should you flush with plain tap water??

[shadrack]

Hello everyone - and todays question is - should you flush with plain tap water or should you ph adjust the water first ?????

I think there will be a few diff of opinions - i want the girls to get the best attention possible - your thoughts please :smiley_joint:

 

[Sirius]

adusting the ph usually decreases the chance of nutrient lockout... which isnt very important if your flushing nutrients out, right? if you want to give your ladies the best give them 0ppm water during the flush... this greatly increases the osmosis rate, or the rate at which your plants uptake the water.... hope this helps...

 

[Small Potatoes]

Well, if you are growing in soil, and assuming your tap ppm levels aren't an issue, it probably doesn't matter if you pH adjust as your tap probably (hopefully, hehe) has a pH between 6.5 and 7.5 which is close enough.

If you are growing in a soilless media or hydroponically, I think you should still pH adjust. If for no other reason than to reduce the possibility of shock on the plant. Some plants might want to herm if they are real sensistive to pH. This would be especially so for hydroponic flushing. Of course, we are only talking a week, so ehh, not really enough time unless the plants were on the edge anyway. It may matter less for soiless media. I grow a lot in coco coir, and two or three waterings in the last week of unadjusted pH isn't really going to make a difference. We are trying to get the plant to use up it's reserves, and it would take longer to move the media pH at the end of a run anyway I think.

I always pH adjust unless I am just too short on time or something and it is just going to be one watering or something. Starving the plant and forcing it to use it's reserves is easier on the plant than starving AND making it uncomfortable.

Small P

 

[shadrack]

ty sp - im in coco too - im hearing you fella - think ill stick to ph'd water if i can

 

[livinglegend]

wtf?
always adjust your pH befor.

 

[strainman]

You can also add some mollases to help flush them out...

 

[Skitzo]

For soil grows, I never pH my tap water for the last 2 weeks, or flush pots w/ only 3 gallons of dirt for 2 weeks. lol makes no sense.
I just give them plenty of water and molasses at every watering and then flush at the last watering.

 

[Greyskull]

unless your water/nutrient solution is naturally falling within the optimal ph range you should ALWAYS put the solution into range.

like tom hill says, 'ph matters'

 

[Sirius]

**** THAT NEVER PH YOUR WATER!!


jk.... haha.. i didnt mean to steer anyone astray... i always try to ph if im not comfortable with the water and nute solution im working with.. but if i know its going to teeter around 6 im fine with it when im flushing... like i said i always try to use 0ppm RO water from the refill stations (which, as greyskull mentioned, falls under optimum [ph] conditions....), unless im in a crunch ill just use tap water and adjust it with phdown... ive even used vinegar at one time... lol... so just do what you can... but if you can, use the best water whenever possible... with most nutes you dont even have to adjust as they include buffers...

cheers

 

[nvthis]

RO water is a solvent. There is your answer. If you are completely organic, I wouldn't bother. There is a pretty big opinion out there that suggests flushing is never necessary and that the difference is made up in your head as blind tests indicate. I prefer to flush. Why risk it?