Late transformation to hermie?

I've just finished my first grow, all feminized Pure Power Plant seeds from Nirvana. Everything was going great until the last few days, when about a quarter of the crop began displaying male seeds--either this happened quickly just as I was harvesting or I unfortunately didn't notice. I do know that 2 weeks ago there was no sign of this. These are all richly flowering plants with resinous heavy flowering tops--unfortunately the heaviest tops were the ones most likely to be hermaphrodites.

I have several questions related to this unfortunate development:

1) will the flowers on these plants be as potent?

2) what is the marketing situation with plants like these--is there are market for them at all?

3) looking back, I think any one or of the following may have caused this:

a) waited a week too long to harvest
b) turned the lights off for 48 hours before harvesting (someone recommended this)
c) pH was generally around 5.6, but a few times it went up to 6.8 before I corrected it
d) something else?

Incidentally, this was a flood and drain hydroponic system using the standard Advanced Nutrients feeding program; air temperature was consistently 73 degrees and humidity at 50% until harvest when I dropped it to 45%. Any suggestions, opinions, etc. are welcome!

drp said:

I've just finished my first grow, all feminized Pure Power Plant seeds from Nirvana. Everything was going great until the last few days, when about a quarter of the crop began displaying male seeds--either this happened quickly just as I was harvesting or I unfortunately didn't notice. I do know that 2 weeks ago there was no sign of this. These are all richly flowering plants with resinous heavy flowering tops--unfortunately the heaviest tops were the ones most likely to be hermaphrodites.

I have several questions related to this unfortunate development:

1) will the flowers on these plants be as potent?

2) what is the marketing situation with plants like these--is there are market for them at all?

3) looking back, I think any one or of the following may have caused this:

a) waited a week too long to harvest
b) turned the lights off for 48 hours before harvesting (someone recommended this)
c) pH was generally around 5.6, but a few times it went up to 6.8 before I corrected it
d) something else?

Incidentally, this was a flood and drain hydroponic system using the standard Advanced Nutrients feeding program; air temperature was consistently 73 degrees and humidity at 50% until harvest when I dropped it to 45%. Any suggestions, opinions, etc. are welcome!

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feminized seeds are not 100% females, also they come from hermie pollen bro thats how they make them seeds so try the seeds that came out and see how they turn out. but yea feminized seeds are from hermie pollen and the pollenate female plants that are so called hard to hermie and they use those seeds and call them feminized. so um yea somewhere down the line you stressed the hell out of it or the genetics are passed down . thats all

I understand. Are the buds from these plants as potent as pure sensimilla? What is the commercial value of the product now that it has some seeds in it? Is it commercially saleable? If yes, for a similar price or for less?

Grown this one a few times. First time, no herms. Every other time, at least one that spewed on at least a portion my crop. I did manage to get some PPPxSnow White seeds out of the deal though. Now the answers:

1) No they will not be as potent. Potency will depend on how many seeds we are talking about. Seed production takes precedent in the life cycle over bud / resin production. It will likely still be good smoke though. Mine always has been. Seeds also carry weight, so your crop has decreased potency and you can't really count seed weight.

2) Yes there is a market, depending on your market of course. PPP doesn't grow schwag regardless of how seedy it gets. Market price will depend on what else is available, how many seeds we are talking about, and bag appeal. I've never liked PPP's bag appeal, but the smoke is nice. If you've got 2 seeds in a bag vs. 7 seeds in a bud you are looking at two totally different prices. If it's really seedy, you are better off making hash or butter. Shitty but true. You just aren't gonna get paid for seedy product. I don't sell, but my mildly seedy PPP outsmoked the local commercial in my area.

3) I can't attest to the cause in your case. In my case, I'm fairly certain it was heat related. I wasn't properly cooling my space. Sounds like you had this under control. Consistently high pH could contribute, but if we are talking a day or two; I doubt it. Light leaks are a common culprit in hermaphrodism.

How long did you let it go. In my experience, most of my PPPs needed 9 - 10 weeks to finish. I've chopped at 8 and some needed 12, had sensi and herms regardless of finigh time with this strain. I know girls will sprout some nanners if they go too long, but most of us don't have the patience for this to be a factor.

Peace...PDC

drp said:

I've just finished my first grow, all feminized Pure Power Plant seeds from Nirvana. Everything was going great until the last few days, when about a quarter of the crop began displaying male seeds--either this happened quickly just as I was harvesting or I unfortunately didn't notice. I do know that 2 weeks ago there was no sign of this. These are all richly flowering plants with resinous heavy flowering tops--unfortunately the heaviest tops were the ones most likely to be heraphrodites.

I have several questions related to this unfortunate development:

1) will the flowers on these plants be as potent?

2) what is the marketing situation with plants like these--is there are market for them at all?

3) looking back, I think any one or of the following may have caused this:

a) waited a week too long to harvest
b) turned the lights off for 48 hours before harvesting (someone recommended this)
c) pH was generally around 5.6, but a few times it went up to 6.8 before I corrected it
d) something else?

Incidentally, this was a flood and drain hydroponic system using the standard Advanced Nutrients feeding program; air temperature was consistently 73 degrees and humidity at 50% until harvest when I dropped it to 45%. Any suggestions, opinions, etc. are welcome!

Click to expand...

PuffDeeCee said:

Grown this one a few times. First time, no herms. Every other time, at least one that spewed on at least a portion my crop. I did manage to get some PPPxSnow White seeds out of the deal though. Now the answers:

1) No they will not be as potent. Potency will depend on how many seeds we are talking about. Seed production takes precedent in the life cycle over bud / resin production. It will likely still be good smoke though. Mine always has been. Seeds also carry weight, so your crop has decreased potency and you can't really count seed weight.

2) Yes there is a market, depending on your market of course. PPP doesn't grow schwag regardless of how seedy it gets. Market price will depend on what else is available, how many seeds we are talking about, and bag appeal. I've never liked PPP's bag appeal, but the smoke is nice. If you've got 2 seeds in a bag vs. 7 seeds in a bud you are looking at two totally different prices. If it's really seedy, you are better off making hash or butter. Shitty but true. You just aren't gonna get paid for seedy product. I don't sell, but my mildly seedy PPP outsmoked the local commercial in my area.

3) I can't attest to the cause in your case. In my case, I'm fairly certain it was heat related. I wasn't properly cooling my space. Sounds like you had this under control. Consistently high pH could contribute, but if we are talking a day or two; I doubt it. Light leaks are a common culprit in hermaphrodism.

How long did you let it go. In my experience, most of my PPPs needed 9 - 10 weeks to finish. I've chopped at 8 and some needed 12, had sensi and herms regardless of finigh time with this strain. I know girls will sprout some nanners if they go too long, but most of us don't have the patience for this to be a factor.

Peace...PDC

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Thanks,PuffDeeCee! That was a very helpful response. First, it reinforces my suspicion that I probably waited a week too long (I was patient, but overdid it), and you've given me something new to think about that I suspect may have been another big contributor: light leaks. I've got my computer set up in the grow room, and did turn off the monitors before dark once I was into the bloom period, but quite a few times I came into the darkened room with a flashlight--the first probably bad thing--and then turned on the monitor briefly to check something. Now all this took place outside the plastic "tent" the plants were in, but light reflects off the ceiling. I'll be more careful next time. And, once again, for the record, I'm not putting the plants into 24 hour darkness at the end of the grow. This is recommended by some growers as a way to heighten potency, but it to me it seems likely that this could confuse a plant nearing harvest to think winter has come and there're no seeds, at which point it makes some.

Anyway, thanks again for a thoughtful and helpful post. And to other readers: probably many of you have had a similar late hermie problem. Your experiences (and especially possible solutions) are helpful. Please tell us what you know!

What is an hermaphrodite?


An hermaphrodite, or hermie, is a plant of one sex that develops the sexual organs of the other sex. Most commonly, a flowering female plant will develop staminate flowers, though the reverse is also true. Primarily male hermaphrodites are not as well recognized only because few growers let their males reach a point of flowering where the pistillate would be expressed.

Hermaphrodites are generally viewed with disfavor. First, they will release pollen and ruin a sinsemelia crop, pollinating themselves and all of the other females in the room. Second, the resulting seeds are worthless, because hermaphrodite parents tend to pass on the tendency to their offspring.

Please note that occassionally specious staminate flowers will appear in the last days of flowering of a female plant. These do not drop pollen and their appearance is not considered evidence of deleterious hermaphroditism.


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this is one of the examples givin in the FAQ's.... sometimes the female will produce male flowers late in bloom as a self preservation tactic