If you notice your cannabis leaves turning yellow, you know that there could be something wrong. If you are new to cannabis cultivation and you happen to see this manifestation, you might feel the urge to do something immediately and begin to panic. Surely, you do not want to fail in your first attempts.
But what do cannabis yellow leaves indicate? If you get these things happening on your plants, stay focused. It is important that you understand the reasons for these yellow leaves so you could act appropriately.
Indications of Cannabis Yellow Leaves
There are plenty of reasons why cannabis yellow leaves occur. However, it would be impossible to address the elemental concern if you do not figure out its cause.
Technically speaking, the turning of the leaves into yellow is a condition known as chlorosis. This is a case where leaves deplete their chlorophyll. Now, chlorosis could be the outcome of particular concern, or it could be a simple manifestation of senescence – a certain way of change because of biological aging.
The natural occurrence of senescence should be treated with no fear. Eventually, at every end of the cultivating season, a lot of cannabis plants may begin to become yellow and lose their leaves. Some cultivators drench their plants with a flushing solution or pure water during this late phase in growing. This will help eliminate any nutrient residues and shall hasten the natural method of senescence.
Other factors could also affect the yellowing of the cannabis leaves. Seldom, however, is chlorosis become a reason for frenzy. Most of the time, it is a simple concern that is inhibiting photosynthesis. If you are quick to act, you can overall rescue your cannabis plants and make them recuperate without any concern.
It would be helpful if you could explore various diagnostic mechanisms so you could determine what is causing the cannabis yellow leaves.
- Watering Problem
Either under-watering or overwatering can cause cannabis plants to experience chlorosis. Sadly, water is a complex matter to achieve right. It is important that you water the plant with the right amount and at the proper interval.
Excessive water can lead to the reduction of oxygen in the soil, which abstains from the root zone and causes its death. You will learn if you have done overwatering if their leaves turn swollen, bent, and yellow. Under-watering, on the other hand, is less typical since many growers are hyper-apprehensive that their plant can die without good hydration. Nonetheless, under-watering does exist and this condition may turn the plants weak, delicate, breakable, and yellow.
If a watering problem is causing the yellow leaves in your garden, then there should be an easy solution for that. Water the plants that are under-watered and stop watering those that are overwatered. You should familiarize your plants and at the same time familiarize their environment.
You should know how to feel the weight of a dry medium and those that are saturated. You may even consider investing in a humidity meter to get an accurate reading of the water content.
- Light Deficiency
It would be needless to say that light can become a perplexing matter, particularly for the neophytes. First, you need to set up the right kind of lighting and determine the best length from the plants.
Lights are vital knowing that the cannabis plants require them for the process of photosynthesis. It is particularly necessary for the seedlings to have the proper quantity of light to stimulate their growth. Immature cannabis plants suffering from a light deficiency are inclined to having yellow leaves, while the mature plants can darken if they are not receiving sufficient lights.
To help you confirm whether a deficiency in light is causing the problem, inspect the distances between nodes. If you notice over one leaf-width of a gap in the middle of the leaves, insufficient light could be the transgressor.
You can solve this concern by investing in high-pressure sodium or metal halide lights to obtain optimal results. If you have a small-size grow space where heating is a problem, you can rather use LEDs.
- Imbalance pH
pH refers to potential hydrogen and it quantifies the acidity of a particular medium. pH functions on a range of 1 to 14, having 7 as the neutral level. However, for cannabis plants, the ideal pH of the soil must be between the range of 6 to 7.
If the plant does not get the right pH, it will not acquire the right nutrients, causing the leaves to turn yellow. Yellow cannabis leaves, blazing on the corners, and characterizes like stripes and spots are all manifestations of pH imbalance.
If you confirm that imbalance pH is causing the yellowing of the leaves of your plants, you can consider re-potting in another medium or fine-tune the pH of the soil. Some substances are used to alter pH. For instance, lime and wood ash can boost it.
- Nutrient Deficiencies
Nutrient deficiencies commonly cause the yellowing of the cannabis leaves. Remember that your cannabis plants require several nutrients such as iron, nitrogen, zinc, potassium, Sulphur, calcium, and magnesium.
- Heat Stress
Heat stress may also cause the cannabis leaves to become yellow. Cannabis plants are sensitive to extreme temperatures. An immediate method to determine whether you are dealing with heat stress is through a hand test. Put your hand on the plant and let it stay for 30 seconds. If it senses very hot on your hand, then it is likely to feel hot on your plants, too.
Conclusion
When you notice your cannabis leaves developing yellow leaves, it is important that you remain your composure. It is vital that you understand the indication of the cannabis yellow leaves as it will lead you to the proper resolution. Know that yellow cannabis leaves are not always an indication of death. However, some instances would ask you to act fast to rescue your plant from complete destruction.
See to it that you determine the elemental concern. Hopefully, you will find this guide useful in figuring out your problem.
