Leaves turning yellow, dying from the bottom up (pix included)

Hi,

This is my first grow... I've done a lot of reading on the subject before I jumped in, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what is going on here.

My 6 week old plant seems to have leaves turning yellow, then dying from the bottom up. The Ph seems to range from 6 to 6.5 when I test, so I do not think it's that. I'm not overdoing it with nutrients. I water every 4 to 7 days, depending on how quickly the dirt dries out.

Is this something that is natural? Something to be concerned about?

The first picture shows the plant in general, the second shows the leaves on the bottom turning yellow.

i wouldnt be too concerned, the plant is looking well. i would put it down to nutrient strength. try just plain water for a feed or two to flush out any build up of salts etc. either that or possible slight heat stress?

im not the most experienced but thought id give an opinion seen as though no one has contributed yet.

apart from the slight burn its a nice plant. good work!!

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't sure if that was a common thing or not, so you've put my mind to rest.

Also, thanks for giving me the tip on the burn. I wasn't sure what was causing that (or if it was burn). I have since moved my light source higher. Out of curiosity, how much space do you usually allow for between the plant and the bulb? I had it at 2 to 3", but the burn seems to point out that it's too close.

Cheers.

Well hate to say this but bashman isn't right. It's not burn, you have a low nitrogen condition in your soil. In times like this I usually recommend people use Dynagro 7-9-5 as it is a complete fert, having the calcium and magnesium needed, along with the other nutes. It's kind of pricey as you get a rather big bottle for just one or two plants, but the good news is it will solve you fertilizer issues. Just follow the instructions on the back where you use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of fert in a gallon of water. I'd probably go with 1/2 tsp as it looks like your plant needs a shot of nitrogen. The yellow on the lower leaves indicate that your problem is too little nitrogen in the soil, not too much. Just be careful how much fert you use in the future as you can easily overdo it. The leaf tip burn that bashman mentions isn't from the light. It's caused by an over-fert condition but as I mention, this isn't your problem. Flushing the soil will only make things worse. Give some dynagro fert from your local hydro shop and you'll see the plant green up in a couple of days.

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Originally Posted by elimuir

Also, thanks for giving me the tip on the burn.

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I think bashmans was referring to the nute burn (the brown tips on the end of the leaves) this is caused by your feed being a little bit too strong. Heat stress will show as a "lip" forming on the edge of the leaves.

You ask what height to put your light at but you don't mention what kind of light. I am assuming it is CFL, if you want some decent answers, provide some better information.

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

Well hate to say this but bashman isn't right. It's not burn, you have a low nitrogen condition in your soil. In times like this I usually recommend people use Dynagro 7-9-5 as it is a complete fert, having the calcium and magnesium needed, along with the other nutes. It's kind of pricey as you get a rather big bottle for just one or two plants, but the good news is it will solve you fertilizer issues. Just follow the instructions on the back where you use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of fert in a gallon of water. I'd probably go with 1/2 tsp as it looks like your plant needs a shot of nitrogen. The yellow on the lower leaves indicate that your problem is too little nitrogen in the soil, not too much. Just be careful how much fert you use in the future as you can easily overdo it. The leaf tip burn that bashman mentions isn't from the light. It's caused by an over-fert condition but as I mention, this isn't your problem. Flushing the soil will only make things worse. Give some dynagro fert from your local hydro shop and you'll see the plant green up in a couple of days.

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Thanks for the suggestion. I picked some up today... we'll see how it goes.

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Originally Posted by PhatJay

I think bashmans was referring to the nute burn (the brown tips on the end of the leaves) this is caused by your feed being a little bit too strong. Heat stress will show as a "lip" forming on the edge of the leaves.

You ask what height to put your light at but you don't mention what kind of light. I am assuming it is CFL, if you want some decent answers, provide some better information.

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Yes, CLFs. I didn't know there was different heights for different bulbs.

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Originally Posted by elimuir

Yes, CLFs. I didn't know there was different heights for different bulbs.

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During veg/flower for best results you should aim for 2-4" in my experience. A lot will depend on how good the airflow and extraction is within your setup and what size bulbs you are using. If you see a lip forming on the edge of your leaves they are getting a little too warm. If you do try and keep your lights really close, be extra careful during first 2 weeks of flower when the plants are stretching, you will find yourself having to adjust your lights every 1 or 2 days.

Leaf tip burn isn't usually caused by heat. It's too much nitrogen. The yellowing that shows on the upper leaves is mimics overfert but it's actually the same yellowing that is down below. In time, the rest of the leaves will turn yellow. If the leaf tips turn yellow, then brown, that's overfert. Let us know what happens after some dynagrow.

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Originally Posted by PhatJay

During veg/flower for best results you should aim for 2-4" in my experience. A lot will depend on how good the airflow and extraction is within your setup and what size bulbs you are using. If you see a lip forming on the edge of your leaves they are getting a little too warm. If you do try and keep your lights really close, be extra careful during first 2 weeks of flower when the plants are stretching, you will find yourself having to adjust your lights every 1 or 2 days.

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Thanks for your input. I was trying to stay to the 2" rule but got a little worried with the leaf tip browning, which I then moved them to about 4", but seeing that is most likely a fert issue I've gone back to 2". Thanks mate.

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

Leaf tip burn isn't usually caused by heat. It's too much nitrogen. The yellowing that shows on the upper leaves is mimics overfert but it's actually the same yellowing that is down below. In time, the rest of the leaves will turn yellow. If the leaf tips turn yellow, then brown, that's overfert. Let us know what happens after some dynagrow.

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So I whipped up a gallon of Dynagrow, watered on Friday, and the plant looks great today. Actually, the leaves look a nice dark green. I don't think I've seen the plant look this healthy before.

From your experience, how often do you do a dynagrow infused water vs. just water? I don't want to over do it with the dynagrow. Thank you so much for your help.

You're right, you don't want to overdo it. Alot of people do. It's easier to add more fert than to wash out too much once it's in your soil. As to how often to fert, it's up to you. I don't recommend that you use the fert with every watering. And don't water too much as you should let the soil dry out some. Roots need oxygen and the only way they get is by allowing the air to get into the soil, and the only way that happens is to let soil dry out some. Water in soil can't coexist with air as water always pushes air out of the soil. What plants have become used to is a wet-dry cycle which is the way nature handles things. What you're really trying to do with an indoor grow is create conditions that are like that of nature. dynagrow is a synthetic, fast-acting fert and not much is needed to make a big difference in your grow. There are a ton of ferts in the local grow shop but you only really need one provided it has all the nutes plants need to grow. dynagrow actually has two ferts - one for grow or veg, and the other for flowering. When it comes time to flower, it might be worth spending the money on the flowering fert. Just be carefull how much you use of it. Just give water in the last two weeks of life.

It's been a while. What's the story on your plant?

My white widow are in 6th week of flowering and they are turning yellow from the top down. I have read every where and all I can come up with has been when folks plants are turning yellow from the bottom up. What would cause an otherwise perfect plant to turn yellow from the top down? I have about a week and a half left for them to mature I think. Nirvana said 6-8 weeks. Thanks for any help and I hope I am not hi jacking this thread. Peace

Addendum to previous post. Sorry, /(.Y.)\ I am in soil 5 gal buckets, I use fresh fish tank water for feeding. I did use half strength tiger bloom on one feeding but it did not seem to help. Other than that it has all been organic. I mixed 1 bag garden soil, 25 lbs worm castings, 2 bags perilite (will use 3 next time), 1 bag vermiculite, 4 cups lime dust and first weeks veg i used worm tea mixed with fish tank water. They have been amazing up till yesterday really. I am at the end of their flowering stage and really do not want to give them any more nutes, just the fishtank water. Anyone got a better idea? Peace

Indica, just give water and let them die. Then harvest.

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

It's been a while. What's the story on your plant?

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Hey mate!

She just went into flowering last week. The Dynagro worked perfectly! The plant stopped turning yellow and the leaves looked SUPER dark green. I've switched to Dynagro Bloom for the remainder of the flowering period, so we'll see how it plays out.

Thank you so much for the help on this.

Mine has a similar issue, it started at the bottom with yellow appearing and slowly started having tips turn yello/blowna dn drying towards the middle of the plant now, and now my bottom leaves are turnung yellow at a alarming rate and then brownign and falling off. I was told It was a N Diffenency so I added Miracle grow and Now after reading this thread i think its over nute and I might have just made the issue worse... ANy ideas? Attachment 283207

You should read this too

http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-pro...-up-plant.html

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Originally Posted by colorlessworld

Mine has a similar issue, it started at the bottom with yellow appearing and slowly started having tips turn yello/blowna dn drying towards the middle of the plant now, and now my bottom leaves are turnung yellow at a alarming rate and then brownign and falling off. I was told It was a N Diffenency so I added Miracle grow and Now after reading this thread i think its over nute and I might have just made the issue worse... ANy ideas? Attachment 283207

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Nice plant you've got going! I'll let polishpollack provide some insight, but this looks a lot like what happened to mine. I would guess that it's a N deficiency. If that is the case, go with some Dynagro 7-9-5.

elimuir, just go easy on the fert whether bloom or not, follow the directions on the back, just be careful not to overdo it. remember it's easier to add more fert than to remove too much. people can be very eager to grow their plants but all things in their time, eh?

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

elimuir, just go easy on the fert whether bloom or not, follow the directions on the back, just be careful not to overdo it. remember it's easier to add more fert than to remove too much. people can be very eager to grow their plants but all things in their time, eh?

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We did! WE mixed accordingly and of course the already damaged one fell off sadly, but we had another big fan that was starting to yellow but it has stopped from what i can tell, and it seems okay. The other plant has red stems on all of its leafs so i added some nutes to it too. I'll post some photos to show improvement tomorrow!

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

elimuir, just go easy on the fert whether bloom or not, follow the directions on the back, just be careful not to overdo it. remember it's easier to add more fert than to remove too much. people can be very eager to grow their plants but all things in their time, eh?

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I followed as best as I could and the Yellow/ brown leaf fell off late last night but that was pretty much expected. I had another fan turning yellow near the middle but the yellowing has stopped so I think the chemicals are doing their thing! Just one more question, I have another plant, different strand, that has reddish stems, is that normal? I added the nutrients to it too just for a boost but haven't seen any change.

Attachment 283220 The one of the left was the one with the yellowing leafs The one on the right is the one with the red stems and i got a close up of it for ya

Attachment 283221

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

elimuir, just go easy on the fert whether bloom or not, follow the directions on the back, just be careful not to overdo it. remember it's easier to add more fert than to remove too much. people can be very eager to grow their plants but all things in their time, eh?

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Thanks polishpollack.

Here is a question for you regarding the flowering process: What physical changes should one expect once the plant goes into flowering?

Today marks 7 days into 12/12 for the light/dark cycle. What should I be looking for on the plant in terms of buds showing up? What are the first 'signs' of the change?

Cheers!

It's been a week since you typed this post, so you're probably seeing those changes you're asking about. White hairs develop and buds form, and that's about it. The plant should become very smelly so I hope you're in a place where you can have that kind of stink around. I had one in a shed and some neighborhood girls came over. They were about ten feet outside the shed and they were asking what stunk so bad. Pretty funny. As weeks go by, the plant will die naturally by turning yellow. As you get into harvest time don't give any more fert for the last couple of weeks. Just let it die. You do this when the plant is big enough but it's not something you can control. The plant will die with or without fert. Don't give fert in the last two weeks because you'll end up consuming it along with the plant. The plant will continue to grow in flower too. You might consider translanting to a bigger container. 5 gallon buckets (20 liters) usually are enough space for an indoor growth life span.
As for colorless world's reddish stems - don't worry about those.

Hey! Well, yep, starting to see the changes. The hairs are starting to develop... when I asked the question I was worried that the plant was going to go hermie as the pre-flowers started showing up and looked odd, but they were actually females. I figure that I have another 4 to 6 weeks of flowering but I'm not sure yet. Thank you for all of the help!

How's the grow now?

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

How's the grow now?

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Thanks for checking in. I'll give you an update later today.

Make sure you have a small fan knocking the plant around some, not too much, but enough to keep air moving and force the plant's trunk to strengthen. It will continue to grow in flowering. Go easy on the fert, unless you know for sure that it needs a little more to solve a deficiency. It doesn't take much of dynagrow to work good, especially in soil. By the way, I've been meaning to ask what country are you in? I'm curious about where that fert is being sold. Alot of people want to use fancy ferts but if you don't know how to use that stuff you just end up killing your plants.

got an update yet?

hi havin same kinda problems with my grow wonder if someone could help by checking out my thread thanks

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Originally Posted by polishpollack

Leaf tip burn isn't usually caused by heat. It's too much nitrogen. The yellowing that shows on the upper leaves is mimics overfert but it's actually the same yellowing that is down below. In time, the rest of the leaves will turn yellow. If the leaf tips turn yellow, then brown, that's overfert. Let us know what happens after some dynagrow.

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Yo polishpollack; have you ever used cal meg for the calcium problem?

Attachment 286743Attachment 286744Attachment 286745Attachment 286746

Also having an issue with leaves turning yellow. These are about 3 weeks old. I am waterting every 4 or 5 days. They are located in a growing closet, with a fan and 180 watt LED grow light, which is about 6" above the plants. I applied a water soluable 20-20-20 plant food a week ago per manufacturer's direction.

Any ideas?

As polishpollack said , you have a nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium deficiency 25% likely A nitrogen deficency results in pale plants, red stems and stunted growth. Rapid yellowing of leafs running up the plant is another sign. and magnesium is another big one lower leaves turn yellow and may turn white while veins remain dark green. Blades die and curl upwards. add some nutes to solve. plants should recover within a week.

Personally don't think there's anything wrong with the OPs girls.

Leaves aren't meant to stay green through th flowering cycle, if you have all green fan leaves all through flowering then you're clearly feeding them too much, you want the fan leaves to turn yellow and fall off during the flowering phase.

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Originally Posted by Thoth

Personally don't think there's anything wrong with the OPs girls.

Leaves aren't meant to stay green through th flowering cycle, if you have all green fan leaves all through flowering then you're clearly feeding them too much, you want the fan leaves to turn yellow and fall off during the flowering phase.

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Quick question, do you pick the yellow leaves or leave it until it falls off by it self?

Next time you grow add worm castings about some 6 or more hanfulls of worm castings to a 3galons of soil. Worm castings can solve many problems, It stabilize the nutrients in soils, and worm castings by them selves is a light nutrient, Marijuana plant takes all nutrients from it pretty fast, that's why you has to add much of it, but don't overdose. Most of worm castings ph is 8, but that ain't so bad, if soils ph is 6. This year I grow outdoor again, and to a fev buckets I added the worm castings, those plants are healthy, green, not any problem, even the old leafs, that has to die is half dead, but still green (except Powdery Mildew <-it causes the heat and high humidity, but that ain't that bad, cause I'ill put those plants in H2O2 right before trimming) Other plants, that hasn't those worm shit, now is in a poor condition, most of the leafs are yellow, rest of the leafs are light green. To a plants I add a rain water with organic nutrients ( rain water was clean), so I guess the worm castings has pretty much nitrogen too.