ive been seeing a lot of talk regarding flushing soil between stages of growth. but i have not seen much explanation about how it is done, or the reasoning behind it (other than to “rinse” the soil out before starting the bloom nutes). something about watering it heavy with plain water before starting the next feeding schedule for flowering or something… but wouldnt all the extra water be too much for the plant?
will someone please explain to me how flushing works, and why to do it. is it really necessary?
in my case i am using a topsoil blend, not fox farms or anything fancy… just 2 different types of plain ole topsoil (both scotts brands) and vermiculite blended. this soil smells good, like what you would expect from a decent potting soil. as far as i know, it does not have any added nutrients.
Flushing your pots is only “neccessary” in a handf6of situations. If you’re looking at something that I’d suggesting it’s neccessary the reasoning is probably in the details. Fox farms nutrient schedule? Suggests it because their recommended ppm levels are through the roof. There would be no benefit to flushing your pots during transition if you are only feeding what plants are consuming, and ph is stable.
Not really. I don’t believe it’s even possible to over water a plant in a single watering. This becomes an issue when too much water is given too often. Roots have difficult time getting oxygen because they’re always saturated in water.
so if i am only feeding at 50% of the recommended levels the instructions call for, then no need to flush at all? or should i do even less? also… any idea if would this be the same for my vegetables?
Maybe. Depends on a lot of other variables. 50% on my nutrients is about 450ppm. 50% on fox farms trio is 3 times that. Then you have to account for how much you’re putting in is actually getting used by plant, and at what frequency. Unused nutrients will build up and likely need to be flushed. This could have nothing to do with type of nutrients and concentration you feed, and everything to do with plant health and environment they’re in.
so then it would be best to stay constant at %25 concentration then? also, my TDS meter came in, i tested my tap water. i dont remember off hand the exact reading, but it was over 400. is that bad?