Steve's 2nd outdoor grow

[Stevea]

Hello all. This is my second attempt of growing outdoor and would love as much feed back good or bad as possible. I started my seeds of Corona 99, Piloto Cubano and Criolla 98 in my garage with trays. I used Black Gold seedling mix for the trays and all spectrum lighting for 15hrs a day. I covered them with a plastic done to maintain moisture and sprayed with water maybe every 3 days. Around mid/late Jan is when you could see the seedlings sprouting. About mid/end of Feb I transplanted them into bigger containers.

Around early/mid March I transplanted them outside. I dug a hole and placed fresh soil in it and sprinkled EB Stone Tomato and Veg food fertilizer around the base. I think that this was one of my mistakes and should have used a specific 8-8-5 fertilizer. Also I did check the frost and gradually expose the plants to light over time but I think some became stunted because the ground was too cold. Possibly the soil or maybe the surrounding soil wasn't the best for draining.

Early May was the first topping and when I really noticed that some were stunted. I also found broken irrigation line which fed the plants. This also I believe probably didn't help.

 

[Stevea]

These photos are of now. Im still topping the plants but almost all have been done. I noticed today what looked like a large black Beatle which I tried to grab but then I couldn't find it. Mainly because another mistake I made which was planting too close together. Im also unsure if I have mildew on my leaves or not. I figured its fine to eventually ok to cure the one the Beatle may have gotten into but not the ones with possible mildew. I currently build a drying area of which I plan on stalk curing the tobacco. I think some plants are almost ready.

 

[deluxestogie]

Geographic location?

Bob

 

[Stevea]

Geographic location?

Bob

California east bay. I have been told I have a clay type of soil

 

[deluxestogie]

The plants look reasonably healthy. Don't worry about a beetle (vs. the famous British rock group). The yellow leaf mottling in some of the photos is a sign of maturation.

I would recommend that you contact your local Agricultural Extension Service (Alameda Co. or wherever), and arrange to submit a soil test for future grows. That can provide guidance for managing your soil. As for one specific growing season, the weather in the Bay Area has been quite unusual this year, and likely to continue to be less predictable than in the past decades.

Good luck with your curing. For your next grow, if you post more frequently in your grow log, other forum members may be able to provide timely advice along the way.

Bob

 

[StoneCarver]

I have been told I have a clay type of soil

Right off hand judging from your picture, I'd say it wouldn't hurt to incorporate more compost and mulch into your soil.
My soil is straight up red clay. So, I rely a lot on amending the soil with compost/mulch.