advice for newbie right before harvest

Hello everyone,
I'm getting very near my harvest (started flushing 6 days ago) and had a few questions:

First, I read in a book by Jorge Cervantes that it's actually better to flush with a diluted nutrient solution. I was wondering if it might be best to just use a little general hydroponics florabloom, since it contains no nitrogen, and since the plant is showing some signs of potassium deficiency--tips of leaves turning rust/yellowish and curling up, rust/yellowish blotches--(of course, I guess during the flushing stage the leaves are supposed to turn a bit yellow since nutrients are moving away from them...). Also, from what I can gather, the taste/burning problems associated with nutrients not being flushed are mostly related to nitrogen, so some potassium and phosphate from florabloom would seem ok... any thoughts?

Second, a friend told me that putting the plants in darkness for 3 days at the end increases potency. Anyone have opinions on this? If it is a good idea, do you wait til it's ready to harvest and wait an additional three days, or do you try to guess when you're three days away from harvest time?

Finally, do you continue to flush during the 3 days of dark?

Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks!

Anyone else have any input on this, im curios to the questions he asked as well :]

bbonger said:

Hello everyone,
First, I read in a book by Jorge Cervantes that it's actually better to flush [...] any thoughts?

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Because I'm a stoned slacker, I don't always get things done that I should. I have a continuous output op with 4 flood systems and a tank for each. At one time, I was flushing for the last week. The Slack™ hit me and I failed to dump tank4, which handles my wk6-8 plants, at the beginning of wk7. The result? No smoking difference at all between buds from flushed plants and those which were not flushed. So... I quit bothering to flush and just run all tanks at 1400 from go to whoa.

Second, a friend told me that putting the plants in darkness for 3 days at the end increases potency. Anyone have opinions on this?

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Yep, this is a wives' tale. Potency is determined by the DNA of the plant. Holding plants in the dark won't do anything at all to potency.

I heard the same aswell... resin producting goes up alot more when it's in darkness for 3 days, and I've also heard that flushing does nothing for the plants taste, as well Thanks Al, although flushing is nice to remove the old salts and such. Flushing isent needed for harvest but its a good thing to do

kirby said:

I heard the same aswell... resin producting goes up alot more when it's in darkness for 3 days,

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Too bad it doesn't. Wish it did, I'd leave 'em in the dark for a week.

Really!! I know u know ur shit AL. I ve seen posts from u on many sites.... Thanks for keepin' it real!!!1

U really dont agree with the 3 days in the dark theory?

Would you flush a dwc grow (pure blenb pro)? I was gonna do so for 3-4 days...

Im exactly 11 days away from my targeted harvest date ( 60 days)... Any tips would

be greatly appreciated...... PEACE

no, the 3-day-dark-potency thing is wives' tale city, right up there with other plant abuses claiming to increase potency such as splitting stems, etc.

Like I said before, potency is programmed into the plant's DNA. The way you get the best possible potency is to not abuse plants. Keep them healthy until harvest day, protect drying and stored buds from light and temps above 29C and you will get the best the DNA can make.

Flushing is optional. I've done it both ways and it makes no difference at all to the smoking characters to starve the plant before harvest. If you want to do it, fine, won't hurt anything, but don't expect any difference in the smoking.

Alright thanks man! Like the DIY batwing dude thx..

ttt a lot of bull written about flushing...


i was worried because ive got to rush mine and this has helped a lot