SmokerJoe
New Member
So you open the cap
and bend it over towards the soil. You flinch,
the bottle spills. The next thing you know half
of your raw feeding liquid has managed to find
it’s way into the soil. You curse yourself that
you did not follow the instructions. You grab
your hair, ‘What to do?’ you say. You pick up
this book and turn to this chapter. You read
about the soil flush and see that your plant
now has a small chance of survival. You know
that all the raw chemicals will kill your
plant. All hope is lost. This is your last
resort. Here is how to flush your soil.
STEP A.
(1) Take the plant to a sink.
(2) Turn the plant on its side making sure that
you do not break the stem!
(3) If you think the stem will break then
quickly find a long stick and place it in the
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soil.
(4) Use a piece of sowing thread to tie the
plant to the stick at several points.
(5) Tape the stick to the pot.
(6) Tilt the plant on its side so that the top
of the pot with the soil is facing at an angle
towards the sink.
(7) Watch the colour of the liquid that runs
out.
(8) Do this until all the liquid has poured
through.
STEP B.
IF YOU HAVE HOLES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POT USE
THIS METHOD OTHERWISE USE STEP C.
(1) Pull your plant back up and sit it in the
sink. Pour lots of water on top of the soil.
(2) Wait until the water flows out the bottom
of the pot. Look at the colour of the flow.
(3) Repeat this process until the colour of the
water becomes clearer. (The soil should get
very muddy when you do this and some of the mud
will pass out with the water.)
(4) Once the water is clear tilt your plant on
its side again and wait for all the water to
drain out. You may repeat this process several
times. If your feeding solution does not have a
190
_________________________________________________________________________________________
colour then you should keep an eye on the
texture and smell of the solution that you are
flushing out. When this changes your flush has
worked.
(5) Quickly take your plant to a warm dry area
and wait for the soil to dry out.
(6) Use a pH meter to test the pH of your soil.
(7) Follow step D.
STEP C.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE HOLES AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR
POT
(1) You can use a screwdriver to make holes in
your pot if it is light and the plastic is not
tough. You can always use thick masking tape
later to patch the holes closed. If you can do
this then do and follow step B.
(2) If you can not then you need to do an
emergency transplant.
(3) Quickly set up a new pot and put in new
soil leaving a large gap in the middle where
your plant will go in.
(4) Take your plant and use a knife to cut
around the edge of the soil as close to the rim
of the pot as possible. Go as deep as you can.
(5) Put you fingers in down around the inside
of the rim and pull the plant out of the pot.
191
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Try not to rip the roots.
(6) Hold the soil over the sink and place it
down near the drain holding it together with
your hands. If your root mass is big you may
need help doing this.
(7) Turn on the water and let it run slowly
down over the soil.
(8) Keep holding the plant for a number of
minutes until you see a change in the water
that is coming out from the soil. Do not crush
the soil just hold it. It will get muddy and it
will break up a bit, but this is to be
expected.
(9) When the water changes quickly place the
plant into the new pot.
(10) Fill up the spaces with new soil and use a
stick to prop up your plant if needed.
(11) Quickly take your plant to a warm dry area
and wait for the soil to dry out.
By: Gregg Green
and bend it over towards the soil. You flinch,
the bottle spills. The next thing you know half
of your raw feeding liquid has managed to find
it’s way into the soil. You curse yourself that
you did not follow the instructions. You grab
your hair, ‘What to do?’ you say. You pick up
this book and turn to this chapter. You read
about the soil flush and see that your plant
now has a small chance of survival. You know
that all the raw chemicals will kill your
plant. All hope is lost. This is your last
resort. Here is how to flush your soil.
STEP A.
(1) Take the plant to a sink.
(2) Turn the plant on its side making sure that
you do not break the stem!
(3) If you think the stem will break then
quickly find a long stick and place it in the
189
_________________________________________________________________________________________
soil.
(4) Use a piece of sowing thread to tie the
plant to the stick at several points.
(5) Tape the stick to the pot.
(6) Tilt the plant on its side so that the top
of the pot with the soil is facing at an angle
towards the sink.
(7) Watch the colour of the liquid that runs
out.
(8) Do this until all the liquid has poured
through.
STEP B.
IF YOU HAVE HOLES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POT USE
THIS METHOD OTHERWISE USE STEP C.
(1) Pull your plant back up and sit it in the
sink. Pour lots of water on top of the soil.
(2) Wait until the water flows out the bottom
of the pot. Look at the colour of the flow.
(3) Repeat this process until the colour of the
water becomes clearer. (The soil should get
very muddy when you do this and some of the mud
will pass out with the water.)
(4) Once the water is clear tilt your plant on
its side again and wait for all the water to
drain out. You may repeat this process several
times. If your feeding solution does not have a
190
_________________________________________________________________________________________
colour then you should keep an eye on the
texture and smell of the solution that you are
flushing out. When this changes your flush has
worked.
(5) Quickly take your plant to a warm dry area
and wait for the soil to dry out.
(6) Use a pH meter to test the pH of your soil.
(7) Follow step D.
STEP C.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE HOLES AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR
POT
(1) You can use a screwdriver to make holes in
your pot if it is light and the plastic is not
tough. You can always use thick masking tape
later to patch the holes closed. If you can do
this then do and follow step B.
(2) If you can not then you need to do an
emergency transplant.
(3) Quickly set up a new pot and put in new
soil leaving a large gap in the middle where
your plant will go in.
(4) Take your plant and use a knife to cut
around the edge of the soil as close to the rim
of the pot as possible. Go as deep as you can.
(5) Put you fingers in down around the inside
of the rim and pull the plant out of the pot.
191
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Try not to rip the roots.
(6) Hold the soil over the sink and place it
down near the drain holding it together with
your hands. If your root mass is big you may
need help doing this.
(7) Turn on the water and let it run slowly
down over the soil.
(8) Keep holding the plant for a number of
minutes until you see a change in the water
that is coming out from the soil. Do not crush
the soil just hold it. It will get muddy and it
will break up a bit, but this is to be
expected.
(9) When the water changes quickly place the
plant into the new pot.
(10) Fill up the spaces with new soil and use a
stick to prop up your plant if needed.
(11) Quickly take your plant to a warm dry area
and wait for the soil to dry out.
By: Gregg Green