We are thrilled to see so many growers trying out triploid seeds. The quality and production numbers that comes off of triploid cannabis plants is in our eyes a game changer. From plant vigor to frostier colas, they truly standout.
One aspect of growing triploids that often surprises growers is that they still can hermaphrodite, and female plants can produce male flowers. While not common, we do hear growers grumble from time to time. Generally growers may see a single male flower pop up in a node down low on the plant, or a random male flower in a female flower. It is nothing entirely abnormal as diploid plants do the same thing.
The beauty is, triploid pollen is virtually sterile. Most of the male flowers hardly produce pollen, and any that does come off is essentially ill equipped to make seed. We've grown out thousands in a greenhouse, stressed the plants, and left every hermaphrodite flower. We took leaf blowers in and blew around the little bits of pollen and found hardly a seed in pounds and pounds of flower. That is the beauty of triploids. They really don't like making seeds.
If you run into a male flower or two somewhere on your triploids, we recommend just pulling them off - or in the case of a branch with male flowers - chop it off. Scientifically speaking the pollen is sterile but nature can find a way. This is especially true if you see any full blown male phenotypes. These are particularly rare but have the capabilities of producing the most pollen. And in terms of triploid pollen and diploid plants they are not likely to produce seeds from supposedly sterile pollen but don't take the chance.
Just like a seedless watermelon, triploid plants can still make a few seeds if you try hard enough. In trials at Cornell University, researchers planted our triploids amongst grain and fiber crops spewing pollen on eager female flowers. While the amount of seed they produced was very small - they still produced some. A similarly, we reversed an entire room of triploid cultivars and let the female plants covered with male flowers spew their pollen and still found a few seeds throughout.
We understand that its always disturbing to see a female plant with male flowers. We get it. But if you are triploid grower feel free to flick it off and keep on growin'.
If you haven't made the plunge and picked up some triploids yet, we highly recommend it!
