Did you know that your marijuana plants can get stressed?

They say that the best ingredient to produce exquisite dishes is love. And that the only thing our plants need to grow happily is water, sun and love. And we say that love and affection are fundamental for everything we do in life, but that we also need a little knowledge and to observe what our crops are telling us as the days go by. Do you know if your little ones have a good routine? Or, on the contrary, are they suffering from stress?

Our plants will give the best yields if we treat them as they deserve to be treated at every moment. Passing stressful situations in our plantation do not have to be negative. Like people, vegetables encounter difficulties that help them adapt to the environment and emerge stronger. However, if the stress is constant, our crop may grow less, stop growing or die. So listen up, because these are the most common causes of stress in cannabis plants.

Just enough water, neither too little nor too much

Water is life and it’s one of the most important elements for our plantation to move forward, but … wait a minute! We refer to the correct dose of H2O. Often crops can be stressed hydrically, both by excess and by lack of water. If they suffer from scarcity they can stop growing and die. If they have too much, their roots become flooded, they do not absorb their nutrients or oxygen properly and they can also stop their growth and die. Observe daily that your plants’ soil is not dry, that the leaves do not appear withered or yellowish.

Constant lighting

If your crop is indoor, this factor is essential so that your plants do not suffer light stress and  so for optimal productivity. It is important that they have hours of light and also of darkness. First you have to take into account the cycles. 18 hours of daylight and 6 hours of night, if they are in the vegetative stage. And 12/12 hours during flowering. Cannabis plants are very sensitive to light, it is very important that they receive it in an even way, that is why the lamp must not be too far or too close.

Do not forget the pH

The pH level measures how acidic or alkaline the soil in our plants is. The proper pH ranges between 6 and 6.5. So a balance between both levels is ideal. If it exceeds 7, our crop will be more alkaline and will be stressed. If you lower the measurement to 5.9, it will be acidic and get stressed as well. If the soil of our plantation is not within this range it can mean that it is not absorbing its nutrients well and can trigger growth problems, in the flowering of the plant and burned roots etc.

Temperature matters

Our plants seek an optimal temperature: neither too cold, not frozen, nor excessive heat, not  exposed to a scorching sun that burns them, nor extreme humidity … The most pleasant experience for them is to stay away from extreme temperatures and that changes that they experience are gradual. The solution is to keep our plants at a suitable temperature, between 18 and 29 degrees and that the room in which they are housed has good ventilation, freeing them from humidity and, therefore, from mould and fungi.

Nutrients for all

Ideally our plants should have not too much water, nor constant fertilization.

Although, if you’re just starting out as a grower, it’s normal for you to tendo towards overfeeding and overwatering. Our crop is also stressed by not being able to absorb all the nutrients that we provide. Again, pests could appear, they could stop growing, the leaves could lose colour … A lack of nutrients could also lead to problems, so it is best to try to maintain an adequate “diet” for your plants.