The plant is consuming them. Isn’t that why we flush??
2 Likes
Instead of storing them the plant uses them to feed itself before fading completely. But I’d assume pulling from the leaf into its circulatory system & once nutes are absorbed the then fade sets in.
You can be in veg & have this happen if showing deficiencies no doubt.
2 Likes
You flush to rid the soil of salts. You cant force the plant to “puke” the nutes back up.
3 Likes
Yes and no. You can absolutely get the plant to reject some mobile nutrients and some cations as well through osmosis alone. We run leaf tissue analysis and when we flush (which we don’t at harvest but do occasionally if we’re developing an imbalance) it takes about 16 hours to reduce the tissue levels of Ca, NO3, Na, and PO4 after which it tends to plateau. I imagine S is the same. This is done by dumping our solution and reducing to 400-800 uS/cm
7 Likes
I’m an organic soil guy. I just rock water for the last 1.5 weeks. No need to drench them lol
2 Likes
Organic or salts, the last 2 weeks ph h20 is all that’s needed.
8yrs strong vs my first 3 grows using bro-science “flushing”, my current way wins. At least in my garden.
I even did a defoliate, 50% defoliate, and leave the girls alone test. Guess who won on the weight?
8 Likes
Yeah I’ve heard that too, I’m under pressure of russet mites so I won’t be letting all of mine finish like I usually do. As soon as they’re filled out, and trichs all cloudy, I’m doing 2x container size in PH water and then straight water for another week or two, depending on if it looks like the russets start eating weight, hence the initial 2x container size flush, so I can just chop it they do seem to get even worse. This bug makes me straight up depressed. Usually I’ll let them get filled out, trichs cloudy and I’ll let them finish their last 2 weeks PH water only. This particular case the bugs seem to be slowing their finish, so I fed them their last tea last week and from here on out it’s straight nutrients until that big flush to try and squeeze as much growth before the damage they may doing sets in. I’ve just about had it with spraying, no matter how much I do I still am losing the battle. Next year I will be implementing some major changes so this never happens again.
1 Like
Lol I’m afraid to guess, I’m team defoliate
1 Like
Gotta get rid of those asap!
Run an ozone generator in the room SEALED with NO plants around. Run for 3hrs.
1 Like
Thanks for the suggestion, the gardens which have them is my outdoor and my auto dep. problem is my dry room is my pheno hunt/ indoor space and in my house so I’ll definitely be using that suggestion. My deps I just pulled I washed all the bud with Citric acid and soap in fears of them eating the bud in the dry room, not sure it was even worth the time.
1 Like
I’ve always wondered what the science is behind flushing and extracts. Anyone have any info on nutrients being extracted from the plant material along with cannabinoids ?
As far as water soluble stuff, salts are not generally soluble in any of the extraction solvents we use. Sugars are and are probably more of a concern than “nutrients” (for extracts)
1 Like
Thanks, does over feeding/not flushing contribute to excess sugars? Or is that mostly from the actual sugars we feed the plants?
I wouldn’t say I flush, but I do switch to ph’d water for the last week in coco, with about a quarter strength nutes during the second to last week. Always water to runoff when feeding, and avoid overfeeding in the first place.
My outdoor stuff is right in the ground, and it’s some amazing soil. It gets a good soaking with well water when put in, then rain only till harvest. Some of the best tasting buds ever.
1 Like
I flush for 2 weeks with PH’d water. If in hydro, change the res every 5 days or so.
@BG305 I’m not sure if tissue tests would show that exactly. It’s primarily nitrogen and phosphorus you want out of the plant at harvest.
Brix and mineral content (from using an isotonic flush solution) helps taste, oil content and perishability.
2 Likes
Russet mites suck. They can hibernate if they feel any kind of threat. One place I worked with had to clean constantly to beat them. They tried ozone and cranking up the CO2 to 5000ppm. They dunked entire plants in homemade Green Cleaner. The thing that finally beat them back was a comprehensive and constant IPM program.
Dunking buds is essentially how Nuke Em works to pass off moldy weed. An oz. of Sal’s Suds per gallon of room temp H2O, dunk it, rinse it and let it dry.
Plants don’t eat sugar, microbes do. Sugars may cause excess root pressure or cause anaerobic conditions.
2 Likes
Interesting article.
I normally do my flush with a low ppm feed mix, but not pure water.
4 Likes
Plants can drip sap, and it tastes sweet. I’ve had it happen to me when I flush with RO water and have cold night temps. Probably also did some defoliation. Haven’t had it happen in a while.
What your describing is called Guttation, and what your seeing is a sap exudate… At night, transpiration usually does not occur because most plants have their stomata closed. When there is a high soil moisture level, water will enter plant roots, because the water potential of the roots is lower than in the soil solution. The water will accumulate in the plant, creating a slight root pressure. The root pressure forces some water to exude (most oftenly) through special leaf tips or edge structures, hydathodes, forming drops. Root pressure provides the impetus for this flow, rather than transpirational ascent. This sap exudate can be clear, tan, brown or even blood red(The red colour is due to haematin compounds and anthocyanin pigments that naturally build up in some varieties; The red colour may also indicate a nutrient deficiency, notably of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or magnesium) This sap usually contains a variety of organic and inorganic compounds, mainly sugars, and mineral nutrients, and potassium. Upon drying, a white crust remains on the tissue surface. Guttated sap exudates most commonly exude from cannabis, along both sides of the leaf axil, where the petioles attach to the stem. Though Guttations typically exude(in most plants) through modified leaf stomata known as hydathodes, in cannabis guttations most commonly exude at the leaf axil, or another part of the stem via a stoma … It’s no worry really, but that sap is effectively a delicious meal for any would be insects and pests,
4 Likes
That’s great information. The plants create the sugar, they do not consume it.
2 Likes