Why flush?

[Villa]

I grow organic and can see no reason what so ever to flush. But my question is why does anyone flush? I don't mean what you "think" it does
I mean actual, factual, scientific reasons. Now believe me I'm not trying to get into a pissing contest with anyone I'm just trying to gain some
knowledge about flushing.

 

[tip top toker]

I don't flush. I did side by side comparisons from soil to coco to hydro, organic and chemical, and there was never a single difference in my eyes so i figured sod it.

 

[Closetgardner]

It's ment to be hydro growers/ soil growers that use chemical nutes as the chems are taken up the roots and into the leafs of the plant where it's stored to be used. The reason for straight water flush is to wash all the chems out of the plants so the only flavour u get is that of the MJ and not what you've been feeding it. Like tip top I don't flush either as I use organic nutes and I read that it's not important to when organic

 

[sippinslurpies]

Not too good a idea in soil at all really unless it's a very free draining soil. Flushing in normal soil would saturate the roots too much and wouldn't allow the roots to take up anything.

 

[Villa]

Ahh so when people tell me I have to flush them girls I can just roll my eyes and ignore them.

 

[tip top toker]

My personal experience aside, my thought have always been that the flush debate regardless of medium and feed, is never won, people have and are forever arguing one way or another. If flushing was so important then one would have thought that the debate would be over and growers would have decided one way or another, but no, to this day people claim it is necessary, others claim it's a waste of time, so based on the complete lack of agreement, it obviously can't be as vital as folk make out else it would just be the way. It's always been my opinion that people try and turn growing weed into this all consuming science that must be done right else it's just a harvest of shite, which it really isn't. From reading this forum and others, seems a huge proportion of these people are simply those trying to add more science and whatnot to the "art" of growing as a means to justify their greed driven rip off prices.

 

[ScoobyDoobyDoo]

i think there is a loss of translation as well. for some people "flush" means dumping 2-3x the pot size in water through your plants. for others a pre harvest flush just means feeding your plants straight water at normal volume levels. either way...i don't flush.

 

[patrickkawi37]

Maybe I over NUTE and have build up but if my girls don't get at least 5 days straight water before chop they taste half as good. living in California every little thing helps. I flush and I suggest if your not using organic nutes you should do the same. Unless your chopping early I don't believe nutes the last few days are going to do squat to help you

 

[cc08150]

I use Subcool Super Soil for all my indoor plants in 5gallon grow bags. 50% on bottom is super soil and 50% on top is just normal un-amended peat/coco/perlite mix. With the supersoil method, you only have to water with plain water after you got your plant going, so right around week 6-7 Flowering MOST of the plants i grow start fading....no need for flush in these. But there have been occasions where all the way up to harvest a plant is still really green, so i have flushed said plant with about 5 gallons of water 3-4 days before harvest.

 

[racerboy71]

those were some great posts 3t, and i couldn't agree more... if flushing mattered one way or another like you said, it would be pretty black and white and people would either do it or not, no question about it..

for me, a soil grower, i can never understand what dumping tons of water through the soil does for the taste of buds that i end up smoking.. i don't smoke the soil, that's for sure, so idk.. i've tried flushing and not, and never noticed any difference, so i stopped.. i do however stop feeding heavily in the last week or so of life...

i also look at nature..have you ever seen a farmer flush his crops?? and you eat that stuff, not just smoke it, so to me, if there was any benefit to flushing, my fruit and veggies that are never flushed would taste like dog shit and nasty chemicals, something i have yet to find..

 

[patrickkawi37]

those were some great posts 3t, and i couldn't agree more... if flushing mattered one way or another like you said, it would be pretty black and white and people would either do it or not, no question about it..

for me, a soil grower, i can never understand what dumping tons of water through the soil does for the taste of buds that i end up smoking.. i don't smoke the soil, that's for sure, so idk.. i've tried flushing and not, and never noticed any difference, so i stopped.. i do however stop feeding heavily in the last week or so of life...

i also look at nature..have you ever seen a farmer flush his crops?? and you eat that stuff, not just smoke it, so to me, if there was any benefit to flushing, my fruit and veggies that are never flushed would taste like dog shit and nasty chemicals, something i have yet to find..

I don't mess with any fruits or veggies that aren't organic so I wouldn't see why a flush would be required. Plus I don't think people are giving there veggies 1300 ppms at any point. I'm growing in pro mix and if I don't flush I definitely can notice a taste difference. I'll argue that to the end. I wouldn't know about soil but by the time they are done there shouldn't be many nutes left in the soil anyways?

Why waste the nutes the last week anyways? Not going to make anything bigger. I don't think smoking chemicals would be too good for you either

 

[Huel Perkins]

Why flush?

Two reasons...

First reason, (the only real reason) is because you over fed you plant(s) to the point it has become toxic for the plant's health.

Second reason, (the reason most people flush) because you read somewhere (here/internet most likely) or someone told you that you have to flush in order to get smooth good tasting bud.

Its total bullshit, flushing/starving a completely healthy and properly fed/maintained plant the last couple weeks it matures is going to accomplish nothing but hurt your yield. Flushing is another one of those myths that people swear by because they have always done it and think the weed they grow is the greatest shit ever. It doesn't matter if you're growing in soil or hydro, with organic nutes or inorganic (AKA chemicals as the organic growers refer to them) your plants can't tell the difference, trust me. If you don't believe me i suggest you test it out for yourself, side by side comparisons.

Most people think you can feed a plant as heavy in weeks 8-9 before harvest as they did in weeks 4-5 during peak flower production as long as they flush, they're wrong. The last couple weeks of the plants life (especially the last week) it needs very little nutrients compared to what it needed during peak flower production but it does in fact need nutrients. In order to achieve maximum yield, potency and quality you must maintain proper nutrition for the duration of the plant's life, period.

 

[ScoobyDoobyDoo]

why flush?

two reasons...

First reason, (the only real reason) is because you over fed you plant(s) to the point it has become toxic for the plant's health.

Second reason, (the reason most people flush) because you read somewhere (here/internet most likely) or someone told you that you have to flush in order to get smooth good tasting bud.

Its total bullshit, flushing/starving a completely healthy and properly fed/maintained plant the last couple weeks it matures is going to accomplish nothing but hurt your yield. Flushing is another one of those myths that people swear by because they have always done it and think the weed they grow is the greatest shit ever. It doesn't matter if you're growing in soil or hydro, with organic nutes or inorganic (aka chemicals as the organic growers refer to them) your plants can't tell the difference, trust me. If you don't believe me i suggest you test it out for yourself, side by side comparisons.

Most people think you can feed a plant as heavy in weeks 8-9 before harvest as they did in weeks 4-5 during peak flower production as long as they flush, they're wrong. The last couple weeks of the plants life (especially the last week) it needs very little nutrients compared to what it needed during peak flower production but it does in fact need nutrients. In order to achieve maximum yield, potency and quality you must maintain proper nutrition for the duration of the plant's life, period.

exactly what he just said!!! you're ppm's should run on a bell curve throughout flower. different additives at different times throughout the cycle. your last week of flower you should be running a little less than half your highest ppm level. i feed just water to the plants the day or 2 before i am going to put them in the dark for 48-72 hours. that's it.

 

[Huel Perkins]

I only read the first 3 posts, closetgardener's reply inspired me to skip ahead and post without reading any further...

 

[Villa]

But how are you smoking chemicals if the nutes go into the leaves. This is what I don't understand. And why shouldn't there be any nutes left in the soil? Mother natuere's soil is always alive with all the goodies a crop needs. These are the questions I have. Like I said before I'm not looking for a fight, just some real factual knowledge. Maybe I'm too old fashioned of a grower, ( I'm an old fart) but I'm just wondering if anyone has the actual science cause flushing just makes no sense to me.

 

[brettsog]

basically the idea of the final flush is to help with the taste. but properly dried and cured bud shouldnt need a flush as the curing process helps break down the chemicals that remain in the plant structure itself. turns them into sugars and releases flavinoids i believe....... dont quote me on that. im still learning and have read a lot in the last 6 months. its easy to cross wires when its not fresh in your mind

 

[cc08150]

The thing the veteran growers are trying to say is that if you are growing properly you won't have to flush, because the plant will show signs of slowing her engines down come close to harvest...this is the time when you need to start cutting your nutrients down if you are applying liquid nutrients because it is a waste otherwise to keep applying full strength. The last week of flowering your plant is just ripening and aging, not adding on substantial bud density anymore like it was halfway through budding. The plants that i grow tell me when they are close to ripe, because the leaves turn light yellow sometimes purple just like they do outside in autumn. That is the beauty of using supersoil....nice fade starts happening about a week or 2 before harvest.

You CAN tell a difference between somebody doing things the right way like Huel and Scooby said doing a bell shaped nutrient curve and people doing the wrong thing (giving full strength nutrients all the way up until harvest day). Weed that crackles and leaves black charcoal ashes instead of white ashes means that it was pumped up with too many nutrients too close to harvest, instead of a bell shaped nutrient curve.

 

[sippinslurpies]

Well with grows where I have had to pull them on the spot due to mould attacks I have found that even when the final product has cured for a month or more it still has a harsher taste and doesn't like to burn as well when compared to most grows where I have cured and dried it the same but have flushed the plants 3-4 days before pulling them. Some people may not notice the difference if you flush and then a day or two later pull the plants. They require a a few days for the nutrient/water exchange to happen. By this I mean you have to allow the plant to transfer the excess salts in the plants system to transfer back into the nutrient solution and then to suck up more clean water. 4

There is definitely something in this as this is what I have been told not only by my "old school" grower Sensei's but I was also told this in school when I learnt about Hydropinics while doing my Horticulture certificate. Just how much it works though is difficult to judge though i guess.

 

[Villa]

Like I said guys I'm just looking for knowledge cause I believe you should never stop learning.I know a lot of people have opinions on flushing and that's great but I want to know what really happens in the plant to require flushing. Like the science behind it. I mean being organic I don't add a lot to my soil so flushing isn't an issue and never will be but I want to know how nutes in the soil can effect the bud. Do the nutes go into the bud just as they are or does the plant break it down? Guess it's time to do a little research.

 

[sippinslurpies]

It's a very involved science, and you'll learn so much through reading up on it. I did a 2 year course in Horticulture and as much as I learnt there's still so much I don't know or can't get my head around.