reserves it doesn ’ t need in certain parts of the plant . The main reserves are held within the stem and root ball . In a normal plant under normal conditions , these deposits are made up of natural , low-level chemical elements that are released when the plant needs them over the different stages of its lifecycle . In hydroponics , a controlled environment means there is an abundance of nutrients and chemicals being fed to the plant , so the buildup of these chemicals that are naturally stored in the plants tissues is not needed . It is vital to remove these chemicals before harvest . Not flushing the plants of these chemicals can leave your harvest unfit for human consumption . Within a plant ’ s vascular system are two main paths . The first path is the xylem , which is composed of four different cell structures . It is this path that transports water and dissolved nutrients from the roots throughout the plant and
its organs . It also stores substances such as dissolved nutrients and water for later use . An easy way to remember it is to note that the xylem transports liquid for the plant to drink . The second path is called the phloem . The phloem is made from four different types of cell structures that transport the sugars made in the leaves throughout the plant and its organs . The plant can turn any of these unused sugars into starch and store them for later use . An easy way to remember this is to note that the phloem transports food for the plant to eat .
THE FLUSH FACTOR The first part of the flush process is to stop any further intake of nutrient elements via what the plant is drinking , through the xylem , and replace it with plain water . The second part is to flush out as many active chemical elements as possible that are already present in the plant ’ s vascular system .
This is where the term ‘ flushing ’ comes from . The faster the plant is flushed of all active chemical elements , the faster it can move on to the next stage of the process . This is the key to the process . Water performs this process naturally in the wild over a much longer period of time . Hydroponics differs greatly as it uses constructed systems to get the most out of the plant in the shortest amount of time possible and to the best of its potential . So yes , while water works for this part of the process to a certain degree , a flushing agent will work faster . How ? Well , it ’ s designed that way . While the whole process is complicated , the principle is simple . Think of water as a shape . For argument ’ s sake , let ’ s say water is an L shape . When this shape ( the water molecule ) is sent around the vascular system , it dilutes the active elements by picking off the chemical molecules . While the shape of the water molecule may seem ideal at first glance , it is not the best or the most effective shape . In comparison , let ’ s say that the flushing agent ’ s shape is an X . As you can see , this shape will be more effective . It ’ s basically four Ls back-to-back , so therefore should be four times as effective as the L shape . As this molecule moves around the plant ’ s vascular system , it will attract more chemical molecules than the L , thus diluting and flushing the active chemical elements out of the plant faster . As soon as the vascular system is not providing the plant with the nutrients it needs , it will start to release and use up the reserves it has stored previously . This is the next stage of the flushing process . Getting the plant to use its reserves faster will not only clean the plant of unwanted chemicals faster , it will also mature the produce faster .
AND THE WINNER IS … So , does just water work ? Yes , it will flush your plants . Does using a flushing agent work ? Yes , it also works , but much better . It will flush your plants faster than plain water and help them mature faster . For the people that don ’ t believe in using flushing agents , I ask this : Would your plants grow if you just simply used water throughout the entirety of their life ? Yes , they would . Would they produce as high a yield ? Would they be as big , or as developed , if you used a tailor-made range of nutrients ? No . Not a chance . I believe that using a flushing agent is a vital part of a hydroponic feeding schedule and that the people who don ’ t use one are missing out on better results from their plants . In conclusion , if you have never tried a flushing agent , maybe this is the time to give it a chance .
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