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XY ( male ). This concept is scientifically vital to feminization , but only when coupled with a trait humans and cannabis do not have in common .
Humans are ( for the most part ) born with a single set of reproductive organs . Cannabis is not . Whether male or female , autoflower or photoperiod , Sativa-dominant or Indica-dominant , cannabis develops pollen sacs or pistillate flowers over time , rather than a single set of sex organs , each plant can produce hundreds of them . This is what makes feminization possible !
How Feminization Works
It ’ s all about ethylene — not to be confused with ethanol . Ethylene has long been known in the agricultural world as a plant-produced ripening agent for fruits and flowers . Technically , it ’ s much more than that , but for our purposes , knowing that it ’ s produced naturally by plants will suffice . Scientists , farmers , and florists figured out that by inhibiting ethylene production , fruits and flowers could have a much longer shelf-life . How did they do that ?
They used one of two active ingredients that are now commercially available in almost all feminization products : silver and gibberellic acid — with silver tending to be the most common and arguably most effective . Now , you can ’ t just sprinkle chunks of silver over your plant , and gibberellic acid-alone is far too concentrated . Both require some form of dilution , and in the case of silver , a different molecular form allows it to enter the plant . Important note : While buds grown from feminized seeds are safe to consume , any plant material exposed to silver solutions during the production of those feminized seeds should be discarded and NEVER consumed .
When fruits and flowers are exposed to these compounds , their ripening begins to delay . It just so happens that when female cannabis ( early in the flowering process ) is exposed to these compounds , pistillate flower production stops and staminate flower production ( typically reserved for male plants ) begins . Enter the two most important principles of feminization : 1 . Because female cannabis plants contain only X ( female ) chromosomes , any pollen produced by a female plant would not include the genetic material necessary ( Y chromosome ) to create a male plant .
2 . Because cannabis plants are not “ born ” with reproductive organs , inhibiting the release of hormones ( ethylene ) in female plants allows staminate organs ( pollen sacks ) to develop .
This process results in a female plant producing pollen with only X chromosomes . When that pollen is applied to another female plant , the resulting seed contains only two X chromosomes since no male genetic material ( Y chromosomes ) present .
Timing is Everything
Regardless of your choice of ethyleneinhibitor , applying it at the proper time during your plant ’ s lifecycle is critical . In all cases , be sure to refer to the manufacturer ’ s guidelines regarding strength and dilution . Gibberellic acid should be lightly sprayed on the plant daily for approximately 1 week before the start of flowering . Colloidal silver should be sprayed 1 – 3 times daily , starting a few days before flowering and continuing for about 2 weeks . Silver thiosulfate and silver nitrate should be sprayed on the day flowering begins and potentially once more , 7 – 10 days later .
Pollen control is one of the more complicated challenges to address in any breeding process because of how easily it travels through the air and how little is needed to pollinate a female plant . Be sure to consider how you ’ ll isolate your pollen-producing plant to avoid unwanted pollination of others — keeping in mind that pollen can survive in your grow space for months under the right conditions .
You may also choose to identify a single branch of a female plant that you ’ d like to force into pollen production , using it to pollinate female flowers on other branches of the same plant . This is an entirely viable option ; just be sure to prevent any overspray of your ethylene-inhibiting solution on branches you don ’ t want producing pollen .
Misconceptions
It ’ s probably a good time to clear up a few myths about feminized seeds that made me initially skeptical .
First , producing feminized seeds is NOT genetic engineering or modification . The DNA itself is not impacted ; it ’ s the growth organs changing because a hormone is withheld .
Second , and in my personal experience , hermaphroditic genetic traits aren ’ t as related to the feminization process as they are to unstable breeding and stressful growing conditions . If the underlying strain produces regular seeds with consistent traits over multiple generations , then feminized seeds of the same variety , grown under optimal conditions , will produce similar results , albeit completely female .
I ’ d also heard so many horror stories from hemp producers who purchased “ feminized ” seeds that said they ended up with a 50 / 50 mix of males and females in their field . I suspect this is due to the seed producer either allowing male pollen to reach their female plants or pure fraud . Either way , when the environment is controlled and the only pollen to reach a female plant is from another female plant , the results should always be seeds that produce female plants .
Why Create Feminized Seeds
Cloning has always been a great way to preserve your favorite varieties , but it sometimes becomes impractical from a space and time perspective . Additionally , with any grow , there ’ s a risk that pests or disease could force the destruction of plants that you ’ ve come to not only love but to rely upon as medication . Producing your own feminized seeds provides some semblance of protection against these risks and can save you the hassle of managing an ongoing cloning program . You can save the seeds you produce for years , and whenever you ’ re ready to grow a fresh female plant of that variety , simply germinate a seed and get growing !
If you ’ re looking for a product that ’ s relatively affordable and easy to use with very little guesswork , check out Tiresias Mist feminization spray .
For more information about YRG , visit
www . year-roundgarden . com or call 816.216.6917 and be sure to tell them The EVOLUTION Magazine sent you .
pattern of the female plant ’ s reproductive Scan QR ► to see video about “ Types of Horticultural Lighting .”