Plants showing male flowers early.

[midnite2412]

I am growing some plants to make seed. White Widow from boy and girl seed, not feminised. Growing in perlite with vege phase hydro food. They are 6 weeks old growing well under 20 hour, blue light, vege growth. A couple of the plants have begun to develop male flowers and I'm wondering why - Anyone have suggestions?

[AmeriSkunk]

What is your definition of male preflowers?

If you have a cam a pic would be mighty helpful, some males will go into flower in high ammounts of light this could be what is happening but it is doubtful under 20/4 schedule, a pic would be very helpful.

[midnite2412]

The plants are under compact fluro (6 x 36 watt), so I don't think that it is the excess light. I'm not sure what you mean by male preflowers. Are they the little balls that hang from the nodes and growing tips and later open up to tiny white/yellow flowers?

I have taken a pic though have no server to upload it to (suggestions??). I'm beginning to think that the seeds were old and maybe the biological clock for the males has ticked by. The plants still in vege growth show no signs of maturing yet they're just getting bigger each day.

I wanted them to all go off at once as this is a seed crop.

[AmeriSkunk]

I don't know what a male pre flower is either thats why I wanted a pic. You can search DomeDopes pics and use whatever upload site he uses alot of people use it or you can send it to CoolZer and post it in he user photo section.

|Male flowers don't open up into a traditional flower, ther are little football looking sacks that split four ways and release pollen.

I don't think seed age has anything to do with male/female ratio.

What I would do if I were you would be to put each male in a five gallon bucket, fix it with a cfl in each and only use one male if you use multiple your f1 will be totally ununiform which is not what you want unless you are going to do another seed run to try to find better phenos. Basically take the best female unless there is two with very desireable traits and use a single male to pollinate both, you can pollinate them manually with a little art paintbrush. Ireally urge you to only use one male regardless of how many females you ferment unless you are going to do another seed run to find better phenos.

[milehigh]

Males will almost always show sex first. Thankfully. That way you can weed out the runts and less healthy. Like AS says pick the best one and kill the other males. It is not uncommon for a male plant to put out a few little balls between nodes 6 to 8 weeks in. At least you know.

mh

[midnite2412]

G'day - I am back home now and the plants sure are boys. I left them growing (still 20/4) while I was gone and there is pollen everywhere. I have put them in with the girls and set the timers to 12/12. Those lucky plants getting it on in my "fridge".

AS - Sorry I couldn't post pics - I suck at taking clear photos and my IT skills are not that great. I still don't know how to put a pic up on this forum. Those pre-flowers you mentioned are just as MH described - little balls hanging from the nodes. Now the balls are growing in clusters from the tips of every branch.

The males seem to go of on a time delay rather than light period - oh and it is almost autumn here now.