AmaxB
Well-Known Member
Amen..........
deluxestogie Grow Log 2013
- Thread starter deluxestogie
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CAUTION: The Deluxestogie General has determined that shaving may be hazardous to your health.
Earlier this afternoon, while I was standing at the bathroom sink, water running, shaving with a little plastic razor, a thunderstorm brewed outside. The dark clouds appeared to be about 10 miles to the south.
As usual, I paused to rinse the razor, and tap it in the sloshing water near the drain. I had barely lifted the razor out of the water when...SNICK!...a spark jumped within the sink. I couldn't tell from what or to what it jumped. A few seconds later, I heard a not particularly loud clap of thunder.
"Holy shit!" I put down the razor, and paced the hall for a moment, repeating, "holy shit!" Then I remembered that my laptop was running, out on the porch. It appeared fine. I unplugged it, closed it, and brought it inside.
On rubbing my chin, I was reminded that I had shaved only half of my face. I went back and finished up (sort of), while touching the water and fixtures as little as possible.
While standing in the bathroom again, I recalled that only two minutes before I saw the spark, I had been sitting on the toilet. I hate to imagine from what or to what a spark there might have jumped.
Bob
Earlier this afternoon, while I was standing at the bathroom sink, water running, shaving with a little plastic razor, a thunderstorm brewed outside. The dark clouds appeared to be about 10 miles to the south.
As usual, I paused to rinse the razor, and tap it in the sloshing water near the drain. I had barely lifted the razor out of the water when...SNICK!...a spark jumped within the sink. I couldn't tell from what or to what it jumped. A few seconds later, I heard a not particularly loud clap of thunder.
"Holy shit!" I put down the razor, and paced the hall for a moment, repeating, "holy shit!" Then I remembered that my laptop was running, out on the porch. It appeared fine. I unplugged it, closed it, and brought it inside.
On rubbing my chin, I was reminded that I had shaved only half of my face. I went back and finished up (sort of), while touching the water and fixtures as little as possible.
While standing in the bathroom again, I recalled that only two minutes before I saw the spark, I had been sitting on the toilet. I hate to imagine from what or to what a spark there might have jumped.
Bob
marksctm
Well-Known Member
That's amazing, and funny as hell at the same time.
Glad you and the boys are o.k.
Glad you and the boys are o.k.
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
It's you're electrifying personality.
It seems from your narrative that charged your batteries for a little while.
It's midway through the growing season for me. I decided to post pics of most of the varieties I'm growing this year (except Machu Picchu, which I'll get next time.
Part 1
The Celikhan is densely planted, but abuts the Mutki, which offers more root space, so in the right photo, you can see the difference in height of the Celikhan row to the left.
Xanthi will all be air-cured. I'll be flue-curing some of the Celikhan, air-curing the rest.
The VA Bright has not grown particularly well this year.
The PA Red is two weeks behind.
Bob
Part 1
The Celikhan is densely planted, but abuts the Mutki, which offers more root space, so in the right photo, you can see the difference in height of the Celikhan row to the left.
Xanthi will all be air-cured. I'll be flue-curing some of the Celikhan, air-curing the rest.
The VA Bright has not grown particularly well this year.
The PA Red is two weeks behind.
Bob
Part 2
These two share a small bed (4 plants of each). The Moonlight has not really gotten going yet.
The Bolivia Criollo Black (from BigBonner) made wonderful pipe tobacco.
Despite being blown over a bit by the wind, both Prilep varieties continue to look promising.
Bob
These two share a small bed (4 plants of each). The Moonlight has not really gotten going yet.
The Bolivia Criollo Black (from BigBonner) made wonderful pipe tobacco.
Despite being blown over a bit by the wind, both Prilep varieties continue to look promising.
Bob
DGBAMA
Well-Known Member
Wish mine looked that good. The Bolivia Criollo leaves look similar to my silver river. Long and arrow shaped.
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
They have really hit their stride haven't they! It looks better each time I see it.
Hazard of Overhanging Weeds
This is my bed of Peruvian Machu Picchu. Although it appears fairly narrow in the above photo, it is 24' long, and nearly 3' wide. The tobacco is planted in two staggered rows. Since the soil is deeply dug, I can not step on it--my foot would sink in. As a result, I have difficulty reaching the margin of it that is against the house foundation, and have not adequately weeded it.
What has grown there is almost entirely grass, and is actually attractive to look at. Although the soil surrounding the nearest tobacco plants is cleared for a circumference of about a foot, the height and droopy nature of the grass has allowed the grass tops to touch the tobacco leaves in the back row.
The result is heavy insect munching damage on the leaves nearest the grass, and virtually none to the other leaves of the plants.
Now the the grass is so tall, I can, with some effort, prop myself against the house, and reach the grass to pull it up.
The moral of the story is that nearby weeds (or grass) that make contact with the tobacco, provide an unguarded path for foraging insects that ordinarily would not hazard climbing the tobacco stalk. No need for insecticides here--only weed management.
Bob
This is my bed of Peruvian Machu Picchu. Although it appears fairly narrow in the above photo, it is 24' long, and nearly 3' wide. The tobacco is planted in two staggered rows. Since the soil is deeply dug, I can not step on it--my foot would sink in. As a result, I have difficulty reaching the margin of it that is against the house foundation, and have not adequately weeded it.
What has grown there is almost entirely grass, and is actually attractive to look at. Although the soil surrounding the nearest tobacco plants is cleared for a circumference of about a foot, the height and droopy nature of the grass has allowed the grass tops to touch the tobacco leaves in the back row.
The result is heavy insect munching damage on the leaves nearest the grass, and virtually none to the other leaves of the plants.
Now the the grass is so tall, I can, with some effort, prop myself against the house, and reach the grass to pull it up.
The moral of the story is that nearby weeds (or grass) that make contact with the tobacco, provide an unguarded path for foraging insects that ordinarily would not hazard climbing the tobacco stalk. No need for insecticides here--only weed management.
Bob
skychaser
Well-Known Member
We are having a thunderstorm here right now. After reading your earlier post, I think I'll skip shaving today. And if I feel nature calling soon, I might use the little wooden guest bath house we have out near the garage. Yikes!
Your Little Dutch plants look fantastic! Way better than mine did. We had a really cold rainy period early that year and they bolted right to flower.
Your Celikan is already much taller than mine got with bigger leaves. I was quite surprised at the difference, especially since that is my seed. Just shows how different locations and weather can affect a plant I guess.
Your Harrow Velvet looks like it is really doing well. Ours is doing really well to this year too. Usually it seems to lag behind the others at first an has starved for nitrogen look early on, which is rather typical for white stemmed burleys. It's my wife's favorite burley so we planted 80 of them this year. Should last her a while.
I wish I had planted more of the Iztepeque this year. That made a really nice smoke and I only have a couple hands left. It's on the "must grow again" list for next year.
I have Moonlight, Magnolia and Florida 17 all growing in rows side by side. They are just about the size of your Moonlight right now and at this stage look nearly identical.
The Prilep you sent me is really taking off now. They are way behind yours but I can already tell they are going to be really nice plants.
Sky
Your Little Dutch plants look fantastic! Way better than mine did. We had a really cold rainy period early that year and they bolted right to flower.
Your Celikan is already much taller than mine got with bigger leaves. I was quite surprised at the difference, especially since that is my seed. Just shows how different locations and weather can affect a plant I guess.
Your Harrow Velvet looks like it is really doing well. Ours is doing really well to this year too. Usually it seems to lag behind the others at first an has starved for nitrogen look early on, which is rather typical for white stemmed burleys. It's my wife's favorite burley so we planted 80 of them this year. Should last her a while.
I wish I had planted more of the Iztepeque this year. That made a really nice smoke and I only have a couple hands left. It's on the "must grow again" list for next year.
I have Moonlight, Magnolia and Florida 17 all growing in rows side by side. They are just about the size of your Moonlight right now and at this stage look nearly identical.
The Prilep you sent me is really taking off now. They are way behind yours but I can already tell they are going to be really nice plants.
Sky
Just wait, I'll post my Çelikhan photos tomorrow. Mines have flower buds with some flowers. They're short but leaves are medium sized and a little thick. I think we growed different looking plants from the same seeds
This is why geographical indication is important in tobacco.
If you spell Celikhan with Ç, some of its energy dribbles out the drain at the bottom, and the plants are smaller. It's simple physics.
Bob
Bob
skychaser
Well-Known Member
Speeling has never been my strong point
leverhead
Well-Known Member
I wished I had known this earlier! I think it's too late to go back and change my drawing, next year is another year.
AmaxB
Well-Known Member
The google Book Tobacco Culture goes into this a bit, soil, water, and etc..Just wait, I'll post my Çelikhan photos tomorrow. Mines have flower buds with some flowers. They're short but leaves are medium sized and a little thick. I think we growed different looking plants from the same seeds
Sense of humour, where're you ? BTW, the correct spelling is Çelikhan.
Three noteworthy events today:
Bob
- I pulled up all the weeds and grass from the back edge of the Machu Picchu bed. A major pain in the butt.
- I identified (and squished) the first hornworm of the season. It was only ~1 cm long. All the plants were carefully inspected for more, and I found none.
- A Manduca moth (hornworm moth) visited my porch this evening. I swatted it down with a heavy duty fly swatter, then pounded it about 10 times against the cement. They don't actually squash and pop like most moths, but instead just flatten. It was too large to then fit into the back grill of a running box fan, but I think it's mostly dead.
Bob
DGBAMA
Well-Known Member
Squished my first one today too.
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