Flushing Your Cannabis Plants

Cannabis plants need nutrients to thrive. These nutrients are added in solid or liquid form, which the plant absorbs. You’ve probably heard about flushing methods? If not, we're here for you. When the plants absorb nutrients, they build up significant levels of elements, which are undesirable for consumption. Nutrient-filled buds taste chemical and can produce headaches and nauseating feels. Growers strive for smoothly tasting buds, which leave a powdery grey ash after they’re burned, unlike nutrient-filled buds, which leave black ash. So, how can the plant be successfully flushed? Let’s check it out.

Several factors need to be considered before flushing the plant, such as, the plants’ growing medium, the maturity of the plants, the desired harvesting time, which flushing method will be used, and the pH of the water.

The timing of the flushing is crucial. If it’s done too early, the buds won’t live up to their potential. If flushed too late, well, you will need to harvest the plant before the sugar leaves start turning yellow, so flushing too late would be pointless.

A good time to flush soil-based plants is when the trichomes are half cloudy, half clear. It means that the plant has about 2 weeks before harvest. It also depends on how fast the strain matures; if it matures quickly, 1 week could do the trick. The roots have a protective layer, that prevents an excess of nutrients being absorbed by the plant. In hydro systems, the change of nutrients have an immediate effect on the plant, whilst in soil, a lot of nutrients can be stored in the soil without the plant showing signs of overfeeding. This is also why hydroponic plants are easier to flush, so flushing hydro should be done days or about a week before harvest.

The exception to flushing is if the plant is being fed organically. Organic feeding will feed the microbes in the soil, which in turn provide the plant with the necessary elements. Since the plant is not fed directly, there will be no excess minerals stored in the soil, henceforth the organically fed plant doesn’t need flushing.

The simplest method of flushing is by watering the plant without any nutrients before harvesting, so about 2 weeks before harvesting, the plant will be given pure water. The lack of nutrients will make the plant use up its stored nutrients and stress the plant to create more dank cannabinoids. Make sure that the pH is regulated, if you provide the plants with high pH'ed water, they will absorb various elements, which will generate an undesirable smoke, and the flushing would be self-defeating. You can also use mineral salts to flush the plants. It's a great flushing method for hydroponic cannabis. The mineral salts are too big for the plants to absorb; the salts gather excess nutrients, which makes it easy to flush away all the undesirable compounds.

Remember, flush your plants before harvest, and produce amazingly smelling and tasting buds, which shall elevate you to the next level.