Recently I discovered a fan leaf with leaves curling sideways. I was not sure what to make of this because my plant looked very healthy. I looked under the leaf to make sure I did not have any unwanted pests. Just as I suspected, there were none.

I was scratching my head because my plant looked healthy. Was this some genetic mutation or was it caused by me? Was my plant missing a key nutrient or was it my PH? I decided to ask a friend of mine who was a OG grower. My buddy said he didn't know for sure, but not to worry. He had seen it before on several occasions. He also mentioned that despite it, he had several successful grows with the plants he noticed affected. I thanked him, but decided it was best to look into this issue a little further. Here is what I found.

Leaves Curling Sideways Possibilities

I realized that leaves curling sideways stems from a number of grow issues. Each situation is different. By displaying leaves curling sideways, your plant is telling you something is up. Here are a few issues that might be affecting your grow.

• Does your plant look healthy? If your plant looks healthy, but a few leaves are curling sideways, I would start by flushing your plant.  After flushing, resume with less nutrient feed.
• Check your PH. If your PH is off the mark, this definitely can be the reason why your plants leaves are curling sideways. I recommend checking the PH of your nutrient solution before feeding as well as the runoff to make sure it is within the expected range. For hydro growers, the PH should be between 5.6 and 6.5.  For soil, the PH should be between 6 and 7. Testing for PH is really easy and inexpensive. For best results, try and maintain a stable PH.
• Make sure you are not over watering your plants. Over watering definitely causes your leaves to curl. A lot of times your leaves will curl upwards when your plants are over watered, but I have also seen cases when they curl sideways as well. If you think you might be over watering your plants, let your soil dry to the point where the top couple inches is dry. Then resume watering and repeat the process. Things should improve from that point forward and growth should return to normal once watering has been stabilized.
• Check your plants for pests. Pests can definitely cause your leaves to curl sideways. Even when no symptoms are present, it is best to check your plants regularly for bugs. The best way is to look underneath your fan leaves. Leaves curling sideways are sometimes caused by mites. Broad mites can also have a profound impact. Unfortunately, broad mites are almost impossible to see when the naked eye. They are so small, but can inflict major damage on your grow. If you discover that pests are causing your plants to grow sideways leaves, then you should apply a DIY home remedy like soap and water or seek out an organic pesticide like neem oil to slow them down. Never spray your plants before harvest.

In Conclusion

I hope this short blog about leaves curling sideways helped! If you have any questions, please post them in the comment section. If you are interested in learning more about growing cannabis, please check out my blog. Here are a few of my most recent:

• Grow Light Distance From Plants
• Is a Grow Tent Necessary
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• Cannabis Water Filter