Trouble reading today's article? Click here: Issue #161 - Sunday, May 17, 2015 Dear Fellow
Grower, In today's issue... - We'll show you what happens when your plant gets "the claw," why it
happens, and how to stop it!
- Make sure you're using nutrients that won't give you any problems! We have all the info you'll need!
- A reader sent in some pics of some beautiful early-flower plants in an odd-colored light...and I
can't stop staring at them!
Nebula Haze & Sirius Fourside (founders of GrowWeedEasy.com)
"Prevention is better than cure."
~Desiderius Erasmus
How To Fix Clawed Cannabis Leaves by Nebula Haze |
Have any of your marijuana plants ever been hit by "The Claw?" You know, when your marijuana leaves look like the leaf pictured here?
These talon-like leaves will curl and get discolored over time in addition to
reducing your plant's growth until the problem is fixed.
Many growers believe that The Claw is caused by pH problems, watering troubles, or heat. What I've learned is that these aren't usually the real cause of clawed marijuana leaves that look like the pictures above.
Downward drooping of leaves is known as "epinasty" in the plant world, and it is true that overwatering can
cause similar symptoms... but there is a crucial difference between the type of claw leaf pictured above and the kind that's caused by overwatering.
Today I'm going to explain exactly why growers think that “The Claw” is caused by pH problems, over or underwatering, and too much heat... and I'll reveal why they're usually wrong.
Then I'm going uncover the real reasons why
claw leaves happen!
1.) Overwatering
Ok, it's true that overwatering can sometimes cause symptoms that are similar to The Claw. But you won't see The Claw appear out of nowhere on an otherwise healthy plant like the leaves pictured above.
When you do get claw-like symptoms by overwatering,
you'll see a progression like what's pictured below.
At first leaves that are overwatered look kind of fat and droopy...almost plump. You won't see just the tips turn down. Here's the first stage of overwatering.
|
|
|
If the overwatering continues and plant is still unable to get oxygen at her roots, then you may start getting other apparent nutrient problems because the plant isn't getting everything she needs.
If left unchecked, this can eventually cause The Claw.
With the case of overwatering vs. nitrogen toxicity, it can be confusing because these both cause leaves to point downward. Yet if you see the different problems together, you can easily learn how to spot the difference.
Now that you know what an overwatered marijuana plant looks
like, let me show you what to look for in a nitrogen toxic plant.
2.) Too Much Nitrogen?
Okay, you ruled out overwatering, now what?
When I first got started
growing, everyone kept telling me that this particular kind of leaf clawing was caused by under or overwatering my plants, pH problems, or heat problems.
Yet in my case, I knew that it wasn't over or under watering (I was growing in hydro, where roots grow directly in water and air stones are constantly adding oxygen). I knew it wasn't pH (my reservoir water had the right pH) and I knew it
wasn't heat since the grow area was slightly cooler than room temperature.
So then what was really causing my claw leaves?
Now, you may or may not know that marijuana (or any plant) needs an element known as "Nitrogen" to grow.
In fact, nitrogen is one of the 3 nutrients that are included in almost every kind of plant food.
When looking at plant nutrients, you'll almost always see 3 numbers listed, like 3-12-6 or 5-10-5. These numbers represent the ratio of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P) and Potassium (K) contained in the bottle. Just about all
plant life on Earth needs these 3 elements to grow.
The very first number, "3" in the case of the picture to the right, always displays the proportion of nitrogen in this nutrient bottle compared to the other 2 nutrients (Phosphorus and Potassium
respectively).
The reason nitrogen is in all plant nutrient formulations is because it's vital to plant processes.
For marijuana plants, when they don't get enough nitrogen, the bottom leaves start turning yellow and dying. Left unchecked, a nitrogen deficiency can cause the whole plant to eventually turn yellow and die.
However, this time we're the dealing with the opposite problem: nitrogen toxicity, or too much nitrogen.
Why You Should Treat and Prevent Nitrogen Toxicity - Marijuana plants that get too much Nitrogen in the vegetative stage don't grow as vigorously.
- Too much nitrogen is especially harmful in the flowering stage, because this will cause your plant to produce much smaller buds.
- If you react quickly and reduce your nitrogen levels at the first sign of toxicity, your plant will quickly recover.
Note: Some strains with the word "Claw" in the name tend to do The Claw more easily
than others.
Problems with excess nitrogen are not common in the wild; it's a lot more common to see nitrogen toxicity on indoor plants, especially when overzealous growers go a little overboard with nutrients, or start with "hot" soil.
Occasionally you'll come across a strain or particular plant that likes lower levels of nutrients, and when this happens, it's important
to realize the plant is showing signs of toxicity, even if all the other plants in your garden seem fine.
One of the most common signs off too-many-nutrients is "nutrient burn," or when the tips of your leaf appear brown or burned. Yet there are specific signals your plant will display when she's getting too much nitrogen...
How You Know You Have Nitrogen
Toxicity - Dark green leaves and foliage
- Leaf tips turn down, without signs of overwatering
- You may notice yellowing on the affected leaves or other signs of nutrient deficiencies as time goes on
- Nitrogen toxicity is often but not always accompanied by nutrient burn
- The Claw often seems random, affecting leaves here and there
- Heat and pH problems will make the clawing worse, as they stress out the plant and lower her defenses, and cause her to drink more water (and uptake more
N)
- As time goes on, the claw leaves will eventually start turning yellow, getting spots, and dying
Light and "The Claw" - The distance between the leaves to the lights or irregular light patterns from reflectors often seem to affect the condition, which is why many growers believe that light is somehow causing the problem.
- You may notice this clawing first appears on dark green leaves that aren't
getting enough light (they aren't able to use up all their nitrogen and become nitrogen toxic).
The Claw in the Flowering Stage - If you use vegetative plant nutrients during the flowering stage, then they'll deliver too much nitrogen. This is why you need to get special nutrients meant for the blooming / flowering stage. You'll notice that
flowering nutrients always contain a smaller percentage of nitrogen (the first number) compared to nutrients for the vegetative stage.
- Many growers mistakenly keep raising nutrient levels or adding additional nitrogen when they see yellow leaves in the flowering stage, not realizing that it's natural for plant leaves to start yellowing as harvest approaches. Adding too much nitrogen in the flowering stage can
cause nitrogen toxicity even when you can see yellow lower leaves. Nitrogen toxicity in flowering results in smaller yields and airy cannabis buds, so make sure to watch out!
Note: During the last few weeks before harvest, marijuana plants starts pulling all the remaining nitrogen from her leaves as part of
the bud-making process. This causes yellowing leaves starting towards the bottom of the plant. This is part of the natural flowering process and you don't need to fight it. You may notice that marijuana leaves are yellowing in almost all pictures of marijuana plants with big buds that are close to harvest. You tend to get smaller yields at harvest from nitrogen-toxic plants with dark green leaves.
It's Normal For Marijuana Leaves To Start Turning Yellow As Harvest Time Approaches, Don't Keep Adding More Nitrogen!
I know a lot of marijuana plant problems can look similar, but now that you're armed with the right information, you'll know exactly what to do if you see Nitrogen Toxicity affecting your marijuana
plants.
I hope that the information in today's article helps you as much as it would have helped me when I first started growing!
What Nutrients Do I Need
to Grow Cannabis? |
Do you need special fertilizer to grow weed? How do you choose good marijuana nutrients? Adding cannabis nutrients to your grow can help you get the best potency, yields and growth from your
plants. Cannabis plants have two stages of life and they need the right nutrients at the right time.
What special nutrients do I need to grow cannabis?
- Use a “Grow” (high N) nutrient formula for the vegetative stage (the first life stage for cannabis plants)
- Use a “Bloom” (low N) nutrient formula for the flowering stage (when buds are forming) - in a pinch, nutrients for cactus or succulents can be used until you get better nutrients because
they have similar nutrient ratios.
|
|
|
Note: Don’t use anything with time-released nutrients (like fertilizer spikes, or Miracle-Gro soil - they deliver too much N in the flowering stage).
Looking for suggestions?
|
"I just can't tell you enough how thankful I am to have found your site. The information is thorough, clear and encouraging. Very different from many other sites I have tried to find information on(and failed miserably). I (and my plants) thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge."
~ A.
Green |
Trophy Pictures of the Week! |
"Multiple strains including Train Wreck, Headband, Headband+afghani, Great Puff, Blue Dog, and Bubblelicious, 4 weeks into flowering. All grown in a 5'x5' grow tent under a 1000watt light.
All grown using coco coir as a medium and veg+bloom, cal-mag plus are my only additives. This
is my third grow, and by far the best looking one. I owe it all to you guys thank you so much for sharing your knowledge it is greatly appreciated."
-Otown |
We encourage you to forward this email to a friend in need!
Who Runs This
Newsletter? |
Nebula Haze:
Medical cannabis is important to me personally, and I'm dedicated to showing others how easy it is to grow their own supply of
cannabis at home.
It is my mission to educate and build growing resources to help both new and advanced growers get bigger, better yields with less time and money. |
|
Learn which seed sources are personally recommended by Nebula Haze |
Sirius Fourside:
Sirius Fourside is a hobbyist grower who has gained the bulk of his experience growing in water as a medium(deep water culture,
bubbleponics).
"Growing cannabis is a relaxing hobby in and of itself, but it also saves you money and keeps you from having to deal with shady characters. Cannabis is much
easier to grow than people give it credit for, and growing in water doesn't increase the difficulty much, if any. But whether you want to grow in water, coco, or a different medium, we'll show you how easy it can be!"
|
|
GrowWeedEasy.com has put together a hand-picked list of all the available SEED BANKS including what type of payment they
accept and where they ship in the world!
View complete list of trusted seed sources:
http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
Why not start your grow with quality genetics from an award-winning
strain? Or choose a strain that suits your growing style and personal needs. Still not sure? We recommend Nirvana. They've been breeding award-winning strains for decades
and offer some of the most reliable stealth shipping in the industry. In our complete seed sources list you'll discover... - Which Seed Sources are Fast, Safe and Reliable (list is updated regularly)
- Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Check Money Order, Paypal & even more secure payment options!
- Connoisseur, High-CBD & Medical Grade Strains Available
- Find Out Which Seed Sources Deliver to YOU!
Get Seeds!
|
Copyright (c) 2015 GrowWeedEasy.com NOTE: If links aren't working or if pictures are not showing up properly, please view the full newsletter here: http://archive.aweber.com/gwe-updates
Disclaimer: Grow Weed Easy only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know
and trust. For doing so, we may receive a commission.
Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized Financial, Legal, Medical or any other kind of Advice. The contributors to this magazine grow legally under their local laws. If you cannot legally grow where you live, we DO NOT recommend that you start growing marijuana, as you can be arrested, put in prison, or
worse! Any decision to grow marijuana should only be made after consulting with an experienced lawyer or other legal adviser. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular
investment or legal situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Financial or Legal Advice. Any investments and steps recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your lawyer or other legal or investment adviser. Nothing in this e-mail should be considered personalized
Health Care or Medical Advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed health care professionals. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized Health Care Advice. Any Health Care recommended in this letter should be made only after consulting with your Doctor and licensed Health Care Adviser. How Did I Sign Up For This Newsletter?
Our records indicate that requested to be added to the GrowWeedEasy.com weekly newsletter at .
Date:
To unsubscribe: |
|
