Red Marijuana Leaf

The color of red weed stems is determined by chlorophyll and anthocyanin, which are two plant pigments. Don’t let this stop you from learning more, though. It all comes down to the amount of chlorophyll and anthocyanin in the plant throughout specific seasons of the year.

The Science Behind Red Weed

The red, purple, or blue hue that anthocyanin gives plants is determined by the pH. If the pH is more acidic, the plant appears red. The plant exhibits blue if the acidity level (toward the down end of the scale) is greater. When the pH is more neutral (between acid and base).

During the majority of the growing season, anthocyanin is outshined by stronger, greener chlorophyll. That’s why most plants are green throughout the spring and summer: because there is more chlorophyll. And this isn’t a coincidence. Green actually has a function; it absorbs more solar energy than other hues.

In the fall, when chlorophyll is broken down, anthocyanin (and other flavonoids) come through because they are no longer hidden by the green. As a result, the brilliant yellows, reds, oranges, and even purples that signal the approach of winter emerge. The hues aren’t only for show; they have a function to perform as well.

In this instance, the brilliant colors that appear during the fall months attract more insects, which help in the pollination process. It’s essentially the plant appealing to insects so it may reproduce. The color of a plant’s leaves is also influenced by its genetics.

The amount of one flavonoid or the other that is present and in what concentration is determined by the DNA that floats around within there. It’s as if you’re trying to make a knife into a spoon using only expensive gene-splicing equipment and expertise for the rest of your life.

If the qualities are already there, you may slightly modify your bud to achieve some truly righteous red marijuana. However, understanding where color comes from and when it is more likely to appear goes a long way toward assisting you in manipulating your way into the red marijuana that so many people desire.

You’re checking on your plants, and things have been going extremely well. Then you observe a plant with bright red stems. Maybe there are additional symptoms, such as scorched leaf edges/tips, grasping/curling leaves, or yellowing.

Red stems are a typical cannabis plant sign. What does it imply? You care for your plants, so what do you do if something goes wrong? What is causing your plant’s red or purple stems? There are a few different reasons for red stems, so I’ll go through the most prevalent ones below. You’ll be better equipped to preserve your plants healthy and happy after going through this list. Get big yields and amazing bud quality from your grow.

 A “Sun Tan”

If a stem is totally exposed to direct light, it will frequently become red, pink, or purple over time. If this is the case, any parts of the stem in the shade will stay green. This is a plant’s natural defense against excessive UV radiation. The color of red that appears in this manner is particularly common with LEC grow lights (bonus: because of those same UV rays, trichome production increases!).

Red stems caused by direct light are more common than ever, owing to the rise of plant training methods like manifolding or defoliation that expose bare stems. If you aren’t aware of any other symptoms and your plants are growing quickly and healthily, you probably don’t have anything to worry about in this instance.

In this video, you can observe how the green stems/petioles that are lower in the plant are typical. If you examine the tops of the higher-on-the-plant stems more closely, though, you’ll notice that they’ve acquired a crimson hue wherever they’re exposed to light. Light exposure might be a significant factor in red stem development.

Plant Stress

Cannabis plants respond to stress in unpredictable ways. It may appear strange, but altered stems might be caused by a variety of factors, including overfertilization, insects, or excessive heat. That’s why it’s critical to monitor your cannabis plants carefully and use good watering procedures while growing them.

Red stems might be caused by a variety of factors, including plant stress. This plant with red stems appears to be suffering from a mineral deficiency, but the true reason for the symptoms is a planthopper infestation.

If the temperature in your growing area seems too cold to you, it is possible that your plants are stressed. Each strain is unique, but cannabis plants prefer temperatures that humans find pleasant or just warm. You should be able to put a hand beneath the light and keep it there for 30 seconds without feeling uncomfortable. If your skin feels heated, it’s an indication that the heat level is excessive for your plants. Learn how to create a healthy plant environment.

If you keep a grow light too close to the plants, it may cause them to react badly. Regardless of the temperature! Different strains of cannabis are more susceptible to light deprivation than others, but virtually all plants have their limits when it comes to light levels. It might come as a surprise, but even if the temperature is low, a plant can get sunburned from the intensity of the light, similar to how a snowboarder may still get burned despite below-freezing temperatures.

Because too much light might cause red stems and other symptoms of stress, it’s always a good idea to keep your grow lights at the recommended distance by the manufacturer. LED grow lights, in particular, are notorious for lighting-burning plants if they’re kept too close (because they operate cool).