The Grower's Almanac
← All symptoms

Curling leaves

Direction of the curl (up vs. down) is the fastest way to narrow this down.

Causes, how to tell, and fixes

  1. 1

    Heat stress

    leaves curl upward, 'taco-ing'

    How to tell

    Happens under intense light or high ambient temperature, often with the plant closest to the light affected most

    Fix

    Raise the light or check ambient temperature — aim for roughly 70–85°F in the grow space

  2. 2

    Overwatering

    leaves curl downward, look full/heavy

    How to tell

    Paired with dark green color and droopy, almost overfilled-looking leaves

    Fix

    Ease off watering frequency and check drainage

  3. 3

    Nutrient burn or overfeeding

    How to tell

    Downward claw-like curling combined with dark green leaves and sometimes tip burn

    Fix

    Reduce feeding strength and flush with plain water

Seeing something else?