how quick to cull males?

[OldPhart]

I have had a heck of a time trying to sex these plant, a few have started to throw pre-flowers, and about half have shown female. Problem is, the others are not showing me anything. ???... I have decided to just throw the switch on 12/12 and wait for them to show their true colors. Question is, how quickly can males screw things up? I figure I have at least a week, then there shouldn't be any mystery to what is going on. Is this too long to wait to cull the males/hermies. I'm thinking one is a hermie, or possibly full blow male, but thought I would see what develops.

 

[troutman]

As long as you take a good look at your plants every day and cull any males that appear you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[mack 10]

Males take around the same time as females to show there pollen sacs,
Or about 2weeks. Then the flowers open and drop pollen a few days after.

As long as you get them out before the male flowers open your golden.
You got a couple weeks, but watch em! They can be sneaky.

 

[OldPhart]

Okay, was just a sanity check that a week wasn't going to cause a disaster. This silly run has been more problematic than what I was used to the last time I grew, about 11 years ago. It has almost got me paranoid and obsessing over them. But I have things going the right direction, just got to get rid of the one or possibly two males. Pretty sure I got at least 4/6 if not 5/6 female. I have always been very fortunate with my m/f ratios.

Here they are 2 days into flower.

 

[Americangrower]

You don't have to cull males until the show absolutely..ie a ball or 2 hanging . 1st off the pollen won't drop until it matures a lil. 2nd theres no mature female to pollinate yet.

 

[w3rds]

American hit it on the head. Your females usually sex quciker than your males, I usually wait until the second pollen sac forms since some females stay in ball form for a while before sprouting their white hairs.

If you want to hold off on doing your 12/12, snip a clone off each plant you know know and throw them in darkness to force them to sex. it gives you an extra week of veg without having to spend the extra light/nutes waiting for them to show.

 

[OldPhart]

And then there were four

And then there were four

Well, I pretty much knew that I had one male, and was undecided about a second one. Well after a week of 12/12, both were decidedly male. Still going to finish out the remaining 4. I'm sure yield will suffer greatly from not having the extra plant or two, but what ya going to do??

 

[Betterhaff]

If you’re routinely checking your plants you will have plenty of time to pull males once you flip and they show. It takes some time from when they show till they actually start dropping pollen.

 

[w3rds]

I lost two from my current grow because they ended up being male. Total bummer since they were my most topped/LST plants of the group...

 

[MountainBudz]

When you identify them as males from the pre-flowers (little ball on a stick) then cut them down. If you wait till the flower is open then it is too late... But, still cut them down and continue your grow. Not always do they pollinate the entire grow, only time can tell you that my friend.

 

[WilliametteWilly]

Sounds like you got your males out of there. Hooray!!!! Hope your four females bloom beautifully.

 

[OldPhart]

Sounds like you got your males out of there. Hooray!!!! Hope your four females bloom beautifully.

It seems like things are taking forever, but they are moving in the right direction. This is suppose to be an 8 week strain, but I'm doubting that, with how slow they have been to show sex, and start budding. Here is one of the 'main' buds at just under 4 weeks. I do like how over the last week they have started to frost up. I'm planning on running them at least 10 weeks, if not 12; unless things start to change dramatically.