Some cannabis growers have a widespread misconception that male cannabis plants are useless.
Yes, smoking a male is prohibited (you could try, but the results wouldn’t be fantastic). But if you’re growing marijuana, you’re probably growing female plants since they’re the ones that produce the high-demand cannabis buds that the majority of us are seeking. However, this does not imply that male cannabis plants have no uses.
We smoke cannabis flowers from female plants, whether for therapeutic or recreational purposes, and feminised seeds make it possible to stock your grow area with female plants. But what if you accidentally get a male plant? Keep on reading to find out more!
What is a Male Cannabis Plant?
Cannabis is a dioecious plant, which means that the reproductive traits of the male and female appear on distinct plants.
Instead of the distinctive flowers and pistils only female cannabis plants produce, a male cannabis plant will produce pollen sacs. When a cannabis plant is in the stretch, also known as the pre-flowering stage, you can tell if it is male or female. The plant will start to show robust foliage growth during the first few weeks of flowering as it prepares for the flowering stage. Examining the pre-flowers at this time will reveal ball-like growths that are the first obvious sign of a male plant. They are located between the leaves and stems.
These round, growths that resemble garden peas are actually growing pollen sacs. You may be certain that your cannabis plant is a male if you notice them growing on it.
Since male cannabis plants don’t produce the desired harvest that most growers desire, many cannabis producers will promptly remove and destroy them. There are a number of valuable uses for male cannabis plants, so think again before you uproot one and toss it away (probably cursing it under your breath).
Let’s say you find a male marijuana plant among your females. If so, you should remove it from your growing area right away because leaving it there could pollinate your female plants, which would result in seed production and reduce their potency.
Make Some Hashish
There is still value in the male cannabis plant since it still produces cannabinoids like THC. The issue is that male plants have substantially less THC than female plants. It can be used to create the hash and other concentrates, which is fantastic news. Yes, it will be less potent than that from the female cannabis plant, but producing lower-potency hash rather than simply throwing the male plant in the chipper is a better use of it. You don’t have buds, but the plant’s leafy material contains THC, so use it all. Male plants can be used to make hash.
The cannabinoids in hash, oils, and concentrates derived from male plants are concentrated into a strong extract that may be used for a variety of tasks, such as manufacturing cannabutter and edibles.
Make Cannabis Tea
Male plants have lesser cannabinoid contents, but they still have enough of them to produce homebrews that have therapeutic effects. Although THCA products in liquid form won’t have any psychotropic effects, they will be effectively absorbed by the body.
Numerous health advantages of cannabis include its calming effects, ability to relieve sore throats, and support for digestion. Grind your leaves and decarboxylate them in the oven for 45 minutes at low heat to have a calming, healing beverage.
Breed your Own Strains
Cannabis plants with male flowers can be used to breed novel, new strains. Having a male cannabis plant is suddenly a tool in your armoury that enables you to develop your own strain if you’ve ever pondered about it but never dared to attempt it. In order to create your own distinctive cannabis strain, employ the 50% of genetic material that comes from the male plant. Of course, your male plant must possess the necessary traits for breeding.
When your male is:
- Particularly aromatic
- Demonstrates a high level of resistance to pests or adverse weather
- Blooms closely and densely
Cannabis strains with these qualities would likely make ideal breeding candidates. In order to test if you can create your own unique and fascinating cannabis strain, separate them from the group and conduct an experiment with a female. Give it a memorable name as well.
However, if your male plant exhibits characteristics like:
- Early or auto-flowering flowering
- Unusually quick or tall growth
These characteristics are signs of less favourable for breeding. Breeders do not desire hermaphrodite plants, which are frequently produced by auto and early flowering male plants.
Use them as Companion Plants
A wonderful approach to balance the environment in your garden and act as a deterrent to common pests from attacking your prized female cannabis plants is to include a few male companion plants. Put males in your garden far from females or put something between them, like sunflowers. By doing this, unwanted male pollination of females will be prevented. The male cannabis plants can be a too-tempting substitute if you also produce other crops, including vegetables, which will protect them from insect pests. Plant your men alongside other plant species and crops to draw pests away from the fruits and vegetables you are growing in your garden with the use of terpenes from succulent plants like limonene and pinene.
Send them Back to Nature
Those male plants are a fantastic component to add to your compost since their roots have effectively absorbed a fair amount of nutrients, enabling you to disperse those nutrients back into the soil. One may either chop up the plant material and replant it in the ground or add it to your compost pile and wait for it to absorb the important nutrients from the leftover men. These are two of the best strategies to repurpose your males to support new plant growth.
Conclusion
A male cannabis plant is the last thing you want to see if your only goal is to grow buds, but as you can infer from this article, if you have the time and imagination to take on new tasks, there’s no need to worry and get rid of your male cannabis plants. With a little bit of know-how, you can reuse those bad boys in a variety of beneficial ways.