How to see if your plant is healthy
The leaves, roots and yield of your plant are important indicators for determining if your plant is healthy. Study them carefully to make sure you can take the correct action when the situation demands it.
Leaves
If your plant grows well, the leaves will look good too. Leaves shouldn't hang, curl or discolour. If they do, there might be something wrong with your plant. The colour of the leaves gives you a lot of information about your plant's health. For example, if the leaves are dark green your plant may have a surplus of nitrogen. In this case the plant's cells grow too quickly, while the development of cell walls lags behind. This causes the plant to be more susceptible to pathogens. Are the leaves light green or yellow instead? Then your plant may have a shortage of nitrogen. This causes its growth to lag behind and inhibits the production of chloroplasts. As a result the plant absorbs less light, causing less photosynthesis to also take place.
A single discoloured leaf is no reason for concern. You only need to intervene if there is discolouration on a large scale. A deviation of the leaves' colour may also indicate an incorrect amount of certain nutrients. When discolouration is visible in multiple leaves this could be an indication of a deficiency. Download the deficiency guide to check. However, underlying problems may also be the reason. These problems can be caused by both biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors include animals, fungi and bacteria. Abiotic factors include temperature, light intensity, acidity, amount of moisture and wind strength. Because of this, you should always make sure that you know the cause of potential problems. Download our pests guide for more information.
Roots
A healthy plant usually has white roots. With Plagron Power Roots your roots will grow save and healthy.
Have the roots turned brown? Or are they slimy and smelly? Then maybe your plants have been overwatered. Pathogens may also be present in your substrate. This tends to lead to wilting leaves. What can you do if your roots suffer from fungi because your substrate is too wet?
Remove the plant from the soil.
Immediately immerse the roots in hydrogen peroxide 3%. This is 3 ml hydrogen peroxide per liter water.
Allow the substrate to dry out. A wet substrate is a basis for fungi.
Place the plant back into the substrate.
Yield
An unhealthy plant is more vulnerable to diseases than a healthy plant. It costs the plant energy to defend itself against pathogens. When the plant is vital, this costs less energy. The plant then has more leftover energy which it can use to develop flowers and fruits. Is the quality of your yield staying behind? Then your plant may have a problem.
Do you need help during your grow? Contact our Grow Expert via Servicedesk.
