Slower to show sex when topped?

[Tictok]

Hey GR420

I've got 4 regular plants a little over 4 weeks old (3 different strains).

I'm waiting for them to show their sex in veg so I can repot just the females into larger pots (currently in 3l airpots).

Apart from removing the odd huge fan leaf I've let them grow naturally.

They are getting bigger though.

I've read that if I top them it will take weeks longer to show sex which I definitely do not want.

Is this true or can I top them all and they will still show sex, I'm hoping in a couple of weeks.

Any advice would be much appreciated.





Ignore the little ones.

[Tictok]

Hi Ticktock,

They shoudl start showing preflowers before flip. Have you had a good look for them?

Can you grab a couple of close up pics on the stem and nodes?

Topping will slow a plat down for a day or two, but if they're 4+ weeks old, they should be about to show some private parts.

Thanks Marcus mate, they are not showing anything yet, across all three strains. I'm wondering if I've slowed them down somehow.

One has the smallest hint of something growing but its way to small to differentiate between male or female.

I'll take some pics of the nodes tomorrow morning when the lights are on.

[GMO]

its probably not backed by science but i find once a plant start to get root bound it starts to show preflowers, for me its usually around 4-6 weeks in 1l plant pots but i dont know how or if that will affect it in root pots

topping personally id say is likely to slow a plant in general if its done high stress ish but most plants dont notice a topping here and there if ya taking of a young bud of growth rather than a lil shoot

just keep waiting and watching buddy

[Tictok]

Hi Ticktock,

They shoudl start showing preflowers before flip. Have you had a good look for them?

Can you grab a couple of close up pics on the stem and nodes?

Topping will slow a plat down for a day or two, but if they're 4+ weeks old, they should be about to show some private parts.

Thanks Marcus mate, they are not showing anything yet, across all three strains. I'm wondering if I've slowed them down somehow.

One has the smallest hint of something growing but its way to small to differentiate between male or female.

I'll take some pics of the nodes tomorrow morning when the lights are on.

Nice one!

Have you got a cheap jewelers loupe? I normally have to get my big conk in there and have a good look with magnification.
Most fun part of the grow for me!


You could pot them both up and if one's a dude, just pull it and reuse the soil you potted up with. All my dude soil gets used in the garden.

Ah, I do have a hand held microscope I used for tricome viewing. My close up vision is getting worse recently so that may well help along with some pics.

I had already grew out a couple, flipped them for two weeks and they ended up male. Glad I can reuse the soil, nice tip.

I did consider potting up the 4 (they will just fit in one of the 60x60s in 7.5l airports), ideally though I'm looking to suss out the females, repot, top and lst before flipping. But doing that to the four may well be an option also. Cheers for the input, only my second grow so all advice gratefully received.

[Tictok]

its probably not backed by science but i find once a plant start to get root bound it starts to show preflowers, for me its usually around 4-6 weeks in 1l plant pots but i dont know how or if that will affect it in root pots

topping personally id say is likely to slow a plant in general if its done high stress ish but most plants dont notice a topping here and there if ya taking of a young bud of growth rather than a lil shoot

just keep waiting and watching buddy

Thanks GMO, this would be the preferred option, just leaving them. Theres way more nodes than I'm used to having topped much earlier with fems. Might work out alright though, perhaps a bigger yield.

[Tictok]

So here are the results of closer inspection..

World of seeds Afghan Kush... More time required.


Seedsman Original Afghani #1.... More time required..


But... More Cowbelll (my MC4) something microscopic happening..


More Cowbell (my MC3).. Definitely something...



So I think I'll wait. The Afghans are landrace apparently so maybe they take longer as there is no hybrid vigour? Who knows, loving this grow anyway.

Thanks for all the help.

[2-Scoops]

Topping plant shouldn`t really slow plant down and if so very slightly, you can remove up to a 3rd from a plant without causing too much shock. So i was told from a good guy who taught me how to grow years ago. I do know when i nip top out of young plants it doesn`t really cause any ill effect or slow them from growing.

First one looks like it could be a fem and second one a male in these pictures i edited, i think i can see another man ball at front of second picture too.

[Tictok]

Topping plant shouldn`t really slow plant down and if so very slightly, you can remove up to a 3rd from a plant without causing too much shock. So i was told from a good guy who taught me how to grow years ago. I do know when i nip top out of young plants it doesn`t really cause any ill effect or slow them from growing.

First one looks like it could be a fem and second one a male in these pictures i edited, i think i can see another man ball at front of second picture too.

Thanks Jimmi, turns out on closer inspection that thing you've circled is one of my wife's blonde hairs!!! How the hell that got in there I don't know, mind you,sshe is Dutch!!

[Tictok]

Better pics.... The Pre flowers are getting bigger..... Let's play 'balls or pistils"!!





Any thoughts?

[2-Scoops]

The mc4 one well imo males seem to grow that way. The mc3 looks like it could be fem now but i said male previously, it`s really hard to tell in your pictures but the balls look like cayxes swelling up and i think isee an hair sticking out from them possibly, but as said tis hard from your pictures mate. Fems will generally have what looks like white hairs just like the one your mrs left on plant thast i circled previously growing out of the new calyxes, behind or around the stiplules males won`t have hairs and the balls aren`t exactly calyxes and look nowt like calyxes although i suppose they could if your not sure what your looking at, but they are more like balls that open up to spread pollen around, well they`re more so like balls than a calyx which is kinda more pointy, (so maybe take note of that for future) and they kinda grow differently and are usually the bigger plants, you`ll know when you see them for sure mate