Hermie-ing: How often does it actually happen?

I have heard from some that if you even breathe wrong on your plant, it will hermie. I've heard the same with nutrient deficiency, light leaks, over/underwatering, or any sort of plant abuse will result in hermies, and right quick.

Is this really the case?

During my successful grows, I have made mistakes such as severe underwatering, too little nutes, nute severe nute burn, spidermite infestations, light leaks, a failing timer that resulted in 2-3 days of constant light during flowering, insufficient amount of soil, etc. I've always expected "oh now I'm going to get hermies" but I never have.

How often does a plant *really* go hermie?

moops said:

I have heard from some that if you even breathe wrong on your plant, it will hermie. I've heard the same with nutrient deficiency, light leaks, over/underwatering, or any sort of plant abuse will result in hermies, and right quick.

Is this really the case?

During my successful grows, I have made mistakes such as severe underwatering, too little nutes, nute severe nute burn, spidermite infestations, light leaks, a failing timer that resulted in 2-3 days of constant light during flowering, insufficient amount of soil, etc. I've always expected "oh now I'm going to get hermies" but I never have.

How often does a plant *really* go hermie?

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I would imagine that, it has mostly do do with the Genetics of the seeds your using.
I imagine those people who use bag seeds end up with the most hermies.

Iv been told that if you do certian things to a feminized seed it may turn hermie, or perhaps male but iv never seen this happen.

Although my friends all believe they can shock there females to become males.
It seems like a odd thing and why doesnt it work both ways?

my 2 cents, sorry my info is limited

I have turend females male after underwatering.

Quality genetics is key. It usually happens less as a result of abuse, than it does from genetics.

DoeEyed said:

Quality genetics is key. It usually happens less as a result of abuse, than it does from genetics.

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Agreed. In my experience over the years with a very stable strain, and plenty of mistakes, I only had one instance of a flowering bud turn hermie. This was a single bud I cut off before it polinated anything. I can trace no particular abuse to this happening.
On the other hand, I had two out of twenty assorted bag seed come out hermie immediately on flowering.
So it can happen both ways, but the chance based on abuse must be quite small in comparison to genetics.

So basically, a plant can get "abused" and not go hermie, but a plant that's of inferior genetics *will* go hermie if given the right stress cue.

My understanding of marijuana plantwise is, it's a weed. It gets much better treatment indoors or in an outdoor garden than from the wild types which it came. It sounds like it's hard to hermie with a reputable strain, and like bud production or smell/taste, will wildcard when you use unknown seeds.

Thank you for the tips.

NEVER buy fem seeds. THey are the hermiest pieces of shit you will ever buy. Ive had about 75% herm rate on them.

diet103 said:

NEVER buy fem seeds. THey are the hermiest pieces of shit you will ever buy. Ive had about 75% herm rate on them.

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good advice. i don't bother with feminized seeds. eff that.

diet103 said:

NEVER buy fem seeds. THey are the hermiest pieces of shit you will ever buy. Ive had about 75% herm rate on them.

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I think you should research a little more before you condemn an entire facet of growing. Feminized seeds are all I use because I have only enough room for 2 plants and don't want to lose a single plant to male growth. I have had no hermy plants since switching to feminized seeds. I did have one when I first started growing, they were bag seeds (see attached) that went "inter-sexed". Look for the "bananas" and you'll see what it looks like. Hermaphroditic plants are plants that turn male from female in flower and continue to grow male. Intersexed are plants that have both male and female parts at the same time. I kept the plant, harvested normally and I'll tell you, it was some very good smoke from bag seed. Don't waste the plant.

My first crop was hermaphrodites and I'm pretty sure it was from light leaks but it could have been genetic they were bagseeds but I've grown others and haven't had a problem since. Quality beans will result in less hermaphrodites because hermaphrodites aren't typically used for breeding because it's a bad trait to have.

Over a 10 month span, I had like 7 grows with like 6-8 plants each, and ran into 2 hermies which were both caused by light interruptions. I had dealt with some massive nute problems in the beginning, and never had a problem with hermies, so I'd say that it's not that common to get hermies that way. Light leaks/interruptions, are the most common way to induce hermies, IMO.(along with genetics)