Kingrow1
Well-Known Member
Um most root hairs are firmly anchored in soil and futher so by the symbiotic relationship of certain funghis plus thats a real hard flush to accomplish in a pot that size not only due to density of soil but also due to getting it into the bath-tub to actually flush. Root hair damage would be more down to poor 'Soil Aggregate' and topsoil layers.Don't know how much experience you have but BE CAREFUL DURING A FLUSH. If your new the signals your plant will give you after a flush will be confusing.
I would flush right before your lights come on so evaporation is maximized. It's likely your plants will droop in a way that would normally indicate under-watering. However this is just because the small hairs along the plants roots that absorb water get damaged during a flash.
Personally 3x the amount of water is not considered a correct flush but only when the pH of the water in is the same as the water out or very close but at this point your left adding back some of the nutrients you flushed out of the soil so the plant basically dosent start and soil life can kick off again. I like to flush at pH 7 and wait till runoff is similar but there are those that would prefer to flush at between pH 6.3 to 6.8. Flushing 3x the amounts of water purpose is merely to lower or aleviate the built up nutrient problem.
Are you sure you actually need to flush here in this situation and other cultural or environmental factors arent the reason or original reason for the plant problems?
Some growers actually devised a sort of way based on the original water in pH and runoff pH based against the ppm of the runoff as a way of determining soil salt levels and the actual need to flush. If pH was low and ppm readings high in runoff when watered with pH7 plain water then flush away otherwise the problems lie elsewhere.
Id be more confident to actually flush if i had better drainage in that soil like perlite, this makes it a bit easier for the water to flow through it. Peace