Sexing Plants From Seed in a Small Tent

[bronsolino]

Hey Everyone,

I have a few seasons of outdoor growing with regular seeds and a couple closet grows using feminized seeds, but I’m gearing up for my first tent grow from seed with non-feminized strains and I’m wondering the best way to do it.

I was thinking I’d terminate my seeds, transfer them to 4inch nursery pots while putting them straight under 12/12 lighting as soon as they pop. I then plan to let them grow as long as it takes to sex them all, and cull all the males (breeding/ pollen saving just isn’t in the cards for me at this point). I’d switch the remaining females back to veg lighting (either 18/6 or 24/0), in order let them get big before throwing the ladies into flower.

Does this plan seem like it will work? I’ma beginner so I’d appreciate insight from anybody whose been through this before. I’ll be growing in organic soil in a 3x3 tent under LED lighting and ideally I wanted to run 4 strains and planned to start 4 non feminized seeds of each strain in order to (hopefully) guarantee I get at least 1 female of each.

Thanks for any insight you might be able to provide!

 

[gaiusmarius]

some plants don't like to be switched back. if i was you, i'd let them all grow enough normally, so i can take 1 cut from each plant. number the plants and label the cuts carefully. you can then put the cuts in 12/12 till they show sex and then you know which are males and which are females. you don't even have to root the cuts if you want to save time, just stick them in a glass of water and put them under a 12/12 schedule, after about 10 to 14 days they will show sexual organs hrhr.

 

[grayeyes]

Plant your seeds after you have germinated them. I usually plant them in one of those red plastic cups. After they reach about 8 inches I transfer into 1 gallon pots. Then allow them to grow to about 12-14". Then you can take them after 12 hours of sunlight into 12 hours of darkness. In about 6-7 days they will reveal their sex.

I have never heard of what 'gaius" is suggesting. Perhaps he can offer pictures of rooted clones in water displaying sex?

 

[gaiusmarius]

even un rooted branches will show sex if you put them on 12 hours full dark and 12 hours light. this is nothing novel or speculative. its just how it works, the plant puts its last energy into showing reproduction, there is enough stored energy in the branch to at least show the sex. sometimes they even root.

if you put the whole plant in 12/12 with the idea to reveg it, you will waste a lot of time. some plants take ages to go fully back to veg once you initiate flowering lighting schedule.

 

[Creeperpark]

I wouldn't kick back the photoperiod between seasonal hours. Just like Grayeyes suggested use the red dixie cups for starters. Then up-pot into 1-gallon pots and you will get pre-flowers in due time. The males show their sex fast even under 18 hr photoperiod and can be removed by 4 weeks. What's left are females.

 

[bronsolino]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the input.

I’m going as recommended and will not run them 12/12 to start. 15 seeds went into the tent today, 5 more soon. Running Tony Green’s Tortured Beans and Relic Seeds.

 

[Creeperpark]

Keep us posted on your new grow and good luck friend.

 

[bronsolino]

Will do!

I have another question actually, how big should those cuttings be? I don’t have much experience with cloning. Would a cutting that has 2 nodes be big enough? I intend to do them all together in one batch so if I need more to time to allow them to be relatively big cuttings I just want to know in advance.

Thanks again,

 

[GMT]

Man you're running a lot of plants in a small space. Personally I'd go with the original plan of 12/12 from start to sex them as quickly as possible. But rather than reveging them, and trust me, I have issues from trying to be clever going on right now, I'd just repot the girls that you're keeping after sexing. That will allow them to reach the size you want. Keep things as plain sailing for your girls as you can. Getting too clever leads to too many problems.

 

[Creeperpark]

Man you're running a lot of plants in a small space. Personally I'd go with the original plan of 12/12 from start to sex them as quickly as possible. But rather than reveging them, and trust me, I have issues from trying to be clever going on right now, I'd just repot the girls that you're keeping after sexing. That will allow them to reach the size you want. Keep things as plain sailing for your girls as you can. Getting too clever leads to too many problems.

That's for sure, keep it simple.

 

[44:86N]

Lots of ways to do this.

When needing to sex plants early (I grow almost entirely outdoors), I can usually sex them about 6 or 7 weeks following germination, or around 8 to 10 nodes. Do not cut or pinch the main tip, let it go.

Using at least a 10X hand loop, watch the stem internodes at the leaf petioles. There will be very small pre-flowers. VERY SMALL.

Occasionally, a late, sneaker male will make the first cut, and get potted up, but that's never been a problem.

This looks like a female pre-flower, which will push out very small pistils eventually, as well. The male pre-flowers are little balls.

Not my pic, borrowed from the web.

 

[Dropped Cat]

I pot seeds, and after they veg long enough I take cuts and flip the seed plants.

With this method I can test eight to twelve plants to fem in flower while holding
the donar plants in veg until sexed.

Micro style, small footprint.

Cull the males that I deem un worthy, flower the females.

With fem plants, hold the donars in veg, and cull the unwanted.

 

[bronsolino]

Well, time for an update.

The separate, sexing chamber, at least with unrooted cuttings in vials of water, was unsuccessful. The cuttings have been in there over 10 days and no signs, not even with a loupe.

The tent went from 21 down to 17 plants in those 10 days because 4 males showed themselves.

I switched the tent to 12/12 today. So the rest of the males will be chucked out soon.

Thanks again for everyone’s help and suggestions! I don’t regret trying this out, even though it didn’t work for me, I consider it a learning process. I bet the separate chamber would have worked if it was attempted with rooted cuttings.

Thanks again dudes and dudettes!

 

[Creeperpark]

Well, time for an update.

The separate, sexing chamber, at least with unrooted cuttings in vials of water, was unsuccessful. The cuttings have been in there over 10 days and no signs, not even with a loupe.

The tent went from 21 down to 17 plants in those 10 days because 4 males showed themselves.

I switched the tent to 12/12 today. So the rest of the males will be chucked out soon.

Thanks again for everyone’s help and suggestions! I don’t regret trying this out, even though it didn’t work for me, I consider it a learning process. I bet the separate chamber would have worked if it was attempted with rooted cuttings.

Thanks again dudes and dudettes!

I forgot what the story was about. Hey, you are still doing good with what you got friend. Do you know why the clones didn't root? Cloning in water is more difficult than using a good substrate. I like using rooting hormone if I clone, they seem to root easier. Thanks for sharing.

 

[hamstring]

Well, time for an update.

The separate, sexing chamber, at least with unrooted cuttings in vials of water, was unsuccessful. The cuttings have been in there over 10 days and no signs, not even with a loupe.

The tent went from 21 down to 17 plants in those 10 days because 4 males showed themselves.

I switched the tent to 12/12 today. So the rest of the males will be chucked out soon.

Thanks again for everyone’s help and suggestions! I don’t regret trying this out, even though it didn’t work for me, I consider it a learning process. I bet the separate chamber would have worked if it was attempted with rooted cuttings.

Thanks again dudes and dudettes!

Hey, I have been there too. I tried taking cuttings and sexing them without much luck. I dont think there is a 100% way to do it. I have 10 plants(two strains) in gallon containers that were started on Dec 22nd. All have 7 nodes and only a few are showing signs of perflowers and these are so small under 1mm, that I cant even tell with my USB microscope.

I just put them in 12/12 but I'm just culling males and up potting the females. I am sure I could wait but I need to stay on a schedule for outdoor season.