Hey, I’m a first timer who’s making slow but steady progress, and trying to read/obtain as much information as I can, regarding what to expect, and what I should be doing.
I would really appreciate some answers to some questions, as I’m struggling to find anything relevant regarding this.
There are now some growths where the V’s meet the stems (about four nodes down) on two of my five plants. Both of these plants are noticeably taller and sturdier, which gives me the indication that they may be males. (all plants are from bag seed).
It’s probably way to early to tell what gender they are, so it’s not so much that that I’m looking for answers about… I’m just wondering about the growths and what to expect there.
At the moment, growths on both plants look like small round blisters. They’re smooth looking, with the texture of what looks like grape skin (see photos, wherever link was inserted), with none of the downy hairs that the stems/leaves have on them… will the downy hairs develop in time?
Also, because the growths are quite wide Too soon for plant gender confirmation? - Album on Imgur (relatively speaking), they’re looking like they might grow to be circular/ ball shaped. Is this likely? or could they still change to something more slender and female looking.
How do they develop shape-wise?
I can’t find anything that shows what pollen sacks look like prior to having hair on them (the downy hairs) (even in microscopic shots). Nor can I find anything that shows how the shape might develop at this early stage, or where I should expect growth to come from…
Do the stalks that the sacs hang from, develop before, or after, the main sac is formed? Will it push the ball forward and start hanging? Or will it grow a stalk and then grow the ball around that? I would feel a lot better knowing what I should be looking for.
Also, about how long do I have before they pose a risk to the others, if those are balls? (judging by the formations in the photos). The plants are nearly 8 weeks but have been going pretty slow. Please ask if you need to know anything else and thanks for any help you can offer. I’d really appreciate it.
TL/DR
Questions: 1. Will growths eventually get downy (leaf and stem-type) hairs on them?
2. Which grows first, the stem or the pollen sac?
3. How long until plants are a threat to the females?