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pre-harvest flush...(?)
- Thread starter Don Juan
- Start date
G
Guest
in soil, I flush for 3 days before chop
G
Guest
I've found flushing the soil to be not necessary really,I get a good amount of runoff whether feeding or watering so I just stop feeding about 10 days before harvest
Wacky Tobacky
Active member
1 week
2 if you use chem ferts
2 if you use chem ferts
G
Guest
lowering PH? why?
Also - on those saying 1-2 weeks, are you soil or hydro? (yes, I know its the soil forum, just checking)
Also - on those saying 1-2 weeks, are you soil or hydro? (yes, I know its the soil forum, just checking)
Hissin Appi
Member
Don Juan said:
I have my Papaya in soil @6weeks flowering now, and I was thinking the same thing about flushing. Is it necessary to adjust the pH of the flushing water closer to 6, like what I use around 6,1-6,2? Or can I flush with regular tapwater (pH ~7)?
Will the pH be corrected in the soil anyway? Or will it affect the nutrient takeup, and does it matter during flushing?
edit: I'm not talking about a pre-harvest flush though, I'm lettin' it go ripe.
Last edited:
jcsmooth
Member
Isn't the purpose of flushing to have the plants use its stored energy up (What is contained within the plant already)?
With this in mind, I'd think that correcting your ph to the ideal level would almost be counterproductive in our efforts. I've never thought about this before...my ph is always around 6.0. I'm not condoning making your ph 3.0 or 10.0, but correcting your ph I'd think isn't all that necessary at this stage.
My goal with "flushing" is to pass an amount of water through the soil so that what I might have fed prior, will be carried through and drained out.
Maybe someone else can chime in with hands on experience because all I have at this point is common sense (it's all I EVER have, haha).
JC
With this in mind, I'd think that correcting your ph to the ideal level would almost be counterproductive in our efforts. I've never thought about this before...my ph is always around 6.0. I'm not condoning making your ph 3.0 or 10.0, but correcting your ph I'd think isn't all that necessary at this stage.
My goal with "flushing" is to pass an amount of water through the soil so that what I might have fed prior, will be carried through and drained out.
Maybe someone else can chime in with hands on experience because all I have at this point is common sense (it's all I EVER have, haha).
JC
I'm still an amateur so take what I say with a grain of salt and listen to people with more experience over me. 
That said, my understanding is that if you can pH your runoff then that's the best way to know for sure what pH water to flush with. Using some sort of leeching powder may make it easier since it'll just correct the pH. That's what I've been doing but the tap water here is hard and the pH is between 6.8 and 7.3 here so I might just be lucky.
But say your runoff is at 5.5 then you want to water with something in the mid to high sixes to correct that. If it's higher than 6.5 then pH your water to something lower.
If your tap water is around 7 and you can't get anything to leech with then just use your tap water and it should be fine.
That said, my understanding is that if you can pH your runoff then that's the best way to know for sure what pH water to flush with. Using some sort of leeching powder may make it easier since it'll just correct the pH. That's what I've been doing but the tap water here is hard and the pH is between 6.8 and 7.3 here so I might just be lucky.
But say your runoff is at 5.5 then you want to water with something in the mid to high sixes to correct that. If it's higher than 6.5 then pH your water to something lower.
If your tap water is around 7 and you can't get anything to leech with then just use your tap water and it should be fine.
What I always do in soil is stop feeding nutes about 2 weeks before I harvest.From that point on they get nothing but plain water and molasses. In the final three to five days before harvest, I do a double capacity full flush. Meaning I take the plants, one by one in the bathtub (just what I used, could be anything with a drain that's big enough to hold the pots) and run double the amount of water as soil. So, I was using 5 gallon pots, I ran 10 gallons of plain water through them.
May sound overkill, but I'm using FNB chem ferts in soil, and doing it this way I've never had overferted bud at harvest.
May sound overkill, but I'm using FNB chem ferts in soil, and doing it this way I've never had overferted bud at harvest.
jcsmooth
Member
But what would the point be of making the ph of your "flush" water correct?
From what I understand, when you add nutrients to your plant you want the ph to be in check so that they can be readily and properly absorbed.
Since flushing is not supposed to provide a plant with nutrients (that's why we use plain water), why would it be advantageous to adjust the water to allow for such a process to occur?
I think flushing is to just get rid of built up salts within the soil itself.
I'm really curious about this now because I'm a few days from chop myself
JC
From what I understand, when you add nutrients to your plant you want the ph to be in check so that they can be readily and properly absorbed.
Since flushing is not supposed to provide a plant with nutrients (that's why we use plain water), why would it be advantageous to adjust the water to allow for such a process to occur?
I think flushing is to just get rid of built up salts within the soil itself.
I'm really curious about this now because I'm a few days from chop myself
JC
Chronicsss
Member
Personally I dont buy into the leech solution for flushing stuff. I just take my plants into the tub a few days before harvest and put water through the pots till it comes out clear. Usually 8-10 gallons through the soil, wait a few more days after that then harvest and im happy. (I use pbp/LK)
kush07
Member
PHing your flush water is important cause that water will be watering your plant for the next few days. I like to keep my PH on all water between 6.0-6.3. Also, I like to flush twice during flowering. Once at the begining to get rid of excess N and once at the end for obvious reason. The first flush is mild while the later one is a extreme flush. It is a good idea to PH your water though and I highly recommend it.
Happy Toking
Happy Toking
jcsmooth
Member
Hi Kush,
That's all nice but I was kind of looking for a more involved explanation (the science behind it). Water can still be absorbed at ph levels much higher and lower than 6.0, it's a problem with nutrients that you run into when it's not "in check".
I really don't see a need to ph flush water, but I'm completely open to an explanation of why you would need to. Sorry guys...I just don't want to let this one go...must...find...general consensus.
JC
That's all nice but I was kind of looking for a more involved explanation (the science behind it). Water can still be absorbed at ph levels much higher and lower than 6.0, it's a problem with nutrients that you run into when it's not "in check".
I really don't see a need to ph flush water, but I'm completely open to an explanation of why you would need to. Sorry guys...I just don't want to let this one go...must...find...general consensus.
JC
