Should I trim off the brown tips?

You can trim them if they look unsightly, but it is not strictly necessary. Use clean, sterilized scissors to avoid introducing pathogens.

Does brown tip mean I have a disease?

Usually no, it is almost always a nutrient or water issue. Diseases like powdery mildew look like white dust, not brown crispy tips.

Cannabis: brown tips, causes and fixes

Check these first

Check the concentration of your nutrient solution.
Test the pH of your water and runoff.
Look for salt crusting on the surface of the soil.

Likely causes

Nutrient Burn
Most likely
How to tell: The very tips of the leaves turn brown and crispy while the rest of the leaf stays green. This happens when the plant receives more nutrients than it can process.
What to do: Flush the soil with plain, pH balanced water to remove excess salts. Reduce your fertilizer dosage by 25 percent for the next few feedings.
pH Imbalance
Possible
How to tell: Brown tips appear alongside overall leaf discoloration or stunted growth. This happens when the soil pH prevents the plant from absorbing nutrients.
What to do: Test the pH of your runoff water and adjust your nutrient solution to stay between 6.0 and 7.0 for soil. Use a digital pH meter for accuracy.

Find out what's wrong with your cannabis

The list above covers the usual causes. Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your actual plant and tells you the likely cause, how serious it is, and what to try first. Identification and a health check are free.

When to worry

It is serious if the browning spreads rapidly toward the center of the leaves. A tiny bit of brown on the very tip is often ignored by experienced growers.

Stopping it coming back

Always start with a lower dose of nutrients and increase slowly based on how the plant responds.

Keep your cannabis healthy from here

Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked. Identification and a health check are free.

Get the app · Or check it from a photo now, free

Questions people ask

Should I trim off the brown tips?: You can trim them if they look unsightly, but it is not strictly necessary. Use clean, sterilized scissors to avoid introducing pathogens.
Does brown tip mean I have a disease?: Usually no, it is almost always a nutrient or water issue. Diseases like powdery mildew look like white dust, not brown crispy tips.

Why are my cannabis leaf tips turning brown?