Cannabis Calcium Deficiency: Causes & How To Fix It

It's essential for growers to recognize when their plants are in distress and how to fix that.

Rachel Abela

Growing weed at home can be an empowering experience. But any grower will tell you that the process from sowing your seeds all the way to harvest is no walk in the park.

Although cannabis can grow naturally in nature, wild weed isn’t always the most potent weed. So, in order to maximize your harvest and get the most out of your buds, you need to look after these flowers like they are your children, giving them all the TLC they deserve.

Sometimes, plants can throw mini-tantrums. Instead of wailing and screaming, cannabis plants will show signs of distress through:

Yellow, brown leaves
Downturned, droopy leaves
Root rot or bad-smelling roots
Wilted leaves

If your plant starts showing symptoms like this, it’s best to consider if it’s lacking certain nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies are the most common reason why plants begin acting up. More specifically, calcium deficiencies in cannabis plants.

What Is Cannabis Calcium Deficiency?

Humans need certain nutrients to survive, like calcium. Not surprisingly, plants also need similar nutrients to grow tall, thick, and bushy.

One essential nutrient that both humans and plants need is calcium. When crops do not receive enough of that nutrient, they can show signs of distress and prevent your plant from growing.

Even if you have a mature plant that’s starting to show signs of calcium deficiency, a plant that’s lacking this nutrient simply won’t be able to function like a healthy plant. This can have a severe toll on your harvest.

What Causes Calcium Deficiencies In Cannabis Plants?

There are a few reasons why your plant could be suffering from a calcium deficiency. The most common reason is imbalanced soil, meaning there are a lot of nutrients and almost none of the others.

More specifically, there is likely an increased level of manganese in your soil, which decreases levels of calcium. That’s because the soil pH is lower than it should be, leading to plant symptoms like:

Slow-growing plants
Brown and dry leaf edges
Blotches that look like rust on leaves
Branches and stalks start becoming brittle and may break

How To Fix Calcium Deficiency In Cannabis Plants

There are a few easy ways to stop calcium deficiency in cannabis plants.

For one thing, if your plant still has a few months of growth until harvest, you could introduce something like dolomite lime to the soil, which slowly adds calcium to your soil while increasing the pH to a more balanced state.

If you need to act quickly and don’t have months to wait, take a faster route, like administering supplements to your soil or water. You could either find plant supplements rich in calcium or get to the root of the problem and balance your soil’s pH.

Balancing your soil’s pH is also quite simple. All you need is a solution of water with a neutral pH, mix it with some added nutrients, and use that to feed your soil.

Choosing how to fix a cannabis calcium deficiency is up to you and how severe your issue is. That said, if you follow these steps correctly, your precious plant should be back to normal in no time.