Mr. Ganja,
I'll resume after saying I have a great deal of respect for you and your experience. You have, directly and indirectly, helped me with a number of issues and I've seen you help a lot of others. I don't mean any of this to be mistaken for disrespect.
Shall we resume?
And again- after you have your cutting- what the fuck do you think it CAN do with ANY Nitrogen? It CAN'T use it. Really high residual N can quickly become an overdose. Remember what happens with an overdose? When the cut is made, veg growth IMMEDIATELY stops, and hormones say "oh shit, we have to find water". If there is a high N and low carboydrate content, they WILL, BACKED BY SCIENTIFIC DATA, (a) take longer to root, (b) can produce very weak roots and plants (c) possibly burn up within a couple days (d) just not root at all.
They survive off of the stored carbohydrates much like the seedling lived off it's cotyledons during infancy, while the hormones work to establish a source for water-roots. It's dietary needs shift to more phosphorus use, while needing VERY LITTLE NITROGEN. Apologies for fuckin' you up when I stated " nearly NO nitrogen", to me that translates to "very little nitrogen".
It's not even an arguable subject.
When you flush the mother for a couple of days (in hydro, it only takes 1 day) is no different than flushing a plant before harvest (or do we want to argue that one, too). I don't know that it will actually "draw" anything from the plant, but allows it to metabolize the N that is already in flux. Yes, the mother could have a little bit of lightening of the lower fan leaves, this is NORMAL, and means you're doing it right. After the cut's been made, feed the mother and keep her healthy for the next ones. People ask "won't that stunt growth?" No, though it may slow it's growth ever so slightly, if done properly won't make a noticeable difference. "Will it stress my plant?" No, your plant can very easily hold it's own for a bit on it's stored carbs before it goes into panic and starts stressing - IF SHE'S HEALTHY TO BEGIN WITH!
I agree- there are those who believe that it makes no difference if you flush before harvest. Still, the data doesn't lie.
If you know anything about what you're doing, you know that some breeds are very easy to clone, while other's can be very difficult. Try and clone (NOT using a developed or self-sustained cloning chamber) a sativa dominant F1 or purebreed, taken from a mother that has been fed up until that moment. In fact, take it from an adult female- one that has vegged to her near full potential, and take the cutting from the top or very upper portion of the plant. I'll wager that 1 out of 4 might make it. I can get 100%- usually, not always. With advancements in cloning chambers, I would GUESS that they're pretty nice, and obviously easier. I'm guessing you use one?
If a guy is serious about what he's doing, he'd use one of the best he could afford. However, if he is actually that serious about his grow, he'd learn as much as he could about the process and what/how that takes place, before buying one.
Those serious days are behind me now, but I keep a fresh stash for myself and a couple friends year round. I still use a red solo cup, plastic bag, and a cfl light to clone with. I haven't used willow water in a long time, I graduated to cloning jel, but it still works.
Then again, if your method's working for you- don't change it. Consistency is paramount. But if you get a finicky one that gives you a hard way to go, it's a good time to learn more about the entire process- there's a little more to it than just cutting a piece and sticking it in the chamber. Especially if you don't own/need a chamber!
