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
Measure before you treat
Plant diagnostic essentials
These tools help confirm the cause of light burn before you change nutrients, watering, or the environment.
Govee Bluetooth Hygrometer
Track temperature and humidity trends instead of guessing from one reading.
Check price on AmazonBN-LINK Digital Timer
Keep light schedules consistent and prevent accidental dark-cycle interruptions.
Check price on AmazonVIVOSUN pH and TDS Meter Combo
Check root-zone pH and nutrient strength before changing a feeding plan.
Check price on AmazonSave the light burn recovery plan
Get a concise recovery checklist plus the follow-up checks that show whether your fix is working.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Causes ranked by likelihood
1. LED too close to canopy
Most commonSigns
- ●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.
Gear that prevents this problem
The right equipment stops most grow problems before they start. Start here:
Not sure what you're looking at?
Upload a photo of your plant and our AI will diagnose the problem in seconds — free.
Open AI Plant Diagnosis →Related problems
Keep the plant recovery checklist handy
Get the diagnostic order, recovery checkpoints, and prevention reminders by email.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime.