Is Flushing Always Necessary B4 Harvest?

[OldManRiver]

I don't flush. Never have. My users tell me my pot tastes great, I suspect because I know how to cure.

Pot doesn't excrete nutrients. It uses them. They are elements, which means they don't, they can't change. Nitrogen into the plant will always be there, as nitrogen. I don't know what chemical changes proponents think are happening, but simple chemistry and plant biology don't support the argument for flushing, nor does my 40 years of experience. I know a couple growmasters at very large legal operations who concur with this view.

 

[Enforcer]

I don't flush. Never have.

All other arguments for or against flushing aside. If you “don’t flush and never have”, how do you have any basis for comparison? You invalidate you’re credibility before you even get started. I have ran the same strain multiple times. No flush, one week, and two week flushes. The 2 week flush tasted the best by far. The no flush tasted like shit. Dried and cured the same each time.

I will always flush from now on. Just my personal opinion from trying it both ways.

 

[OldManRiver]

All other arguments for or against flushing aside. If you “don’t flush and never have”, how do you have any basis for comparison? You invalidate you’re credibility before you even get started. I have ran the same strain multiple times. No flush, one week, and two week flushes. The 2 week flush tasted the best by far. The no flush tasted like shit. Dried and cured the same each time.

I will always flush from now on. Just my personal opinion from trying it both ways.

Do farmers of any other commodity see the need to flush for taste? Do you flush your garden tomatoes? Can you taste the nutes in any other vegetable? Why would pot exhibit this characteristic that no other plant exhibits?

Absent science, which is always lacking in these discussions, I'll pass.

 

[WORDZ]

I think if you feed in some way that makes sense you don't need to flush. If you feed like an idiot flushing aint gonna fix it in the end any way. Good plants are gonna produce fire no matter how much they get abused and duds are never gonna be good buds anyway..... If more patience was used you would find that a truly mature bud is going to show senescence regardless of it is getting fed or not....... And no I am obviously not advocating to dump 50-50-50 on a plant in high dosages all through it's life. Feed right and it's not an issue. Dry right and it's not an issue. Have proper environment and it's not an issue. There are a million ways to grow a good bud might as well stick with what works for your room. Basically I harvest by tasting the juice from a lef stem if it's bitter it's not done. If it's watery and tastes like weed it's done and that can happen regardless of feeding or not.

 

[MIMedGrower]

All other arguments for or against flushing aside. If you “don’t flush and never have”, how do you have any basis for comparison? You invalidate you’re credibility before you even get started. I have ran the same strain multiple times. No flush, one week, and two week flushes. The 2 week flush tasted the best by far. The no flush tasted like shit. Dried and cured the same each time.

I will always flush from now on. Just my personal opinion from trying it both ways.

And have tested extensively as well. I veg in potting soil and well water only then add bottled nutes in flower as commonly done.

Every time I ran the clones through and with 3 different strains through 3 cycles the properly tapered off but fed to the end as needed plant always has the best taste and potency/complexity.

Yield is always higher too.

Letting plants ripen all the way is also key. Early cut plants are the biggest reason for weak pot.

I think that your results just prove over feeding. I have known large growers since the 80’s and they have always fed as much as possible through the cycle then flushed to help eliminate the plants having too much chlorophyll when harvested so they are ready for sale sooner.

Truth is plants can reach great potential with minimal nutrients.

Thought being that they get the biggest buds possible and sell ASAP.

The growers taught me this. I have challenged it same as you. I have only grown personally for 4 years and change. But I have been in the “industry” since the early 80’s.

 

[Enforcer]

Do farmers of any other commodity see the need to flush for taste? Do you flush your garden tomatoes? Can you taste the nutes in any other vegetable? Why would pot exhibit this characteristic that no other plant exhibits?

Absent science, which is always lacking in these discussions, I'll pass.

Well, I don’t smoke my tomatoes or make concentrates out of them, so that’s not really relevant is it. Here is a little science for you on the nitrogen cycle and how plants use nitrogen to make other compounds it needs to grow. No, all the nitrogen you give it does not just stay in the plant as nitrogen, as you have suggested.

http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/download/res00000880/cmp00001056/pdf

So for example, reducing the nitrogen the last few weeks until harvest, depletes the soil of a nitrogen source. The plant will convert the remaining nitrogen into chlorophyll and begin to show nitrogen deficiency (that’s when the leaf turns yellow). That chlorophyll gets used in photosynthesis (converting light, CO2, and water into starch and sugars). The less chlorophyll that remains after harvest, the less cut grass small you have.

Now expand that to all nutes. Removing them close to harvest results in the plant converting what’s left into the compounds it needs for survival and becoming deficient in nutrients. Then when I dry and cure my herb, and it’s not harsh or taste like crap.

Again, I have tried it both ways and I vastly prefer flushed weed. The science seems to corroborate my position. I now challenge you to find any science to support your position that flushing has no effect on flavor and is a total waste of time. I don’t think you’re going to find any though.

 

[Enforcer]

And have tested extensively as well. I veg in potting soil and well water only then add bottled nutes in flower as commonly done.

Every time I ran the clones through and with 3 different strains through 3 cycles the properly tapered off but fed to the end as needed plant always has the best taste and potency/complexity.

Yield is always higher too.

Letting plants ripen all the way is also key. Early cut plants are the biggest reason for weak pot.

I think that your results just prove over feeding. I have known large growers since the 80’s and they have always fed as much as possible through the cycle then flushed to help eliminate the plants having too much chlorophyll when harvested so they are ready for sale sooner.

Truth is plants can reach great potential with minimal nutrients.

Thought being that they get the biggest buds possible and sell ASAP.

The growers taught me this. I have challenged it same as you. I have only grown personally for 4 years and change. But I have been in the “industry” since the early 80’s.

I totally agree you can most definitely dial in a grow and taper down the nutrients without flushing with plain water. Let me back up a second. When I say flush, I’m using a very weak nutrient solution. Usually around an EC of 0.4, not just plain water. Anyway, you can get to know a strain well enough to bring it in for a gental landing at harvest so to speak. But I would say the vast majority of growers are doing multiple strains and switching strains so often, that a “flushing” of some sort at harvest would be beneficial.

 

[MIMedGrower]

I totally agree you can most definitely dial in a grow and taper down the nutrients without flushing with plain water. Let me back up a second. When I say flush, I’m using a very weak nutrient solution. Usually around an EC of 0.4, not just plain water. Anyway, you can get to know a strain well enough to bring it in for a gental landing at harvest so to speak. But I would say the vast majority of growers are doing multiple strains and switching strains so often, that a “flushing” of some sort at harvest would be beneficial.

I generally agree with this. Although I don’t think any plant will reach its potential with this compromise.

I grow mostly from seed a new plant perpetually every week or two and harvest the same.

I don’t often get the chance to dial in any strain. Just watch the seed plant and react.

Of course some go better than others but even if I don’t get her through the bloom cycle undamaged I find better results if I can recover the plant and keep it growing rather than guess and flush.

I only leach pots with plain water or a mild nutrient solution to clear out the roots of excess salts and waste.

Or maybe the last couple waterings if they are a bit too green. I do shoot for a nice medium green at harvest but with finished and not degraded buds.

Good input you have. Especially about the cec in the medium. I like to see this old flushing discussion go further than just arguments.

 

[hawkman]

If you don't flush you don't become a judgmental asshole. LMFAO How do your farts smell?

Some use the "Moon" ect (Full Moon, ect harvest moon)

 

[Rootbound]

I totally agree you can most definitely dial in a grow and taper down the nutrients without flushing with plain water. Let me back up a second. When I say flush, I’m using a very weak nutrient solution. Usually around an EC of 0.4, not just plain water. Anyway, you can get to know a strain well enough to bring it in for a gental landing at harvest so to speak. But I would say the vast majority of growers are doing multiple strains and switching strains so often, that a “flushing” of some sort at harvest would be beneficial.

So you dont "flush". You use a mild nutrient solution to water with in the end. Thanks for clarifying, I do the same.

 

[Enforcer]

So you dont "flush". You use a mild nutrient solution to water with in the end. Thanks for clarifying, I do the same.

Yeah, I grow in coco with multiple feeds a day. Straight water makes them fade too quick. I would probably just do water if I was in soil.

I guess it all comes down to what each of us consider as a flush. My position is that reducing to a very low EC or using (insert brand name flushing solution here) is preferable to feeding “full strength” nutes until chop.