Growing cannabis can be a fun and rewarding experience. It may seem like an easy task but the truth of the matter is that you may encounter several challenges like common plant diseases that your plant can’t suffer.
Cannabis plants need vital nutrients for them to grow healthy. Lack of nutrients can lead to a nutrient deficiency which can be very harmful to your plant. Phosphorus deficiency in weed is one common cause of nutrient deficiency that needs to be resolved right away as soon as it happens.
What is phosphorus deficiency?
Potassium is a very important element that a plant needs to thrive and survive. If you notice, most fertilizers would show you a ratio of nutrients that it contains like N-P-K, the P in the ratio stands for phosphorus.
Phosphorus helps a plant convert different nutrients into helpful building blocks that it needs to grow. It helps strengthen the plant’s roots and stems. Phosphorus is an essential element needed during photosynthesis. It helps plant during the germination process and it also plays a very important role during the flowering stages of the plant’s growth cycle.
If your plant receives a little amount of phosphorus, then it may lead to phosphorus deficiency in weed. It happens when the cannabis plant is not getting the right amount of phosphorus that it needs to be able to grow healthily. Phosphorus deficiency in weed may go unnoticed most of the time. Though it rarely occurs, it can be fatal to your plants if it occurs.
What are the signs of phosphorus deficiency in weed?
As mentioned earlier, it is quite unlikely for plants to suffer phosphorus deficiency but it is still important to identify the symptoms of phosphorus deficiency in weed just in case it happens. There are several ways to identify if your cannabis plant has phosphorus deficiency:
- Plant growth slows down. If you observe that your plant’s growth is slowing down than usual, then it is a clear indicator that it is suffering from phosphorus deficiency. You can observe that the development of leaves is slow and the new leaves are smaller as well.
- Edges of the older leaves turning brown. The symptoms will start at the bottom leaves and then it will move upwards. The edges of the leaves will show brown. Leaves located near the base of the plant will turn yellow to brown and then they will die.
- Dark-colored leaves. Another sign of phosphorus deficiency in weed is that the leaves turn dark color. It starts with the lower leaves near the base of the plant and then it moves upward. The leaves turn dark green and then it shows blue and purple colors.
- Discoloration of plant’s stem. If the weed is suffering from phosphorus deficiency, the stem appears to be red or purple. The discoloration of the stem begins from the base of the plant and it moves upward. Just be careful though as some cannabis have a red or purple stem so better check your strain. You might mistake naturally reddish-purple stemmed cannabis for phosphorus deficiency.
How to fix phosphorus deficiency in weed?
The key to fix phosphorus deficiency in weed is to feed or increase the amount of phosphorus intake of your plant. Here are several ways to fix phosphorus deficiency:
1. Correcting the pH to the normal range
One of the reasons why cannabis plants suffer from phosphorus deficiency is that the pH level is not in the right range. If the pH is not in range, the plant cannot properly absorb the phosphorus through its roots. Adjusting the pH to the correct range should be the first step in ensuring that your plants will absorb phosphorus.
If your plant is suffering from phosphorus deficiency due to incorrect pH, immediately flush your system with clean water or water that contains the right nutrients for your plants. By doing so, it will anything that affects the nutrient uptake including phosphorus. A pH o 6.2 – 7.0 in the soil is ideal for phosphorus. If you are growing via hydroponics, the best pH for phosphorus is between 5.5 – 6.2.
2. Keep healthy roots
Compact and wet soil can cause phosphorus deficiency. It will block nutrient intake through the roots. Keeping the roots healthy is a necessity so do not overwater your plants.
3. Right temperature
Phosphorus deficiency in weed is likely to happen when the temperature is too cold or too low. It will be hard for the plant to absorb phosphorus in low temperatures. To address the issue, maintain a regular temperature not lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 degrees Celsius. Cannabis plants grow best in their comfortable room temperature thus anything that goes lower or higher than the ideal temperature is not good for the plants.
4. Feed your plants with the right nutrients
You will never go wrong if you are providing your plants with the right nutrients. Though phosphorus is abundantly rich in quality soil, there are circumstances that you may need to feed your plant with phosphorus-rich supplements.
In providing your plant with phosphorus through fertilizers, make sure that you have the right ratio of the nutrients as you may also overfeed your plants. Sources of phosphorus can be worm castings, bat guano, blood or bone meal, fish meal, crab shell, worm tea, soft rock phosphate among others.
After doing the proper steps to fix phosphorus deficiency in weed, observe your plants as they recover. As soon as the problem has been cleared up, you will notice that the brown spots or the discoloration will go back to normal in a week.
How to prevent phosphorus deficiency in weed?
To prevent phosphorus deficiency to happen, do not overwater your plant as it will wash away the nutrients needed as well as clog the passage of the nutrients through the plant’s root. Maintain the temperature in your grow room. Make sure to feed your plants with their needed nutrients during the different stages of their development. Keep track of the nutrients ratio so you won’t over or underfeed them
Conclusion
Though phosphorus deficiency in weed is rare, it is best to know the symptoms and what to do when it happens. As a grower, having the right information and knowledge about this matter is very important so that you know what to do if something like this happens.
