1 Viewed from Centre of Eternity 615.552.5747 -+- The Merry Pranksters from Menlo Park -+- 10.1990.01.01.26 Marijuana Grower's Handbook - part 26 of 33 by pH Imbalance "Sinsemilla and Sexing" from Marijuana Grower's Handbook [Indoor/Greenhouse Edition] Ed Rosenthal The word "sinsemilla" is derived from the two Spanish words "sin" and "semilla" meaning respectively "without" and "seed". Connoisseurs prize sinsemilla partly because the marijuana has a greater potency and a more intense aroma than seeded marijuana, and partly because of its enhanced appearance. In order for the flowers to ripen unseeded, they must remain unpollinated (unfertilized). Male and female flowers usually appear on seperate plants. The males are removed from the space as soon as they are recognized. This should be done early in the male plants' development, before any large flower clusters appear. Even a single open flower cluster can release enough pollen to fertilize thousands of female flowers. Males can be detected early by carefully examining the space where the leaf joins the stem (internode). Before the plant begins to develop flower clusters, a single male or female flower will sometimes grow in the internode. A male flower will have what looks like a bulb growing from a thin stem, and at the bulb's end there will be a curved protrusion that looks something like a little bent finger. A female flower will usually have two antennae-like protrusions jutting out. [pH:They look kinda like slugs or snails] Sometimes a sexually indistinguishable flower appears. The females' leaves begin to grow closer together, forming a strong stem which will hold the clusters of flowers and later the ripening seed. Any plants which have not indicated are watched closely, and the females are watched for any signs of hermaphrodites. These plants are primarily female but they produce some fertile male flowers. This may consist of only a few clusters, an entire branch, or, occasionally, males throughout the plant. These plants are dangerous in any sinsemilla garden. Even a small cluster of flowers can ruin entire colas of buds. Either the male flowers should be removed and the plant checked daily, or the plant should be removed from the garden, which is the safest course of action. [pH:Use it for seed.] There are several methods used to sex plants early. Since marijuana flowering is regulated by the number of hours of uninterrupted darkness, it is easy to manipulate the plant's flowering cycle. Young plants can be forced to indicate by putting them under a long night regimen. The plants will begin to indicate within a few days and after 10 days, fast growing plants should have clearly defined flowers. Once the plants indicate, the males can be seperated from the females, and the garden can be returned to the vegetative growth cycle simply by changing the light regimen back to the long day/short night. Putting the plants through an abbreviated flowering cycle sets them back several weeks. First, their growth is stopped and then it takes them some time to start growing again. Some growers feel that the plants lose a bit of vigor in the process. To eliminate stresses in the garden, a clone can be taken of each plant. The clones should be tagged to denote plant of origin and then placed in water or rooting medium under a long night/short day environment. The clones will have the same sex as its clone parent, so the clone parent's sex is determined before the plant is out of the vegetative stage. The female clones can be continued under the flowering regimen and will provide a taste of the clone-parent's future buds. [pH:Flowering clones being an excellent way to keep a small stash while the plants are growing] Within a few days of the change in the light regimen to a long night, the plants begin to show changes in their growth patterns. First, their rate of growth, which might be as much as 2 inches a day during the previous cycle, slows and stops. Next the plants begin to differentiate. The males elongate upon ripening so that their flower sacks, which contain copious amounts of pollen, tower above the females. Marijuana is normally wind-pollinated. The females start to grow stocky stems with shorter nodes between the leaves. The number of fingers on the leaves decreases and the plant may revert from opposite leaves to a pattern of leaves alternating on the stem. Within a few weeks, large numbers of pistils (the white antennae) will form along the stem and on the tops of the branches. If the flowers are fertilized, the pistils will start to dry up, beginning at the tips. Each fertilized flower produces a seed. Such formation, which commences upon fertilization, is apparent by the third day. The ovary at the base of the pistil swells as the new seed grows inside of it. As long as most flowers remain unfertilized, the plant continues to produce new flowers. The clusters get thick with the unfertilized flowers over a period of several weeks. Then the flowering pattern begins to change. The pistils begin to wither, similar to the way pistils of fertilized flowers do and they begin to dry while at the same time changing color. Next, the calyx (ovary) begins to swell. There is no seed developing inside the calyx; it is a sort of false pregnancy. When the calyx has swelled, the cluster or cola is ripe and ready to be picked. The pistil's color is a factor of genetics and temperature. Some plants, including many indicas, naturally develop a purplish color. Many indicas and most sativas develop a red color. However, the color may change to purple or become more pronounced if the roots are subjected to a cool environment, below 55 degrees. The growing flowers develop glands over their outer surfaces. Glands also develop along the small leaf parts surrounding the flower. These are unlike the glands found on the immature plant, the sun leaves, and the stem. The earlier glands were either connected directly to the plant, usually along the stem or had a small one-celled stalk connected to the head which filled with cannabinoids. The new glands have a longer stem which supports a larger head. The head is a membrane that fills with cannabinoids. The analogs of THC produced in the different types of glands may vary. When the gland first appears the head is small but it begins to swell and looks like it might burst. Given any stress it will. Usually the head is filled as the plants go into the last stage of flowering, as the ovaries begin to swell. This is usually when experienced growers pick the buds. Researchers, scientists, and gardeners have debated the purpose that THC serves to the plant. THC and the water-soluble compounds which impart the taste and aroma to the flowers act as an anti-bacterial agent, and repel some insects. They also repel most other animals including mammals and birds. (Remember, we are talking about a mature plant, heavy with resin.) This is not uncommon in plants. To assure that the seed is viable and not destroyed to thwart predators. Once the seed matures, it is palatable to these creatures. This is one of the ways that the plant spreads its populations without human help. Animals and birds eat the seeds, an occasional seed passes out the animal's system unharmed, allowing the species to colonize a new location. Once the calyx swells, the glands begin to change color. The THC in the head was previously a clear liquid. When the calyx is getting a little overripe, the gland head tints an amber shade. This indicates that the THC is beginning to degrade into two other cannabinoids, CBL or CBN, which are not nearly as powerful as THC. (818-752-2572) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX XX XX Altered States XX XX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX | XX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X