If you're growing cannabis plants from seed, one of the most crucial factors to understand is the difference between the seed types. Many newcomers to cultivation ask, "what's the difference between male and female cannabis seeds?". Knowing the difference between types of seed can be the key to a successful harvest or a disappointing one. In this article, we'll peel back the layers and look into what makes male and female cannabis plants unique, explain how to identify them, and explore the significance of feminized seeds. But first, let's look at the terminology: you can't get a 'male' cannabis seed, but you can get a feminized cannabis seed.
Cannabis Is Dioecious: What Does That Mean?
Cannabis is a dioecious plant, which means it can produce male and female individuals. This is unlike many other plants that possess both male and female reproductive organs on the same plant. For cannabis, this separation is crucial because the female plants are prized for their buds, which contain the highest concentrations of cannabinoids like THC and CBD, while male plants primarily produce pollen.
The primary goal for most cannabis growers is to cultivate female plants, as these are the ones that generate the resinous flowers that consumers need for medicinal or recreational purposes. Male plants, on the other hand, serve a different role, and are prized in cannabis breeding for providing pollen for the fertilization of female plants, enabling the production of seeds. However, unless you're a breeder, male cannabis plants are typically unwanted in a grow room, as they can pollinate females, leading to the development of seeds instead of the desirable seedless buds known as "sinsemilla."
The Differences Between Male and Female Cannabis Plants
Physical Appearance
Female Cannabis Plants: Female plants are the ones that produce the sticky, trichome-rich buds that cannabis enthusiasts covet. Early on, females will grow calyxes (small, tear-shaped nodes) where the leaves meet the main stem. As the plant matures, fine white hairs, called pistils, emerge from these calyxes. These pistils are the female reproductive organs, and they eventually become the sticky buds full of cannabinoids.
Male Cannabis Plants: Male plants don’t develop pistils. Instead, they form small, ball-shaped sacs that contain pollen. These pollen sacs grow where the leaves meet the stem, similar to female calyxes but are larger and spherical. Once mature, they release pollen to fertilize female plants. If you're growing cannabis for buds and you see these sacs appear, you'll want to act fast to remove the plant from your garden.
Cannabinoid Production
Female plants are prized for their cannabinoid production. After all, if you're growing to produce buds, the cannabinoids are what it's ultimately about - those high concentrations of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), which have medicinal and recreational applications. Male plants, in contrast, have significantly lower concentrations of cannabinoids, as their primary function is reproduction.
Is There Such a Thing as a Male Cannabis Seed?
No, there is technically no such thing as a "male cannabis seed." Cannabis seeds themselves are genetically indistinguishable by sex when they are first produced. What you get is either regular or feminized cannabis seeds. When you purchase a regular cannabis seed, it has the potential to develop into either a male or female plant - with approximately a 50/50 chance of producing either. The gender of the plant is not determined until it begins to grow and develop sexually during the vegetative and pre-flowering stages.
Regular Cannabis Seeds
When you buy regular cannabis seeds, you are buying seeds that have a roughly equal chance of growing into either male or female plants. These seeds are typically the product of natural pollination or breeding efforts. For growers interested in creating new strains, regular seeds are essential since both male and female plants are needed for breeding. However, for those primarily seeking to produce potent buds, the risk of growing male plants can be a serious drawback. Think of regular seeds as 'gender random'.
For a typical grower, a male plant is often considered undesirable because of its ability to pollinate females. When female plants are pollinated, they divert their energy from producing cannabinoid-rich flowers to producing seeds. This results in lower-quality buds with less potency - the antithesis of what you want!
Feminized Cannabis Seeds
Feminized cannabis seeds emerged in the late 1990s, and immediately changed the game for cultivators. These seeds are specially bred to increase the likelihood of growing female plant to roughly 99%. The process of creating feminized seeds sounds risky on the face of it, as it involves stressing a female plant to produce pollen, which is then used to pollinate another female. Because no male chromosomes are involved in this process, the resulting seeds will almost always produce female plants.
How Are Feminized Cannabis Seeds Made?
The creation of feminized seeds involves a few key techniques:
Colloidal Silver: One common method of feminizing seeds is to spray a female cannabis plant with a colloidal silver solution. This solution forces the plant to produce pollen, which is then used to fertilize another female plant. Since the pollen is derived from a female plant, the resulting seeds will be feminized.
Rodelization: Another less common method is to let a female plant become overripe, which can trigger it to self-pollinate. However, this method is less reliable and typically produces fewer feminized seeds than the colloidal silver technique.
How to Tell the Difference Between Male and Female Cannabis Seeds (Regular and Feminized)
Unfortunately, you can't - there is no reliable way to determine the sex of a cannabis seed. You may come across hypotheticals that aim to help you identify a female seed, but these are only hypotheticals. You can't tell by looking at it, smelling it or touching it - so if you've found some seeds or been given them by a friend, there's no way to tell what you've got without growing them out. Both types of seed look identical to the naked eye, with no discernible difference between male and female cannabis seeds (again - regular and feminized!). If you're growing regular seeds, you'll have to wait until the plants have grown for a few weeks to determine their sex. This is one of many reasons why you should only ever acquire your seeds from a reputable seed bank such as Seedsman - you can shop for seeds by type and rest assured you're getting exactly what you need, with no nasty surprises come growing time.
When can you tell the sex of your cannabis plant?
The sex of a cannabis plant becomes visible during the pre-flowering stage, which occurs a few weeks into the vegetative growth cycle. Growers can typically identify the plant's sex between 3 to 6 weeks from the start of germination. It is at this point that male plants will start developing pollen sacs, and female plants will develop the pre-flowers that eventually grow into buds.
What to Do if You Find a Male Cannabis Plant
If you're not planning to breed cannabis, finding a male plant among your females can be a serious issue. Once male plants start releasing pollen, they can fertilize the female plants, leading to seed production and drastically reducing bud quality (so, a botched operation!). If you're cultivating cannabis for bud production, you should immediately remove male plants from your grow area as soon as you identify them, and destroy them if you do not plan on using them. Pollen can travel for miles on the wind, so shoving them to the other side of the garden won't do much to reduce the risk. This doesn't mean male plants are redundant, though - there are still plenty of things you can do with a male plant.
What About Hermaphrodites?
In addition to male and female cannabis plants, sometimes a plant can become a hermaphrodite. This means it develops both male and female reproductive organs, often as a response to environmental stress like light leaks or extreme temperatures. Hermaphrodites can also pollinate female plants, so they should be removed from the grow area as well. You'll identify a herming cannabis plant by small banana-like appendages, often referred to as 'nanners', growing on the plant, as well as pollen sacs.
Final Thoughts on Male and Female Cannabis Seeds
Understanding the difference between male and female cannabis plants is crucial for growers who want to maximize their yield and cannabinoid content. While there's no way to tell if a seed will grow into a male or female plant just by looking at it, using feminized seeds can significantly increase your chances of growing only female plants. Keep an eye on your plants during the early stages of growth to identify and remove any males to prevent accidental pollination.
For growers who are interested in creating new cannabis strains, regular seeds provide the genetic diversity needed for breeding. However, for those focused solely on harvesting the best buds, feminized seeds are the way to go.
Whether you’re a seasoned cultivator or just starting, knowing the difference between male and female cannabis seeds and learning how to tell female cannabis seeds from males is essential knowledge for achieving the best possible results in your cannabis garden. You can choose from a fantastic variety of regular and feminized seeds when you shop with Seedsman.
