Sexing Conundrum : Solved

Indoor Growing
#1

Hey folks. I’ve got some plants on the go in my tent and they are rapidly outgrowing their SOLO cups. I don’t think I want to make any seeds this go round (I might consider doing some selective pollination, but we’ll see) so I want to sex them ASAP. I only have one grow tent so cloning and sexing the clones isn’t an option. My only option is to flip to 12/12 and see what I get. I am thinking it would be best to transplant them all to slightly larger containers, wait another week or so and then flip them. Then, as soon as I can sex them and cull the plants I don’t want, transplant them into their final containers.

Is there a way to do this that won’t stress the plants as much?

Early sexing
#2

flip them to 12/12 now, in the cups, and transplant once youve weeded out the males

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#3

sex testing kits send plant tissue the company posts results online quick like 45 for a 3-pak as i recall

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#4

A simple enough solution! I read somewhere not to transplant during flower - old wives tale?

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#5

I saw that site during my googling on this issue. Too rich for my blood. :dizzy_face:

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#6

as long as your are being careful and not psychotically breaking up the root balls, transplant will be fine

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#7

best to let em grab the soil a little roots dont do much when plant is putting energy to flower I always inspect my roots after a grow try two out and see the difference

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#8

depends how you do your grow cost math. my wallet says the same thing :wink:

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#9

From cups to liters of medium to fill with roots under 12/12, better to declare them in the cups directly. Take care more about the hydric stress in low volume.

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#10

Here is a trick I’ve learned and done a couple of times. Once they have five or six nodes, give them two nights of 12/12, then switch back to 18/6. Within a week you should be able to see pre-flowers and can eliminate the males and veg out the females a bit longer.

7 Likes
99's Fling in the Tin Foil Forest
#11

Sorry I am a bit confused. Are you recommending going up to 1 liter containers to avoid hydric stress? Not sure what you mean by “better to declare them in the cups directly.”

#12

I have read about this but I have also read people saying it doesn’t work.

I guess there is only one way to find out. Most of them are working on their 6th nodes now.

I think I’ll try it.

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#13

I’ve done it twice now. I did the two nights 12/12 then a week later flipped them. All showed within DAYS of that. So it definitely works and didnt stress them at all. Honestly, I think I will always fo this from now on. A lot cheaper than the Phylos or Steep Hill plant sex tests (I passed both :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:).

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#14

Wait, Im confused now (not hard to do this early in the AM).

In the first post, it sounds like you switch back to vegging on 18/6, and they show sex while still in veg?

In the second post, it sounds like you need to put them into flower on 12/12 for the sex to show?

Im hoping its the first option. I want to try this, so I can sex the plants as early as possible - before I start weaving them into a scrog screen.

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#15

I was too embarrassed to admit my confusion. :flushed:

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#16

The instructions are what I posted first. This was a trick I heard from SkunkmanSam on Hash Church.

The second post is what I ended up doing. I flipped only because I have height limitations. Some did start showing pre-flowers, as any sexually mature plant will do. Righ around the time they start alternating nodes…

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#17

No, sorry my english. I take your context in count and to sex them in the cups directly seem to be the most strategic move, considering your needs.

About the stress, an hydric stress in these cups is far more high than sexing them in the cups. It was to “relativist” your concern about stressing the plants.

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#18

I understand now. Thank you! :slight_smile:

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#19

Thanks for clarifying. I was 90% sure that’s what you meant.

12 hours of dark will begin at 6pm today, then they’ll get the same again tomorrow. This will be an interesting experiment. :last_quarter_moon:

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#20

A female plant will present pistals while still very early in the vegative state. In general a Male will not present the pear shaped nodes at the base of the stalk of your babies. An 18 and 6 light cycle should be maintained. Stressing your plants is a poor way of sexing them.