Growing 101

Can plants recover from nutrient burn?

Nutrient burn can't be reversed, and any leaves or buds that have already yellowed or browned are never going to be green again. Snipping off any damaged leaves and buds will prevent parts of the plant that have already been injured or died from rotting and causing further headaches.

Keeping a good environment for your plants also includes maintaining the medium oxygenated and with the right amount of water. Root problems are the main cause of slow growth with new growers, adjusting and maintaining a good growing medium for the roots is the best way to fix stunted growth in plants

Treating Nitrogen Toxicity

Dilute the solution with fresh water, being sure to calibrate your pH afterwards.

Change out your nutrient reservoir completely with fresh water and nutrients.

What are signs of over fertilizing?

Symptoms and signs of over-fertilization

Crust of fertilizer on soil surface.

Yellowing and wilting of lower leaves.

Browning leaf tips and margins.

Browned or blackened limp roots.

Defoliation.

Very slow or no growth.

Death of seedlings.

Why is my plant growing tall and skinny?

Why is my plant growing tall and skinny? There could be several reasons why your plant is growing like that. Some of the factors that lead to such growth are unstable temperatures, lack of nutrients in the soil, and improper lighting schedules.

How do you know if you have too much nitrogen in your soil?

When you have too much nitrogen in soil, your plants may look lush and green, but their ability to fruit and flower will be greatly reduced.

What happens when there is too much nitrogen in soil?

Excessive N causes "luxuriant" growth, resulting in the plant being attractive to insects and/or diseases/pathogens. The excessive growth can also reduce stem strength resulting in lodging during flowering and grain filling. Excessive use of N also has negative implications for the environment and lowers farm profits.

Can too much nutrients kill a plant?

Too much fertilizer can also cause problems and plant death because FERTILIZER IS SALT. ... This is because the potential of the plant to pass water out of and into the root system must be lower than that of the soil's holding capacity instead of the other way around.

What is the difference between a deficiency and toxicity?

A deficiency occurs when an essential element is not available in sufficient quantity to meet the needs of the growing plant. Nutrient toxicity occurs when an element is in excess of plant needs and decreases plant growth or quality.

Is it normal for leaves to die during flowering?

During the late flowering stage, as plants divert most of their resources towards forming resinous buds, you'll notice some fan leaves start to dry and discolour. Old age largely affects the lower leaves, but those higher up might also begin to lose their moisture content and luscious green appearance.

Can you fertilize too much?

Over-fertilizing can cause detrimental damage to your turf's root structure as well. Some fertilizers contain high levels of nitrogen, which if absorbed in large amounts can become harmful. What mainly causes the dreaded “burn,” however, is an abundant accumulation of soluble salts.

What happens if a plant gets too much nutrients?

Often the plant itself will die. However, having too much of a nutrient can harm and even kill plants. For example, having too much nitrogen can cause a plant to grow more leaves but less or no fruit. Too much manganese can make the leaves turn yellow and eventually die.

Can you over feed a plant?

For those of you who put fertilizer in your water, it is important that you take care not to over fertilize your plants. Using the 10-20% run-off rule will help keep your plants healthy and keep them from being overfed. ... The plant can no longer feed and an interesting thing occurs

Troubleshooting common cannabis plant problems

Cannabis plants are resilient. The plant grows successfully all over the globe in many different climates—it’s called “weed” for a reason. 

But many problems can arise when growing cannabis, both indoors and outdoors. Bad weather, bugs, nutrient deficiencies, improper watering, and many other issues can pop up. 

What’s wrong with my weed plant?

Many issues can arise when growing weed: discoloration of leaves is usually a sign of nutrient deficiency; tiny spots or webbing can mean a bug infestation; stunted growth can be a root problem.

Overwatering cannabis plants

New growers are often guilty of giving their new weed plants too much love. As we’ve mentioned before, it’s called weed for a reason—a lot of times the answer is to just let the plant be.

This can manifest in overwatering. A new grower may overthink watering and water too much. 

But the drying out of soil is important too—that’s how roots pull oxygen out of soil and into the plant. Additionally, standing water can stay in soil and cause root rot if not given enough time to dry out.

Remember to only water a plant if the soil is dry 1-2 inches down. Check out our guide on watering for more info.  

Too many nutrients

Similar to overwatering, beginning growers also have the tendency to give plants too many nutrients. A common misconception is that more nutrients equals bigger plants, so just keep adding more and more!

This is a bad idea and will quickly lead to nutrient lockout or other nutrient deficiencies. Nutrient lockout occurs when a weed plant can’t take in any more nutrients. 

A weed plant needs the correct balance of nutrients for it to grow properly and be healthy. If anything, err of the side of too little nutrients—it’s a lot harder to correct a plant with too many nutrients than to add more. Keep in mind that organic nutrients are a little more forgiving. 

Also, keep an eye on the pH of water you use on your weed plants. This overlooked aspect can quickly lead to big problems.

Common problems to look out for when growing weed

Of course there are many problems that can arise when growing weed that should be fixed quickly. Weed plants are rather responsive, meaning they will show signs of distress if they aren’t getting the proper nutrients, have a bug infestation, or some other issue.

Check your cannabis plants regularly for issues. A good time to do this is when pruning, because you’ll be up close and personal with your plants. 

Look at the main stalk of the plant. Stunted growth can be a sign of roots being bound or some other root issue. If one plant is considerably smaller than others or if you’ve been growing it for a while and it seems too small, it could have root issues.

Look for and remove dead or yellowing leaves, and weak or withering branches. If plants are flowering, look for bud rot and mold.

Inspect under fan leaves, as that’s where some bugs live—such as spider mites—and check where the stalk comes out of the soil, as some bugs live there too—in particular, root aphids. 

Cannabis plant leaves should be a dark, vibrant green. Yellowing, discoloration, or spots on leaves are another big giveaway that your plant is sickly.