What is flushing?
Flushing involves giving your cannabis plants straight pHed water instead of a nutrient solution. Flushing can and should be done at many times throughout your grow. With our feed schedule, we recommend growers flush with pHed water every third feeding. Additionally, you may need to flush your plant if any nutrient lockout occurs due to an excess build up of nutrients in your growing medium.
For soil and coco growers, flushing means watering your plants with only water and no nutrients. For hydroponic growers, flushing means switching out your nutrient solution with straight water.
Flushing for hydroponic growers will involve fully draining your reservoir, cleaning it if necessary, and refilling it with plain pHed water. This water should be pumped through the system, discarded, and the reservoir filled again with straight water. Let this run through for 24 hours before refilling with your nutrient solution. You will have to do this every 1-2 weeks.
Why is flushing important?
Flushing removes nutrients, salts, and minerals from your growing medium so your plant cannot continue to absorb them. This forces your plant to use up the remaining nutrients it has stored inside itself. This results in a cleaner end product.
Perhaps one of the most important flushes will be your final flushing stage. When your plants are ready to be harvested it is recommended to do a flush. This flush can last anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks depending on what growing medium you are using.
Growers often flush their plants with straight pHed water a few days or a couple weeks before harvest. Growers who fertilize their plants with nutrients will want to flush them clean of any remaining nutrients. It is believed this will increase the quality and taste of your end product!
Benefits of Flushing
- Smoother smoke
- Better taste
- Enhanced smell
You should flush your cannabis plants when they are almost within the harvest window. Your plants should be almost ready to harvest but can still stay on the plant for a bit longer. This will result in the highest quality bud.
You’ll know your buds are ready to be harvested when you inspect the trichomes. Buds are ready to harvest when the "hairs" (pistils) have turned dark and curled in. You should be able to see a solid bud.
Your plant should have clear trichomes with a few that have turned milky. This signals it is ready to be flushed. When growing in soil, you’ll generally want to flush 1-2 weeks before harvest.
Trichomes are the crystals or frost that show up on your buds and leaves. They make cannabis sticky. They can be hard to see with the naked eye so we recommend using some sort of magnification.
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- Clear trichomes mean the buds are not ready yet.
- Once they turn milky they will be at peak THC levels and ready for harvest.
- Clear trichomes should look somewhat like glass. It can be hard to tell the difference between clear trichomes and milky trichomes if it is your first time seeing them.
- If you wait to harvest until the trichomes turn amber in color, it will result in a bud with a lower level of THC but will produce a more relaxing body high.
If you flush yourplants too early, it could result in buds that aren't fully developed!
Some growers find the flushing stage to have no effect on the final product. With so many strains and growing methods out there, it is very plausible that flushing or not will make little difference on some plants. Still, we maintain that flushing is important to a high quality end product. Our testing has shown it creates a cleaner end product with a smoother smoke and a better taste.
Some growers use less nutrients in their feeding schedule which may result in less nutrients leftover in the buds without a flushing stage. While using Future Harvest nutrients we believe a flushing stage will leave you with better tasting and smelling buds.
Future Harvest offers our Plant Flush product. Plant Flush will lock out the roots of your plant so no more nutrients can be absorbed. This forces your plant to use up the nutrients it has stored in itself. It is an efficient way to ensure a cleaner end product than simply flushing with pHed water or not flushing at all.
- Your growing medium can retain high levels of residual salts. The plant can absorb these near the end of flowering which can result in a poorly burning end product.
- To prevent this, a flushing stage is essential to achieve a high quality end product.
- Straight water may be used, or add Plant Flush for a more effective flushing stage!
When To Flush
You will need to flush at the end of your grow when your plants are almost ready to be harvested. But there are other times you will need to flush as well!
- When you are experiencing a nutrient lockout it is often caused by an excess build up of nutrients in your growing medium. A water flush will flush out the nutrients and give you a blank slate to start from. You may have to flush repeatedly to ensure your plant is clear of all nutrients before introducing new nutrients into your growing medium.
- Flushing should be done every third feeding. We recommend a straight water flush every third feeding for best results. Always make sure you are pHing your water before flushing or feeding.
- Some growers flush when switching from veg to bloom.
- Some growers flush when switching their nutrient line.
If you’re flushing cannabis plants you’ll want to ensure you are doing it at the right time. Flush too early and you could stunt the growth of your plants and have a smaller yield. Do it too late and it can result in a harsh smoke even after drying and curing.
Drying and Curing
After your flush and harvest, it is crucial to dry and cure your buds.
Why is drying and curing your buds important?
- Improves taste and smell
- Improves smoothness and reduces harshness of smoking
- Reduces chance of mold
- Increases potency
Drying and curing removes the chlorophyll from your bud which results in a better taste and smell from your end product!
Curing is the process of drying your buds, normally in a glass jar. Only fill your jar 2/3rds of the way to allow for air inside. You should store them in a cool, dark place and check on them 1-2 times a day.
Make sure your cannabis is dry before curing or mold can occur. You will know when your buds are dry when you can easily snap the stems.
Be careful not to dry your buds too fast.
When curing, allow for humidity to enter the jars to prevent them from getting too dry. If your buds get too wet they can mold, if they are too dry then they can get crumbly. You want a happy medium. Keeping the humidity levels between 58-65% will help to keep them just right.
The slower you cure your cannabis, the more terpenes you will preserve! If your cannabis is properly cured, you can store it for up to 2 years without losing potency.
Drying and Curing Steps
- Harvest your plant
- Trim off leaves
- Hang your buds to dry
- Once your buds are dry (4-10 days), carefully manicure your buds with scissors and put them into sealed glass jars (filling them 2/3rds full to allow room for air)
- Open the jars for a few minutes every day for 1-3 weeks
Drying Temperature & Humidity:
- 70°F (21°C)
- 45-55%
Jar Temperature & Humidity:
- 70°F (21°C)
- 58-65% humidity
The flushing stage can make or break your grow.
Imagine harvesting your beautiful buds, caked up with frosty trichomes, drying and curing them to perfection, and then coughing a lung up after smoking all your hard work!
If you don’t flush before harvest, all your dedicated work could be ruined! If a flush is not performed at the end of your grow it can produce a harsher smoke in your end product. This harsh smoke comes from the leftover minerals and nutrients in your buds that stick around if they are not flushed out.
Do you flush your plants before harvest? How long do you like to flush for? Share your routine in the comments!
Any questions? Email us atmarketing@futureharvest.comor send us a message on Instagram @futureharvestdevelopment and wewill help you as best we can!
As a seasoned enthusiast with extensive knowledge in cannabis cultivation, I understand the critical role that flushing plays in optimizing the quality of the final cannabis product. My expertise is grounded in practical experience and a deep understanding of the science behind cultivation techniques. Allow me to break down the concepts presented in the provided article:
Flushing: Flushing is a cultivation practice involving the use of pHed water instead of nutrient solutions. It is performed to remove excess nutrients, salts, and minerals from the growing medium, forcing the plant to utilize stored nutrients. This process is crucial for achieving a cleaner end product and is recommended every third feeding in the suggested feed schedule.
Flushing Methods:
- For soil and coco growers, flushing means using only water without nutrients.
- Hydroponic growers flush by replacing the nutrient solution with plain pHed water, involving a full reservoir drainage, cleaning (if necessary), and refilling with water. This process is recommended every 1-2 weeks.
Importance of Flushing: Flushing is essential to prevent nutrient lockout and ensures a high-quality end product with smoother smoke, better taste, and enhanced smell. The final flushing stage before harvest is particularly crucial to achieve the highest quality buds.
Signs of Harvest Readiness: Harvesting should be done when trichomes, the crystals on buds and leaves, show a mix of clear and milky trichomes. Clear trichomes indicate immaturity, while milky trichomes signal peak THC levels. Harvesting too late when trichomes turn amber may result in lower THC levels but a more relaxing body high.
Benefits of Flushing:
- Smoother smoke
- Better taste
- Enhanced smell
- Higher quality bud
When to Flush:
- Recommended at the end of the grow, especially a few days to weeks before harvest.
- Necessary during nutrient lockout caused by nutrient build-up in the growing medium.
- Every third feeding for optimal results.
- When switching from veg to bloom or changing the nutrient line.
Drying and Curing: After flushing and harvesting, drying and curing are essential steps for improving taste, smell, smoothness, reducing harshness, preventing mold, and increasing potency. Proper drying involves snapping stems easily, and curing should be slow with humidity levels between 58-65% in sealed glass jars.
Drying and Curing Steps:
- Harvest your plant
- Trim off leaves
- Hang your buds to dry
- Manicure dried buds and place them in sealed glass jars
- Open jars for a few minutes daily for 1-3 weeks
Temperature and Humidity Guidelines:
- Drying: 70°F (21°C), 45-55% humidity
- Curing: 70°F (21°C), 58-65% humidity
In conclusion, flushing is a critical stage in cannabis cultivation, influencing the overall quality of the end product. Properly executed flushing, followed by careful drying and curing, ensures a rewarding and enjoyable cannabis experience.
