Sexing cannabis plants is vital for maximising your harvest. In this article, you’ll learn how to sex your marijuana plants (even before they flower), when flowering occurs, and how to induce flowering.
Sexing marijuana plants helps separating male from female plants. It only becomes possible to tell whether cannabis plants are male or female once the flowering cycle has begun.
Cannabis begins to flower when it receives 12 hours of light and 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness in each 24-hour cycle.
Once this light cycle (or photoperiod) is initiated, plants enter the pre-flowering stage, when they increase in size as the branch structure prepares to bear and support flowers.
How to tell if your plant is male or female before flowering?
During pre-flowering, which usually lasts about 10 days, it is still not possible to identify the sex of the plant. The first flowers should be visible within two weeks.
Female cannabis plant
Male cannabis plant
Using feminized seeds or automatic seeds should eliminate this process as they are bred to produce plants that will flower as females.
Inducing flowering for sexing marijuana plants
Indoors, it is the grower who decides when to alter the photo period and induce flowering. This is achieved by simply adjusting the timers on the lights.
Outdoors, the grower must wait until the natural daylight hours have decreased to approximately 12 per day. Exactly when this occurs will of course vary depending on the locality. In Northern Europe it happens around mid-to-late July.
It is possible to induce flowering outside by allowing the plants 12 hours of daylight each day, then covering them or taking them inside.
This must however be done every day without fail. If the periods of darkness are interrupted by light, this can adversely affect the plants, setting it back to a vegetative state.
- Disclaimer:Laws and regulations regarding cannabis cultivation differ from country to country. Sensi Seeds therefore strongly advises you to check your local laws and regulations. Do not act in conflict with the law.
Hello great video I created an app to help beginner growers distinguish male pre-flower from female, it works with pre-flower only and is just a help, regards
Good afternoon MasterWeed!
Thanks for the comment,
That sounds great – I’m afraid the link in your previous comment was incorrect. What was the application called?
Best regards,
Mark
So I’m a little over or right at two months of strong growing. My plants look great they are happy and so far I only found on distinct male and he is gone out of the house. I have two more that I’m unsure of because they look like all my other females but started to show something. I wish I could attach a picture. My biggest question is when should I begin my flowering stage.
Good morning Rich,
Thanks for your question,
Great news, that you could remove your male before it pollinates your females.
Unfortunately, legal restrictions mean we can’t answer grow-related questions or give grow advice on this blog. However, other readers of this blog will often answer questions like yours.
In general, flowering can usually be controlled very precisely by simply changing the lighting regime. Indoor cannabis growers typically give their plants 18-24 hours of light per day during the vegetative growth period, and drop down to 12 hours to trigger flowering. Indicas will often double in height, and Sativas can often stretch three times there height in vegetation.
Please check out the following articles on our blog which I think you may find of use, and I hope you continue to enjoy the blog!
The life cycle of cannabis: From seed to harvest
How to Flower a Cannabis Plant
With best wishes,
Mark
Just found out my plant is a male..bummer well it’s back to square one for me
A co w przypadku jak zacząłem uprawę od czasu 12 h światła 12 h ciemności rośliny nie urosły duże jedna zaczęła kwitnienie wtedy zorientowałem się że powinny dostawać 18 h światła 6 ciemności teraz po ponad miesiącu naprawiłem błąd czy przez to mogę się spodziewać ,że cos będzie nie tak z rośliną?
Dzień dobry Marley,
Dziękuję za pytanie.
Niestety ograniczenia prawne powodują, że na tym blogu nie możemy odpowiadać na pytania związane z uprawą ani udzielać porad dotyczących uprawy. Jednak inni czytelnicy tego bloga często będą odpowiadać na pytania podobne do twojego. Przepraszam, nie mogę być bardziej pomocny.
Ogólnie rzecz biorąc, istnieje kilka powodów, dla których rośliny konopi mogą wcześnie zacząć kwitnąć. W większości przypadków rośliny konopi kwitną, ponieważ zostały umieszczone zbyt wcześnie w sezonie, podczas gdy był okres ciemności wystarczająco długi, aby zmusić odmianę do zakwitnięcia. Dramatyczna zmiana w środowisku oświetleniowym może również spowodować zakwitnięcie roślin.
W miarę wydłużania się dni rośliny mogą powrócić do cyklu wegetacyjnego, a jesienią zakwitnąć normalnie. Jednak niektóre rośliny mogą nadal kwitnąć i nigdy więcej nie wegetować.
Ten artykuł zatytułowany „The Life cycle of Cannabis: From seed to harvestw” może Cię zainteresować.
Jeszcze raz dziękujemy za pytanie i mam nadzieję, że blog będzie Ci się nadal podobał.
Z najlepszymi życzeniami,
Mark
awesome ! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate.
Hi! I starts one little seed the last week of January2021.. I live in Phoenix, Az. I planted the seedling in a small pot in my kitchen window on Jan. 30th and have not moved it. It does get 12 hrs of sun and so far it is only about 3 inches tall, but it is flowering. I can already tell that it’s a female. Am I doing everything ok? First time I’ve tried growing. Thank you and stay safe, healthy, calm and peaceful!
Good afternoon Sonya,
Unfortunately, legal restrictions mean we can’t answer grow-related questions or give grow advice on this blog. However, other readers of this blog will often answer questions like yours.
In general, there are various reasons why cannabis plants may start to flower early. Most often, cannabis plants flower because they were placed out too early in the season, while there was a period of darkness long enough to force the strain into flowering. A dramatic change in the lighting environment could also cause trigger plants into flowering.
As the days get longer it is possible that plants could go back to vegetative cycle and then flower normally in the fall. However, it is possible that some plants continue to flower and never re-vegetate.
Please check out the following articles on our blog which I think you may find of use, and I hope you continue to enjoy the blog!
What are the best conditions for seedlings
When can seedlings be put under lights or in the sun
With best wishes,
Mark
I have done the same I’m a new to this but I started with seeds and a grow light and now I have 2 12 inch plants and they are doing well
Good afternoon Sonja,
Thanks for the comment,
I am so pleased things are going well for you, keep up the good work!
These articles on What is Veganic Growing? New Take on Organic Cannabis and Beginners guide to home-made fertilizer may also be of interest to you.
Thanks again, and I hope you continue to enjoy the blog!
Have a great day,
Mark
Hi mine are all outdoors I’m in NZ I started from seed in October now they are about 4/5 meters tall now and I can’t tell if they male or female they get sun from about 8.30am till about 4.00pm how will I tell if they will show gender or should I wait till about April or May
Hi poi,
You are going to end up with some enormous plants! They won’t start to show signs of sex until they have been getting 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness for a little while. This article has more information about sexing your plants. Good luck, happy gardening, and I hope you continue to enjoy the blog.
With best wishes,
Scarlet