This isn't my "theory" on flushing. I found it on THIS SITE and people with a lot more posts than most of you were backing it and saying it's fine! It was an educational post from experienced growers and people thanked him for the idea and people posted how well it worked. I can't find it now because it was an older thread, and I don't remember who wrote it. I don't really care if you don't believe me either, but I wouldn't have tried it if I didn't have some reason behind it. But seeing as how nobody here used reference to trying it themselves and having bad effects on their plant, I'm going to assume you shooting down this idea is just a noob theory as well. It worked for me. That's it..
Now, potlike- Listen closely. If water is draining out the bottom, then your soil is holding all the water it can hold. So if you dump 5 gallons of water through your one gallon pot to flush it, and 3 gallons runs back out, you soils is Soaked. Just as soaked as if you were to dunk the whole thing. Like you said, soil retains water, but it has a peak. Either way you choose to flush your soil is going to hit that peak of maximum water retention. Now if you're curious how this other flushing method makes sense, listen here:
Lets say I have salt in my dirst, at full concentration. Since it is water soluble it will mix with water (not stay with the soil, and split up into Na+ and Cl- ions(even if it isn't table salt, ionic compounds all work the same way). Now lets say my box filled up with 4 gallons of water when dunked. But the soil retains 2 gallons on its own. So the salt is now disolved into 4 gallons. I lift the box up and 2 gallons of SALT water drains out. That drainage water mixes with lets say 45-50 gallons (typical bathtub) clean water, so that salt is SO DISPERSED in tons of water it is invisible. Like I said before. So I use that ALMOST clean water and dunk again. Now there is 4 gallons of water in the box with HALF as much salt, all mixed up. I lift and drain. Now there is 1/4 of the salt in the box. Lets try again shall we? Dunk and drain again and now in my box mathematically I cleared 7/8 of all salt/chemical content. Whatever's left I expect her to use or to be rinsed out in later waterings. If you STILL have questions feel free to ask, but I'm telling you this works and I wasn't the one to come up with it.
I have fed my plant tap water since day 1, I have never PHed before, don't even have a PH tester of any sort. And I have never had a problem, and probably never will because my water may be chlorinated, but nothing like what you guys have in your imagination. I live in a small city with very good water treatment and you can't even taste anything in the water. I can't imagine there is enough chemicals in it to do anything (plants OR humans) any harm at all. I don't know much about water treatment standards but if it your tap water kills your plant then I would move.
redivider-
I don't really know lol. With mine, I realized height was an issue, so I cut the top right off with a clean cut and stopped her from growing up, now she grows out. Try asking one of these guys who had that problem before.