Yo, what’s good fellow growers? It’s your boy Dan here to drop some knowledge on ya about copper deficiency in cannabis plants. Now, it ain’t a problem that you come across all the time, but when it does happen, it can mess up your whole harvest. It can stop those buds from maturing and developing properly. So, let’s get into how to spot them signs of copper deficiency and how to fix it up.
First off, let me tell you that it’s usually caused by a pH problem at the roots of your plants that is restricting access to nutrients. But don’t worry, our guide has got you covered. Keep an eye out for leaves turning dark with blue or purple undertones, tips and edges turning bright yellow or white, and a shiny metallic appearance. Sometimes, the leaves might even roll under when they are affected. And if your plants are already in the flowering stage, a copper deficiency can severely affect bud growth, making them ripen slowly or not at all.
Now, you might be thinking, “But Dan, how do I know if my plants have a copper deficiency or just nutrient burn?” Good question my dude. Nutrient burn can start off with yellowing leaf tips too, but you should be able to tell the difference. The affected leaf tips from nutrient burn will become dry and crumbly while they stay bright yellow or white with a copper deficiency. Plus, a copper deficiency will darken the rest of the leaf and sometimes give them a blueish or purple colour. So, if you see bright yellow or pale-white tips in contrast with the rest of the leaf, then it’s probably copper deficiency.
Now listen up fellow growers, not all strains are equally susceptible to a copper deficiency. Some strains can be more sensitive than others. During flowering, certain cannabis stains can develop dark purple or reddish hues on those leaves that are closest to your grow lights.
So what can you do to fix this issue? Although a lack of copper and other minerals in your soil or water can sometimes be the reason for a copper deficiency, this is not always the case. It’s much more likely that the deficiency comes from a pH problem at the root zone of your cannabis plant. So first things first – restore a healthy root zone by flushing your plant with some pH-balanced water.
Let me tell ya fam, pH balance is crucial for healthy growth of your cannabis plants. Make sure your pH level is correct between 6.0 and 7.0 if you’re growing in soil or 5.5 and 6.0 if you’re growing hydroponically. Flushing out salts and minerals that have accumulated in the soil restores the correct pH for a healthy root zone.
But wait there’s more! You can also find copper fungicides that contain copper sulphate and chelated copper at gardening stores to give your plants copper right away. Greensand, kelp and compost can also help with copper deficiencies.
And listen up my dudes – some growers treat a copper deficiency by soaking coins in water and then feeding the water to their plants. This works because some coins such as the 1p and 2p coins in the UK and dimes and quarters in the US are made almost entirely of copper (just don’t use US pennies since they have more zinc than copper). Soak some coins in water overnight and use that water on your plants if you’re in a pinch.
So there ya have it fam – keep an eye out for them signs of copper deficiency, restore a healthy root zone by flushing out salts and minerals with pH-balanced water, use fungicides with copper sulphate or chelated copper to give your plants an instant boost of copper, and even try using coins soaked in water for quick action. Keep growing strong y’all!