Should I flush my cannabis plants before harvesting? If so, what’s the proper way to do it and why is it necessary?
One answer “Flushing before harvest?”
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Should I flush my cannabis plants before harvesting? If so, what’s the proper way to do it and why is it necessary?
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Flushing cannabis plants before harvest is a critical step to improved overall quality of your crop. In order to truly maximize yield, potency, and taste of your cannabis, itâs important to understand the need behind flushing your plants.
Flushing essentially removes excess nutrients from the soil or nutrient solution your plants have been fed. Over-fertilized cannabis plants can accumulate excess minerals, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, over time. The presence of these minerals can make your buds dry, harsh and less potent. In addition, flushing removes harmful salts such as hydrophobic chemicals like aluminum, copper, and magnesium which are toxic to your plants and can cause irreversible damage to their growth.
One of the most important reasons to flush your cannabis plants is to ensure uniform and consistent ripening of the plants or âbuddingâ. When you cease feeding your cannabis, it forces the plant to focus its energy on ripening the buds. Flushing your cannabis also can help with terpene and flavor production in your buds. Terpenes are the naturally occurring oils that give your buds their unique aroma and flavor, while cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound that can provide relief to many health issues. When cannabis is flushed before itâs harvested, these compounds have the chance to create a more complex flavor and aroma, as the plant is getting better oxygenation and not masked by excess nutrient minerals.
When it comes to flushing, the best way is to always change up your water. This could mean using reverse osmosis, purified or just fresh tap water. Itâs important to use non-pH balanced water as this will help to flush out the locked-up salts and minerals. The general technique for flushing is to add fresh water to the reservoir around every four to five days. This should be done until the run-off is a consistent to the last water input. During the the last two weeks of a plantâs life, it is recommended to flush for two weeks. For hydroponic cannabis, the final flush before harvest is conducted with 10-20 parts water, to one part of a nutrient solution.
Flushing your cannabis plants can take some extra time and effort, but itâs an essential part of the harvest process and will improve the overall quality of your crop. Keep the above tips in mind and donât forget that healthy, flushed cannabis is worth the time and effort it takes to maintain. And remember â happy flushing!