Finishing Flush

[dorjewright]

I posted this question in Organic Soil but haven't gotten a response so thought I'd post here.​

I'm not satisfied with the taste of my buds. I get a nice nose but the smoke is harsh and flavorless. I use earth juice exclusively and last time fed the last few weeks with catalyst and hi brix. I'm wondering if the taste problem is my water. Its spring water, ph is about 8 and I know it has a lot of dissolved mineral probably from limestone. Could that be the problem? I think I will use distilled water for these last 2 weeks. But should I drop or add the catalyst and hi brix molasses? Seems like a straight water flush would starve and stress my girls.​

The reason I suspect the water is my outdoor grows have a similar problem - harsh smoke.​

Medium is roots organic soil. And once I mix up the nutrients the ph drops to 5.​

 

[buddahslave]

You can try Advanced Nutrients Bud Candy, Botanicare Sweet, or General Hydroponics Flora Nectar. These all have molasses in them. I like gh flora nectar/pineapple the best, because you can taste it. I think you need to raise your ph up, the range is 5.5 to 6.5 in soil 6.5 is best but that will not affect taste, you have to flush to get a better taste, your earth juice in flowering might have to much nitrogen. Thats why we don't use one product from begging to end, it will work but the end result are not professional. Flush last two weeks with fresh water or last week with a finale flush solution, any will do the trick. Hope this helps!

 

[putembk]

I am flushing my final run today and am happy for the summer break. I use pretty much the full AN line (even though most bad mouth an) and use Final Phase on the flush. I flush approximately 10 days before harvest using r/o water and don't notice harsh or chemical tasting smoke doing it this way. I try and keep my ph at 6.2 through out veg and flower. If I don't like the taste, buzz and smell I won't grow that strain again. Right or wrong I don't blame myself I blame the genetics.

Thank god I am almost done the fricken heat is killing me. It was 104 here yesterday in the foothills above Denver and the a/c bill is going to kill me this month. So far I am able to keep the temp below 80 but it's getting harder every day.

 

[Smoking Gun]

Seems like a straight water flush would starve and stress my girls.

Well this is kinda what you are trying to do with a flush. A flush is intended to force the plant to use all of its reserves of nutrients. It is the abundance of extra nutrients, mostly nitrogen, in the buds that gives a bad taste and a harsh smoke. If the plant has used all of its reserves there are none of the extra nutrients in the buds to make it smoke poorly. Also a bit of stress at the end of flowering can help increase the resin output of the plant.

 

[putembk]

I give them nothing for the final 2 wks except r/o water.

 

[Smoking Gun]

I give them nothing for the final 2 wks except r/o water.

In my organic setups during a 10 week cycle I would only give some sweet week 8 and then nothing but water week 9 and 10 and I would not even water the last 3 days.

 

[putembk]

Five hrs later and 10 gal of water each and the flush is almost done. Will clean everything up and water a little heavy for the next 7 day and harvest in 10. Next a 30 day cure and bingo. Then a much deserved 6 wk break before starting up again. Hope I have enough to last me as It will be almost December before my next run is done.

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

What is your drying process like? Kinda sounds like it could be a quick drying prob if you are flushing good...

 

[NaturalTherapy]

[ Seems like a straight water flush would starve and stress my girls.[/INDENT]

The reason I suspect the water is my outdoor grows have a similar problem - harsh smoke.​

Medium is roots organic soil. And once I mix up the nutrients the ph drops to 5.​

It does starve them, but that is the point, to get the plant to metabolize the last of its nutrient reserves, a process known as "finishing"

Two weeks clean water should be enough if you have your nutrient profile for that plant figured just right. You may find using less nitrogen after week 3 of flowering effective, as mentioned. In any case try just water around ph6 for the 2 week flush and see how it works.

 

[LexLuthor]

Bro, it sounds like the harsh smoke is due to the fact that your not flushing properly and your not drying/curing correctly either. Flush your plants with RO or distilled water 2 weeks before harvest than after that give it nothing but RO/distilled water for the final 2 weeks and follow your regular watering schedule except the last 3-4 days don't give it anything, that will flush all the nutrients out of the soil leaving your plants with nothing but reserves to feed. So if your plants are not looking deficient the final couple weeks then your not flushing properly.

Now when it comes to drying, don't trim them, hang the buds upside down with leaves on so they dry slower, that will give them a smoother smoke. After the leaves are dry clip them off and hang buds again until the outside of the buds turn crispy, but the insides are still moist. Put them in brown paper bags and fold it up for a couple days until they get a little smaller, that means there drying up, but make sure they still have some moisture inside the buds. After that put them in glass mason jars and burp once a day and that will cure the buds and give them a way smoother smoke, the longer you cure the better.

Once you start drying make sure you check for mold everyday, and don't allow them to over dry, you don't want crumble weed, trust me it sucks. You can get more info about this drying and curing method from a thread on here posted by Texas Kid, but the article was written by DJ Short, I think its in the "drying and curing" sub forum, good luck on your next grow.

 

[outwest]

If I'm running a water only organic soil mix, how the hell do I flush?

outwest

 

[NaturalTherapy]

If I'm running a water only organic soil mix, how the hell do I flush?

outwest

Ideally a flush for you is unnecessary if you've only added the proper amounts of raw ingredients that wil be used as nutrient through the cycle, so the soil should be depleted of nutrients by the time you are two-three weeks from harvest. A flush for you would just mean no teas.

 

[putembk]

If I'm running a water only organic soil mix, how the hell do I flush?

outwest

How does that work for you, I have heard about doing this but never thought about giving it a try.

 

[outwest]

How does that work for you, I have heard about doing this but never thought about giving it a try.

This has been my first run using subcools recipe, and my garden has never looked better, not even close actually. Imagine going whole run without using a ph pen or ec pen, and not having a single deficiency.

Check out the 5th dimension thread in my signature for lots og photos.

outwest

 

[putembk]

This has been my first run using subcools recipe, and my garden has never looked better, not even close actually. Imagine going whole run without using a ph pen or ec pen, and not having a single deficiency.

Check out the 5th dimension thread in my signature for lots og photos.

outwest

Thanks, will do...sounds interesting.

 

[skuzz99]

i wud drop the catalyst and hi brix. not needed and imo the stuff is shit anyway

 

[dorjewright]

So besides the flowering times (sweet Tooth is 6 to 8 weeks) what signs should I look for in the buds themselves to know when to start the flush?

 

[buddahslave]

If I were you I would start my two week flush at week 8 just to let the plant grow a little longer. That way you get all that you want, your plants getting all of there nutes from start to finish. I sense that you might have a lack of patients so it might be in your best interest to invest in a finale flush solution, that can cut your flush time down to a few days. I know first hand how hard it is to wait on your product to excel to its best, you must wait, no one can teach you that you must learn it on your own! I myself still struggle with it.

 

[LexLuthor]

Letting an 8 week strain go 10 weeks is good sometimes, but not all strains are the same. Some strains are better at 9 weeks and some at 10, but some are better at 8, so to do every strain for 9-10 weeks wouldn't be a good idea. He needs to follow what the seedbank/breeder says about flower time and once he learns how to dial it in then he can mess around with flowering times. thats just my opinion.

 

[putembk]

Letting an 8 week strain go 10 weeks is good sometimes, but not all strains are the same. Some strains are better at 9 weeks and some at 10, but some are better at 8, so to do every strain for 9-10 weeks wouldn't be a good idea. He needs to follow what the seedbank/breeder says about flower time and once he learns how to dial it in then he can mess around with flowering times. thats just my opinion.

Agree, I did a Google search on this strain and it said 6 to 8 wks in flower. Six weeks?? Don't know about that. It is an indica so around 8 to 9 I think would be the norm. Each grow is a learning experience for me and I learn from every one. I suspect you are in the same mode. I would go to radio shack and get a 420 scope so you can start to learn when to pull them from the trichomes. Check the archives in this forum and it will contain threads that explain what I mean.