How Flushing works in a Growbox

Quite a few growers who know about basic things like lighting, nutrient makeup and irrigation may not understand the process of flushing a hydroponics project. How does flushing in a grow box work? It works pretty much like any other kind of hydroponic flushing -- it provides a different chemical environment for plants at various stages of their development.

Some of us have a vague idea of flushing as getting rid of solids in the reservoir or bringing the reservoir “back to zero.” In fact, that’s only kind of a partial picture of how growers use a flushing process to affect plants.

Yes, flushing might relieve issues like extreme pH and take some solids out of a reservoir, but also helps deal with microbial buildup of things like heavy metals and other toxins that aren’t good to plants or humans. At the same time, flushing can also actually add nutrients and other dietary components for plants.

The Flushing Philosophy

By using particular chemical recipes for flushing (for example, items like bone meal), growers are getting rid of some of that bad stuff that can devalue the green plant as it is harvested. But they're also often adding ways for plants to grow and thrive just before harvest. For example, many flushing components have a lot of calcium for weight gain. Growers may also use items with natural sugars, such as beet extract or other natural compounds, that will actually build up plant growth at the last stages before harvest. There's also a lot of talk about enzyme production, where enzyme products help with last-minute growth. Some of these elements help plants to adapt and evolve in particular ways to make harvest more effective.

Flushing In A Grow Box

In a grow box, the reservoir may be built-in, or it may be an auxiliary piece of the setup. Regardless, flushing involves getting the old water out and injecting the water with nutrient and chemical solutions added. In general, growers will get access and drain out all of the old nutrient-rich water, often after testing it for things like pH value. Then the new stuff will go in, to give plants that final boost.

For more on hydroponics and everything that goes along with it, check out what modern retailers and manufacturers can offer you, to create successful projects that will guide you toward long-term success in hobby or commercial growing.