Molybdenum Deficiency in Cannabis Plants

During the cultivation of marijuana crops, if the leaves of the cannabis plants are discolored, there may be a molybdenum deficiency. Molybdenum, a nutrient important to the health of your crops, is a mobile micronutrient that requires only small amounts to function optimally. If your plants don't have enough molybdenum nutrients, they will discolor and become brittle before they die.

Molybdenum nutrients play an important role in the two enzyme systems that convert nitrate to ammonium. This role is crucial so that the crop can easily synthesize amino acids.

Thus, molybdenum promotes plant growth by optimizing plant access to certain micronutrients. Mo deficiency in cannabis has a catalytic effect because it directly affects the plant's use of nitrogen, which is essential for the cannabis crop. It is usually active in the roots and seeds.

There are several reasons why molybdenum deficiency occurs in weed, and although it is a micronutrient present in small doses in your cannabis plants, it can affect the efficiency of nutrient uptake and utilization. The most common culprit is an unbalanced pH, and too much iron in the soil and cold temperatures can also contribute to the problem.

When the temperature drops, the amount of molybdenum nutrients present in the soil is significantly reduced. The symptoms appear very quickly and you can try to avoid this by adjusting the heat in the growing environment.

Molybdenum nutrients are available in high pH soils, while you can find iron more easily in low pH soils. If there is a lot of iron, this may mean that the substrate is too acidic to contain enough molybdenum. In most cases, pH imbalance is the cause of M0 deficiency in cannabis. Cannabis thrives at a pH between 5.5 and 6.2. If this ratio is too high or too low, your crop will suffer and begin to show signs such as discolored and twisted leaves.

When the pH is too low it can inhibit the uptake of molybdenum by the roots and subsequently affect the overall health of the plant. If grown in soil, the pH range is 6 to 6.5. If grown in a soilless medium such as hydroponics or coco coir, the appropriate pH is 5.5 to 5.9.

Mo deficiency symptoms in marijuana plants can be easily confused with nitrogen deficiency, and the two are distinguished by the fact that symptoms of nitrogen deficiency start at the base of the crop and molybdenum shortages start in the middle of the plant and move upward.

Some of the signs of a molybdenum deficiency include discoloration, misshapen leaves, and stunted growth. The popular countermeasures to address Mo deficiency in cannabis plants are flushing plants, adjusting pH levels, pruning plants, and applying nutrients.

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