Nutrient Burn: How to Recognize It and Recover
Nutrient burn is one of the few grow problems caused entirely by enthusiasm. The plant is telling you it cannot use everything you are giving it.
The progression
First the leaves go unusually dark green and glossy with tips pointing down in a claw. Then the very tips of the leaves turn yellow, then brown and crispy. Then the browning walks back along the leaf margins.
Fixing it
Flush the pot with three times its volume of pH-adjusted plain water to strip out excess salts. Let it dry back properly. Resume at half your previous strength and work up slowly, watching new growth.
Burnt leaves do not heal
Damaged tissue stays damaged. Judge your correction by whether new growth comes in clean, not by whether existing leaves recover.
Prevention
Start at half the bottle's recommended dose. Manufacturer schedules are written for maximum-output commercial conditions, not a home tent.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a little tip burn okay?
- Many growers intentionally push to slight tip burn as a sign they are feeding to the plant's limit. Anything beyond the outer few millimeters is costing you.