If I FLUSH MY NUTRIENTS BEFORE HARVESTING IS THERE A NEED TO USE ORGANIC?
- Thread starter Tyler123
- Start date
Buggins
Active Member
For the average grower who chooses organics, I don't really think it's simply an issue of chemical residue remaining in the plant once harvested, although that certainly is part of it.
To use my own garden as an example, I grow many organic fruits and vegetables. Cucumbers harvested from my organic garden are larger and sweeter than cucumbers from the grocery store. They are actually incredibly sweet tasting, and by comparison the grocery store cucumbers are virtually flavourless. When it comes to nutritional value, the organic cucumbers have many times the nutritional value that an non-organic cucumber will have. It doesn't seem to matter what it is; if it's organic, is smells and tastes better, and is far better for you.
I think for most, the choice to grow organically is multi-factoral.
For myself, I'm going organic for the following reasons...
Better taste - organically grown cannabis, and any other produce for that matter, is just far more favourable, and has a much more powerful and aromatic scent.
No chemical residue - flushing can only get rid of so much. There is always going to be chemical residue left in the plant no matter what you do to try and minimize it. Some people don't care about this, but to others, it's important to be chemical free. Especially folks like myself with health issues who are very sensitive to chemical salts.
Better smell - organic cannabis produces a much more powerful and pleasing scent.
Simplicity of growing - for soil users anyway. You do the work once, mix up your soil, and then only add water till harvest. No need to flush, no need to mix nutes, easy peasy. I don't want to think about how many hours of my life I've spent mixing nutrients and measuring liquids.
Less chance of burning your plants - organic nutrients are often broken down slowly and released into the soil as needed (although there are some fast release organics). It's a lot harder to burn your plants with organic nutrients. As a novice grower myself, with chemical nutrients, I have always had trouble finding that middle ground between adding too much and burning my plants, and not having enough and ending up with deficiencies.
As I mentioned already - health issues. A lot of people are just not comfortable using chemical nutrients. Because there isn't a lot of research done on cannabis, it's hard to know what the effect chemical nutrients are having on our health, and for me it's just better safe than sorry.
There are other reasons of course, but these were the deciding factors for my recent switch.
Hope that helps you out.
To use my own garden as an example, I grow many organic fruits and vegetables. Cucumbers harvested from my organic garden are larger and sweeter than cucumbers from the grocery store. They are actually incredibly sweet tasting, and by comparison the grocery store cucumbers are virtually flavourless. When it comes to nutritional value, the organic cucumbers have many times the nutritional value that an non-organic cucumber will have. It doesn't seem to matter what it is; if it's organic, is smells and tastes better, and is far better for you.
I think for most, the choice to grow organically is multi-factoral.
For myself, I'm going organic for the following reasons...
Better taste - organically grown cannabis, and any other produce for that matter, is just far more favourable, and has a much more powerful and aromatic scent.
No chemical residue - flushing can only get rid of so much. There is always going to be chemical residue left in the plant no matter what you do to try and minimize it. Some people don't care about this, but to others, it's important to be chemical free. Especially folks like myself with health issues who are very sensitive to chemical salts.
Better smell - organic cannabis produces a much more powerful and pleasing scent.
Simplicity of growing - for soil users anyway. You do the work once, mix up your soil, and then only add water till harvest. No need to flush, no need to mix nutes, easy peasy. I don't want to think about how many hours of my life I've spent mixing nutrients and measuring liquids.
Less chance of burning your plants - organic nutrients are often broken down slowly and released into the soil as needed (although there are some fast release organics). It's a lot harder to burn your plants with organic nutrients. As a novice grower myself, with chemical nutrients, I have always had trouble finding that middle ground between adding too much and burning my plants, and not having enough and ending up with deficiencies.
As I mentioned already - health issues. A lot of people are just not comfortable using chemical nutrients. Because there isn't a lot of research done on cannabis, it's hard to know what the effect chemical nutrients are having on our health, and for me it's just better safe than sorry.
There are other reasons of course, but these were the deciding factors for my recent switch.
Hope that helps you out.
SirLancelot
Active Member
BAdabing! I've done intensive research on "flushing" as well as expirements involving different subjects doing blind taste tests of nugs flushed several different ways and not flushed. Results = Flushing is a waste of your time!
I used to untill I did the blind test and the results were quick shocking. NO one was able to pick which one wasn't flushed consistantly. The numbers were all over.
NOW I will add if your using a ton of chemical fertz it probably wouldn't hurt to cut back to just water the last week or so. BUt after the cure it all tastes the same, NUGS! mmmmm.. IMO of course. Im sure I'll be attacked but people who say you need to flush have never tried not flushing and only go off of rumors.
The tabacoo industry doesn't flush their plants before harvest. Neither do any farmers why would weed be any different?
I used to untill I did the blind test and the results were quick shocking. NO one was able to pick which one wasn't flushed consistantly. The numbers were all over.
NOW I will add if your using a ton of chemical fertz it probably wouldn't hurt to cut back to just water the last week or so. BUt after the cure it all tastes the same, NUGS! mmmmm.. IMO of course. Im sure I'll be attacked but people who say you need to flush have never tried not flushing and only go off of rumors.
The tabacoo industry doesn't flush their plants before harvest. Neither do any farmers why would weed be any different?
Buggins
Active Member
Because we all know how the tabacoo industry is so concerned about our health
Just fucking with ya...
Im my experience, I rendered a complete harvest unsmokable because of lack of flush. The buds crackled and popped, didn't burn well, and reaked and tasted like ammonia. The same batch grown organically, tasted, smoked, and smelled like fruit. Night and day difference.
Like I said, I have health problems, and maybe I'm just a lot more sensitive to it than most.
At the end of the day, it's entirely personal preference.
I will say one thing however. Flushing for two weeks before harvest is starving your plant when it needs nutrients most of all. It does seem counterintuitive. And because I'm not willing to NOT flush, just another reason I'm going organic.
SirLancelot
Active Member
Did you cure properly? I have the same problems with some of my buds sometimes, depepnding on how she grew. But for me after the cure everything falls into place. But like ya said all personal preference. No one is right on this except what you stated. flushing 2weeks prior to harvest starves your plants! AMEN!
Buggins
Active Member
Cured for 6 months and the ammonia taste and smell remained. I ended up tossing the buds - what a waste!
I took a whiff of the nutrients that I use, and the smell was very similar, so I know it wasn't something wrong with the bud, like mold or anything, it was the chems still built-up inside of it.
However, because the plants still had food for the last two weeks, these buds continued to swell up like none I've ever seen before. They just kept packing on weight until the end.
So it's always a compromise with chemical nutes - flush and get rid of any chance of poor quality bud, but miss out on some extra growth at the end. I'm really excited about my organic grow because I should be getting the best of both worlds.
I took a whiff of the nutrients that I use, and the smell was very similar, so I know it wasn't something wrong with the bud, like mold or anything, it was the chems still built-up inside of it.
However, because the plants still had food for the last two weeks, these buds continued to swell up like none I've ever seen before. They just kept packing on weight until the end.
So it's always a compromise with chemical nutes - flush and get rid of any chance of poor quality bud, but miss out on some extra growth at the end. I'm really excited about my organic grow because I should be getting the best of both worlds.
VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO
New Member
I always flush when i take a shit, My plants are grown with jack's classic, a $10 nute and my shit tastes and burns incredible. Water isn't organic, organic is a word that is used to sell you shit so you feel good about it.
Buggins
Active Member
Oh for christsakes.
Sometimes these forums get so ridiculous.
Ask a question, you'll get half the people saying one thing, the other half completely the opposite.
Do yourself a favour and spend more time reading from trusted, published sources, and less time listening to us jagaloons who recommend pissing on your plants or taking a dump on them or whatever the fuck the trend of the week is.
Buy a couple good books on the subject, and just grow. Trial and error and personal experience is how you learn.
Sometimes these forums get so ridiculous.
Ask a question, you'll get half the people saying one thing, the other half completely the opposite.
Do yourself a favour and spend more time reading from trusted, published sources, and less time listening to us jagaloons who recommend pissing on your plants or taking a dump on them or whatever the fuck the trend of the week is.
Buy a couple good books on the subject, and just grow. Trial and error and personal experience is how you learn.
SirLancelot
Active Member
I want to second this man! Well put, Let me add that he is right no one knows right from wrong. They only know what works for them. You must research and run experiments yourself. That is how I came to my conclusion
But I find what you said about your cure interesting and its making me want to go back and re-do the test I did before. I did it twice But both times were the same strain just flushed differently and not flushed. Maybe the taste has to do with alot of factors(Strain, Climate, when picked, etc.) I guess only time and experimenting will tell.
I want to add Buggins I wasn't knockin your flush I like how you have experience with not flushing and that was your outcome it's good to see people finding answers out themselves. But really what's it matter It's a weed and It will grow regardless of no maintaince or high maintance. The Native Americans Didn't flush nor did they cure and they still got high, Of course quality differs.
Thanks. I really would like to grow organic because of health issues. I just want to make sure that my crop actually grows. I am planning on using pro mix organic. I can get worm castings and Neptune brand liquid organic fertilizer. I am hoping this will grow well. Like you guys say. I will just have to try and see what happens. Thanks.