You don't need to be an expert on growing weed to know that yellow leaves are a bad sign. After all, it's pretty hard to miss your beautiful green foliage changing color before your very eyes – a bright, eye-catching color at that! The problem with yellow weed leaves isn't spotting them. Rather, the most difficult part of dealing with leaf discoloration is figuring out which of the many reasons for cannabis leaves turning yellow applies to you. Did you water your weed plant too much? Not enough? Maybe it needs some nourishment or you've entirely overfed it on a certain nutrient. Either way, you can learn to stop yellow leaves in their tracks – or, better yet, not get them at all! Just read Leafbuyer's guide to yellowing cannabis leaves and you can keep your favorite green...well, green!
Table of Contents
Not Getting the Right Nutrients
Nutrients are important for making sure your cannabis plant grows up to be big and strong (and potent). Without proper nutrients at the proper times, the plant can easily suffer a deficiency of a number of nutrients: iron, nitrogen, and even a balanced pH level are essential when growing a healthy cannabis plant. If you see your cannabis leaves turning yellow it may be a good indicator that your plant is nutritionally lacking. Read up on weed-growing nutrients and fertilizers to get a good understanding of what your plant needs.
Watering Too Much or Too Little
You can't grow weed (or anything really) without water. Unfortunately, too much or too little water can result in disaster – cannabis leaves turning yellow is one. Water your weed too little and the leaves will eventually turn a sickly yellow with a limp and sometimes dry texture to go with it. Overwatering your cannabis, on the other hand, may lead to bloated and yellowing foliage. Neither is a good sign when growing your own weed but if you catch on early then at least you can adjust your watering before it's too late.
Temperature Is Too Hot or Cold
Cannabis plants can be finicky when it comes to temperature. Just like Goldilocks when she ate those poor bear's porridge, it's going to take a few tries before finding a weed growing temperature that is just right for you and your plants. One of the most common reasons for cannabis leaves turning yellow is they are either too hot or too cold. Keep in mind that cannabis plants are especially susceptible to temperature when they are young. Starts, especially those grown indoors and transferred outdoors, require extra attention. To keep from startling your weed plants and potentially having the cannabis leaves turn yellow ease them into new temperatures slowly. No human likes going from a tepid 70 degrees indoors to spending all day outside in 100-degree summer weather – plants are the same. Just give your weed time to adjust to whatever temperature it's going through and hopefully, you can avoid the cannabis leaves turning yellow.
Improper Lighting Setup
Plants may use light to make their food but there can still be too much of a good thing. In fact, too much light is almost as bad as too little when it comes to weed! Improper grow lighting is also a common reason for cannabis leaves turning yellow. If you're growing outdoors then you probably don't have to worry about too much light ruining your crop. After all, the sun does a great job of setting every day and keeping your plants from light overexposure. Cannabis leaves turning yellow in an outdoor grow can mean that the plant isn't getting enough sunlight. Maybe you live in a cloudy area or a large fence casts the weed in the shade. Cannabis plants grown indoors may exhibit yellow leaves from too much light or too little. Adjust your system accordingly to keep your weed happy, stress-free, and green as grass.
Pests and Other Critters
Pests are bad to have around in any situation. They're bad in your home, on your pets, and, most of all, on your weed. Months and months of hard work can be ruined in an instant with just a few wily bugs and critters making their way to the wrong place at the wrong moment. Cannabis leaves turning yellow can be a sign of pest infestation, especially in the case of spider mites. If your cannabis leaves are turning yellow and you think pests might be the cause then you may very well be right. Check your plant for visible pests, eggs, spider-like webs, and eaten-away leaf matter. Not all pests can kill your weed but many can.
