Flushing the murh busting

[Wutangwisdom]

So I had a conversation the other night with my sister about plants and their complete molecular breakdown. My sister has her master's degree in biology, and has been teaching at a highschool and college level for over 15 years. Take this conversation how you want bit it is mostly targeted towards the topic of flushing plants.

Me: What is your scientific opinion of flushing a plant before harvest? Cause I can't find any scientific proof it is beneficial

Her:I don't think I even know what that is??

Me:So when you feed a plant with nutrients it retains them forever

Her: If you cause the extracellular fluid to become hypotonic to the plant tissue it will cause nutrients to move out of the tissue but not excessively enough to make any kind of difference in the nutrient content of the tissue. The rate of the movement is also dependent on temp, air flow and total leafy surface area. If you look up a video on transportation it may make more sense

Her: It also depends on what has been retained by the plant from the soil By what, I mean chemically.

Me:The bigg argument is does flushing a plant with nutrient free water do anything beneficial to it?

Her:I would answer, "no"

Me : Would flushing a plant like cannabis make it less harsh or taste better when smoked? Or a tomato taste better?

Her: If anything it would lesssen the concentration ...i.e. make it more watered down.

Her:The "taste" comes from the nutrients in the soil so the more concentrated the better.


So that sums up my 20 min convo with my super smart sister and I know it's not proof of anything take it as you wish. Have a awesome day! keep on veggin

 

[Simplicio]

So I had a conversation the other night with my sister about plants and their complete molecular breakdown. My sister has her master's degree in biology, and has been teaching at a highschool and college level for over 15 years. Take this conversation how you want bit it is mostly targeted towards the topic of flushing plants.

Me: What is your scientific opinion of flushing a plant before harvest? Cause I can't find any scientific proof it is beneficial

Her:I don't think I even know what that is??

Me:So when you feed a plant with nutrients it retains them forever

Her: If you cause the extracellular fluid to become hypotonic to the plant tissue it will cause nutrients to move out of the tissue but not excessively enough to make any kind of difference in the nutrient content of the tissue. The rate of the movement is also dependent on temp, air flow and total leafy surface area. If you look up a video on transportation it may make more sense

Her: It also depends on what has been retained by the plant from the soil By what, I mean chemically.

Me:The bigg argument is does flushing a plant with nutrient free water do anything beneficial to it?

Her:I would answer, "no"

Me : Would flushing a plant like cannabis make it less harsh or taste better when smoked? Or a tomato taste better?

Her: If anything it would lesssen the concentration ...i.e. make it more watered down.

Her:The "taste" comes from the nutrients in the soil so the more concentrated the better.


So that sums up my 20 min convo with my super smart sister and I know it's not proof of anything take it as you wish. Have a awesome day! keep on veggin

Your botanist sister[s experimental science, or "stoner science," which to believe?
For me the answer is easy.
My opinion is that flushing is a ritualistic behavior established by ignorant stoners decades ago, that people are afraid NOT to do, even though it does no good.
So they keep wasting time and resources to carry out the ritual.
The placebo effect from taking the flushing pill might even convince them that flushed weed is better.

 

[Faction]

To flush or not to flush, that is the question:

Well, I used to but don't anymore and https://zenpype.com/flushing-cannabis-plants-is-a-bad-practice-based-on-flawed-science/ pretty much explains why it's a myth.

Me, I used to flush growing in coco, religiously, but when I started growing multiple strains in RDWC and they all finish at different times, flushing became impossible. So I didn't - and noticed no difference in the smoke providing a rigorous curing regime was followed.

 

[Wutangwisdom]

I always thought it was a far fetched myth and I had this conversation to get a scientist opinion and no she isn't a stoner at all lol.

 

[Knifemaker_420]

A study published by the university of Guelph in ontario, showed that preharvest flush does nothing to affect the amount of nutrients in the buds. The key to smooth smoke, clean burn, and good flavor is a slow dry and proper cure. Slow drying lets the chlorophyll break down and during a proper cure the natural enzymes will convert carbohydrates and starches into betrer tasting sugars.
#noflushclub
here's a link to the study if you are interested.

Irrigation Management Strategies for Medical Cannabis in Controlled Environments

 

[Garage_Grower]

 

[Oh Mr DC]

Not a huge study but interesting read!

 

[Olderfart]

A report suggesting that another couple weeks of pumping nutes is ok, written by employees of a nute company. What could go wrong?

The research may be good, but one does have to take the results with just a tiny grain of salt.

The research does get one thing right though, the issue cannot be sorted without statistically valid data from a double blind study. Statistical validity can be tough in a study like this. To check the flushing question would require cloned plants, multiple plants in both flushed and unflushed groups, randomized selection of cuttings for the two groups, randomized placement of clones in a growing space with as uniform a growing environment as possible re. nutes and light, consistent and randomized processing of plants, ideally repeated for at least a few strains and growing media, etc. etc. And double blind means that none of the the tasters growers, harvesters or processers can know which weed sample is which.

And after all that, potentially bugger all difference between flushed and unflushed. Lotta work, lotta money, lotta plants, lotta commercial growing space tied up for a grow session, etc. etc. And no one stepping up to do the job? Not a big surprise.

The unfortunate irony here is that this research is likely to be undertaken only by an entity with serious money in its pockets, and some sort of potential payback. The payback in this case would likely apply only to nute sellers and commercial growers. If the commercial growers take the research on which they may well have done already for all we know, they are unlikely to publish results for their competitors to use.

Hence where we are with this study, one by a nute company letting all and sundry know that ceasing use of their product early may not be such a good idea after all.

One sad part of this oft repeated setup to me is that the scientist(s) involved may well have done a stellar job with the work, and the company could even have committed to permitting publication of data regardless of conclusions in spite of the considerable costs involved. But we as outsiders will never know, and dedicated professionals, at least sometimes, are unfairly judged according to who pays the substantial bills.

Tough nut to crack this.

 

[Proph]

All this is craziness, lol.. One of my most hated topics and posts, lol. The problem is that hardly anyone understands, or uses the term "flushing" correctly.

The purpose of "flushing" is to rid the SOIL of excess salts and salt build up caused by 3-6 months of pouring in all kinds of bottled nutes. The purpose is NOT to FLUSH the plant, or flush anything OUT of the plant itself.

Some people think flushing is running 15-20 gallons of water through the soil at once.. Some people think that flushing is using water only for the last two weeks or so..

I don't truly think that anyone would believe that using water only, will cause the plant itself to release or flush out chemicals or nutrients that are within it. You cant "Flush" a plant.. If so, wouldn't it make more sense to dump/pour the water on the plant itself for that to work? Flushing is what you do to the SOIL/MEDIUM... Not the plant.. And of course, as we all know.. Flushing the SOIL, has many benefits, depending on the grow style.

Flushing is about the SOIL.. Not the plant.. After harvest, what are you gonna do with 5 gallons of soil that's has salt based nutes dumped in it for months? Throw it out? A lot of people flush their SOIL, so they can amend it and re use it.. You can't just reuse it. That soil needs to be flushed first..

Technically, anytime you water with plain water, you're flushing...THE SOIL.. of whatever is building up.. Lol..

I bet if you asked your sister her scientific opinion on flushing a salt rich soil before harvest, you'd get a completely different answer.

 

[iampepe]

I don't starve my plants. My soil gets flushed as it sits in the compost pile waiting to get used again.