DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR A GROWER ? Email editor @ maximumyield . com to get an answer . ask a GROWER
by Lee G . Lyzit
Q
a
Can you grow in a room that , when you harvested the flower , you found seeds ? Is it possible to clean the room using bleach as a cleaning agent , then continue to grow in the room and not worry about it going to seed again ?
— Dennis K .
Thank you for your question . Unless breeding , a cannabis cultivator ’ s goal is to grow sinsemilla , or flowers without seeds . A true sinsemilla cannabis garden is where only female cannabis plants are grown and are not allowed to come in contact with pollen from a male plant . In addition to pollen from male plants , another cause for unwanted seeds is hermaphroditism . Cannabis plants are monoecious , meaning there are separate male and female plants . However , in some cases , male reproductive organs will appear on female cannabis plants ( hermaphroditism ). This is detrimental to most cannabis growers as it will cause seeds to develop and ruin a sinsemilla garden . The most common cause of hermaphroditism in an indoor growroom is light leaks during the dark cycle . Since you found seeds in your last harvest , it is safe to assume your plants came in contact with pollen either via a male plant or a hermaphrodite . To prevent this from occurring again , the first thing I would suggest doing would be to identify where the pollen came from . If no male plants were in the vicinity , it is safe to assume one or more of the female flowering plants developed male reproductive organs . It would be wise to discontinue propagation of any particular strain / plant that caused this issue .
Assuming it was a hermaphrodite that caused your seed issue , make sure to check the flowering room for light leaks . Light interruptions during the dark cycle can send mixed hormonal signals to the plants , causing female plants to produce some male flowers . Light interruptions during the dark cycle commonly cause hermaphroditism . In addition to discontinuing questionable strains and ensuring your growroom is free of light leaks , you will want to remove / sterilize any remaining pollen from the growroom . To more directly answer your question , a mixture of three percent bleach and 97 percent water is acceptable for removing pollen from a growroom . Compared to pathogens or pests , pollen is relatively easy to kill . In fact , straight water would probably do the trick , however , if you are going to wipe everything down anyway , you might as well use a diluted bleach or hydrogen peroxide solution as these can also kill potential pathogens . After the room has been wiped down thoroughly , it is safe to start the next batch of plants . As an additional safeguard , some growers run a HEPA filter to remove pollen in a growroom where seeds have developed . I hope this answers your question .
Keep on Growing , Lee G . Lyzit
LL
Lee G . Lyzit has been involved in the cannabis industry for nearly 20 years . His passion for natural healing motivates him to learn as much as he can about the miraculous cannabis plant . Lee ’ s knowledge of cannabis gardening stems from his own extensive cultivation experiences and his past work as a hydroponic shop owner and manager .
12 Maximum Yield