Marijuana Plants – How to See If Your Plant Is Male or Female

The marijuana plant, like most animals, plants, and other forms of life, has distinct genders. The plant can have a female or male reproductive part. However, there is also hermaphrodite, which you will find in rare cases. Let’s look at the parts of a marijuana plant first, as it will help us understand the difference between male and female plants.

Parts of the Marijuana Plant

The marijuana plant has many structures. Many of these parts can be found in the everyday flowering plant species. Some of the parts of are:

• Seeds: Seeds carry the genetics of a female and a male and are produced in the marijuana plant. To sprout, the seed needs to germinate. It grows a taproot, which eventually becomes the main root that controls the plant.
• Cotyledon leaves: The first leaves to grow after germination of the seed is the cotyledon. The cotyledon leaves mostly come in pairs. Their emergence is a sign of the successful germination of the seed.
• Roots: Taproot is the main root that grows from a seed. The root is the lifeline of the marijuana plant. It pulls oxygen and water into the plant to ensure that it grows strong and healthy.
• Stem: The stalk or main stem of the marijuana plant grows straight from the root. It provides support to the lateral branches. In many cases, growers will cut off or top the stem after about five nodes to ensure the plant grows more laterally.
• Branches: The branches grow from the main stem of the plant. It supports buds and fan leaves. By topping the leaves of the marijuana plant, growers can create more bud sites.
• Node: At some point, the branch grows off the main stem. The point where it happens is called a node. The pre-flowers of the female and male sex organs will appear at the nodes when determining the sex of the marijuana plant.
• Leaves: There are fan leaves and sugar leaves for the marijuana plant. The fan leaves are the iconic, large leaves. They have little or no resin and capture light for the plant. Sugar leaves, by contrast, are small, resin-coated leaves. Buds form around them. Sugar leaves can be used for extracts, pre-rolls, and other marijuana products.
• Flowers: Flowers are also known as buds of the marijuana plant. They are the major product of the plant. These flowers contain terpenes and cannabinoids that offer health benefits or get you high. They only grow on the female marijuana plant.

How to See If a Marijuana Plant Is Male or Female

The content of marijuana plays an essential role regardless of your reason for consuming the herb. The content also depends on the sex of the plant. The hermaphrodite marijuana plant can be found in rare cases. However, we will only try to find out the difference between male and female marijuana plants through various stages.

1. Identifying The Gender Of The Marijuana Plant While Growing

It is essential to know if a marijuana plant is male or female while growing plant. The two types are distinct. One difference is that the female marijuana plant can produce usable marijuana. In contrast, the male marijuana plant cannot produce usable marijuana.

For the female plant, flowers stop growing when it gets pollinated. The plant starts producing seeds once this happens. To prevent seed production, separation of the female from the male must be done before the male initiates pollination.

The growing process of the marijuana plant has two stages; the vegetative stage and flowering stage. The plant only gets taller and bigger in the vegetative stage. It is not possible to identify the gender of the plant during this stage.

At around six weeks, pre-flowers begin to appear. It is at this time that the difference between male and female marijuana plants can be identified. This is before flowering and pollination. Generally, male plants become tall with thick branches, stems, and very few leaves after 6 weeks. They also look like a clump of bananas at the inner joints of their branches. In contrast, the female marijuana plant grows tiny white hairs. This growth is at the joints and base of the plant’s branches. The white hairs grow larger, changing to a reddish color as the plant matures.

2. Identifying the Gender of Marijuana Plant in the Mature Stage

Identifying their respective sex organs is another way to differentiate between male and female marijuana plants. The female sex organs are primarily the white, tiny hairs on the marijuana plant. They are commonly known as pistils.

The female marijuana plant has a layer of resin coating that is extremely thick. This layer helps in capturing the pollen produced by the male plant. Potent flowers are kept away from the pollen while the other ones are fertilized. This is due to the ability of unfertilized female plants being able to produce trichomes. The trichome is a frosty layer that holds most THC.

The appearance of the male and female marijuana plants is also different in the mature stage. To start with, there are no flowering buds on male plants. Typically, the male plant produces many pollen sacks rather than frosty trichomes. When closed, these pollen sacks look like hanging tulip bulbs.

Even though male marijuana plants contain cannabinoids, they are less potent when compared to their female counterpart. Although rare, the marijuana plant may either be male or female. Some contain both male and female parts, so are classified as a hermaphrodite.

Uses Of Male and Female Marijuana Plant

Female marijuana plants are capable of producing potent trichomes and flowering buds. As a result of these, they are in high demand for medical and recreational purposes.

Male plants are also important because they contain cannabinoids. Although they cannot produce usable marijuana like female plants, their leaves are often used to produce cannabis butter and oil.

Conclusion

There are distinctions between male and female marijuana plants, as already seen. Your goal if you have intentions of cultivating marijuana should be to produce usable products. As a result, you should choose to grow the female plant. At BC Seeds, we have the widest varieties of feminized seeds in all varieties. You can be assured that you are getting the top quality seeds from us.