Need some advice on flushing?
- Thread starter liveformusic1827
- Start date
dump1020
Member
What you are saying is logical to me. Does this mean that flushing (soil) with FF sledgehammer periodically during the grow is also a waste of time?
Thank you in advance for your help.
Thank you in advance for your help.
This periodic flushing is pretty much necessary if you are using their chemical ferts (Grow Big & Tiger Bloom), but I'm not so sure using Sledgehammer is. Plain pH'd water will do just fine in periodically flushing the soil of excess salts.
My preference is to flush periodically with 2-3 times normal watering using FF's Big Bloom (4tbsp / gallon), this will flush the soil of salt buildups and leave some good organics behind so that you're not "starving" the plant. This is in line with what was said above... the idea is to rid the soil of salt builup and not all of the good stuff for too long...
Absolutely, never water with anything that isn't pH'd first. For me, BB is actually the only one that I don't have to adjust -- 4tbsp to 1 gallon of my tap water brings it right down to 6.5.
dump1020
Member
I started with RO from the grocery store and after BB it was 5.4, I used a liquid PH up from Stealth Hydro, It did not move the PH very much, 5 drops, then another 10 drops then another 25 drops Ph only up to 6.1 this seems like too much, I am not happy with it, can you reccomend a good PH up?Absolutely, never water with anything that isn't pH'd first. For me, BB is actually the only one that I don't have to adjust -- 4tbsp to 1 gallon of my tap water brings it right down to 6.5.
lordjin
Well-Known Member
To flush or not to flush? That is the question!
I've grown many times in hydro. Early on, I didn't know about flushing, so just fed my plants to the very last day until harvest... Then I started doing the flush thing for a week prior to harvest.
It's been my experience that the flushed bud doesn't taste or smell as good, so I'm returning to my earlier ways.
I've made a few arguments on the pro-flush side, but with all these reports of it being a myth, and thinking back to my earlier non-flushed grows, I'm leaning towards the myth argument.
I've grown many times in hydro. Early on, I didn't know about flushing, so just fed my plants to the very last day until harvest... Then I started doing the flush thing for a week prior to harvest.
It's been my experience that the flushed bud doesn't taste or smell as good, so I'm returning to my earlier ways.
I've made a few arguments on the pro-flush side, but with all these reports of it being a myth, and thinking back to my earlier non-flushed grows, I'm leaning towards the myth argument.
guanoman
Well-Known Member
Here is my two cents for what it is worth.
When growing with chemical nutes:
I give them nothing but water for the last 10 days with a 10% run off. I no longer do the flush with massive amounts of water as I have read that it stresses the plant (unless you do it a bit at a time to let the roots breath). I water every 2nd-3rd day (as the plants require - not on a specific schedule) but try not to water too close to harvest. I generally end with the larger fan leaves turning yellow. This gives me a nice tasting smoke with a nice white ash in the bowl.
On occasion my trich's turn quicker than expected and I harvest after only about 4-5 days of just water. I generally end with the larger fan leaves just starting to fade. The smoke is still OK but does not taste quite as nice and the ash never really turns as white in the bowl & may not burn quite as well in a joint.
When growing with super soil:
I just keep giving them water until harvest. Generally finish with 99% of leaves intact and green as Kermit the frog. This gives me a nice tasting smoke with a nice white ash in the bowl.
Take it for what it's worth - these are just my observations.
When growing with chemical nutes:
I give them nothing but water for the last 10 days with a 10% run off. I no longer do the flush with massive amounts of water as I have read that it stresses the plant (unless you do it a bit at a time to let the roots breath). I water every 2nd-3rd day (as the plants require - not on a specific schedule) but try not to water too close to harvest. I generally end with the larger fan leaves turning yellow. This gives me a nice tasting smoke with a nice white ash in the bowl.
On occasion my trich's turn quicker than expected and I harvest after only about 4-5 days of just water. I generally end with the larger fan leaves just starting to fade. The smoke is still OK but does not taste quite as nice and the ash never really turns as white in the bowl & may not burn quite as well in a joint.
When growing with super soil:
I just keep giving them water until harvest. Generally finish with 99% of leaves intact and green as Kermit the frog. This gives me a nice tasting smoke with a nice white ash in the bowl.
Take it for what it's worth - these are just my observations.
canefan
Well-Known Member
Here is a start for you then take the time and use your google there are many studies on the subject. As far as hydro or these other hybrid type grows I don't have a clue haven't ever grown in those, but flushing in soil? Enjoy yours and I'll enjoy mine.
https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/409622-truth-about-flushing.html
my favorite line was this one:
"I did not put this up to convince you that you should not flush, I say to all growers, Do what you do, do what works for you"
Harrekin
Well-Known Member
That's cos you dried and cured them wrong...those starches pop and crackle.
BUDS DO NOT CONTAIN UNMETABOLISED NUTRIENTS...plants simply don't work like that.
anotherdaymusic
Well-Known Member
HAH Soil has nutrients in it naturally? LOLOLOL That would be really hard to flush. LMAO
LT1RX7 Drifter
Active Member
personally flushing for taste is a waste, i only flush to remove salt build-up/lock-out, 1 gallon of flushing agent, the rest wormcasting/ cricket poop/bat guano tea, and yes flushing before harvest just starves the plant for the record i have several years of horticulture in h. school and college and 1 yr of plant biology
would like to hear your method of curing, and why you think bud burns down black or ashy white, ever water cured before?
Harrekin
Well-Known Member
Yep, don't like the extra 10% weight loss tho, it's good for getting a bit that's ready to smoke up 7-8 days after harvest tho.
The "magic trick" to drying and curing is just to let it happen slowly. Let it hang for 1-2 week then jar up.
The reason the ash is black is because with quick drying the plant has no chance to use/break down starches and other complex carbs contained in the buds. It's nothing to do with nutrients.
It's why Riddlem3's "completely submerge the roots for 7 days before harvest" stuff is perfectly smokable after a quick dry, cos the lack of oxygen at the roots forces the plant to ferment its sugars cos it cannot produce more.
SirLancelot
Active Member
I've never heard of anyone in the history of agriculture flushing before harvesting. I don't believe tabacoo companies flush either (even though they wouldn't give a shit) . Why is MJ so magical that it needs flushed? I guess i just don't understand how "chemicals" get into the buds of the plant and how dumping water in the soil will magically travel through all the roots into the entire plant and clean it out... you believe that?
Oh and you buy chemical flushing solution to clean out the chemicals in the soil... haha doesn't really seem right does it.
I've said this before it's all a marketing scam. Why wouldn't a company tell you to get better tasting buds to flush with their shit in a can they put a label on to make a buck. Once you flush one plant and not the other then do a proper cure you won't be able to tell a difference.
Oh and you buy chemical flushing solution to clean out the chemicals in the soil... haha doesn't really seem right does it.
I've said this before it's all a marketing scam. Why wouldn't a company tell you to get better tasting buds to flush with their shit in a can they put a label on to make a buck. Once you flush one plant and not the other then do a proper cure you won't be able to tell a difference.
cues
Well-Known Member
Well, how come it's possible to send plant matter away to get tested for nutrient analysis?
SirLancelot
Active Member
the nutrients that are in the soil are different from the nutrients that are inside the plant. nutes are transfered from your soil into the plant, the roots break down the nutrients into usable/edible food they can digest. but note it is first broken down. Only plant analysis can tell us the actual nutrient status of the crop. Plant analysis can be used to detect low nutrient levels in plants before they are seen by the human eye. Once visual symptoms are visible, top yields and quality have already been compromised. Plant analysis is an important part of planning future fertility programs. Soil testing and plant analysis are designed to work together. Soil testing identifies the soils nutrient reserves and predicts the nutrient needs, while plant analysis identifies the actual nutrient uptake. theres books on this...
as much as everyone thinks, marijuana isn't some special magical plant that needs specail things to grow, it's a plant just like any other.
as much as everyone thinks, marijuana isn't some special magical plant that needs specail things to grow, it's a plant just like any other.
Harrekin
Well-Known Member
The key part of the quote you seem to have missed is the word unmetabolised.
The whole plant is built from metabolized nutrients, this doesn't mean it contains the nutrients directly from the fertiliser.