BarG's 2012- second season Grow Log

[SmokeStack]

SmokeStack, I tilled a new area for this years patch that was mostly bahaia grass and very few weeds to begin with. I tilled several times . Its hard to break up the bahaia because it will keep coming back, but when its tilled a few times with little or no rain it dies out pretty good. Plus I was lucky. I will need a good cover crop this fall or it will be full of weeds next year.

Since this is my first year, I was tilling virgin ground, so I ended up buying a nice Cub Cadet - but it was still back-breaking work since the sandy soil is full of sand stones that kept jamming the tiller every three feet or so. But the new tiller worked great and I had to till the ground only twice. The tines went 7 inches deep so when I walked on the tilled soil, my feet sank into the ground. I bought a 54 inch lawn roller (that attaches to my riding mower) to level and compact the ground.

I placed a weed barrier between rows and that was helpful, but expensive and time consuming. I used landscaping pins to hold down the barrier but strong winds ripped the barrier from the ground. So I ordered 10 yards of sand and spread it around the edges - that seemed to keep the barrier into place. (I miscalculated - 10 yards was much more than I needed!). I put so much time, effort and money into my plots so I am leaving the barrier in the ground for next year. After harvesting this year, I am going to pullout the remaining stalks and roots - then plant next year's seedling in the same place. It's the simplest way to go but I am worried if I plant my tobacco plants in the same position every year, I will eventually deplete the soil's nutrients. I will have to cross that road when I get there.

It was a lot of work but at least next year, it should be much easier!

 

[Brown Thumb]

I have had it with weeds!! and used a mulch barrier plastic this year. I am going to Buy or Build a Mulch Layer for next year.
I did the same thing and it blew up no matter how many rocks , spikes ect. I put down.
I bailed out on 500 plants due to weeds in the lower garden.

 

[Boboro]

Most years i put down newspaper and put oak leaves on top. This year it got to hot to fast and I didnt' get much paper down so I had to weedeat it. hope dust dont taste to bad.

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Tim, since that Golden Wilt didn't want to grow in Texas I will send you a sample once it cures out, getting closer every day. I don't know if I planted too much or too little, about 20 plants made it to maturity. Several were blowdowns and I lost some of that leaf but there is going to be enough to share.

 

[Chicken]

Chicken, You need to get your wife or kids to describe it to you in detail.

Its getting to where I can smell the curing tobacco from a long ways off.

in the, past when ive toasted some baccy,

my woman told me it smelled like bacon,

so her words, fall on deaf ears,here,

 

[BarG]

in the, past when ive toasted some baccy,

my woman told me it smelled like bacon,

so her words, fall on deaf ears,here,

Considering I eat bacon every morning I imagine you can always relate to that in my house. Try sending them outside in your cure area and see their reaction.

 

[BarG]

I spent last weekends free hours practicing my hand tying on all my cured leaves from several different varietys. Most everything had the stem I'd say 90%-to-100% cured. It was fun. I hung all the tied hands indoors in a large unclimatized area fully enclosed to finish out for a while before deciding long term storage. It was a perfect weekend for it cause it rained saturday and the humidity made the leaves exceptionaly easy to handle. This afternoon they were crisp but will be barely pliable by morning. I wish I could use this area for my initial drying area.

 

[BarG]

The tines went 7 inches deep so when I walked on the tilled soil, my feet sank into the ground. I bought a 54 inch lawn roller (that attaches to my riding mower) to level and compact the ground.

!

Smokestack, After the whole growing season you still sink a bit when you walk in the harvested actual rows in mine. I am not sure if I would reccomend compacting before planting. The way the rows on mine were oriented just walking between rows compacted enough to give me a couple inches of raised row. drainage was no problem. I think the fluffier soil holds water better and oxygen. My uneducated opinion on the subject, I don't know if its right but it seems right. If Weeds were hurting me I would do most anything to make my life easier. I left enough room to till between rows a couple inches deep till the plant spreads got to big. Best of luck on next years grow. For every one.

 

[SmokeStack]

Smokestack, After the whole growing season you still sink a bit when you walk in the harvested actual rows in mine. I am not sure if I would reccomend compacting before planting. The way the rows on mine were oriented just walking between rows compacted enough to give me a couple inches of raised row. drainage was no problem. I think the fluffier soil holds water better and oxygen. My uneducated opinion on the subject, I don't know if its right but it seems right. If Weeds were hurting me I would do most anything to make my life easier. I left enough room to till between rows a couple inches deep till the plant spreads got to big. Best of luck on next years grow. For every one.

After tilling the ground was very, very lumpy - so I decided to smooth it down with a roller. I rolled the first two patches several times and the ground was as hard as concrete. For the rest of my patches, I made only one pass. That seemed to workout much better. I think that I was lucky because my soil is very sandy and drains well. If the soil was like black top soil, I would have gotten into trouble.

As far as weeds go, I have the barrier stapled to the ground between rows. This gives me a one foot wide row to plant my tobacco. The weeds that I get grows in the small space between plants. I was thinking of using Preen next year - that's the easiest way. But I would like to limit any chemical treatments and since my tobacco eventually towers over the weeds, it may not be necessary - but it sure looks nice to have a tidy patch.

Good luck with your curing - you're almost there!

 

[BarG]

Does your cub cadet have a forward tine tilling. { rear tine tiller with forward till]

My craftsman is a rear tine tiller with a forward tine till action for manicuring and leveling. If you walk to the side when your done it looks as if it was leveled and raked. If you hit something hard you best hang on.

 

[Tom_in_TN]

" I was thinking of using Preen next year" Whoa, Nellie!!! SmokeStack, sure hope you talk yourself out of doing that. Keep using the ground cover barrier since that keeps the majority of weeds at bay. Plant Crimson Clover in the fall, chop it down in the spring and till it in 30 days prior to planting. You will do OK.

BarG, I have the same rear tine, forward action tiller and if I hit something hard, I let go of it and stay out of danger. It can get scary when you hit that immovable object (rock or root). Using those tillers does leave a nice looking garden.

Hey, got my MCX in the barn curing and most of the Hue. They are great looking plants and I am looking forward to getting 'em cured and smokable. Thanks a bunch for sending me the seeds.

 

[BarG]

" I was thinking of using Preen next year" Whoa, Nellie!!! SmokeStack, sure hope you talk yourself out of doing that. Keep using the ground cover barrier since that keeps the majority of weeds at bay. Plant Crimson Clover in the fall, chop it down in the spring and till it in 30 days prior to planting. You will do OK.

BarG, I have the same rear tine, forward action tiller and if I hit something hard, I let go of it and stay out of danger. It can get scary when you hit that immovable object (rock or root). Using those tillers does leave a nice looking garden.

Hey, got my MCX in the barn curing and most of the Hue. They are great looking plants and I am looking forward to getting 'em cured and smokable. Thanks a bunch for sending me the seeds.

I smoked an mcx last week and was very pleased. My primed Huehuetenago is curing fast but im stalk curing all but the bottom most lugs as with my mcx[MCB]. The hht thinks its still in the ground and the leaves on the upper 1/3 of the stalk are still spread out looking for some sun. That havana 425 had a half dozen hands tied this weekend ,I made big hands, I'm giving them a couple few weeks low humidity before saying if there done. A fine looking thin large leaf. Lower lugs so far.

 

[johnlee1933]

Does your cub cadet have a forward tine tilling. { rear tine tiller with forward till]

My craftsman is a rear tine tiller with a forward tine till action for manicuring and leveling. If you walk to the side when your done it looks as if it was leveled and raked. If you hit something hard you best hang on.

There's so much rock here that hand power tilling is a joke. It's just a question of what you break -- the machine, your wrist or a tooth.


John

 

[leverhead]

There's so much rock here that hand power tilling is a joke.

There's some things I miss about New England, allot that I don't.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I till it to a nice fluffy consistency and don't use any cover. The weeds that do grow can just be raked out because the taproots don't have any purchase.

 

[Chicken]

you guys would love my florida soil/

so sandy, yet holds water nicelly,

 

[wazzappenning]

yeah that preen might not be a good idea. i planted tomatoes one year and after a bit i fertilized them. the stalks grew all crooked and leathery looking. after googling the situation, i realized it was because i accidentally used weed and feed. since our plants are related to tomatoes i would stay far far away from weed killer.

i used one sheet thick of newspaper with grass clippings on it that worked fairly well. where i didnt use paper and just clippings, it didnt go so well.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I had read about lasagna gardens with many layers of newspaper, green and brown. Saw some nice looking gardens. Think it's way less work to till though.

 

[BarG]

I had read about lasagna gardens with many layers of newspaper, green and brown. Saw some nice looking gardens. Think it's way less work to till though.

Tilling, plowing, They are tried and true methods. Basicly turning the soil. Breaking new ground a good mule could turn some rows damn near as fast as a small tractor. I'd almost be willing to spend the money to feed a good working mule. As it is I'm feeding Sears to pay for my new tiller.

 

[Steve2md]

I was actually considering raised beds....