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Read through this it should help you out and Happy Thanksgiving my friend
SLOW GROWING PLANTS AND WHY
When your cannabis plants grow slowly or stop growing altogether, there is always a reason. It could be a problem with nutrients, an
environmental factor, or something else entirely. Let’s explore the reasons why cannabis plants and seedlings may experience slow or stunted growth.
Sometimes, slow and stunted growth of your cannabis plant may occur out of the blue. Your plant baby may not have shown any signs of a problem
previously, but now you notice that development has halted and have no idea why. Here are some possible factors behind the slowed growth of
your cannabis seedling or plant.
WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR SLOW AND STUNTED GROWTH?
- SEEDS ARE OLD OR LOW-QUALITY
Old seeds don’t just take longer to germinate (if they germinate at all); plants grown from aged seeds can also sometimes grow at a reduced pace.
Likewise, good genetics are essential for healthy and vigorous growth from seed to harvest. A random bag seed will not perform nearly as well as
quality seeds obtained from a rep utable seed bank.
2. PLANTS ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH LIGHT
Although requirements can vary from strain to strain, light is nonetheless a critical factor for the development of all cannabis plants. A lack
of “good” light can absolutely lead to slowed growth. If you grow indoors and suspect that your plants aren’t getting enough light, try to
decrease the distance between your lamps and the tops of plants. If you grow outdoors in pots, move your plants to a sunnier spot.
Cannabis Plant Growing Slower Than The Others
3. PLANTS ARE GETTING TOO MUCH LIGHT
Any type of stress on your cannabis plants, including many hours of exposure to direct sunlight without rest, can also halt or slow down growth.
If you grow indoors and suspect light exposure to be the source of stress, decrease the intensity or move lamps further away from the canopy if
possible. Know that seedlings are particularly sensitive to intense light! If you grow outdoors and you’re able to, move your plants into a
spot where the light is diffused, such as around a shade tree.
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The Importance Of The Dark Cycle In Cannabis Cultivation
- INCORRECT LIGHT SPECTRUM
How fast and how vigorously plants grow are influenced by the spectrum of light they receive. Make sure you use the correct type of light
according to each stage of growth. For healthy vegetative growth, you want a cooler light with more blue in its spectrum, a so-called
“vegging light”. Lights with a warmer, more reddish spectrum are used for the flowering phase.
Visible Spectrum
5. OVER WATERING
Over watering is one of the most common mistakes made by new cannabis growers. It’s like suffocating your plants, and one of the main
reasons behind slow growth, nutrient deficiencies, root rot, fungus, and many other problems. Don’t water too often and do not water
on a fixed schedule. It is better water less frequently so that the soil can dry out between watering’s. A good way to test whether you
should water or not is to lift up the pot itself. If it feels quite light, it is time to water again.
RELATED STORY
Watering Your Cannabis: How To Fix Over And Underwatering
- NOT ENOUGH NUTRIENTS
Although not as common as overfeeding cannabis plants, an insufficient amount of nutrients for healthy growth can well be the
reason for slow growth. Know that the nutrients found in most commercial potting mixes will only last for 3–4 weeks; afterwards,
you will have to administer some more quality nutrients. Check the label of your nutrient products for the recommended dosage for
healthy growth. Also know that your plant’s nutrient requirements are closely linked to the light intensity your plants are exposed to.
Plants under intensive lights grow faster and will require more nutrients than plants under fluorescent lights, for example.
Cannabis Plants Growing Slow
7. CALCIUM DEFICIENCY
Calcium is among those vital elements that your plant needs for healthy development. A lack of calcium can manifest in the following symptoms:
Fresh growth is slow, twisted, and curled
Young shoots are discoloured and turn purple or yellow Overall plant growth is slow and lacks vigour and vitality
You can avoid a calcium deficiency by adding dolomitic lime to your soil or growing medium.
Address a calcium deficiency immediately with commercial CalMag products that contain liquid calcium. You can add these products
to your nutrient solution or administer them as a foliar spray.
Be aware that some growing media, like coco, increase the risk for a calcium deficiency. If you grow in coco, you should use
special coco nutrients and/or regularly add Cal-Mag to your nutrient regimen.
RELATED STORY
Calcium Deficiency In Cannabis Plants
- INCORRECT PH LEVEL
Incorrect pH level of your nutrient solution is among the most common reasons for cannabis growing problems, including slow
growth. The reason for this is that cannabis thrives only in a relatively small window of suitable pH values. If the pH is
off, the plants are unable to take in nutrients, even if they are present.
Make sure to dial in the correct pH level depending on your growing method. If you grow in soil, make sure the pH level is
from 6.5 to 7.0. If you grow in hydro, an optimal pH level is 5.6 to 5.8. For soiless grows, such as coco, a pH level
of 6.0 to 6.3 is optimal.
PH Tester
The HI-98107 pHep pH tester provides fast and accurate pH readings. The easy-to-use device is designed for non-technical
users, and can help both novice and advanced growers measure water pH.
Buy PH Tester
9. TEMPERATURES ARE TOO LOW OR TOO HIGH
Cannabis likes it warm to grow healthy, and does best at daytime temperatures between 25–30°C. Temperatures lower than that
Will slow down your plant’s metabolism, resulting in slower growth. But excessive temperatures are not optimal either. At very
high temperatures, heat stress can also slow down or even halt plant growth altogether. If you grow indoors, adjust your
temperature to a comfortable level. You can also provide some cooling with fans that blow a mild stream of air over your plants.
This can also help prevent hot air pockets from forming inside your grow room.
RELATED STORY
Indoor Cannabis Growing: Relative Humidity and Temperatures
- PLANTING POTS ARE TOO BIG
Cannabis growers often start their seedlings in small cups. Later on, when the plants have reached an adequate size, they will
“pot-up” to larger containers.
If you start your cannabis plants in containers that are too big, there is a high risk that you’ll over water them. The issue
is that seedlings cannot absorb all the moisture that is held in a large container, unlike mature cannabis, which can “drink”
much more. Furthermore, a large pot will also take much longer to dry out.
To avoid the problems that come with too much soil and moisture, start seedlings in smaller containers until they’re growin
vigorously. Once they have a set of 5–6 real leaves (not counting the cotyledons), then transfer them to a larger container,
at least twice the current size.
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If your seedling is already in a big container and you don’t want to or can’t move it into a smaller cup, water only a small area
around the seedling.
What Is The Right Size Pot For Your Cannabis Plant?
Use this rough guide to determine what size pot you should use for your cannabis plant:
Plant height 30cm: 7.5–11l container
Plant height 60cm: 11–19l container
Plant height 90cm: 18–26l container
Plant height 120cm: 22–37l container
Plant height 150cm: 30–37l+ container