Cannabis Leaves Turning Yellow? Here's How To Treat Them And Prevent Them In The Future

This article was originally published on Cannabis.net and appears here with permission.

Cannabis growers all over the world encounter one problem or the other with their plants at some stage as not every plant can grow without issues and this is regardless of them being beginners or experts. These problems could occur in any form whether over or underwatering of the plants, lack of nutrients, grower error, or pests and diseases that attack the plant while growing and are likely to cause some damage to your plant yield and quality if not quickly attended to.

The yellowing of cannabis leaves is evidence of a plant condition called chlorosis (lack of chlorophyll) that makes the leaves of your cannabis plant wither and turn yellow. It occurs as a result of insufficient nutrients, water, lighting, and attention for the plants causing its leaves to turn yellow, wither and eventually die if not quickly treated.

It is necessary to confirm that it is yellow leaf disease that has affected your cannabis plant before moving on to know what causes it and then finding solutions or means of treating it so that the disease doesn’t spread to other plants. Also, you have to ensure not to make hasty decisions regarding the removal of the affected leaves because carrying such out might affect the overall growth of the plant is carried out on a young plant but might not have any effect on plants in their last flowering stage. This is because the natural yellowing and death of plants (senescence) usually occur around this period too.

Causes Of Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaf disease is a result of several factors that occur during the growing process to interfere with the development of the plant. It is important to identify some of these factors to avoid them from happening if necessary at any other point in time.

Improper Watering System

The right watering system is very important to the growth of the cannabis plant as a grower needs to find the right balance. Balance is essential for your plants to be healthy as overwatering can lead to mold while underwatering could cause yellow leaves which in turn affects their entire wellbeing. Cannabis plants do not only need to be watered at the right time but also in the right quantity and this can be monitored with the use of a humidity meter.

Nutrients

Insufficiency or loss of nutrients or pH is a major cause of yellow leaves because the plant needs every little bit to grow. If the pH level is anything below 5, your plants are likely to start developing yellow leaves, on the other hand, your nutrients or pH should not be excessive as this will also cause damage to your plants. This is why it is important to maintain the level of nutrients and pH at an ideal level to prevent this from occurring.

Lighting

Insufficient or excessive lighting can expose your cannabis plant not only to yellow leaves but also to light bleaching. Having your plant too close or too far from the light is what brings this about and that is why it is crucial for the safety of your plants to follow instructions when hanging your lights and adjust it as it grows.

Temperature

Low or high temperatures are another cause of yellow leaves in cannabis plants. If the temperature is too low, there is a possibility of your leaves turning yellow. High temperatures are a sign of extreme heat which causes the plants to turn yellow and wilt.

Methods Of Prevention and Treatment Of Yellow Leaves

The plant should have a good wet-dry cycle which should be regularly monitored with the aid of a humidity meter and kept to a routine. Also, creating drainage at the bottom of your pots will prevent overwatering and allow excess water run-off.

Maintaining a certain pH range for your plants is a good way of preventing yellow leaves and this can be monitored with the use of a pH meter. However, if already affected, you can flush your plants with pre-water that has the right pH. Adding sulfur to your plant is also a great way to help regulate soil pH, however, ensure this is not administered wrongly to prevent further damage.

Constant monitoring of your plant's growth to light positioning and intensity can help prevent light deprivation, burns, and bleaching.

Temperatures can be regulated with the use of fans or air conditions.

Adoption of the companion planting system is a great way of reducing pests from your plant. You could also get some insects such as praying mantis and ladybugs which are predatory to help keep pests at bay.

In conclusion, yellow leaves are one of the challenges cannabis growers will face and there is no permanent solution. What can only be done is to constantly monitor and check on your plants for any signs of its leaves turning yellow, once it is found, you can always take precautions such as the above to handle it immediately.

This article is from an external unpaid contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.