A few questions from a first timer

[cannewbie]

Hello everyone,
I'm getting very near my harvest (started flushing 6 days ago) and had a few questions:

First, I read in a book by Jorge Cervantes that it's actually better to flush with a diluted nutrient solution. I was wondering if it might be best to just use a little florabloom, since it contains no nitrogen, and since the plant is showing some signs of potassium deficiency--tips of leaves turning rust/yellowish and curling up, rust/yellowish blotches--(of course, I guess during the flushing stage the leaves are supposed to turn a bit yellow since nutrients are moving away from them...). Also, from what I can gather, the taste/burning problems associated with nutrients not being flushed are mostly related to nitrogen, so some potassium and phosphate from florabloom would seem ok... any thoughts?

Second, a friend told me that putting the plants in darkness for 3 days at the end increases potency. Anyone have opinions on this? If it is a good idea, do you wait til it's ready to harvest and wait an additional three days, or do you try to guess when you're three days away from harvest time?

Finally, do you continue to flush during the 3 days of dark?

Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks! :jointsmile:

[stinkyattic]

During the 3 days of dark (totally personal preference), you should be past your flush period, and anyway the soil won't dry out if the plants are in the dark.

Since you posted in hydroponics, I assume you are in hydro medium. In which case they still will be on the res that has your flush solution- anything from plain pH'd water to a clearing solution.

Tips curling up sounds more like acute heat stress/burning than K def.

Choosing your flush solution depends on your goal. Within one week of your chop date, I would not give any food. If a flush is mid-grow, indeed you should use a 1/4 strength nute solution as the last part of yoru flush.

[herbie the love bud]

Follow stinky's advice; you don't want to introduce nutrients when you're trying to signal to the plant to die. Thats what makes the plant try and bulk itself up.

[SAP420]

You should just flush the plants out with ph'd water for 1 week to get all nutrients out of the plants... smoother smoke :thumbsup: