April 01, 2025
What to Do If Male Flowers Appear on Your Female Cannabis Plants
Finding male flowers on plants that you believed were female can make for a bad day. These male pollen sacs can pollinate your entire grow, resulting in seedy buds—which are usually considered a waste of time and resources. Even experienced growers face this issue sometimes. The good news is, if you catch it early, you might still save your female plants. Below is a guide—based on both positive and negative outcomes in my own experience—that will help you decide whether to continue growing or start over.
1. Assess the Situation
When you discover male flowers, you’re typically dealing with either a full male plant or a hermaphrodite (a plant with both male and female parts). In either case, pollination occurs only if the pollen sacs burst, releasing massive amounts of pollen (a fine dusty substance) into your grow space. If you identify the problem before that happens, you can take action to protect your remaining female plants.
- Full Male Plant
If the plant is completely male (no female buds at all) but the pollen sacs haven’t opened, you can remove the entire plant and continue growing your female plants with minimal risk. - Hermaphrodite Plant
This is more common and can be trickier. A hermaphrodite plant has both male and female parts.- If there are only a few male flowers in one spot and they haven’t opened, you can try removing those branches.
- However, if male parts are scattered across the plant, it’s usually best to discard the entire plant rather than risk pollinating everything else.
- Again, make sure to remove any hermaphrodite plant (or its affected parts) before the pollen sacs burst for the best results. If even one pollen sac burst open your plants will very likely be heavily seeded at harvest and it is best to start over so you can be sure you are spending your time growing quality cannabis buds.
2. Removing the Affected Plants
- Raise Humidity and Mist
Increase the humidity in your grow tent to about 100%. Use a spray bottle to lightly mist your plants, tent walls, and any surfaces inside. This high humidity causes pollen to clump and fall to the floor, reducing the chance of it spreading. - Careful Disposal
Use pruning shears to cut the problem plant (or branches) into smaller sections. Immediately place those sections into a trash bag, seal it, and take it out of your grow space right away.
3. Inspect and Clean the Grow Area
- Return to Normal Humidity and Check for Pollen
After removing the plant, bring the humidity back down to its usual level. Look closely for any signs of pollen on floors, walls, and equipment. - If You Find Pollen
Your female plants have likely been pollinated and will produce seeds. While you can still let them finish, expect a seedy harvest with lower quality. It’s often more practical to start over. - If You Don’t Find Pollen
You may still be in the clear. Run high humidity for about one more hour to ensure any stray pollen clumps and falls. Clean the area thoroughly afterward.
4. Possible Outcomes
- Caught It Early (No Pollen Release)
By acting fast—raising humidity and removing the affected plant—you can often continue your grow and still harvest seedless, high-quality buds. - Pollen Already Released
Once the pollen is out, your plants will focus on making seeds instead of large, dense buds. You’ll end up with poor-quality, seedy buds. With seeded buds, smokable plant matter is reduced to leaves and seed hulls that have low THC and a harsh taste. If high-quality harvests are your priority, it’s best to start over.
5. Final Thoughts
Speed is critical. As soon as you notice any male flowers or hermaphrodite plants, raise the humidity, remove the problem plants, and thoroughly clean the tent. If you catch it early, you can probably save your females from being seeded. If not, consider cutting your losses and starting anew to avoid a seedy, low-quality harvest. Most importantly, treat every setback as a learning experience. Each challenge helps you improve your grow skills for future crops.
Good luck!