Flushing is a bad practice based on flawed science.

[fatconeskills]

This doesnt prove your point at all as usual.

“Flushing” doesnt remove anything from the plant only the medium.

And the article shows weather and seasons as the cause of the toxicity. We can control uptake with fertilizer and control environment in our rooms so using your own current argument the outdoor “organic” grown plants would likely show toxicity easier than the terrible horrible hydro growers.

Nice try troll!

I've heard that you're not allowed in some organic farmers markets if you refuse to flush.

 

[MIMedGrower]

I've heard that you're not allowed in some organic farmers markets if you refuse to flush.

How would anyone know? And how do you flush outdoor in ground or beds?

 

[fracturedfarmz]

I would like to question the practicality of flushing for the last week. Actually, I am openly challenging the entire notion of it (hehe, just for a bit of fun) but seriously now... it’s in dire need of revisiting.

I will list some points that not only challenge the absurd impracticality and illogicality of this myth, but point out how the pseudoscience behind it is fundamentally flawed (as is all pseudoscience) and can be countered by what is known about basic plant biology.


1. Robbing plants of essential nutrients at any stage of their life cycle is NOT beneficial for growth. I challenge anyone to provide a single peer reviewed paper from a reputable journal that provides evidence suggesting otherwise.

2. If this was practical, wouldn’t you expect all big agricultural hydroponic growers adopt the same practice?

3. Plants take minerals into their tissues, from their roots via the treachery elements; i.e. xylem. Once these minerals are in the plant, they are there to stay, the plant does not expel them, unless it’s through senescence-driven abscission of leaf petioles. From the treachery elements nutrients are translocated into the phloem - the plant’s ‘blood supply’ - after being integrated into various biomolecules, or are used for various metabolic functions. Where is the logic in thinking the plant ‘uses’ these up in that last week of flushing, in order to avoid smoking them? All the N P K Fe Mg Ca etc. is still there.

4. For arguments sake say we counter the last point by suggesting these minerals in their ‘raw form’ will taste ‘hasher’ or ‘nastier’ in the form of pyrolytic breakdown products (formed when weed is burned) than artifacts of larger biomolecules of which these minerals/macro nutrients are now a part of, for example phosphorylated PO43-. Even if this was the case it still doesn’t correlate with the myth, as the transports steam in the treachery elements is measured in minutes not a week. i.e. a PO43- molecule does not wait around in these vessels for a week before subsequent translocation and modification.

5. If there was any truth to this myth, then plants grown in soil would always taste worse than plants grown in hydro. Why? Because obviously soil is not an inert medium you can flush for a week. And a plant CANNOT distinguish between a PO43- molecule that comes from soil from that of a PO43- molecule that comes from hydro solution (which also debunks another myth, but we’ll leave that one).

6. Are there studies that have conducted double blind trials to investigate if flushed weed tastes any ‘sweeter’ than unflushed weed. Again, need peer reviewed papers. And doesn’t have to be weed, can be strawberries or any other type of fruit.

7. What is the proposed mechanism to support this myth, and how is it consistent with fundamental plant biology.

8. How does starving the plant of food in the last week increase thc production in the trichome? Papers?

9. Given, under certain conditions stressed plants upregulate certain defence compounds, but they will almost certainly produce less inflorescence weight per watt of light. Growth is always retarded under stress - not promoted. Nutrient starvation is a form of stress. Looking for peer reviewed papers that suggest otherwise.

Those of you set in your ways, each to their own and best of luck to you. Those who are willing to change their views in light of new evidence, or lack thereof, be ready for increased yields by feeding those hungry ladies right up until the second you chop.

YS

OMG, you are preaching to the choir on this one. I have tried telling people for years and just got off the phone with a buddy who was telling me he is flushing his plants outside. I told him dude this is a myth about flushing. One you are not going to flush elements out of the soil so that the plant is only uptaking water. I will keep this short and sweet. I think anyone who believes in flushing in soil especially outside well might as well as believe in the Easter Bunny. I have been growing up for 18 yrs outside and never flushed yet and never had anyone tell me why stuff was good to great. So what can I say.

 

[fracturedfarmz]

How would anyone know? And how do you flush outdoor in ground or beds?

You can't and to all that think you can.....Well I got a new type of soil to sell you that automatically flushes itself the last week of flower. lol

 

[N1ghtL1ght]

Think about reduced nutrient content mineralized via microbes due to less groundtemperature. Certain anions like nitrate or sulphates do bind not well to the exchange complexes and will get leeched out by the increased autumn rain falls.

 

[fracturedfarmz]

chances are the black ash or harsh burn people experience is due mostly to the stuff sprayed on it? even compost teas with leave residues we probably shouldn't smoke.

You know a lot of that can also come from drying and curing too fast. I think a lot of the ash color has to do with your drying and curing and nothing to do with flushing.

 

[fracturedfarmz]

Good write up, I think most big outdoor growers already intuitively know this.

I doubt highly you will find any peer reviewed papers suggesting otherwise.

Been an outdoor grower for 18 yrs and never flushed once as I always thought that was a stupid misconception kinda of like wearing the face diaper that does nothing but makes you feel safe and good until you get sick then blame someone else. lol! You can't really flush stuff out of soil or if possible would have to flush so much water through the soil repeatedly that you would shock the plant by catastrophically dropping the EC in the soil to ZERO.. I don't waste my time trying to explain shit anymore to anyone that grows. Why? Everyone is a super know it all and most of the time they got small plants. lol

 

[Otto Bonn]

OP was right....10 years ago