males: round balls always or saggy pods filling out over time?

[smackhead1984]

A have a query about sexing male plants...

the majority of photos of male sexed plants look like the balls are quite big and ripe and look to have took a while to grow, im checking every day after putting my plants into flower and id like to know if the balls of a male plant always have the appearance of ROUND (or roundish) balls and just grow larger... or do they start out as saggy pods that fill out over time?

im asking this because all my plants except 3 have shown to be female, the 3 havent got balls... but have a sort of a 3 finger growth (the fingers are thin and could just be leaves maybe?) that are like a tridents head as the finger in the middle is longer than the ones either side.

also the females are clear to me and if the growths arent male growths then that either means theyre all female (WHICH WOULD BE MAD!) or... they are males but they have flowered after the females, but isnt that very unlikely??

[SimonMakus]

We really need some pictures to decide this. I'm not clear if you're describing new growth in your "trident" description. As soon as you can, throw us a pic and this will be a lot easier!

edit: How old are they and how long since the switch to 12/12?

[smackhead1984]

sorry mate pics that detailed just arent an option for me,

this is just the 3rd day, i know its early it just seems strange that the females would come on before the males...


id like to know if the balls of a male plant always have the appearance of ROUND (or roundish) balls and just grow larger... or do they start out as saggy pods that fill out over time?

that was my main query all the guides and info ive read are kept simple and just show pics of big MASSIVE balls, i just wana know what they look like when theyre just starting out, ive heard the term bananas or nana's thrown about?

[Rusty Trichome]

The pollen sacks (nanners) will grow to look like a bunch of grapes at first, then they elongate to look like a bunch of bananas. They start out as a single ball, then the elongate a bit and more balls will fill-in behind it. If there is a couple of white hairs sticking out of each ball, they aren't male. Sometimes hard to tell, but give it a few extra days before doing anything drastic.
Are the tridents on either side of the leaf stem, where it attaches to the main stem? If so, likely early side-branching. (new leaf tips can look like tridents)

[SimonMakus]

You didn't answer how old they are but after only three days of 12/12 I'm betting none of them are showing sex yet. At the beginning of male flowers they look like a little ball on a stick. I've also found that if you see the green growth of a sex organ and there is NO hair(s) after 2 or 3 days it's more than likely a male. I've noticed a fem's little pistil will appear nearly simultaneously with the hair or hairs.

Why are pics out of the question exactly?

Don't worry though, you've got time to differentiate between sexes. If you've got 'em, males won't be mature enough to spread any pollen for at LEAST another week, and I've read elsewhere you've got more time than that. (Go with the week to be safe)

One last thing, Rusty's reply seems dead on except that hermies ARE possible at this stage so just keep an eye or two on it :smokin:

[grey1223]

Too early to be concerned. It's very difficult to be patient when starting out. You can drive yourself crazy worrying about sex. When the males show you'll have plenty of time to dispose of them. I am however concerned that you think you have plants showing sex at 3 days???????

[Rusty Trichome]

I am however concerned that you think you have plants showing sex at 3 days???????

Perhaps a pedifolia? (likes sexing baby plants) :jointsmile:

[SimonMakus]

lol, nice.

[smackhead1984]

lol hi people very witty my names Smackhead1984 and im a pedifole,

pics arent an option cos i dont have a camera or decent phone cam, i bought a good one not long ago and it broke and they wouldnt replace it so just gonna leave it.



You didn't answer how old they are but after only three days of 12/12 I'm betting none of them are showing sex yet.

Theyve been under hps light for 5 weeks...ish and were under a crappy flourescent for one week from seed.
Thats why i was looking out for males, because 80% of my plants are DEFINITELY female and are DEFINITELY showing hairs! And as ive read a few times males show first i was like "wheres these balls then? are these trident things them, and do they just fill out or something? i just thought the male would definitely show 1st but obviously not always!



I am however concerned that you think you have plants showing sex at 3 days???????

All of my females showed female whiskers the very next day! the lights went off at 12 pm and when i checked on them at ten the next day they where there, and i know they are definitely female pistils!
100% definitely the hairs are very noticeable!


Don't worry though, you've got time to differentiate between sexes. If you've got 'em, males won't be mature enough to spread any pollen for at LEAST another week, and I've read elsewhere you've got more time than that. (Go with the week to be safe)

Thats good to know! i was under the impression they could crop up and cause chaos straight away, i feel alot better bout it after hearing that.

Thanks for all the info and the detailed descriptions, should be pretty easy to spot these grapes i should think.

thanks again!