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If you don't mind me asking, what EC is that?
I have done many harvests, flushed and unflushed. Here's the thing...
Elements in the plant (nutrients) do not easily wash out of the root tissue. The process of ion exchange depends considerably on the pH of the solution (or the presence of H+ versus OH-). While running nothing but water through the media will remove and reduce residual elements available for uptake, it does very little to actually clean the plant.
Some elements are used for DNA synthesis. Others are used for cell tissues. But most are present to assist in the generation and transmission of energy from photosynthetic activity. Some elements are mobile. Others are not.
What is important is to not saturate the plant with elements during the grow. Plants have a wide acceptable range. This is why so many different NPK ratios from different manufacturers are all fairly effective. Clean burning bud comes from a plant grown on the low end of the adequate range (please see attached image). A plant can be grown at the high end of the adequate range with out showing signs of distress. Rather than running an excess of nutrients during the grow (as much as she can handle) a grower will get the same metabolic rates from a plant grown on the lighter end of the spectrum as long as the nutrient levels are adequate.
Too many growers have the idea that they need to push as much as possible into the plant for the best growth. This couldn't be more wrong. As with all things in life the middle path is the best path. Running hot, without over feeding, and then trying to flush the plant of that during the last few days is a fools errand.
If you want a clean burning product, and I think we all do, feed at the lower end of the acceptable range for you plant. You are looking for natural deficiency. Slow, subtle yellowing. No necrosis. And when she lets you know she needs more, then give her more. But simply assuming that because you plant looks healthy that it is getting the "correct" amount of nutrition is what leads to black, funky, smoke.
During the last 10-14 days though, the uptake of elements in other studied crops (corn, wheat, barley, tomatoes, etc) after flower/fruit set drops considerably (see attached image). Flushing isn't removing excess elements from the plant as much as it is inline with the present nutritional requirements for that period of growth. Light nutrition is fine, but this should be very low ppms if applied.
Attachments
powderful
Member
Thank you for the detailed explanation Snow 
I have been giving them less nutes since week 8 and tried to stay on a moderate feeding schedule (65-75% of recc for canna aqua) from the start so I think the 3-5 days flush will be more than adequate.
Next round I will grow 1 big plant under one 600w hps and 4 small ones under the other where I experiment with feeding amounts and flushing methods.
I Really want to try out the "drowning" technique to accelerate fermentation but I just don't have the nerves on this first run
I have been giving them less nutes since week 8 and tried to stay on a moderate feeding schedule (65-75% of recc for canna aqua) from the start so I think the 3-5 days flush will be more than adequate.
Next round I will grow 1 big plant under one 600w hps and 4 small ones under the other where I experiment with feeding amounts and flushing methods.
I Really want to try out the "drowning" technique to accelerate fermentation but I just don't have the nerves on this first run
Sorry, this is about 1.2 ec...
S
sourpuss
I run florakleen for a week tops before chop. Plus feed light throughout. My smoke is pretty close to fully white. Only ran florakleen once tho and its kicking my 2 week tap water only harvest that has an extra month cure as well. I find 2 week water only seems to stress the plant around the 1 week point. And it only goes downhill from there. Odor drops if not completely changes, to me signifies terpene production drop and stop insome terpenes. Bud density...
If you're concerned with quality, doesn't it make more sense to harvest at the peak of health and maturity? Harvesting when things start to go down hill sounds as if one is harvesting death instead of harvesting life.
I feed low,,,starting on 15ml of bio bloom for every 10 litres of water,,,i give water only every 3rd watering after 2 feeds and at peak my girls get 30ml of bb and 20ml of bio accelerator,, then last 2-3 weeks pure ph water only,, I know when the garden is nearly done when I start to get that real "organic ugly",,,as below,,s2
I couldn't tell ya as I've never smoked a bowl down that far. Being a grower means that you should be taking green hits for life.
powderful
Member
I've decided to top them off with a very light nute solution for the last 5 days, 150-200ppm after top ups and after 24hrs they are about 60-100ppm.
Last 48hrs will be "flushing" with ph'ed water to soak up any traces of nutes in the res.
One thing I have learned is that there is a lot of information online and probably more misinformation
.
I can't fault people for speaking from personal experience but please have respect for those of us that seek to understand this plant in detail. We are all wired differently and I tend to have an inquisitive mind
Thank you all for advice from both sides of the aisle
Last 48hrs will be "flushing" with ph'ed water to soak up any traces of nutes in the res.
One thing I have learned is that there is a lot of information online and probably more misinformation
. I can't fault people for speaking from personal experience but please have respect for those of us that seek to understand this plant in detail. We are all wired differently and I tend to have an inquisitive mind
Thank you all for advice from both sides of the aisle
S
sourpuss
Thats why I will only do a 1 week water florakleen only flush. At the 1 week point is the start of bad things happenning imo, plant still looks healthy.
Any science to the acidic flush? c-ray? Anyone?
Instinctively, i have let the ph drift normal values through flush to encompass a wider spectrum as i would suppose that like absorbtion, selective ph moves selective ¨compounds¨.?
Would love to see a clear answer on that. Or i can try it on a table of La con in a few weeks.
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^^ i have seen people use pH 4 to flush out empty hydro systems, low ph will dissolve the salts much better than higher , but yea i would never put that low ph into a system with living plants, it would certainly cause nutrient deficiency's/ stressed plants , but hey some people actually want those things hehe
It would be interesting to see someone do it as a comparison with higher ph flush/leech...
It would be interesting to see someone do it as a comparison with higher ph flush/leech...
S
sourpuss
If u look into whats in florakleen, supposedly its acids and some other stuff....
You can taste when florakleen has been used....
Like we said, the secret is in perfect calculation of what the plant needs all along without an iota more.
