but the potency will be significantly decreased.

Careful observation of flowering is the only true way to sex your plants, although you may get a clue from their growth patterns. Male plants tend to be leggier than female plants with a longer internodal length. Female plants are squatter with more leaves and a bushier aspect.

Towards the end of the summer, as the hours of daylight decrease, changing light levels will trigger your plants to produce flowers. The appearance of pre-flowers at branch junctions is what you are looking for.

Male pre-flowers should be clearly visible to the eye, although a magnifying glass will make your job easier. Male flowers form at the junctions of the branches and stem and the pollen sacs form little balls.

How to sex marijuana plants

Female pre-flowers will also form at the junction of branches and stem and will normally start to form at the fourth or fifth branches up from the base. They are easily distinguished by the appearance of pairs of tiny white hairs, known as pistils.

Marijuana Preflowering

At this stage your plant is just about to enter the flowering phase of growth and now is the time to remove the males if you wish to.

Flowering

As the plant enters the flowering stage its growth patterns and nutrient requirements will change. The vigorous vegetative growth will slow, stems will elongate and flower formation will begin rapidly at first before slowing. Your plant now needs less nitrogen but more potassium and phosphorous so now is a good time to add some ‘super bloom’ fertilizer. Follow the packet instructions for fruiting or flowering plants.

Flowering

The female flowers will start to form kolas around the branch junctions with a main one at the growing tip of the plants. If you look closely you will see the seed pods and these will swell; either with seeds if your plant has been pollinated or with THC as false pods if you have removed the males.

Kolas

As the flowers become ready for harvest the pistils will darken and the seed pods will be swollen and sticky with resin and THC trichomes.

Ready to harvest

HowtoGrowMarijuana.com has a wealth of information for growers. We hope you now understand how to sex your marijuana plants. It might be worth reading some of the questions and answers made by our visitors below.

 

From the forum

How to Grow Marijuana Forum - Growing Marijuana Indoors & Hydroponics

125 thoughts on “How to Sex Marijuana Plants

  1. Bastardo says:

    Ive been using a basic 10/10/10 during veg state, indoors under about an equivalant of 600watts, I have 6 plants, and they have been growing pretty decent. I am now switching to 12/12 light cycle and I was wondering if it is necessary to also Switch to a fertilizer without nitrogen. Ive already switched my cfls to 2500k bulbs and have approx 750watts. Does this sound ok? First time grow and so far going good.

    switch to a nute without nitrogen, ive read to do so. Ive switched to the 2500k cfl’s for flowering, and I have about 750 eq watts

  2. Derek says:

    Normally 3-10 days but I am no expert at seeds but I believe you would want to wait to give your plants any nutrients until they are bigger, honestly after you get some females get yourself a clone bucket and clone, it’s much quicker with no chance for male plants if you want a fool proof cloning method that will net on average 85-100$% success rate I’d be Willing to help

  3. frank says:

    i just planted my seed a few mins ago and iam an newbie to this how many times do i need to water it and how long do i have to wait to see results and i also put so miracle-gro on it is that going to affect the plant its orchid food but iam trying to grow a cannabis plant need info

  4. Derek says:

    It’s easy to tell, the females seem to have 1-2 thick hairs on each side of the node aka primary to secondary branch intersection and males have round balls that turn into polen
    Once u complete vedge cycle and have grown your girls to the size you want then switch your lights to 12on 12off by week
    3so or so on a predominantly indica fast growing plant you should have dime to quarter size puff balls
    the fastest flowering plant I know finishes in 6 weeks
    when the hairs are 40-60% red on most plants and the tri combs are half milky half amber it’s time to harvest
    Get good at reading your plants!
    I water about every 30 hours in 3 gallon pots but ultimately the weight of the pot and how the plant looks determines watering
    good vedge food is grow terra and good flower Food is bloom terra and you can add other nutes if wanted
    Use a heaping 1/3 cup to 5 gallons of water that will do ten plants in 3 galon pots and always watch for burnt leaf tips this means you’re over nuting fwiw

  5. Rowan says:

    Hey, I’m growing Swiss miss, New purple power and Holland’s hope, I am going to need more seeds for next year but of course I need some good smoking material. How should I proceed?

  6. Justin says:

    i have been growiong for 2 months now my plants are in a hydro system the roots are growing in the water and they are very big and long i check the PH leve; everyday and change the nurtinates and water every 5 days they are at least 2ft tall when will they start buding they have started growing alot of hairs on the stems and they are begining to smell rank.

  7. stone says:

    der are round balls near d stem,wid seeds in em jus lik d one’s in bud.is it a male,female or Hermaphrodite???

  8. donna says:

    Have a question if someone could Please take a few minuites for a reply.
    Now I live near NewEngland where it is about 50degrees these days in April but its freezing somedays then warm others.I have 2 pots one has 2 plants in it which is a 5gallon bucket.The 2 fermenized seeds allready sprouted,they both are looking good.In my other 2 and a half gallon is prob a 5-6′ and a 4-5′ so there in there very early stages.
    But I’m trying to keep them inside because I wanted to start my grow process even though the weather.Now in a month or so when the weather starts to get A lot Hotter and Nicer is it perfectly fine to bring these indoor plants outside.What stage can it be to grow indoors then transplant to outdoors.Smoke uP!!!

  9. jcs1016 says:

    so i have a plant going as of right now an i have 3 or 4 branches of three an just got my first 5 fingred leaves ,
    an inbetween my branches i have little leaves growing IS it female ???
    CAN ANY body help me with this question it smell like some dank its my first grown i dont see any little balls between any branches yet tho so thats a good sign

  10. ganja man says:

    Yes you can have both sex plants best to destroy them

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