When to Separate Male and Female Cannabis Plants

Cannabis is an annual, dioecious genus, meaning each plant grows from seed each year and develops as either distinctly male or female.

Female cannabis plants are prized for producing the majority of the plant’s most valuable cannabinoids, most notably THC and CBD.

These are the compounds responsible for the plant's therapeutic and psychoactive effects, making female plants the stars of the cannabis world.

Male cannabis plants, by contrast, don’t offer the same cannabinoid-rich buds and are often overlooked.

But when it comes to the battle of the sexes, it’s clear: females take the crown in terms of desirability.

That said, male plants are just as essential, even if their contributions aren’t as obvious. Without them, cannabis breeding wouldn’t exist, and the countless strains available today wouldn’t be possible.

In truth, both sexes play vital roles in the lifecycle and evolution of cannabis.

Growing From Feminized Cannabis Seed

In today’s cannabis industry, cultivation typically takes place in controlled environments. Male and female plants are carefully separated, except during tightly regulated breeding programs, to prevent accidental pollination and preserve the quality of female flower production.

When a choice male plant (typically one with good structure and heavy resin production) is identified and its pollen collected, breeding it to a prime female is done with strict protocol in place.

Today’s home growers typically acquire their seeds from a seed company or bank and have a choice between feminized seed (seed that will produce only female plants) and normal seed (seed that will produce both female and male plants).

If growing only female cannabis plants is the ultimate goal, there’s much to be said for the merits of feminized seed.

This type of seed comes from specialized breeding practices that only utilize female plants, so this seed lacks the male chromosomes to produce male plants. When the plants begin to reveal their sex, they will all be female.

Growing From Normal Cannabis Seed

Growing plants from normal seed requires more work, close observation, and a keen eye. When starting a weed garden from normal seed, the grower will begin in an identical manner as with feminized seed.

Most growers follow standard lighting schedules during the cannabis life cycle, using 18 hours of light and 6 hours of darkness per day during the vegetative stage.

To induce flowering, the timers are scaled back to an even 12 hours of light to 12 hours of darkness. This 12:12 flowering light cycle mimics the shortening days of late summer and early fall, when many plants or trees bloom and bear fruit or flowers.

While the shortening days happen very gradually outdoors, the cannabis plants will detect the shorter light phase quite quickly indoors, sometimes as quickly as a few days.

Usually within three to 10 days, the plants will reveal their sex. This is a critical stage for the weed grower.

Until all of the cannabis plants show the telltale signs of being either male or female, the weed grower must evaluate them once or twice per day.

When using normal seed for a grow, you can expect the ratio of males to females to be fairly even or produce slightly more females than males.

Determining The Sex Of Your Cannabis Plants

To tell the difference between a male and female cannabis plant, look closely at the nodes (the points where branches meet the main stem), especially during the pre-flowering stage (typically around 4–6 weeks of growth).

Males typically reveal their sex sooner than females. The cannabis grower should closely monitor the points where each lateral branch connects to the plant’s main central stalk.

Male preflowers appear as staminate primordia that appear to be small clusters of balls.

Female preflowers appear in the same area of the plant as males preflowers and appear as calyxes (pistil primordia) and pistils that appear to be small white hairs.

Male preflowers can mature quickly and produce pollen in a surprisingly short amount of time. Knowing the difference between male and female cannabis plants is essential for any cannabis grower.

Separating Male & Female Cannabis Plants

The grower must ensure that all male plants are removed from the female grow room before the release of any pollen.

Not doing so spells complete disaster for the success of the grow and production of high-quality, seedless flowers.

The best advice for novices is to remove male plants immediately upon identification and destroy them by cutting them down and discarding them in plastic bags that prevent any leakage of pollen.

Failing to remove males soon enough will render the grow useless for the production of high-quality flowers. A little pollen can go a very long way and completely seed all females in the room.

Why Split Female and Male Plants Apart?

Female cannabis plants generate the sticky buds that the majority of producers and customers prefer: seedless buds.

A female plant will generate seeds if a male plant pollinates it, which lowers the overall potency and quality of the buds.

Sinsemilla buds, which are unpollinated female flowers, have the highest levels of THC and other cannabinoids and have the strongest effects.

Compared to their seedless brethren, seeds sometimes produce a harsher and less delicious smoke.

Additional Advice on Male vs. Female Cannabis Plants

While your plants are at the blossoming stage, keep inspecting them. It's possible for plants to generate male flowers even though they initially appear to be female thanks to hermaphrodite features.

If producing buds is your main concern and you want to avoid the unpredictability of male plants, you might choose to use feminized seeds. These were specifically engineered to nearly entirely produce female plants.

Stress can cause cannabis plants to become hermaphrodite. To reduce stress, make sure the growing environment is stable with constant levels of light, temperature, and humidity.

In conclusion, growers striving for high-quality, seedless buds must promptly separate male and female cannabis plants. A plentiful crop of powerful and tasty cannabis can be ensured with routine observation and timely response.

Ready To Grow Your Best Cannabis Crop Ever?

Growing cannabis at home is a very rewarding practice, and those who do it well can take pride in their harvest—as well as save a lot of money by producing their own. If you have the time and space, consider taking the plunge. Most likely, you’ll be glad you did and probably wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

To find out more about growing your own cannabis, enroll today at Cannabis Training University, the leading online training provider since 2009. Earn your cannabis growing certificate in our marijuana growing classes.