One of the reasons marijuana is so popular on planet Earth is the fact that it has a unique taste and smell.. In fact, when you pass through a plantation you cannot help but be amazed at how good it smells and how characteristic the smell is. For this reason, the plant has an unmistakable flavor and highly valued among connoisseurs of the world.
Marijuana, despite being a psychoactive substance, not only hooks its users due to these effects, but there are many who truly enjoy its flavor. Of course, it should be clarified that like any drug it must be consumed responsibly and not encourage minors to consume it. We could say that there is a certain simile between alcohol and grass. Of course, everyone likes the effect that alcohol produces on the body, but it is also true that there are many who do not seek to get drunk but rather savor the different tones and flavors of a good wine.
This also happens in the world of marijuana. It is true that many people are only looking for the high and feeling hypnotized by THC, but there are also many who taste it with a more gourmet look, to enjoy the taste of it on their taste buds.
What is root washing?
One of the most frequent questions of those who start in the world of cannabis cultivation for self-consumption is why the taste of your first harvests is so unpleasant or discouraging.
This is not something you should worry about since the solution is very simple: washing the roots. However, first of all, It is convenient to check if the bad taste is because you have not washed the root well or because you have not done the cultivation in the way it deserves.
You have to bear in mind that the plant we are growing above all is demanding. We are not talking about a poppy or some tomatoes, but about a plant that requires great dedication and that suffers a lot from stress.
It is fair that you are honest with yourself and ask yourself if you have done things well or not, since a bad taste can be due to many causes and therefore, you must know how to identify them.
One of the worst enemies of plants is stress. For example, if you have ever burned plants, you have stressed them. This is a small flaw, but it is that accumulation of bugs can lead to a very bad taste. You also have to apply the logic of human medical science to plant science. Wouldn’t you get stressed out if sunbathing you burn your whole back? The same thing happens to plants, do not think that because they are a vegetable they do not feel the same as we do when faced with diseases and pests. Another possible cause, speaking of pests, may be that part of the plant has been engulfed by worms. Again, a very powerful stressor that will influence the flavor of your plantation. In our blog we are aware of this type of inconvenience, therefore, we have prepared an elaborate entry on the problems of pests and diseases in marijuana cultivation.
Once you have verified that you have done everything correctly, you have to take the second step: washing the roots.
What is the root wash for?
It must be borne in mind, especially if you have used an inert substrate, that the safest thing is that during the cultivation process you have used fertilizers. This is not a bad thing, quite the opposite is the best you can do, but if you have to bear in mind that your plants are very well fed. The fact that the plants are well nourished implies the fact that most likely, when they are cut, they still retain nutrients, as mineral salts, inside. The problem that these nutrients generate is that they make it difficult for the plant to burn and therefore smoke. Nevertheless, the problem is not only combustion but you also have to know that the plant will taste worse and will cause a great irritation in the throat. This is not a good thing at all, so it needs to be fixed.
Thus, one of the best ways to observe whether or not your plant has excess nutrients is to check if the leaves are too green before harvest, that is, there is an excess of chlorophyll. Remember that it is chlorophyll that gives cannabis plants and all plants in general their green color. Therefore, to clean these nutrients we will do the root wash.
How to do a root wash?
Root washing, for all that we have explained, is essential for our plant to have a good taste and smell. Therefore, in this section we are going to teach you all the tricks when it comes to doing a good root wash.
Washing is a very simple process and only consists of adding water to the substrate in order to remove the nutrients from it.. To do this, practice tells us that we must take at least the triple the water capacity of the pot has. Of course, this is an estimate so it should be prudent and analyze the state of the soil before continuing to pour water.
We must also analyze other factors, such as, for example, the amount of fertilizer that we have used in the cultivation process. If we have paid frequently, but always without causing excesses to the plant, the root wash must be deeper and executed with greater delicacy and patience. If the fertilizer has been poorer, we will not need as much water since less nutrients will have to be cleaned.. As you can see, it is a relative process that must be done carefully.
Another precaution that we must take is the water that we use. Our goal will always be to remove the nutrients from the substrate, not to add more. This can be a problem if the water we use, that is, tap water, is highly mineralized. Therefore, it is convenient that we know the EC of it. In case it is very high, we must buy water with low mineralization. I know this can be a bummer since we will have to spend some money, but it will always be better than a bad tasting crop, don’t you think? For these reasons, Root washing is of vital importance if what we want is to have a good flavor in our plants.
When we have achieved our objective, that is, when we have cleaned both the root and the substrate well, we must see how our plant has reacted. The reaction will be very simple and is that the plant will seek at all costs to balance its own concentrations of mineral salts and nutrients with those of the substrate, which, as it has been cleaned, lacks them.
In this way, what we will achieve is that the plant evacuates a large part of the nutrients to achieve this balance that we are looking for. However, although it is true that root washing is not expensive, with a few little tricks we can avoid doing it.
For example, one of the things that we must know is that we have to increasingly nourish the plant in its early stages until it reaches the ceiling of need for nutrients. Once this ceiling is reached, we must decrease the number of nutrients provided so that in the end there is no need to wash it, or if it has to be done, it is residual, anecdotal. Thus, One of the best tips we can give you is to monitor the EC throughout the growing process in order to save you this last step. Also, if your tap water is very high in mineral salts, you should do it with bottled water and washing will be much more expensive.
What to do after the root wash?
Once we have done the washing, we will have practically finished with all the functions of caring for the plant that we had been entrusted with. However, a series of precautions must be followed, such as watering if the substrate dries out. Yes indeed, never fertilize or use water with high levels of ECOtherwise, all our work in the wash will have been for nothing.
Nevertheless, if we have done a root wash because we have spent paying If it is convenient to water with a little compost to later continue cultivating with total normality.
Regarding the obligation to carry out a root wash, it is a thorny issue, since there are both supporters on one side and the other. While it is true root washing is not necessary if things are done right. However, you have to keep in mind that doing things well means doing them perfectly, that is, without making almost any mistakes, so washing is more of a preventive measure than a mandatory.
If you are a beginner, you do not lose anything by washing the roots since you will also learn how to do it and you want that it is not a knowledge that can always come in handy. It is like sexing plants, it is not necessary but it is always good to know.
Also, if you really love the crop, you will always want to know everything about it and not just stay on the basics to have a decent harvest. If you want to know only the basics, this may not be your blog. You also have to know that this method has been perfected over the years so it has little risk, so you won’t lose anything by trying.
The only drawback that washing can have is that it is one more expense, you have to spend money on water which can be a bit annoying, but it is necessary on certain occasions and it can be the difference between a poor harvest and a quality harvest. For all these reasons, we at Begrower consider that it is almost always convenient to carry out a root wash, well done.
The root wash will allow your plants not to present excess nutrients which is very common in the plantations of inexperienced people. The origin of this problem is that cannabis is a resource-demanding plant, which does not mean that you should use the fertilizer every day. However, this mistake is made by many initiates who want to pamper the plant too much and dedicate themselves to nurturing and nurturing it, which is fatal. In fact, we have already discussed the dangers of excess on our blog. Excesses occur when you over-nourish the marijuana plant and therefore, it suffers a series of internal imbalances that can lead to its death. If you want to know more about this, you can read this article from deficiencies and excesses in the cultivation of marijuana, where we help you prevent it.
As you can see, over feeding the plants is a gesture of good faith, it is not an intentional mistake. Therefore, it should be corrected with a root wash.
In conclusion, washing is necessary so that the plants have a good flavor that differentiates them from the rest of the poor harvests that beginners usually make. The smell and taste of marijuana should not be missed by a mistake as silly and novice as not cleaning the roots. For this reason, We recommend that you try this method in order to increase the quality of your harvest.. If you think about it coldly, it is a step that hardly takes time and resources and that can give you many joys.
If the leaves are too green or you have observed that you have passed when fertilizing, it is time to do a good wash. Yes indeed, if you do it indoors, try to do it in the bathtub or shower since you are going to move a lot of water and there is no reason that we know of why drilling your neighbor’s roof is good news.
Be careful with the EC of the water outdoors that comes out of your hose is not going to be that you are not washing, but enriching the substrate, so measure it before you start watering.
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