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It’s finally time to start flushing your cannabis plants! Here’s a quick guide on when to start the flushing process for the best results.
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Two weeks before harvest
Stop fertilizing
You’ll want to stop fertilizing your cannabis plants about two weeks before harvest. This will help reduce the chance of your plants tasting “fertile,” which can make them taste like grass or hay.
If you’ve been using a hydroponic system, you may need to flush your system with water to remove any residual nutrients. You can also let your plants’ soil dry out completely before harvest.
Stop watering
You’ll want to stop watering your plants about two weeks before harvest. This may seem harsh, but it’s actually beneficial for two reasons. First, it will help increase the concentration of trichomes on your buds. Second, it will help reduce the chances of mold or mildew developing on your buds.
If you’re growing in soil, you can stop watering altogether. If you’re growing in hydroponics, you can reduce the amount of water you’re giving your plants. Either way, you should start flushing your plants with plain water about a week before harvest. This will help remove any residual nutrients from the soil or water that could affect the taste of your buds.
One week before harvest
Cannabis plants need to be flushed of all nutrients one week before harvest. This will help ensure that your plants are free of any residual nutrients, which can give your cannabis an unpleasant taste. Flushing also allows your plants to use up any remaining sugars, which can improve the taste of your final product.
Stop watering
As you get close to harvest, you will want to stop watering your plants a week or so in advance. This will cause the plant to start shutting down its vegetative functions and start concentrating its energy on producing buds.
Stopping watering will also help to increase the trichome production, as the plant will be under stress. Be sure to monitor your plants closely during this time and do not let them dry out completely, as this will significantly decrease the quality of your harvest.
Cut back on light
To get your plants ready for harvest, you need to start “flushing” them about two weeks before you actually cut them down. Flushing means giving them plain water with no nutrients added. This will help ensure that your buds are not bitter and that any residual chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) are flushed out of the plant tissue.
To flush your plants, simply cut back on the amount of light they are getting. For most growers, this means cutting back from 18 hours of light to 12 hours of light per day. This reduction in light will stress the plant and cause it to stop producing food (sugars) through photosynthesis. The plant will then start to draw on its stored reserves of food (fertilizer) in the leaves and stems. As the plant uses up its stored food, the level of fertilizer in the buds will decrease.
It’s important to monitor your plants closely during this time and be ready to harvest as soon as they are ready. If you wait too long, the levels of fertilizer in the buds can drop too low, causing them to lose flavor and potency.
Harvest day
Harvest day is the most important day of the entire grow cycle. It’s the day when you finally get to reap the rewards of your hard work. But before you can harvest your plants, you need to flush them. This process helps get rid of any unwanted chemicals that may be in the plant, which can ruin the taste of your final product. Flushing also helps increase the potency of your cannabis.
Cut down your plants
After your plants have been flowering for about 6–8 weeks, it’s time to cut them down. You want to do this about 2 weeks before the final day of harvest. This will give the plant time to flush out any residual nutrients in their system and produce cleaner tasting buds.
To begin, cut off all the large fan leaves from your plants. These leaves are not necessary for the plant anymore and will just suck up valuable resources that could be going towards producing buds. Once you have removed all the big leaves, cut the plant down at the main stem, just above the soil line.
Dry and cure your buds
Once you’ve harvested your buds, it’s time to dry and cure them. Curing is an important process that allows the THC and other cannabinoids to break down and become more potent. It also makes your buds taste better and smell better.
To dry your buds, start by hanging them upside down in a dark, well-ventilated room. You can use a fan to help circulate the air if you like, but make sure the fan is not blowing directly on the buds. Depending on the humidity and temperature of your room, it will take anywhere from 3 to 7 days for your buds to dry completely.
Once they’re dry, you can begin the curing process by placing your buds in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Be sure to leave some headspace at the top of the jar so that air can circulate. Every few days, open the jar for a few minutes to allow fresh air in and old air out. Cure your buds for at least 2 weeks, but 3-4 weeks is even better.
After curing, your buds will be ready to smoke or vaporize! Enjoy!
