Proper techniques for plant flushing are not often followed, people think simply running fresh water for a week or two will ensure that plants have been flushed correctly. It is not that simple though, we can help with some tips to ensure you have purged nutrients from your grow media and your actual plants effectively.
Let’s start with preventative maintenance flushing which should be done throughout the growing cycle.
- PH water to between 6.5 to 7.0.
- Check PPM of water to be used.
- Adjust temperature of the water to the grow area temp.
- Fill pot completely and allow to drain freely.
- Check the PPM Level in runoff water, it should be at 50 PPM to be considered flushed.
- This may require more than just dumping a pitcher of water in.
PPM is checked by using a TDS Meter. (total dissolved solids)
The first thing to discuss is the type if growing you are doing, purely organic growing would dictate that certain flushing will wash away good things in the soil which cannot be easily replaced.
If using Nutrients, the type if Nutrients plays a part in this as well. For instance. Holland Secret (Future Harvest) Nutrients are made to be PH Correct when using RO (Reverse Osmosis) water. They also have no Urea or Sediment in them. Because of this, there is little to flush out. For this reason I am a big fan of using Holland Secret in Organic Soil mixtures. Its like the best of both worlds. Holland Secret is also working towards getting items in this line OMRI Certified.
Let’s talk about inert Soils like Sunshine #4 and Peat/Perlite mixes now. There is really nothing to wash away in the soil, the plant lives through the Nutrients externally fed to them. These mixes benefit greatly from bring flushed regularly because your grow media can be easily cleaned.
Flushing every 3rd or 4th feeding can help to eliminate Tip Burn on plants which is often caused by overfeeding.
Flushing can also help with eliminating Nutrient Lockup. Cleaning the soil helps to keep any possible nutrient buildup from accumulating and affecting the plant.
Another factor in all of this is ensuring you have properly placed drain holes if using hard pots. Holes should be at the lowest point to ensure there is no pockets or low spots where build-ups can accumulate.
I do a small flush once a week when using inert mixes, 3 or 4 feedings and then a good water flush.
Even when using good Soil and Nutrients there will still be things in the Soil which need to be broken down and processed.
Enzyme rich formulas help to break down Starch, Carbs & Nutrients which can easily get locked up in your soil. Directly after flushing is a great time to introduce Enzymes back into your soil. Enzymes should really be added on a weekly basis to help keep soil alive and healthy.
There are a wide variety of Enzymes which are beneficial. The best way of creating diversity is to use a product like Zyme Tablets on a regular basis.
In Cannabis cultivation, enzymes are often used to help break down dead root matter and to prevent nutrient build-up. They serve as a catalyst for microorganisms to help break down molecules at an increased rate.
A minimum Enzyme introduction Schedule should be at ………
- Half way through Vegetative growth.
- Directly prior to starting Flowering.
A Plant Flush product should be used for the last 1-2 weeks of the plants life. We generally only flush the last week when using Holland Secret Nutrients.
- Two weeks from end of life. (approx 6 weeks after the flower cycle starts)
Cleaning out the soil is the first step, cleaning out the plant is the end game.
If dealing with over fertilization, you can use a product like Plant Flush shown below. These Plant Flushes are engineered to aid the plant in releasing nutrients which are stored up in the cells of the plant.
