How do you flush a plant and why do you flush it?
- Thread starter ggdigital
- Start date
Mel O'Cheddar
Active Member
There's lots of "Whys", over-feeding, flushing to get the fertilizer flavors out before harvest, and plenty more I can't think of. But becorath up there summed it up nicely. You can get distilled water at any grocery store.
lordjin
Well-Known Member
In soil flushing is a different story, but in hydro it isn't necessary and in fact hurts the quality of your final crop.
This notion that the plant 'stores chemicals' or 'stores excess food' is not correct. The chemical nutrient is brokent down at the root level and the plant absorbs only the nutrients it needs down there. It absorbs only what it needs to grow, it doesn't absorb extra to put it in a 'plant storage compartment.' When we eat, do we store leftovers in our body? No. Plants aren't that different. They don't have a 'camel hump' where extra food is stored. They don't.
Taste is acheived through proper dosages of NPK at the proper time and proper curing. Translocation and leaf apoptosis in late flower are natural processes of the plant that are promoted through the correct ratio of nutrient in the feed... not through plant starvation.
Flushing only promotes the plant to feed upon itself... so it's not at its best when harvested.
This notion that the plant 'stores chemicals' or 'stores excess food' is not correct. The chemical nutrient is brokent down at the root level and the plant absorbs only the nutrients it needs down there. It absorbs only what it needs to grow, it doesn't absorb extra to put it in a 'plant storage compartment.' When we eat, do we store leftovers in our body? No. Plants aren't that different. They don't have a 'camel hump' where extra food is stored. They don't.
Taste is acheived through proper dosages of NPK at the proper time and proper curing. Translocation and leaf apoptosis in late flower are natural processes of the plant that are promoted through the correct ratio of nutrient in the feed... not through plant starvation.
Flushing only promotes the plant to feed upon itself... so it's not at its best when harvested.
Time is Now 4:20
Active Member
If you have a 5 gallon container, run AT LEAST 10 gallons of water through it to do a basic flush. Use watering can as you would normally, just flush and drain until you think you have removed all the toxins.
It's most effective if you are in late stages of flowering and want to get as much of the nitrogen (green) taste out of your plant.
Thedillestpickle
Well-Known Member
If you were to feed with only PK and no N, could you avoid the need for a flush? for example PK13/14 for the last 2 weeks?
Yes if people eat to much they get fat(so we do store extra food)
marijuana cannot be compared to other plants that are grown for consumption because marijuana is being smoked not eaten.. Your not going to flush your tomato plant to get a "less harsh taste" unless of course you were intending to smoke your tomato plant
Yes if people eat to much they get fat(so we do store extra food)
marijuana cannot be compared to other plants that are grown for consumption because marijuana is being smoked not eaten.. Your not going to flush your tomato plant to get a "less harsh taste" unless of course you were intending to smoke your tomato plant
bkbbudz
New Member
In one of the HT Ready, Set, Grow vids they suggest flushing pre-harvest. And gave a lucid and reasonable purpose for it as well. Seemed to make good sense to me. If you would care to view it click the link in my sig, the video is posted in the sticky thread Grow video's
DawgMountain
Active Member
Water contains salts. In soil grows the dirt gets salt build up. Once the salts get too abundant the plants don't absorb nutes. Three soil flushes during the life of the plant just helps that much more doing the grow perfectly. You could get by without it but your plants will be better because of it. I use Sledgehammer as a flush additive.
Thedillestpickle
Well-Known Member
that makes sense, unless of course your feeding your soil with synthetic nutrients, then it would have salt buildup as well. But if your using only organic fertilizers it makes sense that there would be less salt buildup throughout the grow. A flush at the end would still leach the nutrients and would probably be a good thing to do.
jondamon
Well-Known Member
I grow hydro and I do not "flush" my plants. I have zero complaints about my weed, the only complaint I ever got was that it stinks too much!
I reduce feed strength towards the end of flowering along with reducing light levels but i never cut out nutrients.
The reason why I don't need to flush is that I don't over feed my plants.
I clean my system when switching from veg nutes to flower nutes. My plants are healthy and green come harvest time.
Flushing does nothing accept put the root zone into REVERSE OSMOSIS due to a sharp reduction in root zone EC.
Flushing also has a negative effect on the microherd as they can be washed away.
If you feel compelled to flush vast amounts of water through your plants root zone then make sure you give a balanced low strength feeding afterwards.
J
Thedillestpickle
Well-Known Member
I dont think your ever going to actually pull the nutrients down out of the buds and back out through the roots and back into the medium by doing a flush(that seems pretty obvious to me). The intention is to reduce the amount going up into the buds just before harvest so that they arent fully loaded with nutrients. In hydro that would be as simple as reducing the ppm in the solution. Just my speculation. I think the flush is probably quite important but more important is the cure