Advice on flushing smaller plants

Hey first time grower. My plants are a couple days away from being two months in harvest. Some of the nugs look ready harvest. The taller one is GDP at two feet and the shorter is purple kush at 13.5 inches. I am using cfls, and have not given them any nutes whatsoever during the whole process. The stems are pretty small and I am wondering if anyone has any flushing tips that wont kill my plants. Overall any tips on the final process would be great.

Damn yadier, nice lookin girls for a cfl grow. Sorry I can't help, but...

Im wondering too, was gonna start a new thread, but no point in multiple threads. I have a bubba kush on day 59 of flower about 20" tall and in a 3 gal. pot also under cfl's, with Fox Farms Ocean Forest soil and Happy Frog fruit and flower fert. Is it even necessary to flush?? And if so how much water would you use to flush a under 2 ft. plant in a 3 gal. pot?

ya thats basically my question also. it seems like its not a necessary step when they are so little.

Yea, I have seen mixed opinions.. some veteran growers that say they have never flushed a plant, and other growers that flush everytime the feeding schedule changes, or even growers that say flushing only in final stages of flowering, also before/after transplanting, etc. and so on... SO Im wondering has anyone experienced with this, there has got to be at least one experienced grower out there that can answer this question indefinately... or maybe it is completey the preference of the grower if they notice any significant changes from flushing, any insight would be greatly appreciated..

Don't do anything as far as flushing as you have nothing to flush. Nice work. Next time try feeding them a little and you will get bigger plants.

Here is more info on flushing, I don't flush.

I put the summery first, It is also backed up by science links attached.


Summary:

Pre-harvest flushing puts the plant(s) under serious stress. The plant has to deal with nutrient deficiencies in a very important part of its cycle. Strong changes in the amount of dissolved substances in the root-zone stress the roots, possibly to the point of direct physical damage to them. Many immobile elements are no more available for further metabolic processes. We are losing the fan leaves and damage will show likely on new growth as well.

The grower should react in an educated way to the plant needs. Excessive, deficient or unbalanced levels should be avoided regardless the nutrient source. Nutrient levels should be gradually adjusted to the lesser needs in later flowering. Stress factors should be limited as far as possible. If that is accomplished throughout the entire life cycle, there shouldn’t be any excessive nutrient compounds in the plants tissue. It doesn’t sound likely to the author that you can correct growing errors (significant lower mobile nutrient compound levels) with pre-harvest flushing.

For one thing, the most common way that growers flush their crops is by giving their crops water that has no nutrients in it. But this doesn't fully cleanse your crops. It only starves your plants so they lose vigorous floral growth and resin percentages just before harvest. Other growers use flushing formulas that generally consist of a few chemicals that sometimes have the ability to pull a limited amount of residues out of your plants.


Nutrient fundamentals and uptake:

Until recently it was common thought that all nutrients are absorbed by plant roots as ions of mineral elements. However in newer studies more and more evidence emerged that additionally plant roots are capable of taking up complex organic molecules like amino acids directly thus bypassing the mineralization process.

The major nutrient uptake processes are:

1) Active transport mechanism into root hairs (the plant has to put energy in it, ATP driven) which is selective to some degree. This is one way the plant (being immobile) can adjust to the environment.

2) Passive transport (diffusion) through symplast to endodermis.

http://www.biol.sc.edu/courses/bio102/f99-3637.html

The claim only ‘chemical’ ferted plants need to be flushed should be taken with a grain of salt. Organic and synthetic ferted plants take up mineral ions alike, probably to a different degree though. Many influences play key roles in the taste and flavour of the final bud, like the nutrition balance and strength throughout the entire life cycle of the plant, the drying and curing process and other environmental conditions.

3) Active transport mechanism of organic molecules into root hairs via endocytosis.

Here is a simplified overview of nutrient functions:

Nitrogen is needed to build chlorophyll, amino acids, and proteins. Phosphorus is necessary for photosynthesis and other growth processes. Potassium is utilized to form sugar and starch and to activate enzymes. Magnesium also plays a role in activating enzymes and is part of chlorophyll. Calcium is used during cell growth and division and is part of the cell wall. Sulphur is part of amino acids and proteins.

Plants also require trace elements, which include boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, sodium, zinc, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, and silicon.

Copper, iron, and manganese are used in photosynthesis. Molybdenum, nickel, and cobalt are necessary for the movement of nitrogen in the plant. Boron is important for reproduction, while chlorine stimulates root growth and development. Sodium benefits the movement of water within the plant and zinc is needed for enzymes and used in auxins (organic plant hormones). Finally, silicon helps to build tough cell walls for better heat and drought tolerance.

http://www.sidwell.edu

You can get an idea from this how closely all the essential elements are involved in the many metabolic processes within the plant, often relying on each other.

Nutrient movement and mobility inside the plant:

Besides endocytosis, there are two major pathways inside the plant, the xylem and the phloem. When water and minerals are absorbed by plant roots, these substances must be transported up to the plant's stems and leaves for photosynthesis and further metabolic processes. This upward transport happens in the xylem. While the xylem is able to transport organic compounds, the phloem is much more adapted to do so.

The organic compounds thus originating in the leaves have to be moved throughout the plant, upwards and downwards, to where they are needed. This transport happens in the phloem. Compounds that are moving through the phloem are mostly:
Sugars as sugary saps, organic nitrogen compounds (amino acids and amides, ureides and legumes), hormones and proteins.

http://www.sirinet.net

Not all nutrient compounds are movable within the plant.

1) N, P, K, Mg and S are considered mobile: they can move up and down the plant in both xylem and phloem.
Deficiency appears on old leaves first.

2) Ca, Fe, Zn, Mo, B, Cu, Mn are considered immobile: they only move up the plant in the xylem.
Deficiency appears on new leaves first.

http://generalhorticulture.tamu.edu

Storage organelles:

Salts and organic metabolites can be stored in storage organelles. The most important storage organelle is the vacuole, which can contribute up to 90% of the cell volume. The majority of compounds found in the vacuole are sugars, polysaccharides, organic acids and proteins though.

http://jeb.biologists.org.pdf

Trans-location:

Now that the basics are explained, we can take a look at the trans-location process. It should be already clear that only mobile elements can be trans located through the phloem. Immobile elements can’t be trans located and are not more available to the plant for further metabolic processes and new plant growth.

Since flushing (in theory) induces a nutrient deficiency in the root-zone, the translocation process aids in the plants survival. Trans-location is transportation of assimilates through the phloem from source (a net exporter of assimilate) to sink (a net importer of assimilate). Sources are mostly mature fan leaves and sinks are mostly apical meristems, lateral meristem, fruit, seed and developing leaves etc.

You can see this by the yellowing and later dying of the mature fan leaves from the second day on after flushing started. Developing leaves, bud leaves and calyxes don’t serve as sources, they are sinks. Changes in those plant parts are due to the deficient immobile elements which start to indicate on new growth first.

Unfortunately, several metabolic processes are unable to take place anymore since other elements needed are no longer available (the immobile ones). This includes processes where nitrogen and phosphorus, which have likely the most impact on taste, are involved.

For example nitrogen: usually plants use nitrogen to form plant proteins. Enzyme systems rapidly reduce nitrate-N (NO3-) to compounds that are used to build amino-nitrogen which is the basis for amino acids. Amino acids are building blocks for proteins; most of them are plant enzymes responsible for all the chemical changes important for plant growth.

Sulphur and calcium among others have major roles in production and activating of proteins, thereby decreasing nitrate within the plant. Excess nitrate within the plant may result from unbalanced nutrition rather than an excess of nitrogen.

http://muextension.missouri.edu

Summary:

Pre-harvest flushing puts the plant(s) under serious stress. The plant has to deal with nutrient deficiencies in a very important part of its cycle. Strong changes in the amount of dissolved substances in the root-zone stress the roots, possibly to the point of direct physical damage to them. Many immobile elements are no more available for further metabolic processes. We are losing the fan leaves and damage will show likely on new growth as well.

The grower should react in an educated way to the plant needs. Excessive, deficient or unbalanced levels should be avoided regardless the nutrient source. Nutrient levels should be gradually adjusted to the lesser needs in later flowering. Stress factors should be limited as far as possible. If that is accomplished throughout the entire life cycle, there shouldn’t be any excessive nutrient compounds in the plants tissue. It doesn’t sound likely to the author that you can correct growing errors (significant lower mobile nutrient compound levels) with pre-harvest flushing.

Drying and curing (when done right) on the other hand have proved (In many studies) to have a major impact on taste and flavour, by breaking down chlorophylls and converting starches into sugars. Most attributes blamed on un-flushed buds may be the result of unbalanced nutrition and/or over fertilization and improper drying/curing.

How many days should i stop watering before i harvest the buds?

Again a topic with mixed opinions from many growers, however... the most common method seems to be one should harvest the same day the plants would need to be watered again. So if you water every three days, the 3rd day from the last watering you would chop instead of hydrate.

Add a day of darkness ontop of not watering to help water drain from the plant, to help lessen the drying time.

I also want to mention that i totally agree with dude above about it being total preference. I personally do one flush with water a week or two before harvest and water from then on out. You should just try different methods with each plant and see what you like better. THat's how you find out anything. Pick one a week before the other and see what's better, flush one and not the other, so on...

yadier.......when are you harvesting that if its ruffly 8 week into flower ? looks like its nearly ready to me mate....im defo no expert tho ,total newbie on first grow!! got 10 haze (dont no what haze) on 9 week flower and i dont no when to harvest and dont have a camera good enuf to take close ups ?? theres loads of brown hairs tho but also loads of white hairs on top of all the buds every day

My problem is the some of my buds look ready to go, and other looks like the could use more time. I want to harvest some of the buds now, but since they are mostly towards the top i am worried about damaging the plant and ending up with undeveloped buds on the base of the plant.

chop them mate dont even worry about that because at the end of the day a cannabis plant is a weed so it will always just grow and grow and regrow what ever you chop of so go for it lad! and on the other hand i dont have a problem i just want my weed to be done asap lol


good look with the grow lad

https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/28072-harvest-time-tutorial.html

Read the first couple of pages on when to harvest.

Chop Chop

chop top half wait a day or so then chop rest

On a past auto grow I did, all the buds looked finished but the one in the picture. I let it go another week or so. No problem.

The top nugs of the purple kush plant (littler one in the pictures) basically engulfed the entirety of the top main stem would it be ok to chop that or should I look for branches. Also I have been reading about harvesting and am a little confused during the drying time (not curing) should the nugs be exposed to light?

no light, infact it's better to harvest in the dark

Personally I have never noticed a difference harvesting in the dark. Besides, how are you going to trim in the dark? I hang the buds in my cabinet with the door open and a fan blowing on low. Just not directly on them. Is it completely dark? No

They hang with the fan blowing around them for 3-5 days depending on temps. When they feel dry on the outside and the stem bends without breaking, jar them up. If they feel "wet" again the next day, I put them in a paper bag for a day. Then put them back in the jar. Keep doing this until you reach your desired dryness. Then jar them up and open the jar for 15 mins a day for a few days to a week. Then just leave them in the jar to cure for a 1-3 weeks. Or longer if you can wait.

Just make sure they are dry when you jar them up or you risk mold. I've had this happen once and had to throw it out. I now don't pack a lot of bud in one large jar. I use several medium ones.

FYI - When you jar it up don't pack the bud in. Fill them loosly and leave about 2 inches of air at the top.

Its called lollipop harvest, harvest your top ripe buds and leave the bottom to fill out, many growers do this

HighLowGrow said:

Personally I have never noticed a difference harvesting in the dark. Besides, how are you going to trim in the dark? I hang the buds in my cabinet with the door open and a fan blowing on low. Just not directly on them. Is it completely dark? No
.

Click to expand...

WHat i do to trim in the dark and work in the room in general during lights out is just use a green light bulb. Supposidly the green light has no effect on the plant.( I've been doing it for awhile and have never had any signs of damage to the plants from this. As for wether its a myth or not that may be true. I did personally experiment with this and honestly didn't notice a difference in extra trichs or whatever. I've heard many arguments that during the night the plant builds more thc crystals and the longer it's in the dark the more resiny it gets but I noticed more than a few days would make em kinda squishy and weird.
Like i've said the only way to really find out what works for you in your grow op with your strain is to experiment.

Forsure I just wanted to make sure that if I clip the mainstem top off of the plant the rest could still grow.