Breathe easy—the leaf edge curling and wrinkling ("canoeing" or tucking margins) you're seeing in the photos is unlikely to be Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd).
While HLVd can cause leaf chlorosis, brittle stems, and stunting, the distinct puckering between the veins and slight leaf margin tucking typically points toward environmental or nutritional stress rather than a pathogen.
Common Culprits for Leaf Edge Curling
Environmental Stress / VPD Imbalance: Rapid fluctuations in temperature or relative humidity—or a vapor pressure deficit (VPD) that is pushed too high—frequently cause leaves to cup or wrinkle as the plant struggles to regulate transpiration.
Root Zone / Hydroponic Stress: Since this looks like a hydro or DWC setup, minor water temperature fluctuations, temporary dissolved oxygen drops, or slight root tip stress can manifest as weird leaf crinkling.
Light Intensity / Heat Stress: If the canopy is getting blasted by intense LED lighting without enough airflow or adequate transpiration, upper leaves will often react by canoe-curling their edges upward or downward to reduce surface area exposure.
Nutrient Imbalances: Minor excesses or lockout of nitrogen, calcium, or magnesium can distort new cell growth, causing the leaf blades to take on a crinkled, uneven texture.
Next Steps
Check your current VPD, room temperatures, and leaf surface temperatures to ensure they're dialed in for week 6.
* Inspect your root zone for any signs of discoloration or pythium just to rule out root health issues.
If you still have lingering doubts and want 100% peace of mind, you can snip a small leaf sample and send it off for a quick PCR test via labs like Tumi Genomics or Botanacare, but based on visual cues alone, environmental or feeding stress is the much more probable suspect.
