Looks to me like a typical phos deficiency , i wouldn't worry about plucking it there is not much there anymore anyways she will drop
As for plant fading i personally think that is a myth being were taking what perennials do or most commonly what trees do , and that is actually stop or cut off nutrients to the leaf allowin it to die off in other terms its to save energy over the winter months .
Again not in the same catagory as annual plamt species or marijuana
That is the thing every one has mix matched al types of natural things plants do and somehow put it in the marijuana catagory like fading
which is total nonsense
Like flushing last 2 weeks if that is not absurd enough . Yup we got to flush out the nutrients in the soil , ok what about the immobile nutrients
Yeah but its the Nitrogen we need to flush lol
Ask your self how much N is in bloom staged food not much compared to veg right
A perfect marketing scheme to waste your nutrients and buy more
But back to fading Yup we all go out mid sept and see all the nice fall colors smoke a gager and say
Shit our plants should be doing this also right ??? what a brain fart idea that is
most of the time when you see fading its really because the grower Fuckt up ph is out of wack massive salt built up etc
So really what is the proper way to grow weed???
and that is keeping the plant as healthy as possible with the right amount of nutrients right to the end its not about pumping the plant its giving bare min but keeping plant healthy
When we look at how nature operates in fall fruits drop leafs drop in a sense re fertilizing the ground the soil is rich with nutrients its not lacking
but what really happens is the soil temps start to drop with that microbes slow down some die off plants do not need as much nutrients so it starts picking and choosing what it needs
no different in spring when plant secretes nutrients to attract microbes and start the symbiotic relation ship they will have threw out its life cycle
Its actually pretty amazing how it all works even the defense roll between plants and microbes beleive it or not there is also a war going on under your soil in which microbes or plants control disease
Dude while I can appreciate your position on annual vs perennial plants. But I need to say the only MYTH is the one you purport with lack of knowledge....... Color changes in cannabis are not always the sign of poorly grown plants or out of wack Ph. Basically you are Wrong........ Coloration is a
normal process in the later stages of flower and is perfectly normal. Ever heard of anthocyanins, carotenoids or exanthophylls.
Read up : During the growing season,
chlorophyll is replaced constantly in the leaves. Chlorophyll breaks down with exposure to light in the same way that colored paper fades in sunlight. The leaves must manufacture new chlorophyll to replace chlorophyll that is lost in this way. In autumn, when the connection between the leaf and the rest of the plant begins to be blocked off, the production of chlorophyll slows and then stops. In a relatively short time period, the chlorophyll disappears completely.
This is when autumn colors are revealed. Chlorophyll normally masks the yellow pigments known as
xanthophylls and the orange pigments called
carotenoids — both then become visible when the green chlorophyll is gone. These colors are present in the leaf throughout the growing season. Red and purple pigments come from
anthocyanins. In the fall anthocyanins are manufactured from the sugars that are trapped in the leaf. In most plants anthocyanins are typically not present during the growing season.
As autumn progresses, the cells in the abscission layer become more dry and corky. The connections between cells become weakened, and the leaves break off with time. Many trees and shrubs lose their leaves when they are still very colorful. Some plants retain a great deal of their foliage through much of the winter, but the leaves do not retain their color for long. Like chlorophyll, the other pigments eventually break down in light or when they are frozen. The only pigments that remain are
tannins, which are brown.
Temperature, sunlight, and soil moisture greatly influence the quality of the fall foliage display. Abundant sunlight and low temperatures after the time the abscission layer forms cause the chlorophyll to be destroyed more rapidly. Cool temperatures, particularly at night, combined with abundant sunlight, promote the formation of more anthocyanins. Freezing conditions destroy the machinery responsible for manufacturing anthocyanins, so early frost means an early end to colorful foliage. Drought stress during the growing season can sometimes trigger the early formation of the abscission layer, and leaves may drop before they have a chance to develop fall coloration. A growing season with ample moisture that is followed by a rather dry, cool, sunny autumn that is marked by warm days and cool but frostless nights provides the best weather conditions for development of the brightest fall colors. Lack of wind and rain in the autumn prolongs the display; wind or heavy rain may cause the leaves to be lost before they develop their full color potential.
Here is another source:
The colors of cannabis are a highly debated subject with different schools of thought prevailing as to why cannabis displays different hues. Many growers feel that reds, pinks and purples indicate a stronger, more potent bud; others feel that the sight of any other color but green indicates that that plant was grown in a cold climate. Cooler temperature is just one factor in the color of your bud, and while purple bud may be amazingly potent, you’ll find green bud that’s just as amazingly so. Long time growers attest to the exceptional variety of colors attainable in your everyday marijuana crop.
An annual plant, cannabis completes its life cycle within one year, starting as a seed, then germinating, maturing, reproducing, and dying. For a large part of its life, cannabis is green, the color a result of chlorophyll, a chemical significant to the plant’s photosynthesis ability. During the vegetative phase of its life, cannabis will be a shade of green that can be used as a health indicator of the plant.
A healthy plant exudes a vibrant green luster, whereas leaves and stems suffering from nutrient deficiencies change from green to various other colors. Nitrogen deficient plants produce yellow leaves, a sign of diminished chlorophyll production. Plants lacking phosphorous produce small, dark green leaves with purple veins, purple leaf stems, and purple-streaked stocks. When a plant lacks potassium, the leaves turn yellow, then brown and eventually die. Deficiencies in zinc, magnesium and calcium all cause color changes.
While color changes in plants can indicate the state of deficiencies, colour change can also occur in healthy vigorous marijuana plants. Color differences in the leaves of healthy plants are a result of genetic and environmental influences, and also occur as plants near the end of their life cycle. Pistil color changes are influenced by the grow medium’s pH effect on the fragile female cannabis flower.
The beautiful green of the cannabis plant wasn’t the only color present during the vegetative stage, but until the lengthening dark cycle triggers the plant to stop production of the green chlorophyll, we can’t begin to see the yellow and gold color of the carotenoids. It is perfectly natural for cannabis leaves to change colors and die off as the plants reach their “autumn” or finishing stage, showing varying shades of green, yellow, gold and more.
Some plants will turn red and purple as anthocyanins are produced using excess sugars in the leaves and spreading through cell fluids. The pH of the cell fluid determines the color variation, with an acidic fluid producing reddish hues, and an alkaline fluid producing blues. Cellular pH being genetically regulated, each strain has its own unique combination of chlorophyll and carotenoids and potential for anthocyanins production, giving a great splash of color to a diversified grow as nights grow longer and temperature cools. Many strain’s color range is limited exclusively to greens and yellows through the life cycle.
In addition to the autumnal color changes in the leaves, many species show color in their stems when finished in cooler temperatures. Some, like Blackberry from VISC (Vancouver Island Seed Company) and Blueberry, have colored buds in all but the warmest grows; the colors in these buds can change intensity and even hues when subjected to colder nights. While these colors are caused by the same plant components as in the leaves, there is the genetic roll of the die here. Black (see pictures of Black at
www.vancouverseed.com) is a phenotype whose bud is always a dark purple in any temperature grow, yet Black hybrids will grow in colors ranging from purple to mauve to white. The purple color seems dependent on receiving a recessive gene from both parents, which allows for greater glucose conversion into anthocyanins, and having a suitable cellular pH. Not related to size or to resin production, bud color is purely aesthetic in value.
While small and slight, the pistil (reproductive flower) of the female cannabis plant, can have an impact far greater than its size on your overall impression of the plant.
Fucking Incredible by VISC is a plant whose pistils can change colors. Certain nutrient formulations with a pH level of 6.8 cause F.I. to produce buds with reddish pink or even magenta pistils, while the same plant grown in a lower pH will develop white pistils.
Marijuana plants aren’t the only examples of flowers that can react to the pH of their medium. The hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) has flowers that change colors – pink in alkaline and blue in acidic. This is a great example of interplaying environmental and genetic influences. While all strains are affected by adjusting the pH of the soil, the few that exhibit coloured pistils as a result are a visual joy in your grow.
It is generally believed that the pH of a plant’s cells is genetically regulated and not influenced by the growing medium’s pH, and the change of colors can be explained by the plants ability to absorb certain elements only in suitable pH soil. In the case of the hydrangea flower, the blue color is the result of the plant’s intake of aluminum, something most garden soils contain, which will not be useable by the hydrangea in alkaline soil.
I have witnessed the amazing array of colors naturally available in this fantastic plant for decades, and am continually amazed by the diversity. I have also seen growers “creating” gold coloured weed by starving their plants, and others trying to change the colors of the bud by watering with Kool-Aid.
As a longtime breeder of cannabis, I am not a scientist and haven’t tried to bring an exhaustive understanding of the biology of plants to this forum. I have, however, brought forward a number of factors and possible influences relating to the variety of colors in cannabis. Genetics, maturity, pH, amount of light, temperature, and even available sugars can influence the color of cannabis. Some of these factors are easily controlled, others seemingly impossible; with knowledge comes ability.
Growing a variety of species in your garden is immensely rewarding in many ways, to which color can be a spectacular addition. While color will not change the plants potency or yields, it is possible to enhance the many colors in your garden naturally enhancing its beauty and the enjoyment of the diversity that cannabis gives us. For me, marijuana is a beautiful species that I will always grow and enjoy, in more ways than one.