Overview
In the modern world of cannabis growing and cultivation, it is much easier to get a hold of genetically modified feminized seeds to ensure that your cannabis grow will only get you a bunch of female cannabis plants, which will eventually produce buds. The male plants will produce pollen, and many cannabis growers will not like that, mainly after the yield and usable produce.
Being able to breed your cannabis plants will allow you to explore and dramatically improve their flavor, potency, resin production, and overall plant health. If you are up for a challenge and who intends to breed your cannabis plants by yourself, you might be interested in this article. This post will put your heads together about the identification process between male vs. female cannabis, what good will a female seed does, and what you can do with the male ones. Basically, you will know about the advantages and pros that both male and female cannabis will be able to offer.
Male vs. Female Cannabis – The Identification Process
Like all living things present around us, cannabis also has distinct genders, and they can be either male or female. Each plant can have a male or female reproductive system, and in some cases, you may find a hermaphrodite plant. In other plants, gender may not have a significant impact; however, when it comes to growing cannabis, being able to identify the gender is crucial for both cultivators and growers. Identifying a male from a female cannabis plant is also essential when it comes to knowing how to sex your marijuana plants. Technically, the type of cannabis being grown is significant to the buds’ quality and caliber, and eventually, the overall makeup of the final product.
Regular seeds will typically produce about a 50/50 chance of letting you have a male or a female cannabis plant. When using mixed or regular seeds, the identification process of the gender of your cannabis plants generally starts during the completion of the vegetative stage and the beginning of the flowering stage. You will be able to take a sight of pre-flowers when the cannabis plants grow to become about six weeks old.
Male cannabis plants have pre-flowers that are round or oval and can look similar to a spade, while the female ones have calyxes that are longer and a lot wispier. If you are not sure, you can hasten the flowering stage by switching the light cycle schedule to 12/12. Male plants will produce tiny green balls or pollen sacs filled with pollen that can burst any time and easily leak pollen around your grow room. The female ones will give you an array of little white hairs or pistils.
The female cannabis plants tend to show their gender a lot slower compared to the male ones. To help you, you can always look at the part where the branches meet the stem. The female plants will have tiny white hairs but are very noticeable in that area. Male counterparts will show small green shoots in the same location.
Hermaphrodite Cannabis Plants
During unfavorable situations or during events when your cannabis plants become very stressed or exposed to adverse conditions, parts of the crop can become hermaphroditic. Hermaphrodite plants are those that develop both male and female traits or features. This can be a problem since having both male and female reproductive parts can make self-pollination and reproduction possible. If you are growing for your personal stash, having hermaphroditic plants will not be much of a problem since you will still be able to produce buds. However, you will have buds with deficient resin concentration. For commercial growers, herms or hermaphrodites can be a huge problem. These plants are typically filled with seeds making them unsellable and with no value.
An example of a hermaphroditic plant is identified as a female plant but eventually produces both flowering buds and male pollen sacs. Hermaphrodite cannabis plants are also something growers should look out for; similar to male cannabis plants, hermaphrodites can possibly pollinate an entire bunch female of female plants.
As mentioned above, cannabis plants can become hermaphroditic because of too much stress and plant damage. There can be numerous reasons why a supposedly healthy female plant can be damaged to become a hermaphrodite. The most common cause of damage is excess heat and light leaks that can expose plants to light energy that is too much for the plant to handle. Physical damage and improper nutrition with not enough watering can also be a reason why female plants can grow to develop male traits.
Female Cannabis Seeds
Basically, female cannabis seeds are the ones that provide and grow the fruit. Growers prefer feminized seeds or female plants since they can produce buds that are loaded with THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids that can benefit the human body. If you are growing weed for commercial purposes, or you want to grow tons for your stash for medical use, or just for the reason of being high, you must be sure that you are working to grow female plants. You would want your time and efforts to be put into something that could give you buds that you can personally use.
Male Cannabis Seeds
For cannabis enthusiasts and extremely experienced breeders, the male cannabis plants can be a fascinating and helpful plant to have their hands on. Having male seeds would mean that you will experience growing the same cannabis plants derived from cloning or purchased specialized seeds. Working with male cannabis seeds would also allow you to come up and increase your strain.
Before you throw your male cannabis out, here are the things that you can do with them.
Breeding
High-quality male cannabis plants are extremely necessary for every cannabis breeding. Male cannabis plants are crucial since they are the ones who provide pollen to the female ones, therefore being able to contribute half of the DNA of the offspring, which is why it is essential to pick good father cannabis plants so the offspring will be able to retain the right characteristics.
When breeding cannabis plants, finding a suitable male cannabis will open you to the possibility of having cannabis plants that have denser and more resinous buds. Your cannabis plants will start producing cannabinoids and terpenes during the early part of the flowering period, which can help you determine their potency, aroma, and flavor. Commonly, cultivators and breeders will slightly squeeze the flowers and leaves to have a hint of the plant’s aroma. This is a fundamental technique that gives you very helpful and valuable information.
Evolutionary purpose and for a healthy cannabis line
Cannabis plants are dioecious, which means that the males and females grow in a separate manner. It was already mentioned that when introduced to stress, female plants can become hermaphrodites. This is where the evolutionary purpose of a male cannabis plant enters. The presence of a genetically recognizable male cannabis is vital for the established vitality of your cannabis line. Male cannabis plants also play a critical role in diversity among your cannabis grow as they can ensure cross-pollination and genetic diversity in the absence of self-incompatibility. When it comes to growing cannabis, a good number of male plant populations can provide healthy and viable cannabis plant species in the long run.
Male plants can become great companions.
It has been a classic fact that marijuana plants work great as a companion plant for other crops such as garden vegetables, and male cannabis plants are the best ones. The compounds in cannabis, such as terpenes, specifically limonene and pinene, have the capability to repel harmful pests. Their dried leaves and flowers have also been utilized as pest repellants, and they are very effective, all-natural, and without toxic chemicals.
This technique is a classic and has been proven effective for centuries. To save up on insect repellants’ costs and practice a more natural way, you can plant your may cannabis plants at the far end of your growing area. You can put a separation plant between the male and the females and shelter the males from wind to avoid pollination. With your male cannabis plants hanging around, you will enjoy your crops and be sure that they are disease and pest-free, without the harmful chemicals.
Suitable for smoothies and juices
We all know how marijuana and cannabis have been legalized over the years. Because of this progress, people are finding more ways to utilize this beneficial plant. Cannabis can be a good source of protein and an incredible source of nutrients too. While more studies should still be done, it shows that cannabis, when juiced, can even contain the cannabinoic acids and will have the same effect when cannabis is smoked. Male cannabis plants are good candidates to become juiced since they contain the same acids similar to the females. This way, you can enjoy the health benefits and therapeutic effects of cannabinoids by mixing your juiced cannabis with your daily morning smoothie.
Source of hashish and concentrates
There has been empirical data that many cultivators and breeders have been using male cannabis plants, particularly the leaves and stems, in making hashish and concentrates. However, these creations have varying degrees of success. When using male cannabis plants, the general resin content can be very low, so it is vital to use a large number of plants or use a method that can successfully get a maximum amount of concentrate from the plant. Male cannabis plants can also be a good source of cannabutter and other oils, tinctures, and infusions.
Sturdy and robust hemp fiber
Male cannabis plants are sturdy and fibrous, making them a viable and satisfactory source of hemp fiber. Studies have proven that male hemp fibers are more delicate and a lot softer, and because of these qualities, the male ones are reserved for making high-quality fibers for good grade cloths. The male thread shows to be very fine that exhibits impressive torsional resistance and good flexibility. They are often used to make a variety of household things such as towels, bed linens, and tablecloths.
Male vs. Female Cannabis Difference: Summary
- Male crops generally have pollen sacs that are round or oval in shape and grows to become more extensive over time. You must notice these pollen sacs before they burst and pollinate the entire crop.
- Female cannabis plants boasts pointed and long green calyxes that show a white and hair-like pistil that appear to be wispy.
- Hermaphrodites, also referred to as herms, are female plants containing both male and female reproductive parts. They are generally filled with tons of seeds, making them undesirable and not sellable. Cannabis plants can become hermaphrodites because of stress and damage.
Final Thoughts
This article has discussed how you can identify male and female cannabis plants and how to differentiate them successfully. We hope that this helped you get a better understanding of the things that both the male and female plants can provide.
If you are growing to produce a yield of healthy and big female buds, you might need only the female plants or the feminized seeds. But if you are a cultivator who desires to do more, you can genuinely take advantage of the male cannabis plants. Although the male cannabis plants have very little value when it comes to producing potent nugs with a high THC content, they have all other users and functions by themselves.
Male cannabis plants are also vital and extremely significant if you plan on cross-breeding or creating a strain of your own. To wrap this up, when growing cannabis plants, it is imperative that you know what you want to achieve in order to identify the plants or resources that you would need. Cannabis growing is s undoubtedly not just about production to consume, and sell but also gives you the chance to work on a new strain of your own and very much according to your liking. Cannabis plants are genuinely something that has tons of things to offer.
