Understanding the difference between male and female weed plants becomes paramount when it comes to cannabis cultivation. Whether you have been caring for the life cycle of the plants for years or are starting it’s not always easy to differentiate the gender of the cannabis plant, however…
Let’s talk in this article about the differences between male and female cannabis plants, how to recognize them, and why it matters to know their role in the process of growing cannabis.
Male vs Female Weed Plants: What’s the difference?
Cannabis plants can be broadly categorized into two main sexes: cannabis plants that are male and cannabis plants that are female. What makes them different, however? The main difference is in the reproductive function of the plant. Cannabis plants can be either male or female; the males produce pollen, and the females have flowers (buds) that contain THC responsible for the psychoactive qualities of marijuana (if you smoke).
For growers who want their crop to produce potent buds, it’s important to understand the differences between male and female cannabis plants.
Male Cannabis Plant Characteristics
While the males from male cannabis plants generally aren’t desirable to those looking for the highest THC content, they don’t produce the buds used for consumption. But they serve a purpose during the life cycle of the plant. They generally undergo male weed plants with small pollen sacs that will later fertilize the female plants. If breeders want new strains, though, these plants are indispensable; for most growers, however, they’re of little use, as they don’t produce the buds sought after.
Male cannabis plant characteristics include:
- Pollen sacs that appear early in the flowering stage.
- Lack of buds, unlike the female plants that develop dense, resinous flowers.
- Typically taller and less bushy than female plants.
Female Weed Plants for THC Production
However, female weed plants are what produce those high-THC buds that most growers want. It’s these plants responsible for making flowers, the highest concentrations of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. Cannabis harvest success depends on growing healthy female cannabis plants.
Early signs of some female cannabis plants may look like hermaphrodites, which can have both male and female reproductive organs. This is bad for your harvest because you will get seeds instead of strong buds produced from the plant. Early on, you can learn how to differentiate male and female weed plants so that you don’t end up with excess pollen.
Who runs the Cannabis world? Girls
In the cannabis world, it’s the female cannabis plant that has all the power. Female weed plants are responsible for the most sought-after part of the cannabis plant: the buds. Growing female plants is necessary if you’re looking to grow high-quality cannabis with a powerful THC effect.
Breeder’s Choice: Why Male Cannabis Plants are discarded
Male cannabis plants have their place when it comes to breeding, but in the process of cultivation, they are usually thrown away. Why? The reason is that a male cannabis plant produces pollen, which can pollinate female plants causing them to produce seeds. Sinsemilla, also known as seedless buds, is what most growers want because they are better tasting and far more potent. That’s why most growers prefer female cannabis plants.
Species Specifics: Sativa vs. Indica
The next question on many cannabis growers’ minds is how to identify the type of cannabis plant they are growing. Cannabis plants can be classified into three primary types: Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis. Understanding whether your plant is Sativa or Indica will help you determine its growth patterns and the kind of effects you can expect.
Sativa
Sativa plants thrive with long narrow leaves and are tall and skinny. In many cases, marijuana is also connected to a brighter, lighter high. Sativa plants tend to flower longer than Indica plants and will grow best where it’s warm.
Indica
The indica plants are short and bushier. Because they are often preferred for their relaxing, sedative effects. Indica is known to have a quicker flowering time as well as growing larger in cold climates.
Ruderalis
Cannabis Ruderalis plants are special because they have an automatic flowering cycle, unlike Sativa and Indica cannabis plants which need a certain light cycle to flower. While they aren’t as potent as other cannabis strains, Ruderalis plants are regularly used in crossbreeding to produce auto-flowering cannabis strains.
When do Cannabis Plants Show the First Signs of Gender?
The ability to know the gender of your cannabis plants is critical to having successful growth. Cannabis plants can be different sexes, meaning male and female cannabis plants don’t usually show their sex until they come into the flowering stage. That said, how can you know the difference? Cannabis plants generally flower more rapidly with them showing off their pollen sacs first before the males followed by the female plants appearing with their small white hairs called pistils.
The differences between Male and Female Marijuana Plants
However, gendering becomes more apparent as the plant matures. Cannabis plants, male or female, have something in common—pollen sacs, in the case of male plants, or pistils in the case of female plants. It is critical to realize your plants’ gender early on as just like with humans male cannabis plants can cause problems forcing female plants to flower and produce seeds as opposed to harvest clones.
How to identify Male and Female Weed Plants
So, how can you tell whether your plant is male or female? Here are the key differences:
- Growing male cannabis will result in small round pollen sacs that look like tiny grapes. These sacs will go on to burst, releasing pollen.
- White pistils will form on female cannabis plants – long wispy-looking hairs. Each of these pistils will become buds.
- Hermaphroditic plants are rare, plants that can even have males and materials all in one plant. If these plants produce seeds, they should be removed from your crop and the rest of your harvest suffers due to poor quality.
Male vs Female Cannabis Plants: The importance of sexing Cannabis Plants early
Identifying the sex of your cannabis plants early on is crucial for optimizing your growth. Sexing marijuana plants early ensures you can discard the male cannabis plants before they pollinate the females, which would result in a crop full of seeds instead of potent buds.
Male Cannabis plant effects on Female plants
The main reason to get rid of male cannabis plants is because they can negatively affect female plants. Pollen is released from male weed plants that fertilize female plants making them produce seeds rather than the resin-rich buds that people are after. It produces a lower-quality product, and thus, many male cannabis plants are unwanted by typical cannabis growers.
Male Marijuana plants are still useful
While male cannabis plants are often discarded, they are not entirely useless. They have several applications, including:
Compost and Fertilizer
Composting male cannabis plants will yield a natural fertilizer. They are rich in nutrients and break down very quickly making them a very good choice for your soil.
Agricultural Hemp Fiber
Male cannabis plants are known to also produce very strong durable fibre that can be used in many different industries – from textiles to construction materials. Although female cannabis plants are favored for herbs, male plants are valuable for other reasons.
When do Cannabis Plants show Gender?
Cannabis plants take 6 to 8 weeks to reveal their first gender signs, which is also common between the male and the female of the species. So, it’s possible to see a cannabis plant’s sex at one week old with DNA testing. With the development of cannabis plant sex testing, it has become popular amongst growers to test the sex of cannabis plants as early as possible and early enough during this process to avoid having to go back to the flowering stage.
FAQs
Is it better to have a male or female weed plant?
Female weed plants are preferred for growing due to their high THC content, which is what most growers are after. Male plants are used for breeding purposes.
How to tell the difference between male and female weed?
Male weed plants have small pollen sacs, while female plants have pistils (hair-like structures) that develop into buds.
What are the early signs of a male plant?
Male cannabis plants develop pollen sacs at the nodes. They appear as small, round, and ball-like structures.
How to tell the difference between male and female plants?
Male cannabis plants produce pollen sacs, while female plants develop pistils that turn into buds.
What grows faster, male or female weed plants?
Male cannabis plants tend to grow faster and taller than female plants.
How soon can you tell a male from a female weed plant?
You can usually tell the gender after about 4-6 weeks into the vegetative stage, but the best time to identify them is during the flowering stage.
Is feminized weed better?
One reason why so many growers prefer feminized cannabis plants for their feminized cannabis seeds is that this means you’ll be guaranteed female plants and a higher yield of extremely potent buds.
Can a female plant produce seeds without a male?
Yes, female cannabis plants can produce seeds without a male if they are stressed and turn hermaphroditic.