Need EXPERT harvest advice and a show of hands

I am at a crunch state and got behind the gun on my harvest. I need to know what is more important, the clearing stage or the actual harvest? Here's the thing: I have several plants that are bud stage ripe, but have been gone for an unexpected stint. While I was gone my girls became ready to give birth and I am about 10 weeks into it. Problem is while I was gone the nutrient "clearing" stage didn't happen. Now I have to make a decision whether to take a chance and leave them for another week while I am flushing or just go with the complete flushing I did tonight? I flushed with clear, both with the "ebb flood" on bottom and additonally with a pump and hose from the top. I'm just not sure that one night will do the complete cleansing bath that I normally give my ladies to get rid of the nutrient buildup. I would just like a show of hands as to who votes for a more complete bath vs. removing the nuggets before the "ore" dries up? Growing indoors with ebb and flow method, yadee yadee yadee

Personally if they are just they way you would normally want them I would harvest now.. however, if it is a real concern for you I would flush for 2-3 days as I dont think it will make a sufficient difference in maturity.HTH

Well, first off, your harvest window is several weeks long. But before I could answer I need to know some things, like what medium, and what nutrients. If it's large particle aggregate, then there is little retention of nutes in the medium, if it's 6-inch rockwool cubes, then you'll have to flush for a longer time.

The reason we flush is because we use an aggressive chemical nutrient mix to grow our plants, and if too much of those chemicals are left in the plant matter, when we try to smoke it, we get a hard black ball of chemicals in the joint.

HTH

Flush for the week.

Like stated above the harvest window is weeks long, you can let plants grow for anywhere from 8-13 weeks in flowering.

So if I flush for at least the next couple of days I will be better off than cutting when my ladies are still 50%clear + 50%milky? Medium is, yep, 6inch rockwool and I have used/abused the "Advanced" nuuts Diet. BTW, Thanks for the help!

I personally wait for 50% milky 50%amber trichs before hervesting.

And Yes perform the full flush even if it means changing the High of the finished product, otherewise your buds will taste like SHIT because they still have fertilizer chemical in them.

Believe you me, smoking non flushed buds tastes HORRIBLE.

Here are some trich pix.

Too early


Still a little early,
but for some short acting "up buzz",
I cut few budz at this stage
and start curing it for at least 2 months.

If you cut at this stage,
the difference in the high after two months
is quite noticable.

Proper cure for this "early cut",
is very important.


This is what you are after,
and you will be very sad when this is smoked up.


If you are growing in rockwool,
I highly recommend using Clearex in your flush.

Clearex is also great for:
washing down your grow rocks, and tables,
and anything that might have some salt build up on it.

I use a Clearex flush,
between veg and flower.

I like a long flush, 2 weeks up to 6 weeks,
after the trichs achieve their proper color.

After a 24 hour Clearex flush,
I switch to just plain RO,
with no pH adjustment.

If you are growing this to sell,
then you cannot afford a long flush,
but if you are growing your own connoisseur budz:
The longer you flush,
The smoother the smoke.

High light levels are not required during the flush.

I switch back to CFLs and uVb,
and move the HID lights to max distance,
according to these charts.

I also reduce the HID light to about 2 hours a day,
leaving the cfls on 12/12.


HPS


Metal Halide

Earl said:

I like a long flush, 2 weeks up to 6 weeks,
after the trichs achieve their proper color.

After a 24 hour Clearex flush,
I switch to just plain RO,
with no pH adjustment.

If you are growing this to sell,
then you cannot afford a long flush,
but if you are growing your own connoisseur budz:
The longer you flush,
The smoother the smoke.

High light levels are not required during the flush.

I switch back to CFLs and uVb,
and move the HID lights to max distance,
according to these charts.

I also reduce the HID light to about 2 hours a day,
leaving the cfls on 12/12.

Click to expand...

You flush for weeks after they are as ripe as you want? Admittedly the lower light levels slow everything down, but cannabinoid biosynthesis will continue, and the ratios of THC and other compounds will change.

Your plants will just think it's a long, cloudy spell without the heavy rain.

HTH

hey earl I have never heard of a flush going longer than 2 weeks, do you really go up to 6 weeks?

ganjagoddess said:

Believe you me, smoking non flushed buds tastes HORRIBLE.

Click to expand...

Truth! My first grow in soil was poorly flushed and the result was a nasty taste. I still smoked it though.

This is a WhiteWidow I grew.

I took some cuts from it and then,
put it on an RO only diet,(no pH)
under cfl and uvb

It looked like this after 6 weeks.


Here is what the budz looked like after the 6 week flush,
with the room temp at 66º

It was very very smooth, and I miss it.
.

damn earl, those nugs could win the cannabis cup!

Wow! and an Incredible Thanks is about all I can say after hearing all of the expert advice! Thanks Earl for the great pics and I'm going to try a longer flush with some of my own stash. Other grow will have to be production, but I'm going to hold a couple back and try your flush. I probably blew it because I did not hear from any of you in what I considred at the moment "time", I cut a couple of the girls and then waited and flushed for a couple of days and cut a couple more and then flushed and will cut the remaining tomorrow. That means that my first girls only got a drenching 3 times within two days, the second girls flushed for an additional day and the finish girls will get close to 5 days flush which is my norm. Won't get coaught short like that again, I hope! Thanks again ALL!

Most commercial growers won't waste any time flushing.

Lights cost money to run,
and the next crop of clones
would be waiting in the wings.

.

Hey Earl, a big thanks for all the info you contribute, your info and the places you sent me when I first dipped into hydro (ask lucas thread) have made me a success right of the bat, thanks again

also I would just cut them without the flush but I am always bud hungry lol

I have gone both ways,
and now I have to flush for
at least a week of RO only.

But it's all good.

I did love that black WW
that came from the 6 week flush.

If you can cut some bud,
and leave some budz,
to let them go longer,
you will be able to compare,
and then you will probly always grow
your personal stash
with a long flush.

The organic guys don't benefit from as long a flush,
because they cannot get rid of all the nutes in the soil,
like we can with hydro, and pure RO.

Flush until the leaves turn golden.


.

.

ganjagoddess said:

Believe you me, smoking non flushed buds tastes HORRIBLE.

Click to expand...

Wonder why yours taste horrible, but mine are just fine without flushing.

You don't notice the non-flushed budz
until you have smoked flushed budz.

The nutrient taste can be subtle after a long cure,
but still you will be able to taste the non-flushed budz.

The flushing argument has been going on
on every forum for a long time.

If you ever save some doob from a non flush and compare,
you will taste the difference.

If you are not a connoisseur,
it does not matter,
weed is weed,
and only the buzz is what counts.

Personally I would rather have good tasting smoke,
'cause I can get high from oil or butter,
but I like to smoke weed,
and all the flavors that can be savored.
Chocolate, Grape, Opium, Pine, Dirty Socks, and even Shoe Polish,
are some of the good flavors I am enjoying at the moment.

.

Earl said:

You don't notice the non-flushed budz
until you have smoked flushed budz.

Click to expand...

yep, done both, never could tell any difference.

Really? I must have a super sensitive pallet? Cause If I dont give em a RO flush I can barely stand the taste, reminds me of metal?

Maybe its the Nutes you use Al B?