When to start the flush cycle?

I am looking for some advice on when I should start flushing my plants..I don't quite understand how to time them to where I will have them flushed out in time before they over ripen....?

You don't need to flush just water normally but with plain water last two weeks.

Thanks for the reply Mogie..How will I know when it I have two weeks left? I have been watching the tricomes, and they are still very clear..I am imagining that when they start to amber up, it will give me some sort of time frame...? Is this correct? Thanks again for the Help Mogie...

paulio's trichome guide

I don't understand trichomes



permalink

How quickly will the trichomes change in color?

I have the same question. Those images, though useful, are only for when to actually harvest. How do you know you have two weeks left?

My guess is it depends on the strain and your individual setup, so the first time with a new strain is all estimated. That sound about right, Mogie?

I'm a flusher myself. I flush with 1-2 times the volume of planter. Then water as normal. Flushing good lets you use your nutes a little longer. I flush 7-10 days before harvest, but with a good flushing, with a agent, I've read some growers have used nutes, to 3-4 days before a harvest. I flush every few weeks, all the time though, just not at harvest. I don't like the salts/nutes build up and the plants dig all water bringing that oxygen. It can't hurt...
Flushing at least once a month, koolkat

when half the trichomes are milky and the other is clear, thats a good time to start flushing and give your plants one more week, then harvest if almost all are milky. If not flush for a little longer.

Thanks Rossini, I figured that there will be atleast another week after the trichome's start to get a bit milky, you answered the question well, Thanks. My next question would be: By starving the plant durring it's peak time I am sure that the yield will be decreased right? So, should you flush for the most limited time possible to keep the yield, but enough to wash the plant out? Or does the plant do fine with out nuts, and use up it's "fat" while on the fast? Any thoughts?

Free bump very interested to know this aswell.

The reason you flush your plant at the end is to let the plant use up all the stored Nutrients in its system, and we do that because unused nutrients in the bud makes it harsh and has a chemical taste. you may lose a little yield, but I don't think not flushing is worth sacrificing the taste for a little more bud. Ive found that one week of water does it good, or 4 or 5 days with a flushing agent.


Have you cured bud before? Because that is going to be your last most important step.

When people say cured what does that mean? Like drying and clipping. I just hang upside down until dry then clip off the leaves. Im not a smoker i just grow for the fuk of it. I do anything to hold weight. hehe however i will give the flush a shot as ill be in thailand and i cant be bothered explaining the nutes to my bro while im away, ill just tell him to fill up with water. Im in the final week or 2 hope fully i dont loose too much size.

Hey Rossini, This is my first grow, so I have been doing alot of reading about curring, but it is all new to me. So, any pointers are "highly" appreciated! I think I am going to try a water cure on some personal smoke, and do a standard approach to the rest...Hey, do you think it is worth it to buy a flushing agent, or should I just use water? I think I will start a new thread on this topic...Cheers Bud..

Theres one thing though, that picture that mogie so kindly provided is wrong. It all depends on which strain you are growing, if you are growing a mainly sativa plant, then your trichomes wont look the same as that. If you are growing a mainly indica plant then they will.

To find out when you are on the countdown to harvest you need to check your plants everyday. During the last two weeks the plant starts to fatten its buds, you will see that you are seeing more green between the "white hairs".

Its something you get a feel for.

So pay attention, and live and learn approach... I figured it would be like this, because everyone seems to have there own way of timing there harvest..Hey GT, thanks for the reply, what does a Sativa plant do different then a indica strain? I look forward to reading about this...thanks bud..

Hey GT, I got these strains from a grab bag of seeds, Have any idea on what they could be?

The first looks to be sativa, the second i cant tell.

If the fingers of the leaves are really fat n wide they are indica if they are fine and thin they are sativa.

So first you either dry your plants then manicure, or you manicure then dry. people spend Hours arguing which is better. I cant really say which is better. after about a week of drying you do your finishing touches on your manicure and store in air tight jars in a cool place. That is the start of curing, now what your actually doing when your curing is letting the chlorophyll leave the plant, but not letting the THC and other cannabinoids degrade. The reason we don't want chlorophyll is because it is the main cause for harsh bud. Some people swear that 3 months is key still others say 6. I have bills to pay so I only cure for about a month or 2. But then there is water curing I have done this a couple times. The pluses are that it only takes about a week to cure and dry your plants, and it has a good smooth smoke that normally takes months of air curing. On the other hand water curing causes your bud to not look as pleasant, and you lose that wonderful danky smell.

Hey GT, thanks for the reply, what does a Sativa plant do different then a indica strain when it is about to finnish? I look forward to reading about this...thanks bud..

yes, i would really love to get some detailed info on the diffrences of sativa & indica trichomes. the tric's on my sativa look really strange. there's these little red dots in the middle of certain tric heads. ALOT of clear and maybe a couple milky (look diffrent overall compared to my indica)

ANY IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!