What Makes Cannabis Plants Grow Smooth Leaves? Re-vegging.

What does it mean to accidentally “re-veg” a cannabis plant? “Re-veg” is short for “re-vegetation” and refers to what happens if a plant that has started flowering re-enters the vegetative stage. The majority of cannabis plants are photoperiod strains, which need long nights in order to make flowers/buds (indoor growers typically give 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness a day). If the plant starts getting light during its night time it responds by re-vegging.

Sometimes even just a little light like a blinking LED in your grow tent, or checking on plants during lights-off is all it takes to interrupt your plant’s beauty sleep. For outdoor growers, the light from a street lamp or window can be the culprit.

Re-vegging happens when flowering plants get light during their 12-hour dark period. A few interrupted nights or even a small light leak can start a re-veg!

Re-vegging cannabis plants show odd leaf symptoms such as:

• smooth leaf edges
• buds stop developing
• long leaves or new stems grow out of bud sites
• main stem sprouts 1-point leaves (just one “finger” per leaf instead of the typical 7 or 9 for adult cannabis leaves)
• curling leaves (may look like heat stress)
• wrinkled, twisted, or unusual growth

This plant was put outside too early in the Spring season, which caused it to start flowering due to the short nights. As Spring progressed the nights grew shorter and it began revegging, growing these oddly smooth leaves directly out of the center stem.

Unusual single-point leaves started growing out of the developing buds of this plant in the middle of the flowering stage. The grower didn’t realize that turning the light on for a few moments during the dark period could cause a problem. If the plant is getting light at night, it only takes a few days to “flip the switch” and initiate the re-vegging process!

Some revegging symptoms include wrinkling, curling, or twisted leaves. These symptoms may be confused for watering, heat problems, or even broad mites, when they’re actually a sign the plant is going through major internal changes. Notice the wrinkled leaves in this picture are more smooth around the edges than typical leaves. That’s a key sign this plant is re-vegging.

This plant was already flowering indoors, but when it was brought outside in the spring, the short nights caused it to start re-vegging almost immediately.

These clones were recently taken from a flowering plant and have started re-vegging, causing odd growth and some smooth-edged leaves. Like many of the other cases of re-vegging, you can also see several single-point leaves among the new growth.

This outdoor cannabis plant started re-vegging, resulting in odd, twisted growth as well as smooth single-point leaves with long stems. It started revegging because it was growing near a window in the house that was shining light on the plant.

This plant was given a 12/12 light schedule after germination and buds (white hairs) started to form. The grower realized he wanted a bigger plant so he switched to a 20/4 light schedule so the plant would re-veg. Buds stopped developing and single-point leaves started growing out of the buds. Although you can still see a few white hairs, it is almost fully back into the vegetative stage at this point.

The leaves of a re-vegging plant may look different depending on the environment and particular strain. Ultimately, you know it’s the symptoms of re-vegging when the leaves appear more smooth than typical leaves. There really aren’t any other cannabis problems that cause that particular symptom.

Each cannabis plant expresses re-vegging a little differently!

Sometimes marijuana growers choose to re-veg their plants purposely, for example monstercropping (taking a marijuana clone from a plant in the flowering phase in order to change the clone’s initial growth patterns) or to harvest a plant for a second time (put it back into the vegetative stage and grow the whole plant out again after harvest, sometimes used by outdoor growers in warm climates to get a second harvest in a year).

Unfortunately, most of the time a grower sees the tell-tale leaves of a re-vegging plant, it’s an unwelcome sight!

What to Do About Accidental Re-Vegging

When a plant is revegging, you basically only have two choices.

1. Let it re-vegetate completely if you actually want the plant to be in the vegetative stage, or…
2. Correct the light periods by getting rid of any possible light leaks and giving plants 12 hours of interrupted darkness a day (to get them to go back into the flowering stage).

Plants that are far in the flowering stage can take a month or more to re-veg, while a plant that has only just started flowering re-vegs much faster. That goes both ways. If a plant has been re-vegging for a long time, it may take a few weeks to get the plant back to flowering and developing buds.

Luckily, a little time and proper care will get your plant growing normally again!

This cutting was taken off a flowering marijuana plant and put in a cloning device so it would re-develop roots and grow into a new plant. After a few days of growing, it started producing the typical rounded leaves of a re-veg.

About two weeks later, the plant is growing (mostly) normal leaves. Cannabis plants tend to grow a lot of stems and get bushy immediately after a re-veg, which can be seen heree. Although the growth patterns were odd at first, from this point on, the plant usually has relatively typical growing patterns.

Re-vegging cannabis pictures by Don B

If you see your cannabis plant re-vegging, don’t panic! Figure out whether you want your plant to be in the vegetative or flowering stage and act accordingly. A little time is all it takes after that to get your plant in tip-top shape again.

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Cannabis Copper Deficiency Symptoms

• Leaves turn dark with blue or purple undertones
• Tips and edges of leaves turn bright yellow or white
• Shiny or metallic sheen on leaves
• Leaves may feel stiff and start turning under
• Tends to affect leaves directly under the light
• Buds do not ripen, or grow very slowly

The pale tips of a cannabis copper deficiency look a little different from nutrient burn, which may start out with slighly yellow tips, but soon makes tips appear brown or burnt.

This is what the yellow leaf tips of a cannabis copper deficiency looks like. The most telling feature of a copper deficiency is that the rest of the leaf darkens and takes on a blue or purple cast which makes the yellow tips look bright in comparison. The leaves also often appear shiny and may feel stiff.

Some strains are prone to copper deficiencies in the flowering stage, which can create dark purple or reddish hues in the leaves directly under the lights. The following picture shows a Blue Widow plant where all the leaves under the light turned purple due to too-bright light and incorrect pH triggering a copper deficiency.

A cannabis copper deficiency tends to affect the leaves directly under the light. If your grow light is close it may help to move lights a little further away.

A big problem with a major copper deficiency if it happens early in the flowering stage, is the affected leaves are not good at photosynthesis and won’t provide nearly as much energy for the buds as they would if they were green. It’s important to keep leaves near the buds healthy during the majority of the flowering stage to help ensure you get the best yields possible. While it’s normal for leaves to start dying in the last week or two before harvest, you should react quickly if you’re seeing unhealthy leaves earlier than that!

It is very unlikely that there is no copper available in your water or soil, so usually a copper deficiency in cannabis is caused by a pH problem at the roots that is restricting access to nutrients.

Copper toxicity (too much copper) in cannabis plants is rare, though a severe case of too much copper can cause a quick death to the plant.

Solution For Cannabis Copper Deficiency

1.) Adjust pH to Correct Range

The most common reason growers will see copper marijuana deficiencies is when the pH at the roots is not in the correct range. Copper tends to get locked at certain pH levels, and is better absorbed by the plant in a slightly acidic root environment.

If you suspect your growing cannabis plant has a copper deficiency due to incorrect pH, flush your system with clean, pH’d water that contains a regular dose of cannabis-friendly nutrients. This will remove any nutrient salts that may be affected the uptake of copper and help restore pH to the proper levels..

Watch to make sure that the problem starts to clear up within a couple of days. Old growth may not recover, but new growth should be healthy.

• In soil, copper is best absorbed by the roots in the 6.0 – 7.0 pH range
• In hydro, copper is best absorbed by the roots in the 5.5 – 6.5 pH range

Learn how to manage your pH for growing cannabis.

2.) Give the Right Nutrients

The truth is, most cannabis growers don’t need to add more copper in response to a copper deficiency!

In fact, most growers have actually already given plenty of copper to their cannabis plants since it is found abundantly in most tap water. If you’re using quality soil or cannabis-friendly nutrients, you probably don’t need to worry about adding more copper. In general, copper deficiencies are more likely to appear when a grower is using heavily filtered or reverse osmisis (RO) water to feed plants since any copper has been removed, but pH is a much more common reason growers see copper deficiencies in their cannabis plants.

3.) Take Good Care of the Roots

Copper deficiencies can show up with the plant is having root problems or if the plant is overwatered, even if the pH is right and the copper is there. Proper watering practices help plants grow healthy and avoid a host of problems!

4.) Watch for Leaf Recovery

After going through all the above steps, watch to make sure that the copper deficiency starts to clear up within a few days to a week or so. The damaged leaves may not completely recover all their green, but you know you’re in the clear when you stop seeing symptoms appearing on new leaves.

If you cannot get rid of a cannabis copper deficiency, please consult our 7-Step Cure to 99% of Cannabis Growing Problems with chart!

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Leaves that turn into claws often start turning yellow and dying if the nitrogen toxicity is not treated, much like a nitrogen deficiency, only the leaves will continue to get more and more clawed. Leaves eventually turn yellow or brown and fall off. You can tell if yellowing is caused by too much nitrogen because the rest of the plant will be dark green, and the yellowing leaves will turn into claws first.

The majority of times that growers encounter problems with nitrogen, it’s from giving too much of it to their plants.

Many new growers accidentally give their plants give too much Nitrogen, especially in the flowering stage. This results in dark, shiny, clawing leaves.

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Your plant needs a lot of nitrogen in the vegetative stage, and it’s generally hard to give too much as long as you’re not going completely overboard with nutrients. Nitrogen is a big part of what makes leaves green, and is incredibly important to the process of photosynthesis (making energy from light).

But cannabis plants need relatively low levels of Nitrogen in the second half of the flowering/budding stage. While your plants still need N (nitrogen) during flowering, too much N at this stage will prevent your plants from forming buds properly, resulting in lower yields, less potency and possibly inferior buds.

This is why it’s important to avoid any type of “time-release” nutrients or soil (for example, standard Miracle-Gro soil) as they will keep giving your plant a lot of N even after its started flowering.

When it comes to nitrogen, this is what your plant needs:

Vegetative Stage – higher levels of Nitrogen (pretty much any plant food will do)

Most complete plant foods that you get at a gardening store contain high levels of nitrogen (N). These nutrient systems tend to work well in the vegetative stage.

Some examples of cannabis-friendly one-part Vegetative nutrient systems…

• Dyna-Gro “Foliage Pro”

• General Hydroponics “FloraNova Grow”

• Pretty much any complete plant food

Flowering Stage – lower levels of Nitrogen (use “Bloom” or Cactus nutrients)

It’s extra important to find a nutrient system with lower levels of nitrogen for the last part of your plant’s life. Many “Bloom” or “Flowering” style base nutrients are just the ticket.

Some examples of good one-part Flowering nutrient systems…

• Dyna-Gro “Bloom”

• General Hydroponics “FloraNova Bloom”

• If you can’t order online and can’t find a good one-part base Bloom formula locally, you do have other choices. Though not an ideal choice, most Cactus plant foods will contain good nutrient ratios for growing cannabis during the budding stage. So in a pinch, you can use the cactus nutrients that can be found at most gardening stores.

Different strains react differently to nitrogen toxicity. Some plants get dark green leaves with no clawing. Some strains will get leaves that do the weird 90 degree bend at the tips, while other strains or individual plants start curling like claws and then turn yellow / brown and fall off like a deficiency. Yet these are all signs of too much nitrogen.

Signs of Nitrogen Toxicity

• Dark green leaves and foliage
• Leaf tips may 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

This cannabis seedling is dark because it was underwatered in a “hot” soil mix (too much Nitrogen), but after watering the plant as normal for a week or two, the plant started growing vigorously

Solution: Reduce the Nitrogen your plant is getting!

Reduce the amount of nitrogen that is being fed to the plants. If you are feeding extra nutrients, cut down that amount. If you are in the flowering / budding stage, make sure you’re using a formula that’s specifically meant for flowering, or else it could have too much nitrogen.

If you are not feeding extra nutrients, you may have “hot” soil that has been giving your plants extra nutrients. In that case, flush your plants with filtered, pH’ed water to help clear out the extra nitrogen.

Effected leaves likely won’t recover, but you should see the problem halt with no new leaves being affected.

Wait! I’m not sure if it’s Nitrogen toxicity!

The post Nitrogen Toxicity appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Sometimes accompanied by a Calcium deficiency, as Phosphorus and Calcium interact with each other in the plant.

A cannabis phosphorus deficiency usually appears with some or all of the following symptoms:

• tends to affect the lower and older leaves of the plant
• sometimes a phosphorus deficiency is accompanied by bright red stems (though not always), though if you have red stems but no other symptoms, it’s typically not something to worry about
• leaves darken (turning a dark green, blue or grayish color) and may appear shiny
• leaves may start turning yellow in places if the phosphorus deficiency is left untreated, or if the deficiency is combined with other nutrients deficiencies and/or pH problems. However, yellow leaves is typically not associated with the beginning of a phosphorus deficiency.
• leaves get bronze, purple or brown spots and splotches
• leaves thicken and may feel dry or stiff
• stems sometimes turn bright red or purple, but not always
• sometimes accompanied by a Calcium deficiency, as Phosphorus and Calcium interact with each other inside the plant
• this deficiency is more common after buds start forming, when the plant is using a lot of Phosphorus

Phosphorus deficiencies in the vegetative stage usually appear at the bottom of the plant on some of the oldest leaves, and will progressively climb up the plant if left unchecked.

The progression of a cannabis phosphorus deficiency

A phosphorus deficiency tends to be more common after plants start making buds in the flowering stage. Cannabis plants tend to love phosphorus in the flowering/budding stage and it is unlikely for a cannabis plant to get too much phosphorus using standard nutrients formulated for a flowering plant like cannabis. Nearly all flowering nutrients will come with an abundance of phosphorus for your plants. So if you’re seeing a cannabis phosphorus deficiency while using standard cannabis nutrients, chances are you actually have a root pH problem (explained below in the solution section)!

Phosphorus (P) is used by your cannabis plant in all phases of growth. It is one of the 3 major nutrients (N-P-K) listed on the front of most nutrient bottles, and phosphorus will be represented by the second number that appears.

When there is a phosphorus deficiency, the lower (oldest) leaves turn dark green. Leaves occasionally get a bluish or bronze tinge, and may thicken or curl downward before exhibiting dark gray, bronze or purplish splotches. Sometimes the stems of the affected leaves will turn bright red or purplish, usually starting from underneath.

It’s common to see a Phosphorus deficiency accompanied by the symptoms of a Calcium deficiency, as those nutrients interact with each other in the plant.

Sometimes you will get a cannabis phosphorus deficiency, and the stems do not appear red or purple at all, or the coloring may not be pronounced.

The leaf below was at the bottom of the plant and turned dark green and shiny, with a bluish tinge. Cannabis phosphorus deficiencies usually appear on the lower/older parts of the plant. The leaf then started showing the spots of a phosphorus deficiency where it was being touched by light (the parts of the leaf working hardest). The leaf began to curl downwards and turn yellow.

Notice that the stems or veins never turned red or purple on this leaf, except for some parts that were actually affected by the phosphorus deficiency.

A common symptom of a cannabis phosphorus deficiency is bright red or purple stems, though it doesn’t appear on all affected plants. Red stems can also be caused by direct light exposure (like a “tan”)

Another example of bright red stems that may be the result of a Phosphorus deficiency, or possibly direct light exposure.

It’s important to remember that some cannabis strains naturally grow with red or purple stems even when all their nutrient needs are being fulfilled, so red or purple stems is not a symptom to worry about on its own.

Do not mistake natural reddish-purple colored stems for a phosphorous deficiency!

When you notice that stems are turning red or purple starting from underneath, it may be a sign of a phosphorus deficiency only if accompanied by other symptoms. If the only symptom shown by your plant is red or purple stems, and you are not seeing any other signs of splotches or unhealthy leaves, the red or purple stems are likely caused by the genetics of your plant. If that’s the case, you have nothing to worry about.

Phosphorus is used heavily by cannabis plants in the flowering phase to produce buds, and is a crucial component of photosynthesis (turning light into energy for the plant).

Some strains of cannabis use much more phosphorus than others, or be more susceptible to a phosphorus deficiency, and you may have many plants in the exact same setup with only some of the plants showing signs of a phosphorus deficiency.

Solution For Cannabis Phosphorus Deficiency

1.) Adjust pH to Correct Range

Your cannabis plant may show signs of a phosphorus deficiency if the pH at the roots is not in the right range. That is because when the pH of your root zone is off, your cannabis cannot properly absorb phosphorus through its roots. Therefore the first step is to ensure that you have the correct pH for your growth medium. Learn more about pH and cannabis.

Phosphorus is best absorbed by cannabis in soil at a root pH of 6.2 – 7.0. Phosphorus is best absorbed by cannabis in hydro at a root pH of 5.5 – 6.2. If you believe you have a cannabis phosphorus deficiency, it’s important to check the pH of your root zone to make sure the deficiency isn’t caused by the pH being too high or too low.

If you suspect your growing cannabis plant has a phosphorus deficiency, flush your system with clean, pH’d water that contains a regular dose of cannabis-friendly nutrients that includes phosphorus. This will remove any nutrient salts that may be affected the uptake of phosphorus and help restore pH to the proper levels.

• In soil, phosphorus is best absorbed by the roots in the 6.2 – 7.0 pH range (in soil, it’s generally recommended to keep the pH between 6.0 – 7.0, but phosphorus specifically tends to be best absorbed above 6.2 and below 7.0)
• In hydro, phosphorus is best absorbed by the roots in the 5.5 – 6.2 pH range (in hydro, it’s generally recommended to keep the pH between 5.5 – 6.5, but phosphorus specifically tends to be best absorbed below 6.2)

2.) Take Good Care of the Roots

Wet, compact soil or overwatering can trigger a phosphorus deficiency to appear even when all other factors are perfect. So make sure you water your plants properly every time to help prevent a phosphorus deficiency.

3.) Provide the Right Temperature

Cooler temperatures lower than 60°F (15°C), as well as large temperature swings, can make it harder for the plant to absorb phosphorus. Cannabis plants are therefore more likely to show signs of a phosphorus deficiency when the temperature drops too low, or if they go through a cold spell.

Cannabis likes a comfortable room temperature (they like about the same temperatures as we do).

Read the cannabis temperature tutorial

4.) Give the Right Nutrients

Most growers have actually already given plenty of phophorus to their cannabis plants since it is found abundantly in quality soil and cannabis-friendly nutrients. However, even if you are giving phosphorus, it’s important to give your cannabis the right ratio of nutrients.

An excess of Fe and Zn may cause the symptoms of a phosphorus deficiency by preventing the plant from being able to absorb phosphorus properly. If you believe there may be a buildup of nutrient salts in your growing medium (or if you are growing in hydro and have not recently flushed or changed your reservoir) you should make sure it’s not an excess of other nutrients that is actually causing the phosphorus deficiency to appear. Flush your plant thoroughly with properly pH’ed water containing a regular dose of cannabis nutrients including phosphorus, or completely change your reservoir if you believe that an excess of nutrient salts may be causing the phosphorus deficiency.

Sources of phosphorus:

• Bat guano (phosphorus is readily available, especially if made into a teat)
• Bone or blood meal (takes quite a bit of time to break down in soil unless made into a tea first)
• Worm castings or worm tea
• Soft Rock Phosphate
• Fish meal
• Crabshell
• Most cannabis-friendly “bloom” or “flowering” nutrients contain high levels of phosphorus to aid in flower production, and phosphorus from a liquid nutrient is one of the most readily available forms of phosphorus you can provide to your cannabis plants

If you’ve tried everything else, then you may try adding a higher percentage of phosphorus to your feeding schedule and see if that helps clear up the problem for your plant. Cannabis plants love phosphorus, and therefore it is unlikely that you will give your cannabis too much phosphorus.

Most nutrient systems that are formulated for a plant like cannabis will carry and abundance of phosphorus, especially in budding/flowering formulas, so it is unlikely that you will see signs of a phosphorus deficiency before other nutrient problems when using nutrient systems formulated for cannabis (as long as you keep your root pH in the correct range and prevent the plants from getting cold or being overwatered). If you’ve got very high powered lights, or if your plants are growing in direct sunlight, they may be going through a lot more phosphorus in the flowering stage than average and may need you to provide extra phosphorus to make sure buds get as big as they could be.

Just remember that if there’s no actual phosphorus deficiency currently appearing on your cannabis plant, adding more phosphorus is probbaly not going to help plants grow better or make bigger buds – in fact adding too much phosphorus may actually hurt your plants by preventing the uptake of other nutrients! While it’s difficult to overdose your plants on phosphorus, adding too much compared to other nutrients will often cause other strange & unexpected deficiencies to appear.

5.) Take Good Care of the Roots

Phosphorus deficiencies can show up with the plant is having root problems or if the plant is overwatered, even if the pH is right and the phosphorus is there. Proper watering practices help plants grow healthy and avoid a host of problems!

6.) Watch for Recovery

After going through all the above steps, watch to make sure that the phosphorus deficiency starts to clear up within a few days to a week or so. After a phosphorus deficiency is cleared up, the problem (brown spots, unhealthy lower leaves, red/purple stems, etc) will stop appearing on new leaves, usually within a week.

Please note that leaves which have been damaged by a phosphorus deficiency will probably never recover or turn green, so you want to pay attention to other leaves for signs of recovery.

If you cannot get rid of your phosphorus deficiency, please consult our 7-Step Cure to 99% of Cannabis Growing Problems

The post Phosphorus Deficiency appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) on your cannabis plants are so tiny they are practically impossible to spot with the naked eye. They are about 1/3 the size of a spider mite, and therefore broad mites are even difficult to see under a microscope. Most growers notice the symptoms of broad mites on their cannabis plants long before they ever see a broad mite or broad mite eggs.

With broad mites, the new growth may be twisted, blistered and “wet” looking. If your marijuana plant is flowering, the buds may turn brown and die.

These cannabis broad mite damage pics were taken by Hosttrevor (thank you!)

Dark-colored broad mite under 100x magnification by David B. Langston (University of Georgia)

Broad Mite Symptoms:

• Bugs are so small they are difficult to see without magnification
• Under a microscope, you can see that they have 6 legs when young (as larvae), and 8 legs as adults
• Symptoms are often confused for heat stress, overwatering, a pH imbalance, or root problems
• New growth may be twisted or drooping
• Leaves may be, blistered or “wet” looking
• Leaves may be turned up at the edges
• Broad mites don’t attack all parts of the plant evenly; symptoms are worse in certain spots where the infestation is concentrated
• In the flowering stage, buds may become sickly and die

One of the main symptoms of broad mites on cannabis is that the newest growth is coming in twisted.

Edges may turn up as if the plant is suffering from heat stress, but with broad the leaves take on a glossy, almost plastic-like appearance. Eventually affected leaves turn yellow or bronze and die.

The main way to spot an infestation is the damage they leave behind because usually the mites themselves are too small to see. They like to hang out inside inside your plants, where they can live and lay eggs without you seeing them.

Some broad mites appear white or yellow colored. Picture by Bruce Watt from the University of Maine.

Sometimes the symptoms can be confused for tobacco mosaic virus. Leaf symptoms from broad mites are also commonly misdiagnosed as overwatering, a nutrient deficiency or heat damage.

One of the biggest reasons broad mites can be so difficult to diagnose is you rarely see any signs of bugs, and you don’t see bites on the leaves. For many people, they don’t even realize a bug infestation is happening.

Sometimes top leaves droop. In this pic you can see that part of the droopy leaves are getting that blistered, wet appearance from broad mites.

The following marijuana plant has been treated for broad mites and is starting to recover. You can see the newest growth looks matte and healthy, while the damaged leaves from before still look glossy and blistered.

It’s great if your plant is starting to look healthy again, but even if your plant appears to be recovering, don’t stop on weekly treatments for at least a few weeks. The broad mites could still be there waiting to take over the plant again! They are the masters of hiding and waiting.

Unfortunately, broad mites are probably one of the hardest marijuana pests to get rid of. They lay their eggs inside the plant which makes it very difficult to kill their eggs!

Broad mite under 100x magnification, by Chazz Hesselein

Solution: How to Get Rid of Broad Mites On Cannabis

Once you’ve actually identified that you have broad mites, it’s time to get rid of them! When it comes to broad mites, a lot of the “standard” miticides are not as effective and you’ll notice these particular mites aren’t listed on the labels.

Broad mites can be one of the toughest marijuana pests to get rid of, but it can be done if you stay vigilant.

• Immediately and carefully remove infected parts of the plant – if there’s already an infestation in the tissue, you likely won’t be able to save those particular leaves/buds. Your main goal is to stop the infestation from spreading.
• Treat often – You may have to treat several times a week or even daily if you have a terrible infestation that won’t go away. This can be very difficult on your plants.
• Spray Before Lights Go Out – Whenever treating plants with a spray, do it before the lights go off so that your plant is less likely to get burned.
• Read Instructions – Make sure to read the full instructions of each bottle and follow them when treating your plants. You will save yourself a lot of big headaches.
• Repeat treatments weekly for 5 more weeks after mites are gone – After you think broad mites are completely gone, don’t stop. Treat your plant with a different treatment at least once a week for 5 additional weeks. If you don’t completely eradicate them they’ll come back with a vengeance and can be even more resistant to whatever you throw at them.

Here’s a Detailed Step-by-Step:

1.) Dispose of known infected plant matter

The parts of the plant that are already infested should be carefully removed and discarded of if possible. This will dramatically reduce the bug numbers, and help save the rest of your plant.

2.) Neem Oil

Neem Oil will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants, so don’t let this stuff get near your buds. There’s also some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use it with care. That being said, Neem oil is an all-natural remedy (it’s actually the most popular natural pesticide in the world) that is very effective against many different types of bugs and mold, including broad mites.

Neem oil can be rough on your plants so you don’t want to use it more often than you have to because your plants may suffer. However, if you get desperate treating plants daily with Neem oil can be effective at killing broad mites when nothing seems to be working.

You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly since neem oil and water can separate easily. A mister helps you get full and even coverage on all parts of the plant.

3.) Mite-B-Gone

Insecticidal soap-like products that contain fatty acid salts or sulfate esters weaken the outer shell of mites but are safe for humans and don’t leave much of a residue. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a sulfate ester that’s particularly good against mites.

With soaps and similar products, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary. Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds so it doesn’t affect the taste/smell!

Recommended: Mite Killer Spray by Mite-B-Gone – In addition to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, this one also contains Citric Acid, and Sodium Chloride. These are all non-toxic and friendly to the environment, while being a menace to broad mites on your cannabis plants.

Mite Killer Spray by Mite-B-Gone

4.) Standard insecticidal soap

Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps can help against broad mites. They weaken the outer shell of broad mites but are safe to use on your plants and they don’t leave much of a residue which could kill beneficial bugs in your garden.

Follow the directions and avoid getting any on your buds because it can affect the taste or smell.

This probably won’t get rid of broad mites on its own, but it is less harsh on your plants than some of the other options and so it can be a great way to supplement the other treatments you’re doing by bringing down their numbers.

Natria Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer

5.) Earth’s Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray (organic)

Earth’s Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray is a mix of various horticultural oils which are organic and safe for humans. It is effective against many soft-bodied bugs, including broad mites to some extent, when the cannabis plants are treated regularly. Unfortunately, it only stays effective on the plant for about 24 hours so you will want to either apply this daily or (better idea) combine with other options and rotate between them. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Earth’s Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray + Mister

6.) Diatomaceous Earth 

Diatomaceous Earth is basically fossil dust that can be sprinkled on the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate broad mites on physical contact. This will not get rid of an infestation but can help prevent, control, and slow things down when used effectively. When it comes to broad mites, you want to use every tool you can.

7.) Heat

Broad mites don’t like the heat above 90°F (32°C). Some growers will try to get rid of them by on small plants or clones by dunking the plants in hot water (105°F / 40°C) for 10-20 minutes. I’ve also heard of growers try to reduce their number by overheating the grow space to 115°F (46°C) for an hour. Be careful as this can be dangerous if you don’t take safety precautions, and any heat method strong enough to kill the mites will likely hurt your plants.

8.) Predatory Mites

Some types of predatory mites, like Neoseiulus type mites, love to eat broad mites. Supplementing your garden with extra predators can help bring down broad mite numbers. However, it’s not enough to fix the problem on their own and unfortunately, a lot of the other remedies on this page will also kill predatory mites.

If you don’t want to use pesticides, or want some extra help, get predatory mites to help eat all your broad mites.

9.) AgroMagen GrowSafe (Organic)

GrowSafe by AgroMagen is a natural miticide that claims to be effective against broad mites. I am not very familiar with this product, but have heard good things about it. Given how tough this pest can be to get rid of, I wanted to make sure I included every possible option. From what I understand you will need to spray more than once and this is best combined with at least one other treatment. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

GrowSafe (plus a mister) kills broad mites and almost any mite (including hemp russet mites and spider mites)

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Slugs or Snails Attacking Your Cannabis Plants? Get Rid of Them Quick!

Ewwww slugs and snails are eating the leaves and buds of my cannabis plants!!!! Although not the most common cannabis pest, slugs and snails are unwelcome visitors when they do show up! Sure signs of snail or slug damage include a trail of slime on leaves, and new holes often have “scalloped” edges where the unwelcome guest has been taking bites out of your leaves with its tiny mouth (often confused with caterpillar damage). After damage has been there a while, the edges start to look more smooth. They are most likely to attack your plants at night.

Slugs almost killed this cannabis plant!

Slugs and snails like to eat the most tender leaves on your cannabis, and although one or two won’t cause a whole lot of damage, if they grow in numbers they can devastate a plant.

Slugs look like snails without a shell

Since they eat chunks out of your leaves, the holes they leaves can sometimes be confused with caterpillar damage. One difference is snails or slugs leave often leave “scalloped” edges since the pests take bites one at a time.This culprit is taking a nap at the scene of the crime!

Unfortunately, these annoying pests attack leaves AND buds, and they can do a surprising amount of damage in a short time, so you want to watch out for them and get rid of them quickly.

• Large holes in tender leaves and buds, often with “scalloped” edges
• May appear in the spring, before most other bugs start coming out
• Leave a trail of silvery slime that may look like spit. The trails will be located on damaged leaves or on the ground near your plants
• Can actually eat seedling leaves overnight, leaving just the stem 🙁

Slugs and snails leave a trail, often on the leaves they’ve munched on, and you may also see trails on the ground around your plants. If you see trails, you know it’s slugs or snails munching on your cannabis!

They often stay hidden, attacking your plants at night, so stay vigilant for slug and snail damage!

Solution to Slugs & Snails

There is no foolproof method to eradicate slugs and snails, but you can protect your plants and try to reduce their numbers in a variety of ways. Although not a cure for slugs/snails, it’s a good idea to allow toads, frogs, and beetles to stay in your garden, as they eat slugs. However, one of the best ways to deal with snails or slugs is to use barriers to physically prevent the pests from being able to get to your plant.

For example, sprinkle circles of lime, eggshells, Diatomaceous Earth, or sawdust around plants.

Diatomaceous Earth is harmless to humans but feels sharp to a slug or snail (this particular bag comes with a powder duster which makes it easier to apply)

Slugs are attracted to saucers, orange rinds, and plastic pots of milk or beer (I’ve read they may even drown themselves in beer).

Slug or snail bait will poison them

How to Make Beer Trap for Slugs and Snails: mix flour with some stale beer and use it to fill a shallow container. Place in the garden with the rim 1 or 2 cm above the ground so that slugs and snails can climb in. Substitute beer for wine, sugar water, juice, or water mixed with yeast.

If you’re not sure what container to use, these ones are specifically designed as slug beer traps

BE WARNED, the trap will fill up quickly so come back often to empty.

To be sure you’re keeping your slimy slug population under control; collect them by hand at night or on damp days. Try collecting them under a tile or wet cardboard, and squash all eggs you find while digging. Placing a saucer of salt is another method that will kill snails and slugs.

Martha Stewart recommends coiling a piece of wire around the base of your plants to give slugs a shocking experience.

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What Does Cannabis Thrip Damage Look Like?

Adult thrips are small, fast-moving insects, while young thrips look like tiny unmoving pale worms on the leaves. In fact, thrips can come in many forms, from wormy nymphs to dark or golden winged insects, depending on the stage of life and where you live.

They pierce cannabis leaves with their mouths and suck out all the good stuff, leaving shiny (sometimes people think it looks slimy), silver or bronze spots wherever the leaves were bitten. The spots are bigger and more irregularly shaped than the bites left from spider mites. If it goes on too long the affected leaves may start dying.

Examples of thrips damage on marijuana leaves (irregular silver or bronze spots)

Although it doesn’t really look like it in pictures, in real life thrip damage has been described as looking like “dried spit” or tiny snail trails.

(thrip leaf damage pics by theMallacht)

You may see small thrip nymphs on the cannabis leaves. The nymphs look tubular and worm-like. In this picture, you can also see the thrip damage on the surrounding parts of the leaf.

The red arrow points at the wormy thrip nymph.

Here’s a picture of an adult thrip on a finger for scale. Even the adult thrips are tiny!

They can appear dark colored like the ones above, but also yellow, transparent or golden

They can appear with or without wings, depending on their stage of life

In their “nymph” (juvenile) form, thrips appear pale, fat and almost wormy from afar

A closeup of another baby thrip in “nymph” form

A Thrip nymph on a cannabis leaf – I hope this helps show you how tiny they are.

A thrip nymph looks tubular and worm-like, unlike an aphid nymph which looks like a tiny white bug

Proven Thrip Remedies

1.) Insecticidal soap

Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps can be a good choice against thrips. They weaken the outer shell of thrips but are safe to use on your plants and they don’t leave much of a residue.

With soaps, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary. Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds!

2.) Neem Oil

Neem Oil will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants, so don’t let this stuff get near your buds! There’s also some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use with care! That being said, Neem oil is an all-natural remedy that is very effective against many different types of bugs and mold. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly since neem oil and water can separate easily.

3.) Spinosad Products (not for commercial growers)

Spinosad products are organic and, unlike many other thrip pesticides, completely harmless to pets, children, and plants. Unlike many insecticides, you can spray spinosad heavily on leaves and roots with basically no negative effects. Spinosad products can be used directly to kill thrips on contact, but can also be used when watering plants to systematically kill thrips via the roots. Spinosad is also effective at fighting caterpillars, spider mites, and many other marijuana pests.

It can be used both as a topical spray and can also be used directly at the roots. Spinosad is an organic insecticide made from the fermentation of a specific soil bacteria (actinomycete Saccharopolyspora spinosa) and kills thrips via ingestion or contact by affecting the insect nervous system. Spinosad can be a good choice for organic and outdoor growers, because it is very toxic to thrips, but is less toxic to many beneficial insects.

Note: Most spinosad products are effective for only about 24 hours after being mixed with water, so only mix as much as you will need per application. Anything left over will be waste.

WARNING: Commercial growers click here!

Recommended: Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad

4.) Pyrethrins

Pyrethrin based insecticides are not very toxic for humans and degrade quickly, which is why they’re commonly recommended for vegetable gardens. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Pyrethrin products break down quickly, over the course of just a day or two. The major problem with them is they are very toxic to bees. Although cannabis plants generally don’t attract a lot of bees, please use this as a last resort, and also try to use it right after the sun goes down because bees sleep at night. This lets it start to break down before they wake up.

Use pyrethrin products when the sun goes down! Save the bees!

A popular example is Bonide 857 Pyrethrin Spray Concentrate. Use 3 tablespoons of concentrate per gallon of water.

5.) Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth is basically fossil dust that can be sprinkled on the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate thrips on physical contact. Mixing some of this in with the topsoil of your plants, and spreading the powder around the bottom of the tent near the plants can actually cut down thrip numbers relatively quickly.

Sprinkle your soil and the area around your plants with Diatomaceous Earth to help kill any bugs that crawl over it

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