Self Diagnostic

Sick Plants & Problems
1

Good day all.

I was doing some thinking about diagnosing sick plants, especially for noobs.

Some issues are fairly obvious with a passing glance. The major deficiencies and tip burn for example. Here is an ugly leaf that needs more food

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The real difficulty is when it’s not so obvious. So, based on the experience of my own errors, and what I see in the forums, here is what I think are the issues one most likely will face, in order.

1 - overwatering - the plant droops and looks sad
2 - not feeding enough - the plant is a sickly yellow
3 - pH issues - the leaf tips get all crusty.

This is not an exhaustive list, and feel free to add/disagree.

It’s easy to freak out when you think your plant is sick. So smoke a joint and decide which of these 3 is most likely. :slight_smile:

Have a lovely day.

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2

That sounds like good advice, and please dont take this as an attack on you - but…

I think one of the major problems with diagnosing sick plants is that how they look is hugely variable. Incorrect PH for example can show up in dozens of subtly different ways depending on which way its off, how far its off, what your are feeding, which specific plant it is, etc etc etc.

Then add in the subtle, and not so subtle variations that can show up - even within the same dam plant.

Then add in that most pictures or drawings try to show a single problem, but there are almost always multiple things wrong at the same time and no way to predict how one specific plant will look under that specific situation. Different plants - even within the same pheno - can and will react differently and look differently.

But the single biggest problem is people who are ‘internet experts’. To be fair, that is pretty much anyone who posts on forums.

Every single time there is a thread asking “whats wrong with my plant”, if 10 people respond, you will get at least 15 to 50 different answers and suggestions. Often times, you get 3 or 4 or 5 different possibilities from each of several different people - and no two of them agree 100%

It is utter chaos and confusion for a newbie trying to figure out whats wrong.

I dont really think anyone knows - for sure - how to diagnose plant problems with any degree of certainty. Especially based on some crappy pictures posted on the internet under a burple light.

Even if there is some true expert who actually does know - it usually gets lost in all the other random babel from all the other ‘internet experts’. How the heck is a newbie supposed to tell which one is correct?

The best advice I can give is to ask the question and hope there is at least a little consensus or agreement between at least a few of those who respond. It helps if you can check out their history of growing and see how their plants look and how they handled problems and if it worked. You might get lucky and be able to tell if you have an answer that is maybe close.

Wow. Sorry for the downer post, but thats how I see it based on my years of experience on all sorts of forums. Sorting out the grains of truth you get on the internet - or from anyone for that matter - is not an easy task.

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3

I am in complete agreement.

Not a downer post at all. You’ve made some valid points. And I am oversimplifying.

When people ask “what’s wrong with my plant” it’s likely because they have no idea, unless it’s something obvious.

I merely suggest that all things being equal, it’s likely one of those three things.

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4

Did your head explode when you re-read that? enter another dimension? LOL & :hugging:

:evergreen_tree: :name_badge: :necktie: :microscope: :speaking_head:

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Ha! I am as guilty as anyone of spouting my particular brand of ‘expert’ advice, so Im in the same boat as all the other ‘experts’.

I realized this long ago. I have been on many different internet forums going back to the old days. Anyone remember when 1200 baud was considered the ultimate cutting edge in speed? My first modem was 300 baud I think. Text only of course, and messages would come in one…letter…at…a…time…then wait some more…

Well, there is one minor difference. I actually am an expert and Im always right :wink:

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6

while i do agree with a lot of what you wrote, i also feel another point of view is that with many differing opinions you will draw from a wider range of experience and grow and learn faster as a grower and when there is common consensus on a problem can help you be sure its correctly identified, people ultimately generally only post based on their own experiences although i will concede there are some that post useless anecdotal advice based on what they think or have been told rather than from direct experience

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7

First, I’m no expert, but I am a horticulturist of more than 40 years.

I would tend to agree that your short list are the most common problems a new grower will experience right away… especially over/under watering.

I would also point out that pH problems are not the absolute reason for tip burn… over fertilization is the number one cause of leaf tip burn. Over fertilization burns the root tips which are directly correlated to the leaf tips, causing them to dry out and turn brown. Excess ferts can build up in your medium, creating a salt layer that will cause pH lockout.

The more you know!

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8

If I had the time and plant numbers available I always thought it would be cool to learn to mix my own salts (nutes), then intentionally give plants varying deficiencies and document them with pics. It would be nice to have a definitive guide like that for people to use.

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9

i think only the person growing the plant can really diagnose whats wrong …the reason i say this is because they are the only person who knows what has been done or not done …so if your plant looks sick read read read and ask ask ask but in the end only you know what the plant has been exposed to and only you can fix it

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10

i agree, the most common reasons for problems are actually simple usually,

  1. nutrient issues, often through inexperience or accident, the novice grower either follows the nutrient recommendations of growers far more experienced or even worst use inadequate or unsuitable nutes, either that or follow the instructions on the label to the letter and inadvertantly burn or give the wrong dose for the wrong stage of the plants life.

the simplest and easiest thing to prevent these issues is really quite simple, buy cannabis specific nutrients that are well balanced and in the case of novice growers no more than a 2 part formula to avoid overcomplications and to begin any feeding regime at no more than half recommended strength and slowly build up.

  1. enviroment, again when it comes to novice growers growing cannabis, the simplest and most problem freem way is to buy equipment suitable for the enviroment its going to be grown in and also made for purpose, never mind what the experienced guys are building because they have been doing it for years and know how to CORRECTLY set up their equipment and design and build their own, the novice will be tempted to read of people building their own flood and drain tables or aeroponic shit or whatever and think i can do that! stop! no! no you cant, not yet!!! just buy the most suitable equipment for your grow, if you cant afford it then wait until you can or you are setting yourself up for failure, with the correct stuff, the growing conditions should be easy to manage, this includes the correct fans and extraction, heaters and timers, relays and everything else involved testers, pens the lot.
    o
  2. genetics, u fortunately this is harder to control but believe me when i say you can have all the fancy equipment in the world, the best lights the fanciest nutes but if ur pheno is shit them my friend it is gonna taste like shit, please dont believe your gonna burp cure your way to tasty weed cos you wont, its gonna taste like hay and be crap so dont waste time with shit that tastes shit and tell yourself that your gonna do it better next time cos you really wont so move on. if you have the right pheno u can grow it in a ditch, feed it farts and pick it straight from the plant to the rizla and it will taste good so correctly grown and handled will be delicious whereas shit phenos can have the absolute kitchen sink thrown at them and they will always take after ugly aunt betty not sexy cousin sally
    anyway just some of what i have picked up over the years
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11

not sure what all this is about taste …i have grown out bag seed …seed with known pheno and everything in between …have never had a plant taste bad …had one that smelled like rotting garbage while in bud …tasted fine and kicked ass …the only time i ever had bad tasting weed was when it was not harvested cured or stored properly …maybe i am weird and just like it all?

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This is so true ! All ya can do is start low and go slow when it comes to chelates nutes organic is more forgiving than anything else for a newbie IMO

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One has to be vigilant in looking at your plants on a daily basis most pics are taken way to late to assist in determining what’s wrong for example how it moves through the plant… top to bottom , at the petiole of the plant, in the veins , or edges that sort of stuff if ya have a good concept of how certain nutes move through the plant it will be easier to diagnose as time goes on.

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14

This is the reason why a good, clear picture of the problem area is so essential when it comes to determining what caused the issue and how to properly fix it. A little commentary is useful too.

A novice grower usually has no clue as to what is happening with their plant when they notice a change in leaf color.
The illustrated versions of plant leaf issues can be confusing due to most deficiency issues looking similar at first glance.
Giving more of the wrong nutrient doesn’t fix anything and only makes matters worse.

These types of issues are normally remedied on grow sites, such as OverGrow and others, where there will be a lot of answers given from members personal experiences and the right answer will be in there too, however, the correct answer is often too easily overlooked.

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15

Agreed.

I think it’s also good to look at them from different angles and above and below. See them from a different perspective. If I just looked at my canopy I’d be missing lots of information.

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16

just meat that anyone who wants to be a grower needs to know what they have done and when so that they can read the advice and make an informed derision on what might be wrong as it is not always easy to tell with only pictures and there are often conflicting opinions…

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17

It would be a good idea to keep notes of what you’ve done in your grow, from start to finish, noting any time you changed something for future reference.

One thing I would recommend, is to do some research on the issue youself and see if you can take care of it on your own, if you are not able to, then ask someone with plant knowledge that you trust for help… or make a thread and remember to submit clear pics and maybe a close up of the problem area so others can help you out.

I realize that plant problem threads can be rough, but normally, the answer is right there in print… you just have to decipher which posts are the right answers. That doesn’t make it any easier, I know, but there are a bunch of knowledgeable heads around here that would be happy to lend a hand… myself included.

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18

A rule of thumb is, if you are using a complete nutrient, that is, one that supplies the 13 minerals plants need, and you are noticing problems, 9/10 times the issue is pH or pests. The other 1/10 times is probably water quality issues, light/airflow/temperatures or just plain finicky plants.

If you aren’t using a complete nutrient, well that complicates things a bit.

When I’m having an issue, checking the runoff pH with a freshly calibrated pen and or pH drops, then flushing the medium usually does the trick. In organics IDK what to tell ya.

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19

This is essential.

For example, here is a problem that just developed this morning. It’s only on one plant. This plant has been very finicky.

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These plants have just been uppotted from 3g to 6 g pots. After transplant got 1/2 water, 3 days later, full water.

This developed 2 days after the full water. I know this because I kept notes.

Given these factors I diagnose overwatering. Course of action is ride it out and water less at next feeding,

Anyone think different?

This is real time troubleshooting - I woke up to this today.

Have a lovely day!

EDIT: my first thought was filled with a bunch of profanity.

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