Not debating when or if I should flush, just how to do it. I am in a 5 gal Smart Pot on a riser in a 16" saucer. I have read you should use up to 3x the amount of soil which would be 15 gal!!
How much water is really necessary for a flush?
How quickly should I add the water? Should it be added until runoff begins and then wait 5 or 10 minutes before adding more water? Should I just keep pouring it in until the saucer is full?
Thankfully I have 2 saucers so I can keep swapping them out. I suppose I could also put the plant on the riser in my garden tub.
From what I know you want about ten to twenty percent runoff. 15 gal seems excessive.
If you use a flushing agent such as Sledgehammer or Florakleen you can get away with a few less gallons, though you still must follow the Sledgehammer or Florakleen with ~6 or 8 gallons of water to eliminate the flushing agent from the soil.
Once the soil is saturated you’ll need to slow your flush down. Add a gallon at a time and then walk away for a few minutes until each gallon has time to work its way through the soil and out the bottom and sides.
I measure when I am done by pH and/or PPM. A Fox Farm soil is adequately flushed when pH returns to ~6.5. PPM less than 300 is also a good measure of an adequate flush.
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Is it necessary to use a flushing agent or can I just use plain water?
I have no way to let that amount of water sit for 24 hrs to remove the chlorine. I have a 2 gal watering can and a 1 gal measuring pitcher. Is it ok to flush with tap water? Perhaps use the chlorinated tap water in the beginning and save the water that has been sitting for 24 hrs for the last of it? Thanks for the great info!
I don’t know if this will work for you. When I flush I set the riser and plant on top of a 5 gallon bucket to catch the runoff. I come no where near 3x either. I used gallon fabric pots and I got to 2 or 3 gallons in the bucket and called it good. Maybe not a true flush but I didn’t have to water much after that.
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I think I am going to have to do a major flush. I think the idea of setting my riser in a big garden tub and just letting the water go down the drain will be the easiest. I will have to catch some in a saucer periodically to test the runoff PH and TDS. Thanks man.
A 5gal bucket sounds like the best way to do this. Thanks for the idea. When it comes time for my first flush I’m gonna use a 5gal bucket with the lid on it that has holes drilled in it so I can just sit my riser on it and let the water drain into the bucket.
You want to eliminate the chlorine. Its very harmful to marijuana plants. I know all to well. The flushing agent will help get rid of the salt buildup from using nutrients.
I have a Pur Water Filter that takes care of my chlorine water. Works like a champ.
So I would pH the water and just flush with tap water. That is how I have always done it but I have Florakeen, and Sledgehammer. I plan on hitting my plants with Sledgehammer at the end of my Blueberry Kush Auto. Close to being pulled. 