The most common problems in cultivation - care

The most common problems in cultivation - care

In a previous article, we introduced you to some of the most common problems that can occur when growing cannabis. However, you could only read about the problems related to nutrients , whether they are deficient or excess.

But what about care? We all know that insufficient watering or fertilization is harmful to the plant. But what if we are facing the opposite situation, namely excessive care of plants? Is such anxious care okay or not? We will look at this very topic in today's article…

We will talk about some of the most common problems in growing medicinal cannabis:

root rot | bad dressing | light stress | excess nutrients

1. Root rot

Root rot - without exaggeration one of the worst nightmares of every grower . In the worst cases, it leads to the complete death of plants . Rot begins to develop on the basis of excessive moisture, ie due to disproportionate or too frequent watering . In addition , the roots lose access to oxygen . We can literally say that it is drowning .

Root rot can be identified relatively easily . Due to suitable conditions, a large number of harmful bacteria grow in the root system . These bacteria cause root decomposition and an unpleasant odor . So just sniff the substrate, or the bottom of the pot, and you know immediately if the rot has affected your plant.

Another indicator is the color of the roots , which should ideally be white or creamy. However, the rot turns the roots yellow, and eventually typically brown shades. At this point, the roots are practically dead. In addition, root rot can be identified by yellowing and falling leaves .

In general, a higher risk of root rot occurs with hydroponic cultivation . However, this damage to the roots often causes wrinkles even for novice growers , who give the plants too much watering in good faith. But remember: Less is more.

Healthy cannabis roots are white or cream in color

Solution of rot

First of all, it is worth saying that rot is in many cases fatal and will irreversibly damage the cannabis plant . Thanks to experience and caution, however , it is possible to stop it, at least in cases where it is caught in time . However, it's not really easy. In certain situations, when the root system is so affected that cannabis is just wilting and gradually dying, new planting is a more appropriate solution.

However, if you decide to save, there are two basic methods of treatment:

  1. Primarily stop the death of other roots and provide hemp with a new growing medium , either a substrate or a solution for hydroponic cultivation. Only then can you expect the plant to regenerate and new roots to grow. Please note, however, that this process is very slow and requires a great deal of patience . But in the end, it can pay off.

  2. A suitable prevention of root rot is treatment with a peroxide solution . As a rule, it is sufficient to mix 1 cup of 3% common hydrogen peroxide with approximately 1 liter of the best filtered water. Topping with enriched with this solution, can effectively fight bacteria causing rot , and also prevents their multiplication. However, we definitely do not recommend doing this repeatedly, as peroxide can destroy even good bacteria important for further development . Thus, supplementing "good" bacteria, which will restore balance to the soil, can be a good choice.

How to prevent root rot?

  • grow in sterile substrate

  • keep your hands clean and take care of the overall hygiene of the environment when planting and any other care

  • hydroponic cultivation requires more frequent change of growing medium and oxygenation of water (for example by inserting porous stones)

  • watch out for hot water

  • watering only with water at room temperature = approx. 20-22 ° C

2. Insufficient watering vs. overflow

  • Symptoms: We probably don't have to introduce any of the variants of this problem for a long time. You can easily recognize the lack of moisture at first sight. Not only the leaves but also the branches of the plant are withered and lifeless. At some points, insufficient watering resembles excessive watering. The common feature is the fading of the leaves. However, overflowing is significantly more dangerous for plants. The stem often twists, which can be quite a sign of the final yield . Yellowing of the leaves, also called " chlorosis ", begins to manifest itself in the next stage, when the nature of the plant is overlooked. A major problem may arise at this point. More and more water accumulates in the roots, with oxygen being the bare minimum. However, oxygen is absolutely essential for the growth and prosperity of the plant.

  • Solution: Insufficient watering has a logical solution. More water, more moisture to grow. A simple lesson is a small equation where the watering is equal to the weight of the dry substrate in which the plant is grown. In the growth phase, prefer sufficient dew to the place of watering. At this stage, the plant requires the most moisture, usually up to 65%. You can also recognize the overflow very easily. Squeeze the substrate with your fingers - if it doesn't leak a lot of water, everything is fine. Ideally, the soil should really only be moist, not wet, and not muddy at all! If your plant is "overflowing", simply skip the watering until everything is fine again. When it comes to watering, it is always better to pay attention to regular but light watering, which can be adapted to the current requirements of the plant if necessary.

Especially in the growth phase, we recommend growing cannabis rather than just pouring it directly into the substrate

3. Burning with nutrients

  • Symptoms: A characteristic feature of plant burning when there is an excess of nutrients in the soil are colored spots occurring mainly at the edges and ends of the leaves. The color of these spots ranges from deep yellow to very dark brown . In addition to color changes, the leaves can also twist quite significantly .

  • Solution: As a rule, this problem is easier to solve in hydroponic cultivation, where it is simply enough to "just" change the growing medium. The new hydroponics fluid should be enriched with optimal amounts of nutrients. However, it must be said that regeneration is not a matter of time. On the contrary. Plants need enough time to recover from such considerable damage. The general recommendation is to be careful when fertilizing . It is always much easier to solve the problem of nutrient deficiencies than the excess, which very often severely damages plants.

4. Light stress

  • Symptoms: Stress can be caused by many external factors in plants, but most often it is light stress caused by excessive lighting of cannabis plants . This is usually not just a large amount of light, but also a disproportionate amount of heat to which cannabis is exposed due to illumination. Fortunately, this problem is relatively easy to spot. Light stress is manifested mainly on the leaves and their color. The leaves turn yellow, sometimes even brown. A direct ratio applies - that is, the closer the given part of the plant is placed to the light source, the more intense the color changes.

  • Solution: A very simple solution is offered, namely to adjust the distance of the light source from the plants . It is also advisable to check the temperature . The temperature can be checked by a simple test. Just place your palm over the top of the plant - if you feel too hot, you really need to ensure a new sufficient distance between the plants and the light .