Cannabis Plant Nutrient Deficiencies (with pictures)

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Cannabis Plant Problems & Nutrient Deficiencies

Nitrogen (N) - Phosphorus (P) - pH Problems - Potassium (K) - Magnesium (Mg) - Zinc (Zn) - Sulfur (S) - Iron (Fe)

Here is a good summary of nutrient problems and others not listed above

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Nitrogen (N)

Plants need lots of N during vegging, but it's easy to overdo it. Added too much? Flush the soil with plain water. Soluble nitrogen (especially nitrate) is the form that's the most quickly available to the roots, while insoluble N (like urea) first needs to be broken down by microbes in the soil before the roots can absorb it. Avoid excessive ammonium nitrogen, which can interfere with other nutrients.  Too much N delays flowering. Plants should be allowed to become N-deficient late in flowering for best flavor.

Nitrogen Deficiencies:
- Plants will exhibit lack of vigor, slow growth and will be weak and stunted.
- Quality and yield will be significantly reduced.
- Older leaves become yellow (chlorotic) from lack of chlorophyll.
- Deficient plants will exhibit uniform light green to yellow on older leaves, these leaves may die and drop.
- Leaf margins will not curled up noticeably.
- Chlorosis will eventually spread throughout the plant.
- Stems, petioles and lower leaf surfaces may turn purple.

 
Nitrogen deficiencies - entire plant turns yellow green, and the older leaves become  more yellowish than the younger.  Older leaves do not die unless deficiency is extreme (almost never seen in aquaria). 


(info from our good friends at: http://www.onlinepot.org/)
other info from (http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/nutrient-deficiency.html)

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Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorus (P) deficiency:
- Fan leaves are dark green or red/purple, and may turn yellow.
- Leaves may curl under, go brown and die.
- Small-formed buds are another main symptom.
- Phosphorus deficiencies exhibit slow growing, weak and stunted plants with dark green or purple pigmentation in older leaves and stems


Some deficiency during flowering is normal, but too much shouldn't be tolerated. Red petioles and stems are a normal, genetic characteristic for many varieties, plus it can also be a co-symptom of N, K, and Mg-deficiencies, so red stems are not a foolproof sign of P-deficiency. Too much P can lead to iron deficiency.


Purpling: accumulation of anthocyanin pigments; causes an overall dark green color with a purple, red, or blue tint, and is the common sign of phosphate deficiency. Some plant species and varieties respond to phosphate deficiency by yellowing instead of purpling. Purpling is natural to some healthy ornamentals.

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pH Problems

Too high or too low a pH can lock up nutrients in the form of un-dissolvable salts and compounds, some of which are actually toxic to the plants. What then happens is the grower then tries to supplement the plants diet by adding more fertilizers, throwing off the pH even more and locking up even more nutrients. This type of problem is seen more often in soil mixes, where inconsistent mixing of the medium's components leads to "hot" spots.

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Potassium (K)

Potassium is involved in maintaining the water status of the plant and the tugor pressure of it's cells and the opening and closing of the stomata.

Potassium is required in the accumulation and translocation of carbohydrates. Lack of potassium will reduce yield and quality.


Potassium deficiency (K):
- Older leaves are initially chlorotic but soon develop dark necrotic lesions (dead tissue). First apparent on the tips and margins of the leaves.
-  Stem and branches may become weak and easily broken, the plant may also stretch.
- The plant will become susceptible to disease and toxicity.
- In addition to appearing to look like iron deficiency, the tips of the leaves curl and the edges burn and die.


Potassium - Too much sodium (Na) displaces K, causing a K deficiency. Sources of high salinity are: baking soda (sodium bicarbonate "pH-up"), too much manure, and the use of water-softening filters (which should not be used). If the problem is Na, flush the soil. K can get locked up from too much Ca or ammonium nitrogen, and possibly cold weather.


Potassium (K) Toxicity: Usually not absorbed excessively by plants. Excess potassium can aggravate the uptake of magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron and effect the availability of calcium.

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Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency:
- Yellowing (which may turn brown) and interveinal chlorosis beginning in the older leaves.


The older leaves will be the first to develop interveinal chlorosis. Starting at leaf margin or tip and progressing inward between the veins. This can be quickly resolved by watering 1 teaspoon Epsom salts/gallon of water.


Until you can correct nutrient lockout, try foliar feeding. That way the plants get all the nitrogen and Mg they need. The plants can be foliar feed at ½ teaspoon/quart of Epsom salts (first powdered and dissolved in some hot water). When mixing up soil, use 2 teaspoon dolomite lime per gallon of soil.  If the starting water is above 200 ppm, that is pretty hard water, that will lock out mg with all of the calcium in the water. Either add a 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of Epsom salts or lime (both will effectively reduce the lockout or invest into a reverse osmosis water filter.


Mg can get locked-up by too much Ca, Cl or ammonium nitrogen. Don't overdo Mg or you'll lock up other nutrients.

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Zinc (Zn)

Zinc Deficiencies:
- Deficiencies appear as chlorosis in the inter-veinal areas of new leaves producing a banding appearance.
-  This may be accompany reduction of leaf size and a shortening between internodes.
- Leaf margins are often distorted or wrinkled.
- Branch terminals of fruit will die back in severe cases.
- Also gets locked out due to high pH.


Zn, Fe, and Mn deficiencies often occur together, and are usually from a high pH.

Don't overdo the micro-nutrients- lower the pH if that's the problem so the nutrients become available. Foliar feed if the plant looks real bad. Use chelated zinc.

Zinc deficiency produces "little leaf" in many species, especially woody ones; the younger leaves are distinctly smaller than normal.

Zinc defeciency may also produce "rosetting"; the stem fails to elongate behind the growing tip, so that the terminal leaves become tightly bunched.


Zinc Toxicity:  Excess Zinc is extremely toxic and will cause rapid death. Excess zinc interferes with iron causing chlorosis from iron deficiency. Excess will cause sensitive plants to become chlorotic.

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Sulphur (S)

Sulphur (S) deficiency:
- The initial symptoms are the yellowing of the entire leaf including veins usually starting with the younger leaves.
- Leaf tips may yellow and curl downward.
- Sulfur deficiencies are light green fruit or younger leaves with a lack of succulence.
- Elongated roots and woody stem.


Although many varieties of cannabis do get purplish stems, the trait generally extends the entire length of the plant's stem, and not just near the top as in the picture below.


Sulphur Toxicity:  Leaf size will be reduced and overall growth will be stunted. Leaves yellowing or scorched at edges. Excess may cause early senescence.

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Iron (Fe)

Iron (Fe) deficiency:
- Pronounced interveinal chlorosis similar to that caused by magnesium deficiency but on the younger leaves.
- Leaves exhibit chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves mainly between the veins, starting with the lower and middle leaves.


Caused by factors that interfere with iron absorption of roots: over irrigation, excessive soluble salts, inadequate drainage, pests, high substrate pH, or nematodes. This is easily corrected by adding an iron supplement with the next watering.


Fe is unavailable to plants when the pH of the water or soil is too high. If deficient, lower the pH to about 6.5 (for rockwool, about 5.7), and check that you're not adding too much P, which can lock up Fe. Use iron that's chelated for maximum availability. Read your fertilizer's ingredients - chelated iron might read something like "iron EDTA". To much Fe without adding enough P can cause a P-deficiency.

Note that when adding iron to the solution, it is often necessary to not use fertilizer for that watering. Iron has a tendency of reacting with many of the components of fertilizer solutions, and will cause nutrient lockup to occur. Read the labels of both the iron supplement and the fertilizer you are using before you attempt to combine the two.


Iron Toxicity:  Excess accumulation is rare but could cause bronzing or tiny brown spots on leaf surface. Manganese is involved in the oxidation reduction process in the photosynthetic electron transport system. Biochemical research shows that this element plays a structural role in the chloroplast membrane system, and also activates numerous enzymes.

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Summary & Other Problems

NITROGEN (N)
    Pale plants, red stems, smaller growth. Rapid yellowing of lower leaves progressing up the plant. Add any chemical fertilizer containing N. Treated plants recover in about a week.


PHOSPHORUS (P)
    Slow or stunted growth, red stems. Smaller leaves that are dark green. Lower leaves yellow and die. Add chemical fertilizer containing P. Affected leaves will not show recovery but new growth will apear normal.


POTASSIUM (K)
    Affected plants are usually tallest and appear to be most vigorous. Necrotic spots form on lower leaves. Red stems. Leaves appear pale or yellow. Add chemical fertilizer containing K.


CALCIUM (Ca)
    Lack of calcium in the soil results in the soil becoming too acid. This leads to Mg or Fe deficiency or very slow stunted growth. Treat by foliar feeding with one teaspoon of dolomatic lime per quart of water until condition improves.


SULFER (S)
    Plants suffering from S definciencies exhibit yellowing of new growth. Mix one tablespoon of Epsom salts per gallon of water until condition improves.


MAGNESIUM (Mg)
    Lower leaves yellow and may even turn white while veins remain dark green. Blades die and curl upward.


IRON (Fe)
    Leaves on growing shoots turn pale and veins remain dark green. pH imbalances make iron insoluble. Foliar feed with chemical fertilizer containing Fe or rusty water.


MANGANESE (Mn)
    Necrotic and yellow spots form on top leaves. Mn deficiency occurs when large amounts of Mg are present in the soil. Foliar feed with any chemical fertilizer containing Mn.


BORON (B)
    Growing shoots turn grey or die. Growing shoots appear burnt. Treat with one teaspoon of Boric acid (sold as eyewash) per gallon of water.


MOLYBDENUM (MO)
    Yellowing of middle leaves. Foliar feed with chemical fertilizer containing MO.


ZINC (Zn)
    White areas form at leaf tips and between veins. Occurs in alkaline soils. Zn deficiency can be treated by burying galvanized nails in the soil. Chemical fertilizer containing Zn can also be used.


OVER FERTILIZATION
    Causes leaf tips to appear yellow or burnt. To correct soil should be flushed with three gallons of water per one gallon of soil.

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If anyone has any info they could add to this PLEASE feel free to post it and I will update whatever section necessary.

[HBNUTS]

Do you add all these nutrients to the water and proceed to water the plant when it is needed?

[BUDMONSTER47]

thanks man. i love the pictures! i now know that my plant is needing nitrogen!

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thanks man. i love the pictures! i now know that my plant is needing nitrogen!

so glad to hear this was of help to you!

[BUDMONSTER47]

you should sticky this! great for beginners or just anyone!

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i'm surprised it's not!  i'll stick it now, thanks!