Hello everyone
I noticed a slight yellowing on the young shoots emerging after topping, just on the tip. Where could the problem come from?
Thank you everyone
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If it also starts on the other leaves that the tips become lighter, it could be too many nutrients. If not, everything should be fine. Fresh shoots are usually a bit lighter.
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There could be three culprits.
A nutrient excess.
If the plant receives more nutrients (especially nitrogen) than it can process, the outermost tips of the leaves “burn”. This starts with bright, fresh shoot tips.
Simply reduce the nutrient dosage a bit first. And continue to observe.
Light stress could also be a factor.
An indication of this is that it probably only affects the uppermost shoots.
The solution would be to dim the light a bit or increase the distance.
Adjust the pH value of the water.
6.3 - 6.5 for soil.
Then it should continue to go well.
Is the lamp at least 45 cm above the plant?
Best regards and much success
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Looking at the photos, those new shoots emerging right from the main topping site are showing a classic case of minor nutrient burn (often called “tip burn”).
The good news? This is incredibly common right after topping, and at this stage, it’s more of a warning flare than a full-blown crisis. Because the plant is in its vegetative stage and you’ve recently redirected its growth energy, it’s highly sensitive to what’s currently in the root zone.
Here is a breakdown of why this happens and how to manage it before your next milestone.
The Primary Culprits
1. Soil Hotspots or Slight Nutrient Excess:
Even if you haven’t started your formal feeding schedule yet, high-quality, pre-amended potting soils (like heavily pre-fertilized organic soils) contain a solid baseline of nutrients. When you top a plant, you temporarily stop its upward vertical growth, which briefly slows down its overall metabolic demand.
As the root system continues to pump nutrients up into the brand-new, tender tissue of the emerging split shoots, the concentration can be just a little too intense for those fresh cells, resulting in singed tips.
2. Minor Zinc or Iron Lockout (pH Fluctuations)
Sometimes, a very slight yellowing at the absolute base or tips of brand-new growth can indicate that the pH in the root zone is swinging just enough to restrict trace minerals like zinc or iron. New growth needs these micro-nutrients immediately to form chlorophyll.
How to Handle It
Since the yellowing is restricted strictly to the outermost tips of the newest growth and isn’t spreading down the margins or speckling the older fan leaves, you don’t need to panic or flush the medium.
Hold Steady on Nutrients:
If you are planning to introduce or ramp up a nutrient feeding schedule soon, consider holding off or cutting the first planned dose exactly in half. Let the plant fully establish these two new main crowns and pull from the soil’s existing reserves first.
Double-Check Your Runoff pH:
Next time you water, check the pH of the water going in and the runoff coming out of the bottom. For soil, you generally want to keep it in the 6.2 to 6.8 range to ensure the plant can effortlessly grab all the micro-nutrients it needs for this explosive new vegetative growth.
Let It Ride:
Watch the next set of leaves that emerges from these new shoots over the next 3 to 5 days. If the new growth comes in a lush, uniform green and the tip burn doesn’t creep backward, your pl 3 already adjusted to the hot spot and you are totally in the clear.
The structure of your split looks excellent and the rest of the fan leaves look vibrant, thick, and healthy -she’s handling the training well!
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