How to Tell Male and Female Pot Plants Apart

When growing marijuana plants, it is important to be able to distinguish between male and female plants. Here’s a guide on how to tell them apart:

1. Check the Pre-Flowering Stage

Before cannabis plants enter the flowering stage, they go through a pre-flowering stage where you can already identify the gender. Female plants will produce small hair-like pistils that grow from the nodes, while male plants produce small pollen sacs.

2. Look for Differences in Growth

Male cannabis plants tend to grow taller and have thicker stems than female plants. Female plants tend to grow shorter and have more branches, creating a bushier appearance.

3. Examine the Leaves

Female cannabis plants have leaves that are wider and less pointed than male plants. Male plants have leaves that are narrow and elongated.

4. Smell the Plants

As the flowering stage progresses, the female plants will start to produce a strong, sweet odor, while the male plants will produce a more pungent, musky odor. This difference in smell can be used to identify the plants before they produce any flowering parts.

5. Inspect the Flowers

Once the plants are in full flower, it’s easy to distinguish between the two. Female plants produce round, bulb-shaped flowers with pistils protruding from them, while male plants have small, bunches of round pods that are shaped like grapes.

Knowing the difference between male and female plants is crucial for any marijuana grower. Male plants can pollinate female plants, causing them to produce seeds and reducing the potency of the buds. By identifying and removing male plants early in the grow cycle, the females can produce larger, healthier buds with higher THC content.