{"id":77712,"date":"2024-04-19T07:58:09","date_gmt":"2024-04-19T07:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/specialist\/?p=77712"},"modified":"2024-05-22T23:15:50","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T23:15:50","slug":"pulling-the-flush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/autopot.co.uk\/garden\/2024\/04\/19\/pulling-the-flush\/","title":{"rendered":"Pulling The Flush"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u2018For fruits that are lush, forgo the flush.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n With this pithy little ditty we respond to one of the most commonly asked questions<\/a> about our watering systems – \u2018Do you need to flush your pots at the end of a season?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s true. You don\u2019t need to flush your pots pre-harvest with AutoPot, certainly not in the traditional, water-through, top-down sense (don\u2019t even try it!). But you\u2019re a discerning grower, with your own individual ideas about how to get the best results<\/a>. Are you ready to take us at word?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you really believe that it is as simple as all that? With every crop? With every feed? And, for the uninitiated, what is flushing anyway?<\/p>\n\n\n The principle of flushing is simple. You feed your plants plain or pH balanced water only in the last 10-14 days before harvest. In theory this has two principle benefits. Firstly it helps encourage your plants to use up any remaining nutrients that they\u2019re holding internally. Secondly it helps to remove any excess nutrients or salts that have accumulated in your growing media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Flushing is commonly done pre-harvest. It is occasionally done during the growing cycle if a grower suspects a build up of nutrient deposits is compromising plant development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How you\u2019d apply the water would vary depending on the system used. In theory, in a pot and tray system you might switch off the reservoir and simply hand-water through the top of the pot (but never with AutoPot!).<\/p>\n\n\n For certain crops, especially those with short growing cycles, flushing can be theoretically useful. It forces the plant to use up any residual nutrients. This in turn can speed up the final stages of fruiting and flowering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excess mineral nutrients (that are within the crop but unused) can affect crop flavour. Mineral nutrients can also produce salts in your grow media that can potentially affect growth. Hence, many growers are keen to see excess material consumed or washed out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Flushing isn\u2019t really considered necessary with organic nutrients<\/a> as they produce far less in the way of salts and are considered to have minimal effect on flavour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Devotees of flushing claim that it can improve the cleanness of crop flavour, that it can enhance finishing of fruits and flowers, and that (pre-harvest) the plants contain enough nutrients to finish fruiting on their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These are all theoretically valid points. But it\u2019s important to say that these are also all (to some extent) subjective opinions. And the results of flushing are always dependent on the skill and judgement of the grower.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n The debate about flushing often revolves around the effectiveness of doing it. That leads people to assume that when we advise against flushing we\u2019re just trumpeting our opinions on growing in general. But it\u2019s nothing to do with our point of view. It\u2019s to do with how AutoPot Watering Systems<\/a> work.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is flushing?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is flushing suitable for every crop?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is flushing suitable for every nutrient type?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why flush?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why shouldn\u2019t you flush with AutoPot?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n