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Sugar Water Flush

One of my buddies said that using sugar water instead of regular water to flush plants in creases yield and improves taste... any truth to this? I usually doubt advice from him
 

toshphan

Member
Flushing with water containg molasses (cheleating agent) is beneficial because it pulls a lot of the built up salts out of the plant and the soil.
improving taste? i dont see how the taste of the bud relates to sugar in the soil. taste is mainly affected by genetics, ripeness and trimming.
increased yield? idk about that, probably more so for a soil grow.

The sugar (molasses, sweet) isnt directly used by the plant! Remember the good old chloroplasts are making sugar for the plant, so they don't need it directly themselves. On the other hand, the microbial life of the soil NEEDS carbohydrates
 

420guy

Member
just another growers myth...most experiments done with sugars have failed...and it certainly won't increase your yield...stay safe
 

[db]

Member
It's a myth. Plants do not absorb sugar, they produce it from chlorophyll.

Sugar can be helpful for us in other way of use - to determine vigor plants in their childhood.
Dissolve sugar in water and put seeds to germinate in it. Plants have different inner pressure in sterms. Only the strongest plants will germinate in sugar solution.
Then change the water and other seeds will germinate as usual.
 

kovenant

Member
regular store-bought cane sugar, disolved in water during the final flush - may or may not be a myth... im not gonna argue that one

molasses, or any of the molasses based 'sweetening' additives you:
SWEET LEAF

· Flower-boosting
Organic Energy
When Plants Need
it Most

· Crops Taste and
Smell Like Candy

· Adds Size and
Weight to Harvest

Back in the 1960's and 70's, Colombian farmers spiked crops with sugar, cinnamon, honey, vanilla and other flavorings. Five years ago Advanced Nutrients scientists began extensive studies of how organic carbohydrates, sugars and other natural substances sweeten crop taste and enlarge harvest yield.


We tested Sweet Leaf in all types of hydroponics gardens and had the crops taste-tested by picky consumers who are also hydroponics growers.

We conducted blind taste tests with growers who can tell what variety a flower is just by smelling it.

Our testers consistently said flowers grown with Sweet Leaf had an irresistible aroma, tasted like candy, cured faster, had far less rot and other disease, stored better, were larger, and were more potent.

now... its a product. and im not naive. and any company that makes a product (Advanced Nutrients, in this case) is always going to say alot in their marketing... to sell their product.

that doesnt discount the scientific research they put into it. and molasses is a major ingredient in these harvest sweetening products. i use it, and i personally see a difference. i see it in trich production, i smell it, and i taste it. in fact, this grow im going into a 10 day flush tonight - and going to flush with Final Phase & Molasses.
 

Mr.Pyrex

Member
so everytime you flush do you mix in molasses? or more towards the end of flushing do you add it in, im curious because i wanna try it on one plant and not the other i have two identical,

also how much molasses per litre of water should i be using?
 

budvapor

Member
i've read one tsp per gallon in a few places.

i also just read about cutting the plant down before the lights come on. apparently nutrients migrate to the roots during lights off, and into the leaves during lights on. cutting the plant down before the lights are on means there's less stuff to break down during curing!
 

kovenant

Member
yes 1 tsp per gallon is a general rule. i've known some who do 2 tsp per gallon. i myself usually do 1/2 tsp per gallon throughout flower - yes, adding more each time i do a res change... and for the grand finale - during flush (which i began tonight on my trainwreck ladies) i mixed in 1 tsp per gallon along with Final Phase... going to run them at least 5 days... but possibly up to 10.

budvapor ->thanks for that info. dunno how it true it is, but it sounds logical. maybe ill try it :)
 

NiteTiger

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...
Veteran
I think you guys mean 1 tbsp per gallon. I use it every flower, gives the plant some free carbs while they're not getting any nutes during the flush.
 

kovenant

Member
well, 1tsp / gallon is what ive heard several times... but ill go with you on this one NT - because i believe you'd know better than me :wave:

thanks for your input. maybe i should up my dosage!

btw - do you flush with a rinse like Final Phase, or just water + molasses?
 

kovenant

Member
i had run RO water + Final Phase + Molasses (1 tsp/gallon) when i initiated my flush... ran for 7 days

i had flakes (kind of like fish-food flakes) that were brown and all different sizes - some quite large... like 1" x 1/8". drained the system, filled 1/4 the res and drained again... completely. then cleaned out any flakes left behind in the res with a rag.

running RO water + Molasses for 3 more days (no Final Phase)... its day 2 for this process - so im chopping the girls tomorrow evening.

ill report back with my results after its dried and cured.
 

DIGITALHIPPY

Active member
Veteran
kovenant said:
regular store-bought cane sugar, disolved in water during the final flush - may or may not be a myth... im not gonna argue that one

molasses, or any of the molasses based 'sweetening' additives you:


now... its a product. and im not naive. and any company that makes a product (Advanced Nutrients, in this case) is always going to say alot in their marketing... to sell their product.

that doesnt discount the scientific research they put into it. and molasses is a major ingredient in these harvest sweetening products. i use it, and i personally see a difference. i see it in trich production, i smell it, and i taste it. in fact, this grow im going into a 10 day flush tonight - and going to flush with Final Phase & Molasses.


that only applies untill the last week or 2.... SUGAR is what your trying to FLUSH OUT of the plant, it makes it burn slow, unconsistant, and gives it a harsh taste.
idealy you want to smoke aslittle of the plant matter as possible, if its hollow leaf structre then your goign to taste THE TRICHOMES / oil glands that GET US HIGH, rather then smokeing SUGAR ENCRUSTED plantmatter with resin on it.

i happen to use sweetleaf i like your referance, it works the best when you start using it 2-3 weeks BEFORE flower starts.
 

kovenant

Member
DigitalHippy -> so no molasses during the flush? now i feel like an idiot. i did a 10 day flush. first 7 were with AN's Final Phase + molasses. last 3 were just RO water + molasses.

gah.

im going to go drain and add RO water to run for the rest of the night because tomorrow morn is harvest time
 

NiteTiger

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...
Veteran
Yeah, you don't want to run molasses right up to harvest. I usually run molasses + water for about a week, then the last 3 days before harvest they get nothing but water.
 

DIGITALHIPPY

Active member
Veteran
kovenant said:
DigitalHippy -> so no molasses during the flush? now i feel like an idiot. i did a 10 day flush. first 7 were with AN's Final Phase + molasses. last 3 were just RO water + molasses.

gah.

im going to go drain and add RO water to run for the rest of the night because tomorrow morn is harvest time

your no idiot.


final phase is good stuff, all its supposed to do it disolve the salts though.
and that keeps them out of the plant.
normaly adding molasis in the last week wont add any real weight or taste(maybe harsh) to the plant, because by that point its done (unless its a longblooming sativa) and your just waiting for the trichs to ripen, like when you buy green bananas at the store....
i dont know when the cutoff point is for nutes, but some people give a flush for as much as 20 days and as little as 1day or 12 hours.
idealy you just want the plant to be useing its own sugars for the last period of time.
 
Last edited:
Just read this in High Times...There was a study done 10 years ago that proved using molasses during the last 4 weeks of flowering makes the buds swell 20% more. I know when the time comes im gonna try it!
 

kovenant

Member
i definately had bud swellage during my last 3 weeks. my only concern was running molasses during the flush as well... which, the buds that dried for 2 days i just sampled - they burned smooth and steady (amazing for just drying by hanging for 2 days - in a 72F, 40% RH room, dark room), it tasted pretty damn trainwrecky, and burned all the way through (not too wet to smoke in the middle.)

didnt taste like nutes... so im glad for that. besides, i did flush with plain RO Water for 2 days w/o molasses.

cheers!
 
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