The cost to start a grow operation becomes even costlier when you don’t know how to handle nutrient burn. This is mostly experienced with new growers. But experienced cultivators may have this happen from time to time, too.
The most common cause of the nutrient burn is over-fertilization, which happens when you provide too much fertilizer to your plants. Nutrient burn can be identified by the bright red color on the leaves and stems of your plant.
However, it’s important to note that not all cases are due to over-fertilization. Nutrient burn can also happen if you have a pH imbalance in your soil or if there is an issue with the type of fertilizer being used. In this article, I’ll share 3 easy steps that will help fix nutrient burn!
How to Spot Nutrient Burn in Cannabis Plants?
Nutrient Burn is a common problem in cannabis plants. Nutrient burn can be spotted by the following symptoms:
- Yellowing of leaves;
- Leaf curling;
- Brown edges on leaves.
Nutrients are essential for the healthy growth of cannabis plants. If you notice these signs it’s time to check your nutrients.
How to Fix Nutrient Burn in Cannabis Plants?
There are three ways to fix nutrient burn in cannabis plants-
- Water change;
- Foliar feeding;
- Adjusting the pH levels of your soil or hydro system
Water change
Water changes help remove excess salts from the plant which is a common cause of the nutrient burn.
Foliar feeding
Foliar feedings provide an immediate solution as they deliver nutrients directly to the plant’s foliage (leaves).
Adjusting pH levels
Adjusting pH levels is also another way that helps reduce salt build-up and prevent nutrient burn Nutrients are essential for the healthy growth of cannabis plants.
Nutrient Burn vs. Deficiency
Nutrient burn occurs when the plant is receiving too much of certain chemical elements and is lacking in another. Nutrients can cause leaf tips to turn red or brown, or wilting on one side of the plant stem. This may lead to black tissue formation.
Nutrient deficiency can be caused by a lack of specific nutrient elements such as magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, and manganese. You can fix this by looking for the best organic fertilizer for marijuana plants and using it instead of the highly concentrated chemical stuff from a bottle.
How Long Does Nutrient Burn Take to Show
Nutrient burn does not take long at all for symptoms to show up (usually within 2-3 days after you notice them).
However, it’s important that you don’t panic because this could mean other things are wrong with your plants too without the presence of nutrient burn. On average nutrients will take around 12 days to be fully absorbed by the plant.
Cannabis plant nutrient deficiency on the other hand can take anywhere from a couple of weeks up to six months depending upon what nutrient is missing and how deficient your plants are.
Conclusion
Nutrients play a key role in the development, growth, and overall health of cannabis or any other type of plant for that matter. Nutrient burn occurs when the plant is receiving too much of certain chemical elements and is lacking in another. Nutrients can cause leaf tips to turn red or brown, or wilting on one side of the plant stem. This may lead to black tissue formation.
Nutrient deficiency can be caused by a lack of specific nutrient elements such as magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, and manganese.
Nutrient burn does not take long at all for symptoms to show up – usually within two-three days after you notice them!
