HELP! When Harvesting by Parts, do you continue Flushing or do you Stop Between Harvest?

[2by4Rich]

I am harvesting, in parts, a Bruce Banner Auto Strain Plant, I call her "Brucilda". I have been monitoring Trichomes for 5 weeks, and since the Buds on the tallest colas (Tier 1 buds) had a lot of white, small percentage were cloudy and almost no Ambar, I decided to harvest the Tier 1 buds. So I started flushing and every 2 days I harvested a few Tier 1 buds. Now I am done with Tier 1 and have flushed for 13 days. I notice that the Tier 2 and 3 buds still show Trichomes with far more transparent than white. So .I think I may be 2 or 3 weeks from Harvesting the rest of the plant. Should I continue to Flush or give her nutrients until the next Harvest Window opens and then flush again before harvesting?

Brucilda is doing well inspite the trauma of the Harvest. The leaves are Perky and there are green leaves inside the Buds. Overall looks like it looked before I started harvesting. Photos of Brucilda Before and After Harvesting Tier 1 buds are attached and also photos of trichomes at Harvest Time.

Any help is appreciated. Learning is so much fun!!
Thank you very much

Background Notes:
I did lower the lights to the recommended distance above the Tier 2 buds.
I am growing in Soil (Coco Loco by Bush Dr).
I am on Day 133 since sprouting and 13 weeks of Flowering.
The Light is a Vivosun VS 1000 Full Spectrum LEDS.
Tent is Vivo Sun 2 by 4 feet
2 Waving Fans inside plus 1 Fan blowing air in and one Fan blowing Air out
Tent is in a room that is kept between 70 and 74^ F
Humidity is Between 38 and 50 %
Using Nutrients made specifically for Marihuana

 

[crucialbunny]

Why are you flushing it?

 

[kingfish]

I don't flush. I stop feeding it nutes about a week before harvest.

 

[Bluey]

Flushing is overrated and I don't think it makes much if any difference...some plants it will stress them and they might produce more of the good oil but I have doubts about that..it saves on nutes though

 

[2by4Rich]

Hi crucialbunny, I am flushing because of the overwhelming number of recomendations from all kinds of articles to provide water (Reverse Osmosis water with PH between 6 and 7) without nutrients to give the plants time to digest the salts already in its system. This supposely leads to a less harsh smoke later after drying and curating. I did fine one article where the author said that he/she tested the Flushing and didnt notice any difference in the smoke with or without flushing. I am a Noobie so I try to follow the advice of the experts

 

[2by4Rich]

Thanks Kingfish, Watering with clean water without any nutrients is what i am referring to as "Flushing".

 

[2by4Rich]

Thank you Bluey. Yes there is one article that I read, that agrees with you. I am going to start today to give nutrients and hopefully "Brucilda" will use te nutrients towards making the Trichomes Milky White Thx.

 

[kingfish]

2by4Rich Only time will make your Trichomes milky white.

 

[crucialbunny]

2by4Rich Here is a kink to one of the very few scientifically conducted studies on the subject of flushing. It's well worth the read. You're absolutely correct about the huge number of conflicting opinions out there and that is why we have to be discerning in our choices of information. Hope this can be a help. https://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/12125

 

[2by4Rich]

Thank you Crucialbunny, I read the summary of the study in that link you gave me and found it very helpful. As a matter of fact, it makes me feel so much better. I always thought that flushing complicates things because you have to check Trichomes and then estimate how would the trichomes change during the flushing time period, usually 7 to 10 days. Knowing that scientifically tested, flushing doesn't make a difference, makes things easier. I am re-starting using nutrients today and hope that "Brucilda" will continue attending it's flowers and in approx 2 to 3 weeks I'll have Milky White Trichomes on the Tier 2 and 3 buds.

 

[2by4Rich]

Thank you Kingfish, yes Time, good environmental controls, right amount of Nutrients, watering and genetics will lead to nice Milky White Trichomes . I look at it as Team effort where each item I mention is a Team Member. All of them need to do their part for a successful delivery.