How to Deal with Nanners on Cannabis Plants?

Ever put months of effort into growing your cannabis, only to find weird little banana-shaped things popping up on your buds? Yeah, that’s not the kind of tropical surprise you want. 

Those little things are called "nanners," and they’re basically nature’s way of ruining your crop. If you’re not careful, they’ll spread pollen, turning your top-shelf buds into a seedy disappointment. 

But don’t panic just yet — in this article, let’s break down what nanners are, why they show up, and how to stop them before they crash your grow party.

What Are Nanners?

If you’re growing cannabis for those sticky, resinous buds, you’re working with female plants, which grow flowers. Male plants, on the other hand, grow pollen sacs, which are basically useless unless you're breeding.

“Nanners” is just grower slang for the inner part of a male cannabis flower — the stamen, or pollen sac. Typically, a male plant develops sacs filled with pollen, and when they're mature, they split open to release it. Inside, you’ll spot small, banana-shaped structures, which is where the name comes from.

Here’s where things get tricky. Unlike regular pollen sacs, nanners don’t need to open up to spread pollen. They’re already exposed, meaning the second they appear, they can start fertilizing nearby female plants. 

While some nanners might turn out to be sterile, that’s not something you should count on. If you’re growing for high-quality buds, you want to prevent them at all costs — otherwise, you’ll end up with seedy flowers instead of good, smokable weed.

Effects of Nanners on Cannabis Plants

Nanners can change how a cannabis plant flowers, which in turn affects its health, potency, and quality. If you don't take any actions against them, they will start creating seeds, and assuming you want only sinsemilla or seedless buds, nanners can be bad news for you.

Here are the effects you should look out for:

1. Risk of Pollination and Seed Production

Nanners (or "bananas") are a sign of hermaphroditism in cannabis plants, which occurs when a plant develops both male and female reproductive structures. Nanners can develop quickly, unlike properly formed male pollen sacs, and can release pollen if ignored.

When nanners show up, they can pollinate and ruin untimely female plant development. If pollen is released to the pistils (the hairs on the buds), fertilization occurs and seeds develop, which can affect your entire operation for many reasons, including:

Lower bud quality: If a plant gets fertilized, it will focus on making seeds instead of creating resin and trichomes. Moreover, the buds won't be as potent as you expect. 

Pollinate other plants: Even if just one plant in the grow room produces seeds, it can affect the other plants in the same room, which means all your plants will produce seeded buds before you know it. 

Risk of spreading unstable genetics: There’s a chance of unintentional breeding if you use hermie seeds to grow future crops, as the plant is unstable. This could lead to more plants in the future producing nanners. 

Growers who spot nanners need to move quickly before problems arise. In some cases, simply removing them can be enough, but when that plant has gone too far, it’s best to remove it entirely to protect the rest of the crop.

2. Impact on Potency and Yield

Nanners can have a huge effect on the potency and yield of cannabis. When a cannabis plant becomes seeded, the plant will spend all its energy on seed formation rather than developing cannabinoids and terpenes. This change takes away energy and causes many problems.

Reduced THC and CBD Levels – The plant’s focus on producing seeds rather than resin will mean that the cannabinoid levels in those buds (like THC and CBD) are a lot lower. This leads to a weaker psychoactive or medicinal effect.

The lower presence of terpenes makes them present in the flower of the plant. Plants that are pollinated don't have as many terpenes, and this makes them taste and smell less.

The buds on a plant that has been pollinated will stop growing as large as they normally would. The reason for this is because the plant is now focused on making seeds and the flowers are smaller and less resinous. They are not sticky and do not have a thick covering of trichomes found in quality cannabis.

Buds that are unappealing in appearance tend to be less potent and lack medicinal properties. Also, seeded buds are typically more compact and difficult to break apart for use. These buds will have been pollinated and already contain seeds inside. Finally, burning seeds can make the smoke harsher because the seeds produce bad tastes and substances.

How to Spot Nanners

Catching nanners early is crucial if you want to preserve your harvest. These sneaky little structures can pollinate every female plant in the area, and unless you’re aiming for a crop full of seeds, you need to act fast.

Here’s what to look out for:

• Banana-Shaped Growths

The easiest way to identify nanners is by their shape. These elongated, yellowish growths pop up from the nodes or bracts of the flowers and are easy to recognize as they stand out from the rest of the plant. Mind you — nanners are not like the average male pollen sacs which are roundish, closed, and clustered; instead, they look like small little bananas and that is where its name comes from.  They are usually bright yellow or lime green, although some may have an orange tint. Though small, you can still notice them with an astute eye as they do not hide inside buds like common pollen sacs do.

• Protruding Stamens

Since nanners are essentially exposed male reproductive organs, they often have stamens sticking out. If you notice any strange, thread-like structures poking out of your buds, that’s a red flag. Unlike the white, soft pistils on females, nanners have firmer yellow ones that stand out brighter. If you see something popping out of your buds that shouldn’t be there, it means your plant is likely making pollen. You usually need to check your plant closely especially as it goes into the flowering stage, as these will pop up anywhere on the plant but do tend to hide in the buds. 

• Clusters of Nanners

Sometimes nanners appear solo, but they can also grow in small clusters. If you start seeing a bunch of them grouped together, you’re in serious trouble — because that means a whole lot of pollen is about to be released.

A single nanner will not cause too much pollination if you notice and clip it quickly, but when they come in clusters, it presents a much bigger risk. When you do see them, it often means that the plant is under major duress, meaning you have to choose whether to sacrifice the plant and just let it grow out, or remove it entirely to avoid it from pollinating the rest of the plants in your grow room. 

• Location, Location, Location

Nanners usually show up in areas of the plant that are stressed. Too much heat, excessive light exposure, nutrient imbalances, or other stressors can trigger their appearance. Keep a close eye on the inner nodes, lower branches, and any spots where the plant looks like it’s struggling.

While they appear in the various areas of the plant, the nanners will not show up unless the plant needs the energy. Nanners usually form in the inner nodes where branches meet with the main stalk of the plant. They can also form on lower branches, especially those that are shaded or fighting for light. 

• Changes in Bud Structure

If your buds start looking weird — thin, airy, or just not as dense as they should be — it might be because nanners have formed and started affecting their development. Any sudden shifts in bud appearance should make you take a closer look.

In addition, the plant may start making thinner or wispy buds instead of thick and resinous flowers. Buds that were just growing normally can suddenly start becoming stretched out with irregular shapes — this should set alarm bells ringing.

• Regular Inspection is Key

To stop nanners from ruining your grow, the best thing you can do is to check regularly. As the plant moves from its mid to late flowering, it’s even more important to check deep into buds and around the calyxes. Using a magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe can help you spot nanners before they become a bigger issue as it’s much easier to catch and remove one nanner than to deal with a whole crop that’s been pollinated.

What Causes Nanners?

There are a few reasons why nanners show up on cannabis plants, but the main culprit usually comes down to genetics. Some strains are naturally more prone to developing them than others. 

Breeders work hard to stabilize desirable traits like high THC content and unique flavors, but sometimes, in the process, they accidentally create plants with a higher chance of growing nanners. 

That’s why buying seeds from a trusted seed bank minimizes the risk — you’re less likely to run into this issue with high-quality genetics.

But genetics isn’t the only factor at play. Nanners can also pop up due to mutations caused by stress or aggressive breeding techniques. These mutations mess with the plant’s DNA, increasing the chances of those pesky yellow growths appearing.

Another reason female plants might produce nanners? Desperation. 

If you leave a plant to grow past its prime — long after the buds have ripened and should’ve been harvested — it might push out nanners as a last-ditch effort to self-pollinate and create seeds. This natural process is called rodelization.

That said, stress is the real troublemaker when it comes to nanners. While genetics plays a role, environmental factors are far more likely to trigger their appearance. Here’s what to watch out for:

• Light Stress

Feminized cannabis plants depend on a stable light schedule to thrive. Any disruptions — like light leaks or random interruptions during the flowering stage — can throw off their internal clock, creating stress that leads to nanners.

But it’s not just inconsistent schedules that can cause problems. 

Lights that are too intense or placed too close to the plant can also throw off its hormonal balance. When cannabis plants experience light stress, key phytohormones like auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins get disrupted, which can trigger nanner formation.

• Extreme Temperatures

Cannabis plants like things just right — too hot or too cold, and they start to panic. When temperatures climb too high, vital metabolic functions like photosynthesis and respiration get thrown out of whack, leading to poor nutrient absorption and slowed growth. If things get too bad, the plant may start producing nanners as a survival mechanism.

On the flip side, extreme cold can be just as damaging. Freezing temperatures can destroy plant cells, mess with protein structures, and trigger stress responses — again, leading to nanners as the plant scrambles to reproduce before it dies.

• Water Stress

Watering issues are another big factor. Underwatering, overwatering, inconsistent soil moisture — any of these can throw your plants into survival mode. In severe cases, water stress can be so damaging that the plant dies before you even notice the nanners.

• Deficiencies, Diseases & Pests

Environmental stress is not the only factor that can cause manners — poor plant health can also play a role. If a cannabis plant suffers from root rot, pH imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, or toxicity, it may respond by developing manners. 

Other stressors, such as insect infestations, mold, aggressive defoliation, or high-stress training techniques, can also push your plant into reproductive panic mode.

• Genetics and Strain Stability

Certain cannabis strains are more likely to become hermaphrodites. If a strain has a history of producing nanners, stress of any kind can trigger them. Bad practices of breeding or unstable genetics can also make certain kinds of plants more likely to become hermaphrodites even if you grow them well.

So, if you keep noticing nanners in a particular strain every time you grow, it's best to switch to another, more stable genetic line. Make sure you buy from breeders or companies you trust. 

• Nutrient Imbalances

When cannabis plants don’t get the right amount of nutrients they require, nanners may form. Giving a cannabis plant too much or too little of one important nutrient can cause nanners. For instance, not having enough phosphorus, potassium, or magnesium can stress out the plant and cause nanners to form. Instead, use a good mix of nutrients that is changed according to the stage of growth to keep plants healthy as well as stress-free. The pH levels must also be controlled as they greatly affect the uptake of nutrients in the soil or hydroponic system.

• Overly Long Flowering Period

If you let a cannabis plant stay in the flowering stage for too long, nanners become more likely. If your plant is beyond its harvest window and you still don't harvest it, it begins to produce nanners. In fact, you tend to see this happen more in strains that flower for a long time, like certain sativas. Keeping track of the flowering schedule and harvesting at the right time can help prevent nanners.

• Physical Stress and Damage

Physical harm to a cannabis plant can produce nanners as well. If you prune, bend, or supercrop too hard during flowering, you can stress the plant out. Plants that have been broken by accident, whether through handling, pests, or the environment, can produce nanners too. In general, LST is safe, but HST should be reserved for the vegetative stage to avoid inducing hermaphroditism later on.

• Chemical Stress from Pesticides or Growth Regulators

When plants are exposed to more powerful pesticides, fungicides, or PGRs than they’re used to, they can experience stress, resulting in nanners. The hormones may interfere with some chemical treatments and this will cause the plant to go into survival mode and likely produce nanners. Thus, it's best to use organic pest control measures and natural soil amendments that are less likely to create stress in the plant.

• Root Stress and Transplant Shock

When a plant experiences root stress like being root-bound, root rot, and transplant shock, nanners may emerge. If roots are limited or damaged, the plant has a hard time taking up nutrients and water, causing overall stress. If you transplant a cannabis plant late in flowering, it’s particularly bad as the plant is focused on putting out buds and may not respond well to sudden changes. The root can get stressed when you use pots of incorrect size or transplanting practices that are not smooth.

Thus, if a plant develops nanners, it is a sign that the plant is under significant stress. While some strains have a greater propensity to hermaphroditism, most nanners are a result of light leaks, extreme temperatures, nutritional issues, or injury. 

How to Fix Nanners on Your Cannabis Plants?

Ever planted a seed, nurtured it with care, and then — bam! — it turns out to be a male? It sucks, but the best move is to remove it ASAP to protect your female plants. 

The same rule applies if your female plant starts growing nanners. You have to treat it like a male because if you don’t, those tiny banana-like structures can release pollen and mess up your entire grow.

If a plant is pushing out nanners under normal conditions, that’s a big red flag. It means things will only get worse. If it's still early in the flowering stage, with white pistils and a long way to go before harvest, you need to make a choice — either get rid of it now or move it somewhere else to avoid ruining the rest of your grow. 

Now, timing is everything. If nanners pop up early in flowering, they have plenty of time to pollinate the rest of your crop, which is bad news. But if they show up late in the cycle, don’t panic. 

How to Deal With Nanners

If you discover nanners on your cannabis plants, don’t panic. Getting on top of the issue quickly can help prevent them from pollinating your crop and creating seeds. It all depends on how bad the problem is and what you hope to achieve with growing weed; whether you will remove the affected nanners, keep the plant, or get rid of it all altogether.

Removing Nanners Safely

If only a couple of nanners have appeared and the plant looks otherwise healthy, carefully removing the nanners may be sufficient. You can use tweezers or small scissors to pick off the nanners but do so as gently as possible to avoid releasing pollen. It’s advisable to do this in a place where there is not much wind. Always check the rest of the plant after removal to ensure more nanners are not forming. Some growers spray the area with a fine mist of water before removal because water will help neutralize any pollen and lessen the chance of fertilization.

Deciding Whether to Keep or Remove the Plant

If nanners cover a wide area or are found in clusters, keeping the plant around can be a serious risk to the rest of the grow. Sometimes, growers choose to keep the affected plant and deal with the nanners one by one. However, isolation and taking extra care becomes necessary.

Remember, plants known to grow nanners can be difficult to manage. Even when you remove some, they will just keep producing more. Unless the strain is a real gem, you probably won’t want to save that specific plant.

Monitoring for Further Issues

Once you take off the nanners, you need to keep watching the plant.  Be sure to deal with any environmental stressors that caused the nanners in the first place. Make sure to maintain your light cycles, temperatures, and nutrients. If the underlying cause isn't fixed, more nanners can develop even when the nanners are removed. Make sure to regularly check your plants as they get closer to the finish line, as this is when nanners will show up if they are going to.

If you check the plant and find nanners, you must take action without delay. A person can either pick off the individual nanners or cut the plant down entirely to stop any unwanted pollination.

Can You Still Use Cannabis from a Plant With Nanners?

Finding nanners on your cannabis plant doesn’t necessarily mean your whole crop is ruined.  However, their presence can affect the overall quality, potency, and smoke of the buds. Whether or not you should use cannabis from a plant with nanners depends on several factors, including the extent of pollination and the intended use of the final product.

Effects on Bud Quality

The main worry about nanners is that they could drop pollen and pollinate the buds, causing seeds to form. Even if no pollination happens, the plant is still stressed and the overall cannabinoid and terpene production will remain lower. This indicates that the buds may not be as strong, tasty, or resinous as those from a stress-free plant. Also, plants that are affected by nanners may generate flowers that are airy and less dense which lowers bag appeal.

Seeded Buds vs. Sinsemilla

Seeds form in the plant when pollination happens, and the resultant buds will have seeds in them. This lowers their value as nobody wants buds full of seeds. Buds that have seeds burn less smoothly, give off harsh smoke that isn’t easy on the lungs, and come with the added hassle of having to sift through them first. Sinsemilla or seedless cannabis is preferred over pollinated cannabis for its high concentration of THC, CBD, and terpenes as it results in a more powerful and tasty experience.

You can still use the buds from a plant with nanners, but they may not be as strong and may smoke differently. Some growers turn them into concentrates, edibles, or extracts, where the presence of seeds is less of a problem. If the cannabis plant only has a few, not many seeds, the buds likely still have some value, although if the plant is heavily pollinated, the quality will be significantly lower. 

How to Prevent Nanners from Showing Up

By addressing nanners early on, growers can avoid nasty unwanted impacts on their cannabis strains and crops. Start by checking your plants. Also, ensure your environmental conditions are proper and use strong, stable genetics that can prevent nanners from appearing. If you detect them early, remove them meticulously and keep the plant under close observation to avert substantial impairment to the grow.

You can protect your plants and ensure a high-quality yield by being vigilant and implementing preventative measures against unwanted pollination via nanners. 

Now that you know how to deal with nanners, let’s talk about stopping them before they even appear. Here’s what you can do to minimize the risk:

• Choose High-Quality Genetics

When purchasing seeds, you cannot tell them apart just by looking at them, so your best option would be to get them from a reliable breeder. Some strains tend to produce hermies more than others. Bad breeding can also lead to an increased risk of nanners. Good breeders choose their genetics and stabilize them so there are fewer nanners. Therefore, choose strains with a good reputation and avoid any genetics that has a history of nanners.

• Maintain a Stable, Stress-Free Environment

Keep your plants in a stable, stress-free environment. Your plants do best when the temperatures, humidity, and light cycles are ideal. When it is daytime, the temperature should be kept between 70-80°F or 21-27°C and prolonged exposure to temperatures above 85°F or 29°C should be avoided because way too much heat causes a lot of stress. Keep humidity levels in the range of around 40-50% during flowering; otherwise, you may have stress issues that lead to mold, nutrient locks, slow growth, and other issues.

Keep the light cycles the same (especially for photoperiod plants) as even minor interruptions during the dark period will confuse the plant and result in hermaphroditic traits. Grow tents should be completely sealed to prevent light leaks, and you should also double-check your timers to ensure lights turn on and off at the correct times. If you are growing outdoors, try to avoid a location with artificial light pollution from street lights, security lights, etc.

• Avoid Overfeeding and Nutrient Burn

If you give them too many nutrients, it can burn the leaves. The plant will get stressed out and nanners become a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. A lot of breeders wrongly assume that the more nutrients, the larger the buds, but too much fertilizer can result in toxicity and stress. Keep it on a level feeding schedule that matches the plant’s growth stage. Always start with lower doses before stepping it up. In fact, keep a keen eye on the nitrogen levels during the flowering since excess nitrogen can do far more harm than good at this stage. 

Additionally, if the pH level of your growing medium is off, then your plants might get stressed too, causing them to produce nanners. Make sure to check the pH of the soil or hydro solution regularly to get what the plant needs. In soil, the pH should be between 6.0-7.0 while it should be between 5.5-6.5 for hydro setups. 

• Prevent Pests and Mold

Invasive bugs and fungi can cause stress to your plants. Spider mites, thrips, and aphids are dangerous pests that can weaken your cannabis plant considerably if you don’t pay attention. Also, mold, which suffocates the plant, is another problem, so when plants experience stress, it causes them to produce more nanners to survive.

To prevent pest infestations, take a closer look around your grow room often for pests and mold, and act before any damage is done. You can keep a check on bugs by introducing predators like ladybugs or their larvae. By using oscillating fans and ensuring proper ventilation, you can greatly reduce your chances of mold or mildew forming. In addition, using HEPA filters if growing inside can help stop airborne pathogens from infecting your plants.

• Minimize High-Stress Training Techniques

Cannabis can handle some stress, but too much can push it into survival mode. Therefore, make sure you employ high-stress training techniques like heavy defoliation, supercropping, and topping carefully, especially during the flowering stage. Plants are much more vulnerable to stress when they are focusing their energy on bud production, so any major physical trauma at this stage can increase the risk of hermaphroditism.

If you must train, then do so in the vegetative phase when the plants are tough. Using low-stress training (LST), such as bending a branch and tying it with soft ties is better since it does not stress the plant too much, and can also help in producing buds more uniformly.

Summary: How to Deal with Nanners on Cannabis Plants?

Nanners might sound cute, but in the world of cannabis cultivation, they’re straight-up bad news. Whether they’re caused by stress, genetics, or just bad luck, the key to dealing with them is catching them early and keeping your plants happy. 

So, you need to stay sharp, keep your grow stress-free, and if you ever spot those sneaky yellow invaders, show them the door before they wreck your harvest. Because the only bananas you want in your stash are the ones in Banana Kush, not sprouting from your buds.