Flush or not to Flush

[marcopolo]

I’ve been using the fox farm nute schedule with great success for the past few grows. In the schedule is shows flushing every 4 weeks with their Sledgehammer product. The last time I followed this flushing schedule, I saw increased stress, dropping leaves, and yellowing.

My question is: is it needed to flush if you are using organic based nutes?

What’s your best practice when it comes to flushing?

Thanks,
-MP

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

No, you do not need to flush if you are organic....however, Fox Farm nutrients are NOT organic, except for Big Bloom. Have never really understood that with Fox Farm either. The Grow Big and the Tiger Bloom are not organic, but the Big Bloom is. So, since you are not using organic based nutrients, let's talk about flushing a chemical nutrient grow.

I do not flush my plants unless there is a problem like I overnuted or there is a salt buildup. I can see absolutely no upside to flushing every 4 weeks and a lot of downsides...what is their justification to a flush every 4 weeks (other than selling more Sledgehammer)? I also do not flush at the end of the grow, but simply stop feeding a week or 10 days before (anticipated) harvest, giving them plain water rather than water with nutrients in it. This allows the plant to use up most of its stored nutrients prior to harvest. I have never understood flushing all the nutrients out of the soil 2-3 weeks prior to harvest. You are asking them to bulk up and pack on the THC crystals while starving them to death.

 

[Rosebud]

And... this is why ^^^^ she is The Hemp Goddess.

 

[Billy Bagseed]

DAaaaad-GUM! I've been using FF nutes and all this time I've been calling myself an organic farmer. More research needed for my next run, for sure. Thanks Your Holiness!

 

[stinkyattic]

No, you do not need to flush if you are organic....however, Fox Farm nutrients are NOT organic, except for Big Bloom. Have never really understood that with Fox Farm either. The Grow Big and the Tiger Bloom are not organic, but the Big Bloom is. So, since you are not using organic based nutrients, let's talk about flushing a chemical nutrient grow.

I do not flush my plants unless there is a problem like I overnuted or there is a salt buildup. I can see absolutely no upside to flushing every 4 weeks and a lot of downsides...what is their justification to a flush every 4 weeks (other than selling more Sledgehammer)? I also do not flush at the end of the grow, but simply stop feeding a week or 10 days before (anticipated) harvest, giving them plain water rather than water with nutrients in it. This allows the plant to use up most of its stored nutrients prior to harvest. I have never understood flushing all the nutrients out of the soil 2-3 weeks prior to harvest. You are asking them to bulk up and pack on the THC crystals while starving them to death.

I agree with every. Single. Part. Of. This.

The #1 thing to do is eliminate or at least heavily restrict nitrogen in the second half of flower. Without it, the plants can't bind magnesium into their tissues. They will be somewhat paler at harvest, but there's no need to flush because first off whatever is in the plant is already there, and can't be removed by flushing, and also they still need potassium and phosphorous and plenty of available carbon, whether it's from the organic acids in compost , or molasses, or commercial sugar supplements, or preferably a combination. I run some chemical and some organic nutrients, and make sure I always have at least a third of my soil mix as compost, and I'm not even that picky what type, as long as it's black as night and smells like dirt after the rain . It ends up being very stable and hassle free.

I use canna PK13/14 and Sweet as a way to give them what they still need.

I dont flush. I cure one month. The smoke is smooth. Happy harvest !

 

[marcopolo]

Thanks Hemp Goddess! I just realized that FF was a chemical based from a post I read about a nutrient study. I totally agree with everything you recommend, and how it doesn’t make much sense to flush every 4 weeks and so on.

 

[stinkyattic]

Hi Marco, here's an example of how my flower room looks with multiple strains in multiple stages of flower. I go in there with one can of fertilizer with bloom nutrients, and one with just sweet and a little pk 13/14 once a week.

The regular fertilizer goes on:
Stuff that hasn't passed the cotton ball nuggets stage
Stuff that may be further along but looks paler than I want to see quite yet

Sweet/pk or plain water mix goes on:
Stuff that's approaching harvest... I'm letting it go pale, but I see enough vigor to take it the rest of the way through.

They all have slightly different food needs, and there are like 12 different strains/phenos in all different stages and assorted pot sizes stuffed in that room!

More of an art than a science. But 100% more headache free than feeding too heavy too long and trying to do a corrective flush

They're a little hot and thirsty , it suddenly got unseasonably warm here, and some are a bit pot bound. But I'm seeing tasty treats ahead.

 

[AladinSane]

Thanks for the explanation of why flushing is not necessary. I have never flushed, just stopped the nutes for the last week or 10 days and then a good cure in glass jars with humidity packs in 'em.