Cannabis Plant Sex – Male or Female??

At The Mountain Orchid we grow our plants from seed. We believe that cannabis plants started from seed grow stronger and healthier than cannabis plants cloned from another plant. Seeds are Mother Nature’s natural way of propagating, so it only makes sense that they are more successful. I have found in my experience that plants grown from seed have an ideal plant structure and stronger genetics, therefore producing superior fruit. The thick trunks on our cannabis plants alone make the difference impressive!

However, growing plants from seed has a major risk involved. The desired cannabis flowers are female, but a seed can be male or female. If a mature male cannabis plant blooms in a female cannabis garden, it can pollinate the room and destroy the entire crop. Pollinating a female cannabis garden causes seeds to form in the female flowers and will lower the overall potency and quality of the marijuana buds.

I have been studying how to determine the sex of a cannabis plant prior to blooming it. This is extremely important because it can save a lot of time, space, money, and resources. My goal has been to determine the sex of my cannabis plants while they are still in one gallon pots versus five gallon pots. This would save soil, pots, and nutrients. It would also save time from having to water, manicure, and transplant a plant that will ultimately be destroyed.

I have spent hours analyzing the preflowers of my cannabis plants at The Mountain Orchid facility. Fortunately, I have been able to determine the difference between the male and female cannabis plants while they are still in one gallon pots! Below is a picture of a male preflower. The hanging bells will continue to grow in a grape-like formation until they bloom and pollinate. As soon as I determine a male cannabis plant, I remove it from my garden to be safe.

The ratio of male to female cannabis plants with my first round of seeds has been around 40/60 (male/female). I will continue to remain diligent with all plants while I bloom them to ensure that no males slipped through the cracks, but I feel confident in my sex determinations. The picture below is a cannabis female preflower.

The two white, wispy hairs are pistils emerging from the calyx. This is a sure sign that the cannabis plant is a female. Once I see the confirmed pistils on a female plant, I transplant it into a five gallon pot and prepare to bloom it!