Hermie or undeveloped pistil?

For the next chapter in the adventures of my first grow... I seem to have discovered a hermaphrodite.

The seeds were given by a friend, so I have no confirmation if they were bred properly but they are definitely not from a reputable seed bank, so poor genetics might be a cause.

I'm on day 15 of flower and I've found something which appear to be hermie pollen sacks. The nodes of a single branch have a lot of the suspected pollen sacks while the other branches have pistils showing, with the exception of 1 which seems to have both.

I saw some pictures of pistils before they develop the white hairs, and they look similar to the male balls but since I have discovered the balls 2 days ago, the cluster seems to be getting more balls rather than spitting out a pistil.

Could you please take a look at the pictures and give an opinion?

The first 2 pictures show the cluster. The 3rd and 4th pictures have these pac man shaped things that I'm hoping will develop pistils. I also hope that this is what will happen with the formation shown in the first 2 pictures. The 5th picture shows the top half of one of the balls peeking out along with some pistils lower down on the branch.

If it's a hermaphrodite, I am planning on removing the unwanted branch. Is this the proper course of action? How many more days/week do I have before I have to make a decision?

Thanks a bunch.

chicks with dicks?

It is not likely to be isolated to 1 or 2 branches. Intersex at this stage will be difficult to manage. Look all the plants over in a week, some of the pollen sacs may open by then and you may get some pollination and thats not the end of the world. IMO you can wait this long before deciding what to do.

Looks like a boy to me peezy ?

Beachwalker said:

Looks like a boy to me peezy ?

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Check the last pic where parts are circled.

SSGrower said:

Check the last pic where parts are circled.

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I may see one pistol in that bottom Circle I'd chuck it anyway, is a lot more male than anything else, good luck p

SSGrower said:

It is not likely to be isolated to 1 or 2 branches. Intersex at this stage will be difficult to manage. Look all the plants over in a week, some of the pollen sacs may open by then and you may get some pollination and thats not the end of the world. IMO you can wait this long before deciding what to do.

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i see. much appreciated.

when you say intersex is difficult to manage, you mean it will keep cropping up all over the plant over time?


i have 2 other plants that are doing ok and would prefer they don't get pollinated. i was planning on pruning and trimming in a couple of days so i will think about castrating the hermie and see how she goes.

Beachwalker said:

I may see one pistol in that bottom Circle I'd chuck it anyway, is a lot more male than anything else, good luck p

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theres about 10 colas and only 1 of them has male parts so far. seems like a waste to throw it all out if some of it can still be salvaged without being pollinated.

my friend you have a hermie....very nice one at that too...

you know you have time pluck them off as you find them.........

BudmanTX said:

you know you have time pluck them off as you find them.........

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thanks for the encouragement.

i take it at this early stage there is no risk of the pollen sack bursting? should i use a knife, scissors, fingers or teeth?

do you know what the deal is with the pac man in the 3rd and 4th pic? hopefully it's ms pac man..

scissors works just dip them in alchy, twezers also same alchy......could also just use your fingers, just wash your hands first......other than that....

remember to wash your hands after as well.......if your worry about pollen spray with water...

BudmanTX said:

scissors works just dip them in alchy, twezers also same alchy......could also just use your fingers, just wash your hands first......other than that....

remember to wash your hands after as well.......if your worry about pollen spray with water...

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i will for sure be sterile about it... it's a force of habit now after cultivating mushrooms for years

i am going to give it one more day and will try to gather more information in the mean time... hopefully the wisdom of crowds wins out over analysis paralysis...

thanks again

np, good luck

gfpeezy said:

theres about 10 colas and only 1 of them has male parts so far. seems like a waste to throw it all out if some of it can still be salvaged without being pollinated.

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I wouldn't keep it (no Hermes) nothing but trouble, not worth it, you'll see, jmo. Either either way good luck!

Beachwalker said:

I wouldn't keep it (no Hermes) nothing but trouble, not worth it, you'll see, jmo. Either either way good luck!

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right on. thanks for that.

sometimes it's good to have people tell you what you don't want to hear

at this point, i have to think carefully about the risk/reward before making a decision. if you say that it's not worth it meaning that relative to the amount of increased time in upkeep the marginal boost in yield isn't worth the additional effort, then i might considering going for it since it's all part of the learning curve. if you mean it's not worth it as in no matter what i do it's going to end badly, then yeah it would make sense to try and cut my losses before the other plants get fertilized.


dealing with hermies is the same as everything else related to growing... people take a hard line with their methods even though many others are doing the complete opposite thing

gfpeezy said:

right on. thanks for that.

sometimes it's good to have people tell you what you don't want to hear

at this point, i have to think carefully about the risk/reward before making a decision. if you say that it's not worth it meaning that relative to the amount of increased time in upkeep the marginal boost in yield isn't worth the additional effort, then i might considering going for it since it's all part of the learning curve. if you mean it's not worth it as in no matter what i do it's going to end badly, then yeah it would make sense to try and cut my losses before the other plants get fertilized.


dealing with hermies is the same as everything else related to growing... people take a hard line with their methods even though many others are doing the complete opposite thing

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LOL at fertilized, i know you mean pollinated not like its an egg or the plant will give live birth.

Budmantx has grown them out, I have grown them out, many others have grown them out. I dont take a hard line on anything except your right to do what you want so long as it does not harm others.

Seeds were given to you, these plants will grow like any other plants and tending to their needs will be the same. It will be lots of effort to take to completion. Remove the pacman looking things, remove anything that does not look like a female flower, you will get some seeds or imature seeds and you will have seeds in your other plants accept this fact and you wont be dissappinted.

I ended up cutting the entire branch off. There were no pistils coming out of them so I was sceptical if it would even produce bud if just the balls were removed.

I noticed a couple other side branches that were developing balls so they were cut too.

Hopefully the stress of removing branches doesn't put the hermie-ing in overdrive.

SSGrower said:

you will get some seeds or imature seeds and you will have seeds in your other plants accept this fact and you wont be dissappinted.

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I dont mind picking out seeds but if it comes at the expense of quality and yield it's human nature to feel disappointment

Though with all the disappointment my life has turned up you would think I would be used to it by now...

gfpeezy said:

I ended up cutting the entire branch off. There were no pistils coming out of them so I was sceptical if it would even produce bud if just the balls were removed.

I noticed a couple other side branches that were developing balls so they were cut too.

Hopefully the stress of removing branches doesn't put the hermie-ing in overdrive.

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k, one i wouldn't have removed the branches, i would have went after the pods instead.......but each to there own....

1: hermies are general genetic, they are also a way for a plant to defend itself or to preserve itself in a way

2: the last one that hermied on me, was exactly that, it had gotten attacked by something, ripped branches and brokes some during flower, after i cleaned it up, in no less than 24hr it went hermie, just to give ya a heads up, it might happen to you it might not....

gfpeezy said:

I dont mind picking out seeds but if it comes at the expense of quality and yield it's human nature to feel disappointment

Though with all the disappointment my life has turned up you would think I would be used to it by now...

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in alot of cases, you won't be disappointed, the last one i grew out when i finally finished it, actually put one of my friends on the ground cause it got him so high......and that was only a little bit of it....the seeds produced i kept, and in fact i'm working with some right now in a grow test.