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When it comes to growing cannabis, the leaves are going to be your main focus during most of the growing cycle, or they should be anyways. Almost any issue your plant is dealing with will be shown to you, in one way or another, through the leaves. The trick is to learn how to understand what they are telling you. In this blog we will go through some of the most common things you will want to watch for.





Like I have said before, the most common reason for cannabis leaves to look un-normal is a pH imbalance of the water you give your plants . If your pH is out of balance it can show itself as several different deficiencies, which makes sense because without the

proper ph level, your plants roots will not take in all of the nutrients it needs. Often times new growers will see their leaves yellowing and start adding more nutrients to their feeding schedule. If the pH isn’t in the proper range, no amount of nutrients will help, as the roots simply won't absorb it. As you add more nutrients you will get nutrient lockout and buildup in your soil. By this point your plant is going to be showing all kinds of different symptoms, and most likely you will lose several leaves to chlorosis (yellowing leaves). So always check to make sure your pH levels are in range before diagnosing any deficiencies, and definitely before changing your feeding schedule. For more directions on balancing pH check my blog on how to properly water!









Your cannabis leaves can be a good indicator of how well you’re watering also. A happy plant will have perky vibrant leaves, pointing slightly upwards. If you are over watering or under watering your plant it will let you know by showing droopy leaves. Unfortunately the signs of over and under watering appear very similar, so you will have to pick your pots up to feel the weight of them, or stick a finger in your growing medium to feel how moist it is.









Almost all nutrient deficiencies will show themselves through the leaves. One of the most common is nitrogen. A plant that is lacking nitrogen will start showing yellowing of the leaves. This will usually start near the bottom of the plant and the oldest leaves are usually the first to go yellow. When you buy nutrients, they will have 3 numbers on their packaging and they will be labeled as NPK. This acronym is for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. If you are trying to correct a nitrogen deficiency, and you have checked that your pH level is in range, you can try a nutrient with a little more nitrogen, or you can start by adding a little more of the nutrients you already have, as long as it has a high nitrogen value. Be careful though, if you have to much nitrogen your plant will develop nitrogen toxicity, which will show itself with very deep dark green leaves.









Another common deficiency you may notice, that sometimes gets mistaken as a couple different issues, is magnesium. When a plant is deficient in magnesium the leaves will start to turn very light green or yellow along the veins. The edges of the leaves may appear burnt and even feel crispy to the touch. Again, check your PH level, if it is correct then you can begin to treat your deficiency with a magnesium supplement . You will again notice lower leaves showing first signs of this deficiency. This is because magnesium is a mobile nutrient, so when there is a deficiency, remaining magnesium is taken from the less important leaves at the bottom of the plant, and moved to newer growth near the top.









Leaves don’t just show you deficiencies though, they will also tell you how they feel about their environment. If your grow environment is to warm, you will notice your leaves curling inward and closing up, like canoes. If you notice leaves curling like this, and there are also “burnt” looking spots on the leaves, it could be because they are just to close to the grow light, try moving the light a little further away from your plants. If you only notice curling leaves with no burnt spots, it is likely that your entire grow area is to warm, and you should consider ventilating the warm air out. A fan gently blowing over the tops of your plants can also help mitigate heat stress caused by direct heat from your grow light.









The most beneficial thing you can do as a grower is become proficient at understanding what your plant is telling you. It takes a lot of practice and patience but once you learn what your leaves are telling you, growing cannabis will become much easier, and much more enjoyable. The key is to be very observant, no issue is too small to treat. My advice to new growers would be to find a chart online similar to this one, print it off, and stick it on a wall in or near your grow room. The faster you can decipher what your plant is telling you, the faster you can treat it, and remember, a healthy plant will always yield more than a sick plant!









This article contains affiliate links. If you click one of these links and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission of that purchase, at no extra cost to you. When you choose to use these links, you will help support our website and allow us to continue providing the majority of our content to you and others, for free!