Plant problems · Light, heat and air · Flowering · Act this week
Light burn and light bleaching
What you see
- The top leaves closest to the light turn yellow or white while their veins stay green
- Top buds turn pale or white
- Lower leaves stay healthy
Why it happens
The light is too strong or too close for the plant at this stage. It is common with powerful LED lights and looks like a deficiency, but only the top is affected.
What to do
- Raise the light or dim it
- Check the distance the light maker recommends for flower
- Bleached buds will not recover; protect the rest
Next time
- Raise the light as the plant stretches
- Increase intensity step by step
Easy to confuse with
- Nitrogen deficiency: Lower, older leaves turn pale green, then evenly yellow from the tip inwards
- Iron deficiency: The newest leaves turn pale yellow while their veins stay green
- Heat stress: Leaves fold upwards along the middle like a taco
Not sure?
Take a photo of the top of the plant with the light in the photo and ask the Grow Doctor, or send it to the grow companion on Telegram.