alternate leaf/node branching

[potgrower123]

My cannabis plant (bagseed) is 47 days old and it switched from opposite leaf branches to alternating branches a couple of weeks ago. It's not flowering because it gets enough light. It was inside under 18/6 lighting until a week ago when it was planted outside (about 15/9 lighting). I'm just wondering if It's normal for a cannabis plant to switch to alternating leaf growth before it flowers. Also I recall reading somewhere about alternating leaves having something to do with being male but I don't really remember. Does anyone have any info about alternating leaves before flower?

 

[dannyboy602]

Leaf arrangement changes in Cannabis and what you've described is normal and no it doesn't bear on sex.

 

[racerboy71]

if you're talking about alternating nodes, which i'm not so if you are or not, lol, then yes, this is a sign of sexual maturity on cannabis plants.. when plants start out, they put out their sets of branches evenly, one branch on each side of the main stem, and as they mature, and get closer to sexual maturity, the branches will no longer be put out evenly, instead you'll start to get one on one side of the main stem, and instead of having one directly across from it on the main stem, it will wait like an inch or two, then the next branch will form on the other side of the stem...
when i grow, i always like to wait till i see either the alternating nodes, or preflowers, if not both, as it's a sign of sexual maturity, and lets me know my girl is getting ready to be flowered at any time ....
if you're talking about something else, then simply disregard my above statement, lol, and i have no clue what you mean...

 

[potgrower123]

yes that's what I mean but my plant isn't too old (47 days) so I wasn't sure if it was normal yet.

 

[racerboy71]

47 days is right around the time you should see them..

 

[racerboy71]

not sure who sent me a rep asking about alternating nodes, but here's the answer to their question..
and just so everyone knows what i was asked, i'll tell you, lol.. they asked if when the plants start to show alternating nodes does it mean that she is starting to flower or not..
the answer is a simple no to that.. all alternating nodes really means is that the plant is getting ready to reach sexual maturity and CAN be flowered at any time.. not to say you can't flower before a plant reaches sexual maturity, but it's like a 12 year old having a child vs an adult.. the 12 year old can physically have a kid, but an adult will be much better off doing so if that makes sense..
and also, unless the plant is an auto flower, it will only flower when it the light schedule goes to 12/ 12.. autos flower be age instead of light schedule, and will start to flower on their own at around 30 days or so from seed, regardless of the lighting.. regular photoperiod plants will only start to flower once the lighting is reduced from its vegetive light schedule, usually around 18 hour of light and 6 hours of darkness, to the standard flowering schedule of 12 on and 12 off..
hope that clears up the question for the person who asked via rep.. and fyi next time you should leave your name so i can rep you back..

 

[heathaa]

not sure who sent me a rep asking about alternating nodes, but here's the answer to their question..
and just so everyone knows what i was asked, i'll tell you, lol.. they asked if when the plants start to show alternating nodes does it mean that she is starting to flower or not..
the answer is a simple no to that.. all alternating nodes really means is that the plant is getting ready to reach sexual maturity and CAN be flowered at any time.. not to say you can't flower before a plant reaches sexual maturity, but it's like a 12 year old having a child vs an adult.. the 12 year old can physically have a kid, but an adult will be much better off doing so if that makes sense..
and also, unless the plant is an auto flower, it will only flower when it the light schedule goes to 12/ 12.. autos flower be age instead of light schedule, and will start to flower on their own at around 30 days or so from seed, regardless of the lighting.. regular photoperiod plants will only start to flower once the lighting is reduced from its vegetive light schedule, usually around 18 hour of light and 6 hours of darkness, to the standard flowering schedule of 12 on and 12 off..
hope that clears up the question for the person who asked via rep.. and fyi next time you should leave your name so i can rep you back..

it was me who asked thanks for answering. i knew alternating nodes was a sign of sexual maturity but i didnt know if it went straight into flower after that

 

[racerboy71]

it was me who asked thanks for answering. i knew alternating nodes was a sign of sexual maturity but i didnt know if it went straight into flower after that

lol.. cool, glad to figure it out.. hope my explanation helps some heathaa..

 

[dannyboy602]

I have sour d in flower for over a month and it's leaf arrangement is still OPPOSITE
So I don't know if leaf arrangement changes are genetically predetermined and have nothing to do with sexual maturity.
There are threads here dedicated to growers who flip the switch when the plants germinate
Look at pix of plants flipped after they germ. You'll see oppositely arranged leaves on plants heavy into flower.
Not to ruffle anyone feathers but I think the morphology of cannabis is a more complicated issue than just saying leaf arrangement changes are attributed to sexual maturity. No offense intended.

 

[potgrower123]

My plant recently switched back to opposite leaf arrangement so I'm not really sure what's going on but I'll just wait and see. I'm glad though because the alternating arrangement seem to stretch alot more with less foliage growing out of then stem over a certain length then opposite nodes.

 

[Silky T]

What does it mean when I have branches growing on top of branches with little or not space inbetween them and the other plant has new little leaves growing in the nodes of the next branch? Am I flowering yet? Have I totally confused you all? I don't know how to explain it, I guess I need to take pics.
Okay I just posted pics- it's two different plants growing two different ways. I guess I'm expecting too much at 26 days from seed, 3 days in flower.

 

[Busta_og_loc]

My cannabis plant (bagseed) is 47 days old and it switched from opposite leaf branches to alternating branches a couple of weeks ago. It's not flowering because it gets enough light. It was inside under 18/6 lighting until a week ago when it was planted outside (about 15/9 lighting). I'm just wondering if It's normal for a cannabis plant to switch to alternating leaf growth before it flowers. Also I recall reading somewhere about alternating leaves having something to do with being male but I don't really remember. Does anyone have any info about alternating leaves before flower?

Alternate branching is when the plant is mature enough and you can flower it right after that if you switch to 12/12

 

[hotrodharley]

Alternate branching is when the plant is mature enough and you can flower it right after that if you switch to 12/12

He probably figured that out 4 years ago.

 

[Skeet Kuhn Dough]

He probably figured that out 4 years ago.

The original post is actually from 2011, so it was more like eight years ago, lol. Somebody else commented four years later in 2015. Some of these guys are smoking better stuff than we are