# when do I start flushing?



## thoughtkriminal (Jul 5, 2009)

I just started week 7 of blooming.  Most of the hairs have turned amber on the upper buds. The trichs are turning mostly cloudy.  The buds on the lower branches still have a lot of white.  I'm not sure when I should start flushing.  I've got hydro with rockwool.  I know it depends on the kind of high or whatever...I want more stoney weed so later but not too late of a harvest.  Should I wait to flush until the trichs start to turn amber???


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## That crazy vancouver guy (Jul 5, 2009)

there is no exact time, but most do it from 1 to 2 weeks before harvest


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jul 5, 2009)

I start when  trichs reach  50/50  


take care and be safe:ciao:


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## thoughtkriminal (Jul 5, 2009)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> I start when  trichs reach  50/50
> 
> 
> take care and be safe:ciao:



And by the time you harvest what is the ratio of cloudy and amber trichs?  I should be ok another week then before flushing, do you think?


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## Alistair (Jul 5, 2009)

As TCVG said, a lot of people flush one to two weeks prior to harvest.  Lately, I haven't been flushing at all, and it seems to work out well for me.  I think that it is important not to over-fertilize.  If you're giving the plants more or less, what they need and no more, then flushing might not be necessary.  However, most people swear that flushing is necessary, and the one to two weeks prior to harvest seems to be the most common thing to do.

The concept of flushing has always befuddled me.  For example, it seems to me that one would not want to flush every last nutrient from the growing medium prior to harvest; the plants do need nutrients in order to finish properly.  These are just my personal ideas on the matter, and I really don't know for sure.


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## thoughtkriminal (Jul 5, 2009)

Alistair Young said:
			
		

> As TCVG said, a lot of people flush one to two weeks prior to harvest.  Lately, I haven't been flushing at all, and it seems to work out well for me.  I think that it is important not to over-fertilize.  If you're giving the plants more or less, what they need and no more, then flushing might not be necessary.  However, most people swear that flushing is necessary, and the one to two weeks prior to harvest seems to be the most common thing to do.
> 
> The concept of flushing has always befuddled me.  For example, it seems to me that one would not want to flush every last nutrient from the growing medium prior to harvest; the plants do need nutrients in order to finish properly.  These are just my personal ideas on the matter, and I really don't know for sure.



I've heard that it is to get rid of any bad tastes from chemicals/nutrients/additives or whatever especially if you're not doing soil or organic which I'm not.  I know that you flush 1 to 2 weeks before harvest but how do you know when that is?  I don't know how long it takes for the trichs to change so I thought that there would be an indicator as to when to start flushing like trichs starting to turn amber or wait until there are half and half or what?  I know I want to harvest when they are amber but not all.  I'm thinking half and half or so.  So I need to know about how long I have until that point.  As of now there are no amber trichs that I see only mostly cloudy.


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## BBFan (Jul 5, 2009)

:yeahthat: 
I agree with Alistair.  I don't flush anymore either and I haven't noticed a difference.


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## Growdude (Jul 5, 2009)

:yeahthat:


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## Alistair (Jul 5, 2009)

One thing to do, would be to do an organic grow and a chemical grow.  Don't do a flush for either one, then compare the taste.  Be sure to not over-nute on either one.   

Are chemical nutes poisonous, whereas oragnic nutes aren't?  I believe most farmers use chemical fertilizers.  Something tells me that they don't flush.  Yet, we eat fruits and vegetables grown this way, and they seem to taste good.  

I really don't know about flushing, or even cutting back on nutes.  But if we feed them only what they need then perhaps neither one should be necessary.


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## pcduck (Jul 5, 2009)

thoughtkriminal said:
			
		

> I know that you flush 1 to 2 weeks before harvest but how do you know when that is?  I don't know how long it takes for the trichs to change so I thought that there would be an indicator as to when to start flushing like trichs starting to turn amber or wait until there are half and half or what?



Each strain has a different rate of finishing. Some finish in a couple of days some takes weeks. A grower would have to know how many weeks a plant takes or have enough experience to know when to start for the type of buzz the grower wants to achieve.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jul 5, 2009)

thoughtkriminal said:
			
		

> And by the time you harvest what is the ratio of cloudy and amber trichs? I should be ok another week then before flushing, do you think?


 
As you see this is personal prfrance.... 


after the first week they are about 60%  amber  and i start harvesting in sections(take top half first)  2nd week  harvest more of plant at diffrent %  and the next week the rest..I work alone so harvesting in sections helps as i dont have to do so much trimming...hope this helps..


take care and be safe:ciao::bolt::bong:


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