As a gardener, you can occasionally come across some peculiar issues and accidental re-vegging is one of them. If the term “accidental” piqued your curiosity, then you would be surprised to know that sometimes it is intentional and growers use it to their advantage. But when is it not intentional, how can it be prevented? This article will answer all of your questions about accidental re-vegging and provide you with tips to help avoid it.
“Re-vegging” cannabis stops the flowering process and the plant goes back into the vegetative stage. This reversal is undesirable but common since it can be triggered by small disturbances or changes; for example, a light leak.
What Causes a Cannabis Plant To Re-Veg?
Being aware of the factors that cause re-vegging is the key to avoid it. The main cause of re-vegging is light leaks. Most cannabis strains require a dark period each day, therefore, light exposure for even a short amount of time during that dark period can cause the cannabis plant to re-veg.
Another cause of re-vegging, primarily for outdoor plants, is moving the plants to a different area and consequently affecting or shortening their dark period which can cause them to re-enter their vegetative stage.
Signs of a Re-Vegging Cannabis Plant
The main symptoms of re-vegging cannabis are seen in the leaves in the form of contorted or twisted leaves, oddly smooth leaves, or leaves growing out of the bud. Here is a list of symptoms that will help diagnose the problem:
- Twisted, curling, or contorted leaves
- Leaves growing directly out of the buds (long leaves)
- Odd smooth or shiny leaves
- Single-point leaves with long stems
- Odd-looking buds
How To Prevent Re-Vegging Cannabis
- Sufficient Dark Period: To reduce the chances of your cannabis plants re-vegging, make sure that your photoperiod cannabis plants get at least 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness.
- Avoid Light Leaks: Check the grow room for possible light leaks. Even a brief exposure to light during the plant’s dark period can have an impact on the cannabis plant and cause it to revegetate.
- Verify Timer Function: If you have a timer connected to your grow light so the grow light will automatically turn on and off, check to ensure that the schedule set is correct and that the timer is functioning properly.
Source: ILGM
What To Do With a Re-Vegging Cannabis Plant
If your plant has started to re-veg, you can either allow it to continue re-vegetating or you can make some changes to make the plant enter the flowering stage again.
- If you decide to let the plant re-vegetate, set the light cycle specifically for the vegetation stage – i.e. 18 hours with the light on and 6 hours of complete darkness.
- If you decide to stop re-vegetation, fix the light leak issue by blocking light from entering the grow room during dark hours.
Depending on which way you decide to go, the time to achieve the goal will depend on how far along the plant is in the flowering or re-vegging stage. In the future, use the tips above to prevent cannabis plants from re-vegetating.
