Does my runoff water look ok ?

Im about to put this plant in darkness for 48 hrs and harvest but at my last watering there with ice cold water my runoff is still an yellow/orange color . Is this ok ?


At the start of the 2 week flush is passed 30litres through my 15 litre pot. Then fed just water and molasses every other watering for 2 weeks. At the start it was darker orange than now.

Think i should flush a bit more water through or just go ahead and harvest in the next few days? Will i ever see clear runoff, or is that yellow color just from the soil? or is it a sign of something else?

Thanks.

Have you used powdered lime? My runoff gets milky like that,(but not quite that milky) when I do. That, with the combo of using molasses, could be the culprit? Have you checked the PPM? That's what I use as a guide to monitor flushing progress. I get mine down around 100 PPM,(no higher than 150) then am satisfied with that. And,...yes, the runoff will clear up if you flush more thoroughly, although it'll likely still have a slight orangish tint.

Bang on the sides of the pot with a hammer...lightly! and assuming it's a plastic pot...or drop it from a few inches onto concrete.

All soil will clump...this method prevents hot spots and dead zones by breaking up the clumps. Then flush again...you may be surprised on what comes out.

I know I was on last grow final flush..it ran almost clear until it accidentally fell a few inches while flushing...I continued flushing and it was almost black and gross smelling. Needless to say I held off harvesting until I could get a couple more flushes into it....

And a properly flushed plant will be almost clear water..

^Another method to get a nice thorough flushing, it to break up the top layer of soil, first, then start. It's also a good idea to water them first, then wait 20 minutes or so, before you start the actual flushing. That'll ensure you get a nice even absorbtion, plus, it get's some of the waste dissolved and ready to be washed out of the medium.

Have you used powdered lime? My runoff gets milky like that,(but not quite that milky) when I do. That, with the combo of using molasses, could be the culprit? Have you checked the PPM? That's what I use as a guide to monitor flushing progress. I get mine down around 100 PPM,(no higher than 150) then am satisfied with that. And,...yes, the runoff will clear up if you flush more thoroughly, although it'll likely still have a slight orangish tint.

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Hi buddy. No havent been using anything like lime with the soil, just pure bio bizz all mix. I was thinking that about the molasses yeah, that obviously would affect color.
And as for ppm m8, i have no ppm reader. Just been using a basic ph test kit. The colour of my ph test is pretty much the same color when it comes out the other end as it is before i water. {a light green/lime color}.

Bang on the sides of the pot with a hammer...lightly! and assuming it's a plastic pot...or drop it from a few inches onto concrete.

All soil will clump...this method prevents hot spots and dead zones by breaking up the clumps. Then flush again...you may be surprised on what comes out.

I know I was on last grow final flush..it ran almost clear until it accidentally fell a few inches while flushing...I continued flushing and it was almost black and gross smelling. Needless to say I held off harvesting until I could get a couple more flushes into it....

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips ogreballerina, il try that for sure and remember it for next grow to do that ocassionaly.

Another method to get a nice thorough flushing, it to break up the top layer of soil, first, then start. It's also a good idea to water them first, then wait 20 minutes or so, before you start the actual flushing. That'll ensure you get a nice even absorbtion, plus, it get's some of the waste dissolved and ready to be washed out of the medium.

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Yip, did that mate. Did that at the flush, not because i knew to do it, but because i didnt have a choice lol. when i water the plant the water sits on the soil and takes a while to sink through.
Also made quite a few holes all round the top of the soil about an inch deep just to try give the water a bit of a head start.

Really not sure what to at this point now. I mean, do you guys always make sure your runoff water is clear before you harvest or is it possible that i will never get clear runoff due to the soil or molasses tinting it?
Should i keep going and try achieve clear runoff or will my bud still be ok even with runoff like this ?

Thanks again.

Depends on the soil..but most bagged soil will eventually run clear by end of harvest.
You have flushed it before ? I flush mine every 2 weeks..removes salt build up.
I don't know about molasses being the cause of the yellowish orange color...never used it. Might be though

You should try my method and do 1 more flush just to see...just a few taps all the way around the pot can make a big difference..

From what you say about the water taking time to just soak in sounds like clumping or very hard soil to me....eventually with enough clumping the water will bypass the hard nodule clumps...and run right by it without removing anything. ( And these almost rock hard clumps are full of fertilizers and salt)

Adding perilite to your next grow will help cut down on clumping...and allow the water to move more freely through the root system.

No mate, i havent exactly flushed before in this grow with any substantial water at the one time. Newb mistake.
But i have fed a few times with just plain water , maybe every 4 feeds or so ?
And waited til there was a bit more runoff of than i would normaly wait for too.

I think il go with my hunch and water the hell out of the pot one more time then chop it and see. Just got a feeling it aint right. Will be a hard mistake to learn if the weed isnt the best tasting but fk it, all part of the fun right.

At this point is it ok to water more than usual then, like can i speed up watering to every 2-3 days, everyday even ? Even when the soil is still damp and hasnt dried up properly ?

At this point is it ok to water more than usual then, like can i speed up watering to every 2-3 days, everyday even ? Even when the soil is still damp and hasnt dried up properly ?

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Well, at the end of flowering, after the buds have got nice and dense, excessive watering can raise the risk of getting bud mold. It's not such a huge risk of you have good air circulation(oscillating fan sweeping across the top section of your canopy). Also, it's a good idea to kick your fan/s on during the dark period, at least a couple times, like every 2 hours. I do it, and believe it helps. Seems logical that the highest risk of getting mold, would be when they are sitting in the dark, with no air movement.(especially after a heavy watering) Agreed?

Yeah mate. Totally agree, i have pretty good air circulation atm though, just got a new honeywell oscillating fan that does 740cfm and and small pc fan blowing some steady fresh air in, plus this is only one plant in a dr60.
I have my oscillating fan on more or less 24hrs a day, at night i turn it to lowest setting. So unlike alot of things in this grow im pretty confident i wont be looking at any mold issues. Finger crossed.

Thanks for the advice mate. I water another few times and see how it goes.