Timing the cationic drench

[Amy Gardner]

High Brix Cats!

It’s been quiet in here a while so I’ll make some noise with a double barrelled post.

First I’m testing out my read on this Critical Mass which is at approximately 23 days in flower - to see if I’m right that it is either ready now, or will be in a week or less - yes?

It’s hella frosty already at 23 days.

The second tangent is kind of another ‘how late is too late?’ question.

I’m growing this in a rasied bed alongside another plant. I knew they would start flower at different times so I had hoped to jag it so that one gets the first CAT late and the other gets it early (right at the start of the window) and that should work.

The only thing is that the other plant took a really long time to start and is about 2 weeks behind.
Here they are side by side (they face the sun at the right side of the pic). The Critical Mass on the right, Candida CD1 on the left.

I’m certain the Candida is at least 2 weeks away from being ready for CAT. Is 2 weeks too long to wait?

I have worked out timing wise that I would still have plenty of time for more Drenches after the CATs before the CM will be harvest ready.

SO I’m really wondering about how long we can stretch the first CAT window.

It’s possible I may not be able to CAT either of them seeing as they ended up so far apart.

So 2 questions
1. If I could CAT, am I right that the CM is ready now or very close?

2. How long could I delay CAT on it, do you good folks reckon. Speculation on this is fine! I’m just curious.

 

[weenmeoff]

I'd say that 1st one is just in the start of the cat window but if it were mine, I'd wait at least a week and 2 weeks should be fine. Stage has done very late cats with great results, like 36 days or so. I've done it too with pretty good results.

 

[Amy Gardner]

@weenmeoff

 

[Amy Gardner]

High folks - just thought I’d follow up and share great post Stoney made in my journal on this question - about CAT drench timing in a rasied bed with multiple strains. Confirms my thought that I have to do them together or not at all.

I've done quite a bit of this, and YES, it can be a mess! When you apply the Cat Drench to the raised bed, even if it's just 'on one side' of it, all plants in the bed will be affected. This has been my experience, so now I just plant cultivars with very similar flowering times, so that when I'm having to Cat Drench one, the worst that happens is I'm a week early with the other plants in the bed--and that's worked out great!

Big fan of raised bed and in-ground growing practices. The kit crushes this, we just gotta remember not to mix a 12 week plant with an 8 weeker next to it. Only similar-flowering times in the same bed! Hope that helps

Also makes a difference how quickly a strain initiates flower after solstice, as to whether CAT drench widows line up.

Most others have concurred that I am in the window with the CMass too, as ween did. I’m happy I got that right

 

[Duggan]

Hi Amy ...your CM is not ready for the CD's yet. Give her another solid two weeks. Imo the best time to give them is right before the explosion period which , for her will be in 2 to 3 weeks......ya ..ya...that sounds late ...cuz it is...but thats wat i have found to work the best....right before the explosion period.You know....those 'wow' days.cheers

 

[Conradino23]

I do it when they got through 3rd week of flowering. With longer flowering strains it might take more to get into perfect window though.

 

[Amy Gardner]

HI folks - update on this challenge to get a crossover in the 2 different Cat Drench windows.

Elsewhere, Duggs told me he likes to do them quite late, during an acceleration in he bud growth (a bud explosion).

Critical Mass is definitely in this explosion period - I noticed a speed up this week and they’ve about doubled in size over 4-5 days

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

So that’s coming up to the ‘getting too late’ mark I would think - looking for input on that.

It’s a little over 5 weeks flowering now. It’s listed as a 6-8 week, and will definitely go the longer here because some low light conditions in the afternoons makes everything go a little slower. I’l definitley let it run 8 weeks.

As for the raised bed partner - it’s not in the window yet.

Candida CD-1 on the left, CM on the right.

RaisedBed-day118-sideview.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

Candida at 22 days flower.

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

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• Amy Gardner
• Mar 10, 2019

I’m not sure I’m going to make it. It’s a very fine line to find. Candida is still days away I think

What are the ill effects of doing it too early or too late? Is that something that’s known? I don’t see it talked about much.

Thanks in advance for any input. I know that lots of folks like to do it at slightly different times to each other and there’s not necessarily straight up answers - so I’m not really asking a straight up question, just canvasssing the different perspectives to help me evidence what to do

 

[TripleBeam]

CAT one side and not the other to see how the CAT works with that strain sprayed and not sprayed.

 

[JustMeds]

Give the CAT to the one that needs it. Then give it to the other when it needs it. Just concentrate the fluid to that plant.

 

[Amy Gardner]

CHeers JMeds & TB

It’s all or none in a raised bed. I should have reported back on this with the responses I got on my journal, sorry about that.

Stoney has grown in raised beds and has a this to say:

I've done quite a bit of this, and YES, it can be a mess! When you apply the Cat Drench to the raised bed, even if it's just 'on one side' of it, all plants in the bed will be affected. This has been my experience, so now I just plant cultivars with very similar flowering times, so that when I'm having to Cat Drench one, the worst that happens is I'm a week early with the other plants in the bed--and that's worked out great!

SO my flowering times weren’t too far apart, but outside things start d=flowering at differnt times and the longer flowering one started suuuper late.

Becasue of other delays, Im only getting to the CATs now so the Candida is perfectly ready, and it will be a super late Cat for the Critical Mass.

What neiko posted to me on this is relevant here too:

The late CAT will give that plant a different taste at harvest. Who knows you might just like that. I've given some long flowering sativas late CAT drenches on purpose, it won't hurt anything and it just might help her finish.

I should have reported back before, my bad

I’ll post back in a week wiht the before and after pics

 

[Darkscotia]

My bcp are loving this 3rd run soil. One of my girls is about to grow above light for frig sakes. About to move them all to bigger tent with my god 9 and 8 citizen cobs for last 5 weeks or less. Think it’s about time to cat drench?

 

[Darkscotia]

Sorry for shitty pictures

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

 

[Neiko]

Sorry for shitty pictures

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

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• Darkscotia
• Mar 23, 2019

You are definitely in the CAT window. It's a preference thing now.

 

[Darkscotia]

Thanks Neiko. That’s what I was thinking as well. Been out for awhile, not so sure about myself these days lol

 

[Duggan]

Not me...i would wait. But like Neiko said, it's a personal thing. I have found that giving the CD's later , , right before the 'explosion period' is optimum . Like Neiko, i have also given a CD shortly before harvest too,....just to see....
Scotia , was talking with Paul a lot these past few days/weeks. Cropmaster will be coming out with 4 different versions of their new Pro series. Very excited about these lights. They are a totally different, very high end commercial grade lighting system very impressive numbers , all round. Also , they have engineered the 'bleaching' out of the spectrum, completely. The more powerful versions require higher ceilings . The strongest , still needs months of testing before it will be released. anyhow , dunno why i started rambling about lights...go figure....

 

[Slowpuffer]

I'm hoping someone can advise me as to when to use the cat drench or drenches, for tomato plant. this is what it looks like now, was watered in with trans drench at planting, maybe 10 days ago. And what am I gaining by using the cat drench, taste, yield , etc. ? I mean, I would think if I just alternated the TDs & the GE drenchs, that I would have more tomato'

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• Slowpuffer
• Jun 14, 2019

Grape tomato

s, than I can consume and since I'd rather spend my limited funds on my pot plants. What happens if I don't use the cat drenches ?? I've got another tomato, called big boy, transplanted same day and it hasn't starting to bloom yet.

 

[Neiko]

I use the CAT drench when I want blossoms. They usually appear a day or so after the CAT. You don't want to use a lot of transplant on them either, stick to growth. If you message Doc on his tomato protocol, I'm sure he'll lay it out for you.

 

[Slowpuffer]

I use the CAT drench when I want blossoms. They usually appear a day or so after the CAT. You don't want to use a lot of transplant on them either, stick to growth. If you message Doc on his tomato protocol, I'm sure he'll lay it out for you.

OK Neiko , and thanks !! I know how busy doc must be, so I'd rather not bother him for such trivial stuff. Unless someone tells me that it changes the end taste, then I'm probably gonna skip the Cats, as i know there will be too many tomatoes with or without the cat !!

 

[JustMeds]

Tomato's like a lot of C also, keeps away the end rot.

 

[Slowpuffer]

Tomato's like a lot of C also, keeps away the end rot.

So, how do I get them more calcium. I know not to use dolimite in kit soil, so I guess that leaves lime stone ? Thanks for the info..