45 replies to this topic

[Ivanillych]

Pre-harvest flushing... lets hear some ideas i've read that it isn't needed and curing is the most important part.

There seem to be more people doing it then not?!? do you really flush salts and nutrients or are you stressing the plants out in a negative way

Edited by Ivanillych, 17 April 2011 - 11:10 PM.

[michiganmedclones]

The preharvest flush is 100% necessary if you use any type of nutirents what so ever, which I'm sure you do. It esentially is the same as a human detox, it cleans out they system roots all the way to the top cola and getting out any chemical/nutirent taste or residue. I run a 14 day flush, first 4 days water and carbs, next 8 days straight water both of these are on the 12/12 light cycle. The last 2 days are totally dark and the plants are just in clean brand new water so they are as clean as they can be.

Then starts the fun of trimming, drying, and curing. But then you get to process the materials left over and make yourself some goodies

Good luck my man

[Kingdiamond]

Last two weeks my girls get plain water if not you end up with salty tasting medicine.

[Les]

The preharvest flush is 100% necessary if you use any type of nutirents what so ever, which I'm sure you do. It esentially is the same as a human detox, it cleans out they system roots all the way to the top cola and getting out any chemical/nutirent taste or residue. I run a 14 day flush, first 4 days water and carbs, next 8 days straight water both of these are on the 12/12 light cycle. The last 2 days are totally dark and the plants are just in clean brand new water so they are as clean as they can be.

Then starts the fun of trimming, drying, and curing. But then you get to process the materials left over and make yourself some goodies

Good luck my man

Would you mind describing at what point you initiate the flush? Is this when the trichomes are the way you like them?

Thanks

[michiganmedclones]

I go mostly off trichs, I like to pull at 50-70%, if I see over 30% cloudy/amber then I will start the flush. I have a few strains which I can't use the trichs but I have ran them a few times and know that I like to pull them at 73 days for one strain and 67 days for another strain etc. Its all a balancing act, and youll learn something new every day in the garden

[phaquetoo]

yep 2 weeks of pure old fashion water(or what ever water you use) flushing is way more important than curing lmao! i would much rather cure my budds on the vine than not flush them for a few weeks 10 days min!

and im not a chemical parainoid freak lol!

if your growing in bubbles or turds, you best be flushing or your stuff gonna smell real bad to me! and i wont buy it, lol


Peace
FTW
Jim

[Les]

I go mostly off trichs, I like to pull at 50-70%, if I see over 30% cloudy/amber then I will start the flush. I have a few strains which I can't use the trichs but I have ran them a few times and know that I like to pull them at 73 days for one strain and 67 days for another strain etc. Its all a balancing act, and youll learn something new every day in the garden

Thanks again. I have about a month left flowering my first grow. I'm not rushing to the finish here. . . want to do everything as well as possible.

[Tripleberry]

Good rule of thumb: If its brown, yellow or green...flush!

I use 5 gal Hempys w the top rings cut off, they hold about a gallon and a half of water. I use Clearex according to directions to 5 gallons of water 15 to 18 days preharvey. Each plant (2) gets 2.5 gals, I plug the hole til the perlite starts to rise and then let it drain and add the rest til its gone. Then I fill the 5 gal bucket w just water and pour that into the hempys. One more time with the 5 gals of water but this time I add a tsp of unsulphered mollasses per gallon and ph the mix, pour and let drain. For the remainder of the plants life all it gets is one gallon a day of molasses water and maybe a shot of superthrive once during this period. Overall the largest remaing leaves are pretty yellowed by harvest time with some of the bud leaves a bit yellowed. Smoooooth!

Edited by Tripleberry, 19 April 2011 - 09:35 PM.

[Ivanillych]

Good rule of thumb: If its brown, yellow or green...flush!

I use 5 gal Hempys w the top rings cut off, they hold about a gallon and a half of water. I use Clearex according to directions to 5 gallons of water 15 to 18 days preharvey. Each plant (2) gets 2.5 gals, I plug the hole til the perlite starts to rise and then let it drain and add the rest til its gone. Then I fill the 5 gal bucket w just water and pour that into the hempys. One more time with the 5 gals of water but this time I add a tsp of unsulphered mollasses per gallon and ph the mix, pour and let drain. For the remainder of the plants life all it gets is one gallon a day of molasses water and maybe a shot of superthrive once during this period. Overall the largest remaing leaves are pretty yellowed by harvest time with some of the bud leaves a bit yellowed. Smoooooth!

SO using molasses till the end?

[Les]

Good rule of thumb: If its brown, yellow or green...flush!

I use 5 gal Hempys w the top rings cut off, they hold about a gallon and a half of water. I use Clearex according to directions to 5 gallons of water 15 to 18 days preharvey. Each plant (2) gets 2.5 gals, I plug the hole til the perlite starts to rise and then let it drain and add the rest til its gone. Then I fill the 5 gal bucket w just water and pour that into the hempys. One more time with the 5 gals of water but this time I add a tsp of unsulphered mollasses per gallon and ph the mix, pour and let drain. For the remainder of the plants life all it gets is one gallon a day of molasses water and maybe a shot of superthrive once during this period. Overall the largest remaing leaves are pretty yellowed by harvest time with some of the bud leaves a bit yellowed. Smoooooth!

What pH are you shooting for?

Any recommendations for a fella using soil (ProMix)? I have a hard time wrapping my head around jerking my trees out of their 5 gal buckets and sticking them in water. How does one keep them standing up? Also, I recall somebody on this site using a bubbler under each plant. . . seems like a great idea. . . any thoughts?

[Tripleberry]

SO using molasses till the end?

Yep. 1 tsp per gallon, its pretty weak actually but those sugars help the plant use up alot of the remaining nutrients built up in the plant tissues. I could probably use less than that because I am using the Hempy buckets and sometimes I may x the molasses for just plain water.

*Adding molasses to the nutrient mix during flowering really makes the individual flowers swell up nice and fat too, sometimes I can see the difference overnight. If you dont know what a Hempy bucket is do a search, Im really glad I did!

[GrandpaGreenthumb]

I grow in soil and use "Sledgehammer"a flush from Fox Farms.This flush is very effective.I used to flush for 2 weeks with straight water.Now I can flush for 3 days using the Sledgehammer and just water for 7 days.I have been working with the strains I have for quite a while and know them well enough to know when to start my flush.One thing I know for sure is the taste quality has definatly improved over what I was already happy with.Also Sledgehammer is a great addition to my toolbox as its also recommended as a flush used several times during the grow/flower cycles if and issues arrise from salt buildup in the plant or soil.This is just from my personal experience and hope it helps

[Tripleberry]

What pH are you shooting for?

Any recommendations for a fella using soil (ProMix)? I have a hard time wrapping my head around jerking my trees out of their 5 gal buckets and sticking them in water. How does one keep them standing up? Also, I recall somebody on this site using a bubbler under each plant. . . seems like a great idea. . . any thoughts?

I use Hempy buckets (passive hydro) so 5.8 The plants root system in a Hempy attaches itself to the coarse perlite thus keeping it standing. During flowering though they are tied off to the sides of the buckets because eventually they will lean with the added weight.

Jorge Cervantes from High Times always recommended 5 times the amount of water to soil for a flush. 5 gals of dirt flushed w 25 gals of water.

[michiganmedclones]

What pH are you shooting for?

Any recommendations for a fella using soil (ProMix)? I have a hard time wrapping my head around jerking my trees out of their 5 gal buckets and sticking them in water. How does one keep them standing up? Also, I recall somebody on this site using a bubbler under each plant. . . seems like a great idea. . . any thoughts?

Water is called hydroponics, BubbleGrower is the man to ask on here with hydro questions IMO. The bubble bucket is a simple system that is touchy. If you learn basics of the marijuana plant and its tendencies as well as signs of problems and solutions to those problems then you can pull it off but you can't leave for a day, when I used soil I could leave for a few days and know that my plants would be fine, maybe a little thirsty becasue the auto water system I had was homemade and not great but they wouldnt die, one day of problems in the bubble bucket and you can kill a plant, it will happen if youre not paying attention. If you wanted to PM me feel free, I'm probally more available then BG to answer questions and if I can't answer anything for you then I can point you in the right direction.

Good luck my friend

[ToadInCan]

Pre-harvest flushing... lets hear some ideas i've read that it isn't needed and curing is the most important part.

There seem to be more people doing it then not?!? do you really flush salts and nutrients or are you stressing the plants out in a negative way

Follow up question...

I always flush. Always have. The first sign if amber, swollen glands I put em in flush. But the trichomes are a fat. The THC and CBD and CBN are all lipids. The water and nutes are all doing their thing in the plant fiber to produce the trichs. There should be no water soluble nutes in the trichomes. The cellulose fiber is not good to injest, in any form. Granted, it's fine after baking. And ooooohhhh, I bake a a bunch of it.

What if you vape? What if all you use is the liquified trichomes? Is a flush still neccesary?

Help me out here. I'm new at this.

[treehugger]

Although i can believe that flushing generally does no harm, i do not see how the process can make up for weeks of over-fertilization. If you don't toxify your plants, there is no need to detoxify...

[wolfgama]

<<<<<< Gama's other half!!..Yhe last two week's the ladie's are like old folks!!..The love "SUGAR"..We Give them Black Strap Molasses!!.....Been doing it all along!!....One Word!!..."SMOOTH"!!..Best of Luck!!...We Do Bubble By The Way!!...

[zapatosunidos]

Although i can believe that flushing generally does no harm, i do not see how the process can make up for weeks of over-fertilization. If you don't toxify your plants, there is no need to detoxify...

I agree wholeheartedly. Some of the nastiest most chemical-laden medicine I have ever had was subjected to a full two week plain water flush.

There is more to this subject than meets the eye I think. I don't have the answer but am working personally on a greater understanding.

[LongHairBri]

Although i can believe that flushing generally does no harm, i do not see how the process can make up for weeks of over-fertilization. If you don't toxify your plants, there is no need to detoxify...

WE HAVE THE WINNER!!!

I NEVER FLUSH (in hydro). if your not overfeedeing you don't need to flush.

I know I'll take heat for this but my meds have been out in the community. they can speak for themselves

[treehugger]

I agree wholeheartedly. Some of the nastiest most chemical-laden medicine I have ever had was subjected to a full two week plain water flush.

There is more to this subject than meets the eye I think. I don't have the answer but am working personally on a greater understanding.

I don't have the answer either, but i think i have the general idea. Feed the plant what it needs when it needs it. Plants (just like us), are genetically predisposed to eat more than is healthy in a stable environment and have developed strong mechanisms to acquire and hold onto those assets. Conversely, we find it very difficult to shed those "stores", because the survival benefit is so small. So, plants suck up nutes, and actively resist the solvent effect of H2O.

But, as you observed, there is much more to consider...