the truth about the final flush

Nitrogen
Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for crop growth, second only to water, and is the major nutrient the producer can control. Nitrogen exists in many different chemical forms and passes around natural and agricultural ecosystems in a cycle. The various forms of nitrogen determine its availability to plants or whether nitrogen escapes and is no longer available to plants. The supply of useable nitrogen and the rate of losses from the soil affects the sustainability of production. Mismanaged, it can result in economic loss to the producer and have environmental repercussions, or both.

How plants use nitrogen
Nitrogen is one of the main chemical elements required for plant growth and reproduction. Nitrogen is a component of chlorophyll and therefore essential for photosynthesis. It is also the basic element of plant and animal proteins, including the genetic material DNA and RNA, and is important in periods of rapid plant growth.

Plants use nitrogen by absorbing either nitrate or ammonium ions through the roots. Most of the nitrogen is used by the plant to produce protein (in the form of enzymes) and nucleic acids. Nitrogen is readily transported through the plant from older tissue to younger tissues. Therefore, a plant deficient in nitrogen will show yellowing in the older leaves first due to the underdevelopment or destruction of chloroplasts and an absence of the green pigmented chlorophyll.

http://hsc.csu.edu.au/agriculture/production/3363/nitrogen.htm

Importance of Phosphorus to Plants
Phosphorus is a component of the complex nucleic acid structure of plants, which regulates protein synthesis. Phosphorus is, therefore, important in cell division and development of new tissue. Phosphorus is also associated with complex energy transformations in the plant.

Adding phosphorus to soil low in available phosphorus promotes root growth and winter hardiness, stimulates tillering, and often hastens maturity.

Plants deficient in phosphorus are stunted in growth and often have an abnormal dark-green color. Sugars can accumulate and cause anthocyanin pigments to develop, producing a reddish-purple color. This can sometimes be seen in early spring on low phosphorus sites. These symptoms usually only persist on extremely low phosphorus soils. It should be noted that these are severe phosphorus deficiency symptoms and crops may respond well to phosphorus fertilization without showing characteristic deficiencies. In addition, the reddish-purple color does not always indicate phosphorus deficiency but may be a normal plant characteristic. Red coloring may be induced by other factors such as insect damage which causes interruption of sugar transport to the grain. Phosphorus deficiencies may even look somewhat similar to nitrogen deficiency when plants are small. Yellow, unthrifty plants may be phosphorus deficient due to cold temperatures which affect root extension and soil phosphorus uptake. When the soil warms, deficiencies may disappear. In wheat, a very typical deficiency symptom is delayed maturity, which is often observed on eroded hillsides where soil phosphorus is low.

Phosphorus is often recommended as a row-applied starter fertilizer for increasing early growth. University of Nebraska starter fertilizer studies conducted in the 1980s showed early growth response to phosphorus in less than 40 percent of the test fields (Penas, 1989). Starter applications may increase early growth even if phosphorus does not increase grain yield. Producers need to carefully evaluate cosmetic effects of fertilizer application versus increased profits from yield increases.

Potassium in Plants
Potassium is an essential plant nutrient and is required in large amounts for proper growth and reproduction of plants. Potassium is considered second only to nitrogen, when it comes to nutrients needed by plants, and is commonly considered as the “quality nutrient.”



It affects the plant shape, size, color, taste and other measurements attributed to healthy produce.



Plants absorb potassium in its ionic form, K+.


Roles of Potassium in Plants
Potassium has many different roles in plants:

• In Photosynthesis, potassium regulates the opening and closing of stomata, and therefore regulates CO2 uptake.
• Potassium triggers activation of enzymes and is essential for production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP is an important energy source for many chemical processes taking place in plant issues.
• Potassium plays a major role in the regulation of water in plants (osmo-regulation). Both uptake of water through plant roots and its loss through the stomata are affected by potassium.
• Known to improve drought resistance.
• Protein and starch synthesis in plants require potassium as well. Potassium is essential at almost every step of the protein synthesis. In starch synthesis, the enzyme responsible for the process is activated by potassium.
• Activation of enzymes – potassium has an important role in the activation of many growth related enzymes in plannts.

Potasssium deficiency in plants
Potassium deficiency might cause abnormalities in plants, usually they are growth related.


Cholrosis – scorching of plant leaves, with yellowing of the margins of the leaf. This is one of the first symptoms of Potassium deficiency. Symptoms appear on middle and lower leaves.


Slow or Stunted growth – as potassium is an important growth catalyst in plants, potassium deficient plants will have slower or stunted growth.


Poor resistance to temperature changes and to drought – Poor potassium uptake will result in less water circulation in the plant. This will make the plant more susceptible to drought and temperature changes.


Defoliation - left unattended, potassium deficiency in plants results in plants losing their leaves sooner than they should. This process might become even faster if the plant is exposed to drought or high temperatures. Leaves turn yellow, then brown and eventually fall off one by one.


Other symptoms of Potassium deficiency:

• Poor resistance to pests
• Weak and unhealthy roots
• Uneven ripening of fruits

Potassium defficiency symptoms

the potassium seems to be the nutrient that MAY be responsible for taste as this paper suggests, but it still comes back to having a healthy plant with the right amount of nutrients, not a def. or an abundance.

It is raining Chuck Estevez all up in here dude. Let me grab my umbrella.
Some interesting info dude, but it would have been outstanding if you simply included the link in a single post, and then maybe highlighted some choice lines support your take, instead of chucking Estevez on half of page 1 and all over page 2

Dankfactory said:

It is raining Chuck Estevez all up in here dude. Let me grab my umbrella.
Some interesting info dude, but it would have been outstanding if you simply included the link in a single post, and then maybe highlighted some choice lines support your take, instead of chucking Estevez on half of page 1 and all over page 2

Click to expand...

Some people like to be spoon fed. I can appreciate people doing there own work, but it seems they just want to spout forum bs.
sorry if I got my estevez all over your face

Dr. Who said:

In my book. If you're getting salt "build up",,,, you're not growing effectively! Coco growers get a "pass" on that!



VERY true, but once absorbed by the plant, is it a "salt" anymore?
What chemical actions are in play with the plant and the nutrient that do not apply to your law exactly?
Yes, some nutrients are reduced to a point. Some do not.

It is FAR more effective to do a "last feed" and simply water it out and let the plant use what it has available!
The effect or "law" you mention, has more to due with leaching from the soil then from the plant. That returns you to the sentence above.

I water a metered amount everyday. I do not "overfeed" and that is a huge factor here! The amount is enough to carry it to the next lights on time. Thus, you MAY/COULD draw the conclusion that, "You get a better more effective "use" of available nutrition, with the plant able to better utilize and expend the available stores "of", over a given time of a non feeding period."

You do make a good point though. I simply expanded on it some.
NO intended dis!!!!

Doc

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Hello, as far as once the plant takes in the salt yes it is still salt. The salt is now in the plants "blood" or fluid. Please keep in mind salt seeks out the weaker solution during the next explanation. The plant will always have an amount of salt in it , we could even measure it in ppm in the right settings. When we add nutrients to the plant we are making them slightly stronger than what is already in the plants "bloodstream". This is to ensure nutrient uptake. When plants are unable to take in nutrients due to salt build up two things are happening: 1) the plants roots are "clogged" and need a good rinsing and 2) the salt level in the plant had exceeded the ppm of the water were about to give it. By adding either flush product OR pure water we are doing the same thing which is providing a weaker solution for the salt to seek out. The osmotic preassure in yhe plant changes and the salt is literally pushe out from the plant. It is no trick or confusion with flushing the media. Yes the media gets cleaned out but that has nothing to do with osmotic preassure. The only connection is that clean media once moist now has a lower ppm than the plant does so now the second law of thermodynamics comes into play because the plants salt solution is seeking the weaker solution, making the solution equal throught. I agree with what you say about feeding correctly and then following up with pure water for 10 fays or so. I also agree with what i have stated because both methods achieve the exact same thing. As to which method is more effective is matter of opinion and i use both ways depending on how much time i have and if i feel like buying another round of flushing products. For what other chemical changes are going on inside the plant i cant really answer that question because i dont know.

chuck estevez said:

Some people like to be spoon fed. I can appreciate people doing there own work, but it seems they just want to spout forum bs.
sorry if I got my estevez all over your face

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I threw on a welders mask coming in. And I'm of the persuasion that if someone is too lazy to click on a link and consume the info contained therein, then let them travel down the path of mediocrity.

I've never smoked a joint and said "I can really taste the nitrogen in this weed".....or P or K.

What exactly does nitrogen taste like?

I know some good growers that do what they call "Make it rain" during the flowering period. It's much like flushing, but it's done at various times during 12/12 to flush out the salts. They don't make it rain the last several weeks though as it serves no real purpose.

I've tried "MIR" (make it rain) several times and am still on the fence as far as how effective it is.

I for one do not flush or starve my plants at any stage. I grow in soil and keep an eye on intake as it's an indicator that a plant's in it's final stages when it stops drinking as much.....but that's the plant's decision, not mine.

lol well i was just making a thread to keep my mind of fentalyn but fuck this shit lol gunna chew a half a 100mcg patch and ill get right back to use after i read all this that is posted

gunna chew a half a 100mcg patch

....That explains all the weird posts.

chernobe said:

The second law of thermo dynamics states that when salt is added to a solutioun the salt will always seek out the weaker solution. When we add our weak soultion (pure water or flushing product) to the plant media osmotic preassure then comes into play. The osmotic preassure will change and now we are literally leeching the salt from both plant and media. The "flush or not to flush " debate is always gonna be on here but what i just stated is undeniable science. Im not saying one needs to or not needs to flush, just stating facts. Personally i always flush because i grow synthetically, and i like clean smoke that doesnt light up the room like a sparkler would. One who uses organic gardening techniques shouldnt have to flush, synthetics should imo. I have seen the difference in my program and will always flush. No amount of curing will ever remove salts from your flowers, all your doing is smoothing out the taste.

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Every time you water then, you are "flushing". Not just the last two weeks.