i have a waterfarm with 8 pots.my first grow with seeds from ilgm .i was like a kid in candy store. now i have 5 different strains in same grow.its getting interesting.i used a net to keep growth even,.that worked well.now i have 2 strains ready all pistils dead and 2 almost ready 50% white pistils and one that is 90% white pistils should i go on to flush. i ran an extra week in full bloom with dry koolbloom ,i use GH nutes expert level feeding chart. i am on schedule to start flush tomorrow so i can begin harvest as needed. thing the others will finish soon but may take a few weeks ? thanks for your input.
i guess what i am asking , will my later maturing varieties fininsh off now with flush…need input please.thanks
I would skip a nutrient deprivation and run the normal EC through harvest.
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“Flushing” is an anthropomorphization; we drink more water resulting in clearer urine, and plants must work the same. They do not. Giving the plant water without nutrients will not pull anything out of the plant. I don’t think an appropriately timed “flush” that lasts a few days can cause any harm, but I believe it’s ritual more than anything else.
EC is the electrical conductivity of the water, which increases based on saltiness. The nutrients you’re adding are mostly salts.
From a plant’s perspective, higher EC (saltier) water is harder to drink. Not like how a milkshake is harder to suck through a straw, but how water filled with rice is harder to drain through a sieve. The rice won’t go through the sieve, and makes it harder an harder for the water to pass through. In this imperfect analogy, the rice represents the nutrient molecules.
Following the nutrient manufacturer’s dosage is okay as a starting point, but if your tap water already has an elevated EC, you could run into problems. It’s a good idea to check the EC of your fully mixed nutrient solution before and after you test its pH.
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I demonstrated to @Not2SureYet that doing a targeted flush prior to harvest produces a smoother finish. I tried multiple samples of his and told him which were flushed and which were not. I will always run the last week or so until my personal trigger EC is reached: in hydro, under 100 ppm, in coco or Promix under 300 ppm and soil under say 500 ppm. That in conjunction with a bud wash at harvest produces some fabulous cannabis.
In fact I find this counterintuitive: if you provide water only to a mature plant with no source of nutrients it will run out of those same salts and in the case of cannabis start scavenging from other parts of the plant. This seems to me rather emphatic proof that it actually does work.
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I understand and agree with what you’re saying. I’m bothered by the term “flushing” because it connotes a circulatory cleanse of undesirable toxins; that is not what is happening.
I absolutely agree with tapering EC, if that’s your thing. It probably encourages anthocyanin production and nutrient transportation. But I’m not convinced that residual sugars or any other byproduct of photosynthesis cause an unpleasant smoke. I’ve had organic(in practice, not certified) soil-grown flowers that were never flushed. The natural processes of senescence cause the plant to harvest residual mobile nutrients. I suspect improper drying and curing are to blame for unpleasant smoke.
What I don’t want new growers thinking or perpetuating (and I’m not implying that you’re encouraging this) is the that you can pull out any impurities you put into the plant. I also challenge the idea that a water-only period or nutrient taper is required; I think it’s an option.
I’m glad we’re having this debate. Your reasoning is very sound, and I appreciate where you’re coming from. I fully acknowledge that your anecdotal evidence is as valid as mine, when we’re talking about a subjective experience, which smoking cannabis is.
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Oh I agree. There is room for some research into this subject. But I also subscribe to the bud wash with no scientific evidence it helps: my own experience has proven it’s worth to me.
Well I respect your position as a fine grower and listen carefully to whatever you have to say!
That whole stem-splitting cracked me up. Never did understand the reasoning. Just like nutrient suppliers shorting the N in their nutes for flowering plants. I am a believer in supporting the plant with no deficiencies through the entire grow: again it’s counterintuitive to think depriving a plant of something it wants will somehow increase yield and potency.
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thanks for all that good input .i am continuing feeding schedule for late bloom. the ripening will come natural for each strain.I been taking samples and its awesome smooth and sweet also a wonderful buzz already 