Flushing is a bad practice based on flawed science.

[altitudefarmer]

that's a big claim to make.

actually, look up heavy metal content of some of the amendments used, including azomite. Trace amounts of lead, mercury, gold, all kinds of stuff in there. Still considered "organic" as it's a product of the earth. "Organic" does not necessarily mean uncontaminated.

 

[altitudefarmer]

THAT SAID, I'd still use azomite because the amount is so small. :-)

 

[zombie III]

most definitely not and i agree that organic may well end up with significant amounts of heavy metals in the soil. however, to claim that organic will be as likely or more contaminated than hydro is a big claim. especially if that claim has no data to back it up.

 

[YarraSparra]

Your plants are not starving during a regular flush. They have nutes stored they are consuming. JK

Plants do not store minerals for later use, only sugars. Deprive them of those minerals and you are effectively starving them. For minerals that can be translocated to growth areas, this is not the same. The plant in there actively choose to be deficient in one area to attempt to maintain adequate levels where the minerals are needed the most.

YS

 

[YarraSparra]

You aren't incenerating the pig and inhaling it into your lungs either...are you? Do you think it uses up everything in the soil the same day you stop pouring shit into the dirt from a bottle? I don't think so. As a wise man once said...Im glad I only smoke what I grow.

Also...just wanna throw this out there...too much Mag will make herb burn black and hot as a mutherfuck too. MGG

See my points 3 & 4. There is no logic that depriving the plants in the last week will somehow make it 'use up' the minerals already present in its tissues. They are integrated into those tissues, there is no getting around it.

YS

 

[YarraSparra]

dude I know says the hormones in coco are good for the plants, that’s why he does it.

-cc

Even if this was true hormones only tell the plant what to do, they aren’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’ per se.

YS

 

[YarraSparra]

OP should have made it a poll. Can it still be made one? I'm sitting on the fence. Good point have been made for both side of the debate. Shame no real studies have been done about it, or at least no one has found any.

Unable able to edit the OP, sorry.

YS

 

[Mr_GreenGenes]

See my points 3 & 4. There is no logic that depriving the plants in the last week will somehow make it 'use up' the minerals already present in its tissues. They are integrated into those tissues, there is no getting around it.

YS

And continuing to dump more nutes does what for them exactly? It would seem to me that your "logic" is flawed, as it doesn't account for different residual rates for differing nutrient/additive profiles.

So, your advice is to just keep dumping nutes into the pot to try and get an extra quarter oz off a plant, LOL. Give me a fuckin break man. You say flushing is based on flawed science...well, I'm just a grower not a damn scientist. :D MGG

 

[Supercharge]

It's been good reading everyone's points of view in this thread. Diversity of opinion in a great thing, gets people thinking. Even if no one changes their ways, it's still good to revisit topics and engage in other perspectives. :)

LOL

 

[Prince Blanc]

Why do my green healthy plants turn pale then a nice burgundy color just 5 to 7 days after I stop feeding and use water only? I believe it uses up the remaining nutes and goes through a major change.now im not saying the chemical components that make up actual leaf matter get used up, but definitely the water flowing from root to bud site goes through a change where it becomes more water and less chemicals.otherwise the plant would remain green and healthy right? This is why a good 10 to 12 day water only before harvest cleans up the flavor of my smoke imo.and I water daily so yeah,10 to 12 waterings without a lick of nutes.
Or are you talking about mid cycle flushing because you overdosed the plant with chems? That type of flush is also useful to avoid lockups lol.

It is almost certainly a stress response and not what you think it is. That color change is due to the expression of protective pigments, such as xanthophylls, cartenoids and anthocyanins. Plants express various chemicals as defensive mechanisms. Unlike animals, which are mobile and can move from areas high-stress areas, plants are limited to the production of defensive compounds, the equivalent of an immune-system in animals.

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments found in all plant tissues throughout the plant kingdom. Our understanding of anthocyanin biosynthesis and its molecular control has greatly improved in the last decade. The adaptive advantages of anthocyanins, especially in nonreproductive tissues, is much less clear. Anthocyanins often appear transiently at specific developmental stages and may be induced by a number of environmental factors including visible and UVB radiation, cold temperatures and water stress. The subsequent production and localization of anthocyanins in root, stem and especially leaf tissues may allow the plant to develop resistance to a number of environmental stresses. This article reviews the environmental induction of anthocyanins and their proposed importance in ameliorating environmental stresses induced by visible and UVB radiation, drought and cold temperatures.

 

[Prince Blanc]

Organics going to be as likely if not more to be contaminated with heavy metals.

Too broad a statement to be of much value.

 

[Jalisco Kid]

It's storage when plants moves and uses it another part of the plant. This is what causes the rapid change in the leafs at the end. JK

Plants do not store minerals for later use, only sugars. Deprive them of those minerals and you are effectively starving them. For minerals that can be translocated to growth areas, this is not the same. The plant in there actively choose to be deficient in one area to attempt to maintain adequate levels where the minerals are needed the most.

YS

 

[kuz]

Too broad a statement to be of much value.

ya you are right. If anybody is really interested here is a link. Been down this road a long time ago. Like altitudefarmer I also use azomite. Nothing against organics but it just doesnt mean anything regarding heavy metals. look up whatever it is you are using and see how it tests out.
http://www.aapfco.org/metals.htm

 

[Supercharge]

I read an article I while back now about the link between lead and violence. There was an another article in response to it arguing it was wrong. Both were very interesting reads. Anyway, a point it raised was how much lead is in the soil due to the boom in leaded petrol back in the day. I'll try to find it.

 

[Supercharge]

Found it:

America's Real Criminal Element: Lead

 

[UCMETOO]

First of all, I don't flush the last week, I flush for 10-14 days! What I do the first or two flushes, aren't really flushes, just straight water. Have u ever tested the PPM run off? At least once or twice a month u should just use straight water. Over nuting will cause a foul metallic taste. My point is, overnuting causes yellowing early. I like my yellowing to come slow and easy, if I got leaves falling of too early, I know I am overnuting. Also, most growers, even the pros and the ones who think they are pros, OVER WATER AND OVER NUTE. Try drying that bitch out, Sativas are indigenous to Southern Asia, a dry equatorial climate. Indicas are indigenous to Central Asia, a dry mountainous region with a short summer! U should really study the plant and where it comes from. This is why I stay with the basic strains, everybody thinks they are a breeder. Quit fucking with shit, the plant is perfect, and the ones who over think are the worst growers. U can abuse these bitches. I have literally killed a plant and watched it rise from the grave.

KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid!

i could just go with STFU, but i'll wait to see if thats really warrented, You need to calm down brolther. No one is going to be swayed by the type of thing your saying, especially the way your saying it.

Talking shit about "GROWERS" and belittling their knowledge is dumb, add to the conversation with something real and origional and you'll be welcomed here otherwise i gotta tell ya, people that post in the style your using don't go too far here or learn very much, so ask your self : Did i come here to teach people basics and stroke my ego, or did i come here to learn even more than i know already and stoke someome else out in a community that all wants to get better,..........?

 

[UCMETOO]

Or more to the point,....just think what a lessor experience this place would be if Gr33nl3ar, Quantum 9, Capulator,Downwithdirt, or 50 others had your attitude. Now those boys could talk some shit on most of us, but do they? No, they offer insights and trade secrets damn near every post. Instead you have world class growers here offering everything they have, often including access to real genetics and specifics about getting the most out of those genetics,.......and you want to waste out time with what your offering, come on i KNOW you can do better than that,.......

 

[Jboys3]

I FLUSH! There I said it...

The last 20 days [2-3 weeks] I flush with Sweet. Some use molasses. Basically I am cutting back on the nutes and adding sugars for taste. Some might argue that adding sugar is not flushing and it is a nute.

Seems to help with taste, yields, and the almighty burn. No complaints from my patients!

 

[UCMETOO]

Ok, you want to play that way,......?

Your grow is amature at best, very messy and unkept, your plants seem to have good sugar, but the mass is lacking.
Unless you want to try to convince the group your pulling own 10# off those 5K your also very wasteful, and need to grow up and be a man, Men take criticism and do somting with it, children just claim to be misunderstood. You decide which, OK?

 

[Inlinemax]

As far as the topic of this thread, I flush my plants for 3-5 days with molasses and a week with straight water, not ph'ed. I look for a nice fade on my leaves. I have no scientific proof that this is good or bad, it's just the way I've been doing things and I always enjoy consuming the plants that I grew. They taste the way the plant smells and normally burn with a grey colored ash.