Impressive mycology discussion happening here. It's way over my head.
Bob
Bob
dubhelix 2019 grow
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Moth
Well-Known Member
Did you choose the Stropharia because its a Nematophagous fungi ? Always found it fascinating they harvest nitrogen from nedatodes via a lasso!
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
I chose the SRA because it is aggressive, robust, and adaptable. It has a pretty well established track record for enhancing row crops, and doesn’t mind having its mycelia disrupted a bit. It can be easy to transplant to fresh substrate and manufactures humus quickly.
Also...it makes big giant mushrooms, and that amuses me.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
I see some of y’all growing big healthy plants all the time, but I’ve had some struggles in years past. Happily, this year’s grow is a pleasant surprise, and I think the biological method is proving its worth to me.
The plants are healthier and more robust than any I’ve grown before. Photos never seem to capture the size of a big leaf very well. Oh well.
I decided to pull out the two sick plants, and when I dug into the mulch layer, I found it to be chock-full of vigorous mycelium, so that’s good.
I’m going to re-apply the Bt, which seems to be working well. I pick off a half dozen green bug eggs every morning. Yesterday I was out in the patch at dusk, and I witnessed the giant moth fly in and lay an egg on a leaf. Impressive bug! I tried to knock him out if the air with the spray from my hose, but she was able to climb out of range. Maybe the bats will get her.
The plants are healthier and more robust than any I’ve grown before. Photos never seem to capture the size of a big leaf very well. Oh well.
I decided to pull out the two sick plants, and when I dug into the mulch layer, I found it to be chock-full of vigorous mycelium, so that’s good.
I’m going to re-apply the Bt, which seems to be working well. I pick off a half dozen green bug eggs every morning. Yesterday I was out in the patch at dusk, and I witnessed the giant moth fly in and lay an egg on a leaf. Impressive bug! I tried to knock him out if the air with the spray from my hose, but she was able to climb out of range. Maybe the bats will get her.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
Oh yeah. It’s even more lush under the big healthy plants. More shade I guess.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
The mycelial mat under these guys is 2-5” deep. It stays slightly moist under the mulch, and it’s 99.99% weed free. I certainly don’t think the ramial mulch or mycelium is hurting the plants.
The ramial mulch allows for ample air and water penetration, unlike bagged mulches I’ve purchased in the past that stunted soil life and smothered everything.
C:N ratios or something.
The ramial mulch allows for ample air and water penetration, unlike bagged mulches I’ve purchased in the past that stunted soil life and smothered everything.
C:N ratios or something.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
Well, by the end of this week it’ll be 6 weeks since transplanting. Buds are showing, and I think vegetative growth has peaked. Hopefully the ligero develops and ripens well. I’ve had trouble in past years with the dank sticky top leaves staying succulent and then composting during color cure.
The best specimen (though they’re all pretty similar) is only about 30-32” tall, with the tenth-ish leaf measuring 22” x 16”, and averaging about 21 leaves per plant.
I’m surprised by their short stature, but I don’t think it’s impacted overall yield.
I’m going to let at least two go to seed. Keeping the landrace going is as important to me as the leaf. Shouldn’t need bud bags, I don’t think anyone else is growing leaf of this side of the mountain.
I rubbed off the little suckers, and will top most of them tomorrow. Sticky, sticky stuff. Turned my fingertips black in short order.
Hopefully I have enough warm weather left to ripen and cure the leaf. I may have to build a curing box or chamber of some sort, we’ll see.
The best specimen (though they’re all pretty similar) is only about 30-32” tall, with the tenth-ish leaf measuring 22” x 16”, and averaging about 21 leaves per plant.
I’m surprised by their short stature, but I don’t think it’s impacted overall yield.
I’m going to let at least two go to seed. Keeping the landrace going is as important to me as the leaf. Shouldn’t need bud bags, I don’t think anyone else is growing leaf of this side of the mountain.
I rubbed off the little suckers, and will top most of them tomorrow. Sticky, sticky stuff. Turned my fingertips black in short order.
Hopefully I have enough warm weather left to ripen and cure the leaf. I may have to build a curing box or chamber of some sort, we’ll see.
drinkthekoolaid
Well-Known Member
Gorgeous plants!
Moth
Well-Known Member
Very nice
GreenDragon
Moderator
Lush!
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
They ARE!
Super lush! I’m crediting the biodynamic approach I tried this year. I’m really sold on its efficacy.
Here’s a “control” plant from the same seed tray, planted on the same day, but in a 5-gallon sized clay hole in the upper orchard. It got some soil amendments and basic foliar feeding, but no compost tea or myceliated mulch.
It’s pretty pathetic, but not unusual for how Red Front has grown for me in the past when planted in less favorable locations and poorer soils.
The happy plants in the main bed are probably ten times as big by weight.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
Comparative photo I shoulda used in the last post.
I am seeing similar results with mulching and surface composting, the only thing I wonder is how the resulting tobacco will taste, how much leaf/plant size will impact tobacco quality.
I don't know if big plants equals best flavor.
I think it will depend on the type of tobacco.
It might be good for cigar strains (who loves rich soils), but not good for orientals, will it be good for bright leaves ?
I grew some oriental strains with fertilization and water, and the results were stronger, but not at all as good as with small plants (with no fertilization and no water).
I don't know if big plants equals best flavor.
I think it will depend on the type of tobacco.
It might be good for cigar strains (who loves rich soils), but not good for orientals, will it be good for bright leaves ?
I grew some oriental strains with fertilization and water, and the results were stronger, but not at all as good as with small plants (with no fertilization and no water).
Forgive my unflattering comments.
If you look at the final photo in your post from last night, the bud head does not appear healthy. The small leaves are rumpled and stunted. Compare those top leaves to those in your subsequent photos.
I would not regard a 30" tall tobacco plant as well-grown. Try committing a sin next season, and add a low-chloride 10:10:10 vegetable fertilizer to a small bed of identical plants to the ones you grow in your "custom" soil mixture.
Vegetative growth continues until the budding stalk (crow foot) has fully elongated. If you plan to save seed, bag the plant just before the first blossom opens. Insect cross-pollination can occur over a distance of 1/2 to 1 mile.
Bob
If you look at the final photo in your post from last night, the bud head does not appear healthy. The small leaves are rumpled and stunted. Compare those top leaves to those in your subsequent photos.
I would not regard a 30" tall tobacco plant as well-grown. Try committing a sin next season, and add a low-chloride 10:10:10 vegetable fertilizer to a small bed of identical plants to the ones you grow in your "custom" soil mixture.
Vegetative growth continues until the budding stalk (crow foot) has fully elongated. If you plan to save seed, bag the plant just before the first blossom opens. Insect cross-pollination can occur over a distance of 1/2 to 1 mile.
Bob
I agree with Bob, the plant mentionned has some strangely shaped top leaves, it may be infected by some virus or another disease or it's some deficiency.
Can you check your plants to see how this particular plant compares to other plants in the same row ?
(and save seeds from the healthiest of your plants)
Can you check your plants to see how this particular plant compares to other plants in the same row ?
(and save seeds from the healthiest of your plants)
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
It’s true, the top leaves of this, and several other plants are curled inward and have “burnt” tips. I don’t know yet what the problem is with that, but I’d like to figure it out. Maybe I burnt them with one of the sprays? All of the plants in this bed have the same issue to varying degrees. I’ll take your fertilizer recommendation under advisement.
Other years, including last year (from which this years’ Seed was taken) the Red Front has grown to 4-5’, however, it had the same number (22ish) of smaller leaves, so I’m not sure what value to put on plant height, specifically, other than an easily recognizable sign of plant vigor.
I wonder if waiting until May 15 to start seed and transplanting at the solstice had an effect on the growth cycle. Pretty late start, i think. I imagine it would, but I don’t know. If it all times out well, and yields good leaf, then I’ll be a happy camper.
Bob (and anyone else), I’d be happy to send out some seed packets if you’d like to grow a plant or two just to see how it manifests under various conditions, though I know most of you have already got your hands full with a lot of varieties.
Other years, including last year (from which this years’ Seed was taken) the Red Front has grown to 4-5’, however, it had the same number (22ish) of smaller leaves, so I’m not sure what value to put on plant height, specifically, other than an easily recognizable sign of plant vigor.
I wonder if waiting until May 15 to start seed and transplanting at the solstice had an effect on the growth cycle. Pretty late start, i think. I imagine it would, but I don’t know. If it all times out well, and yields good leaf, then I’ll be a happy camper.
Bob (and anyone else), I’d be happy to send out some seed packets if you’d like to grow a plant or two just to see how it manifests under various conditions, though I know most of you have already got your hands full with a lot of varieties.
GreenDragon
Moderator
The same is true when growing culinary herbs. High fertilizer & water gives lush growth but weak flavored plants. Low fertilizer and light watering stresses the plants and stimulates the production of flavor compounds.
Thanks for the offer of seed. Unfortunately, I'll have to decline.
Bob
Bob
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