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Environmental StressSerious

Light Burn on Cannabis

Light burn happens when your grow light is too intense or too close. It bleaches top leaves white-yellow and can ruin cola tips.

What it looks like

  • Top leaves turning yellow or bleached white (starts at tips)
  • Damage only on leaves closest to the light
  • Buds may bleach white instead of maturing
  • Foxtailing (new bud growth from cola tops)

Quick diagnostic checks

1Raise the light 4 inches as first move
2Use a PPFD meter or app to confirm intensity
3Target: 600-800 μmol in veg, 800-1000 in flower (no CO2)

Causes ranked by likelihood

1. LED too close to canopy

Most common

Signs

  • Light within 18" of canopy on a 3000K+ LED
  • PPFD above 1000 at canopy

Fix

  • Raise LED to 18-24" from canopy
  • Dim to 75-80% if your light has a dimmer
  • Measure PPFD with a meter or app

⚠️When to worry

Light-bleached buds are unsellable. Fix before flower for best results.

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