Growing cannabis can be such a rewarding experience, especially when you manage to grow plants to their full potential. But with so many different factors coming into play, things can get a little tricky from time to time. Many growers have found themselves in sticky situations. Many struggle trying to figure out any early signs of male cannabis plants or female plants are present.
It is important for you to know the early signs of male cannabis plants to keep your garden thriving. There are certain methods of determining gender which will be covered shortly. But these methods will only work if it’s still relatively early on in the growing process. Have you find yourself struggling with identifying a male plant vs a female plant, read on! Here we will go over some early signs of male cannabis plants. This should help make things much easier for you moving forward!
What Are the Early Signs of Male Cannabis Plants?
Female cannabis plants are prized because they grow cannabinoid-rich buds. A Male cannabis plant, in contrast, have less THC content than female flowers. Female marijuana plants are the ones responsible for seed production in the first place.
As indicated above, some of the early signs of male cannabis plants include buds drying up. Leaves turning brown and falling off, roots turning brown, and strange sticky residue on the leaves. There are also a few other telltale signs that you need to be aware of. These include:
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Scraggly in Appearance – If you notice that your male plants look more scraggly than the female cannabis plant. this is a very early sign of male plants.
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More Flowering Sites – If you notice that your plant is budding at more than one location, this is another early sign of male plants.
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More Leaves – If you notice that your plant has an abundance of leaves while having less bud sites than female plants, this is another early sign of male plants.
Your Buds Are Drying Up
This is a great sign that you have male flowers on your hands. As you know by now, female plants produce flowers (aka buds) whereas male plants produce pollen sacs. It is important that you know how to differentiate between the two because pollinating your female plants will lead to seeds, which is not what you want.
With that in mind, you will want to make sure that you have no pollen sacs on your female buds, which means that they are ready for harvesting. If you are finding that your buds are drying up, it is likely that they are ready to be harvested!
Note – This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have male plants, but it is a sign to keep an eye out for.
Male Cannabis Plants: Leaves Are Turning Brown and Falling Off
This is a sign that you need to pay special attention to. It is not normal for your leaves to start turning brown and falling off, especially when growing indoors. This is a sign that something is wrong, and you will want to act quickly before the problem spreads to the rest of the plant. If this is the case, your plants might be suffering from a lack of nutrients or a bacterial infection. If you want to be sure, you can check the leaves for any signs of pests.
Your Roots Are Turning Brown
This can be another sign that you have male plants on your hands. Male cannabis plants do not produce buds, but they do produce male pollen sacs at the end of their stalks. If your roots are turning brown, this means that your roots have been pollinated and you should be expecting seeds.
There Is Strange Sticky Residue on the Leaves
If you notice a strange sticky substance on the leaves of your plants, this could be a sign that you have a pest problem. Aphids are a common pest that often leaves behind a sticky substance as they feed on your plants. If you notice that your plants have this sticky residue, you will want to make sure that you act quickly before the problem spreads.
Note – This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have male plants, but it is a sign to keep an eye out for.
The Final Conclusion
When you consider all of the above, it is clear to see that the early signs of male cannabis plants are not very easy to spot. These are subtle signs that are easy to miss if you are not paying attention. With that in mind, if you notice any of the above signs, you should definitely keep a close eye on your plants to make sure nothing is getting out of hand.