How to Tell If Buds are Pollinated and More Answers to Top Questions

During your cannabis-consuming career, it’s likely you’ve come across bud with a seed or two, or more. But did you know, seeds are an unfortunate outcome or indicator of something going wrong during growth? That’s right - seeds are just one of the first signs of pollination.

As a grower, this is especially crucial to know so you can prevent rooms full of female cannabis plants pollinated. That’s why we’re covering everything from A to Z on female cannabis plant pollination. Including, how to tell if buds are pollinated, what to do with seeded bud, and how to tell if your plant is male, too. So, keep reading for your ultimate guide to pollination in pot. 

The First Signs of Female Plant Pollination 

First thing’s first - let’s cover the initial signs of pollination. The first signs of pollination typically appear in the first three weeks of flowering. These signs include swollen bracts (that’ll soon house seeds) and changes to the pistils on buds. The white hairs typically shrivel up quickly and gain a red hue sooner than normal. 

Females become pollinated when exposed to pollen from male or hermaphrodite plants, which can come directly from the plant or come into your grow space from clothing, tools, or supplies. 

Of course, you don’t want female plants to become pollinated as non-pollinated female plants produce the highest levels of THC. When becoming pollinated, female cannabis plants divert their energy to produce seeds instead, which lessens the quality, taste, and potency of yields. 

As a result, you’ll want to know how to avoid female plant pollination altogether. 

How to Avoid Female Plant Pollination 

Rest assured, there are a number of practices you can add to your regular routine to avoid female cannabis plant pollination. Including - 

1. Know how to tell if your plant is male - If you’re buying regular seeds then it’s a necessity to know how to sex a cannabis plant. Luckily, we’ve already put together your ultimate guide to figuring out how to do so. Once you know how to tell if your plant is male, check plants for sex regularly when feeding or watering. 
2. Avoid plant stress - Unnecessary stress can cause plants to hermie, and hermaphrodite plants can produce pollen. This means you’ll want to avoid all triggers of stress, Including big increases or drops in humidity or temperatures, long periods without water, food, or irregular light cycles. Another indicator of stress or pollination is what’s known as ‘bananas’ or ‘nanners’. Bananas come from mixed-sex cannabis plants resulting from stress or bad genetics. 
3. Buy feminized seeds from reputable seed banks or breeders - Speaking of bad genetics - the best way to avoid male plants and their pollen altogether is to buy feminized seeds from reputable seed banks, retailers, or breeders. Especially considering, there is no way of identifying gender from seeds alone. So, you’ll have to trust those you’re purchasing from even more than other retailers. 
4. Grow indoors - Like so many unknowns with growing outdoors, it’s harder to control what’s growing around you. That makes the fact that cannabis pollen can travel within a radius of 3–7.5 miles even more important to know. The tiny pollen spores can also land on your body or clothing. So you’ll want to be extra cautious when wearing outside clothes in a space of all-female plants, too. 

What to Do With Seeded Bud 

The reason why avoiding pollinated female plants is so important is there’s not much you can do after the fact. In fact, one of the only ways to mediate plants that have become pollinated - is to kill ‘em and restart. That is to say - once they produce seeds there’s no going back. Of course, like the olden days, you could grow the seedy weed and smoke it. But, keep the following facts in mind when deciding to use your time, efforts, and supplies to continue growing it - 

• Seedy weed lacks flavor, and won’t taste as good
• Weed with seeds isn’t as potent in THC or other cannabinoids 
• Seedy weed can irritate or bother those with pollen allergies 

The Bottom Line on Pollination 

With this new information now you know how crucial it is to monitor for female cannabis plants pollinated. So be sure to keep a close eye for the first signs of pollination and always avoid the common ways that can pollinate, too. Especially since now, you know more about the downfalls and limited options of what to do with seeded bud.  

Always remember, the highest quality crops come from the highest quality genetics. So, shop MSNL’s full collection of premium seeds to grow big, beautiful, and bountiful yields (without seeds!) today.