FantomBadger's First Attempt at Tobacco

[FantomBadger]

Getting same late germination from the second tray.

I’ve put both in a tent underneath about 500 PPFD. In cell soil temp is at 24°c. Have a small fan blowing through and I’m leaving the tent open. I will check tonight how temps are affected.

Broadleaf is getting it’s first true leaves, just starting now.

I managed to get 2000 Olar seeds so going to plant those in about 2-3 weeks as well. Looking for 40 plants in total.

 

[StoneCarver]

Do you plan to later use your grow chamber as a kiln?

 

[FantomBadger]

Do you plan to later use your grow chamber as a kiln?

I didn’t think of it, maybe I will. I am considering so other experiments within the tent as well.

I love that tent, should’ve gotten one a lot earlier. I am going to try and grow normal mushrooms as well.

Update, plants looking healthy. Nice strong, short and fat, seedlings. True leaves emerging with vigour. Struggling tray is coming along as well. They seem to do a lot better since being in the tent. No heating in the tent. I have an inline fan at the bottom pulling air from outside to inside. I’ll start circulating more air once they are bigger.

The other 6 cells are CGN 21500 chilies. It is essentially a “mild” habanero.

EDIT: really bad germination on the mapacho and burley rows.

 

[The Haroo ln]

I have a very similiar grow tent to yours. I germinate my seeds in there every year. I also cured some of my piloto in there last year and it cured quite nicely and faster than it normally would when air curing in my shed. I am also debating with the idea of using it as a fermentation kiln if my grow gets to big. They are a very versatile thing to have.

Below is a pic my piloto leaves in the tent last year

 

[WillQuantrill]

Color is well balanced. Good job sir.

 

[FantomBadger]

The most and biggest seedlings I’ve ever had, so I am pretty pleased. I’ll try and sort out the crowded cells this weekend.

Fortunately I have enough emergence in my mixed tray to nit have to do another batch. I do want to do 48 cells of Olor when I get back.

 

[FantomBadger]

Quick update. They are really taking off now.

So nice when they work. I want to sort out that crowded cells this weekend. I have been quite busy at work and would like to do this in the morning around 11, not too soon to evening and fat enough from evening.

I am almost ready to start the Olor Dominicano seeds.

 

[FantomBadger]

I knew this 3 weeks ago, but I waited too long to sort out the crowded cells. It’s not too crowded any more and I’m sure I’ll save a few plants in the process.

Still by far the best effort and I’m excited to roll and smoke these in 2 odd years.

 

[FantomBadger]

I’m going to have to plant out into bags in the next week. I have not start feeding yet so the yellowing of some leaves are most likely nitrogen deficiency or seedlings that have been planted over.

The top tray, first row cells 5 and 6 is mapacho. Interesting little plants, lots of smaller leaves.

Overall still happy. Will feed tomorrow with a 5:1:4 and a very low strength kelp concentrate. I’ll add calmag later.

 

[FantomBadger]

Tray looks so sad now, but for good reason. The seedlings left is backups that might be discarded. Settling on 30 broadleafs, 30 from the mixed tray and will also get 30 from the planned Olor grow. They are getting germinated this weekend, so 90 plants in total.

I met a tobacco grower this weekend that offered, after some adult beverages, that I can cure my leaves in his barn. He laughed when I said I have about 100 plants planned and said there will be plenty of space.

They are going outside today, but shaded sun for the first few days.

 

[FantomBadger]

Wow. The difference is incredible. I water every morning for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes is done, leftover water is discarded from the tray.

 

[FantomBadger]

Finished the tobacco field got worked through and finished yesterday. Will work some newer plant matter in to give the soil some air, it’s not clay, but doesn’t seem loomy enough. Aeration and organic matter will help. My other vegetables ia doing ok though in the same soil.



The broadleafs will be going in, I am leaving the other mixed plants another few days. I left them too long in seedling trays, but they’ll be ok. They have been fed once and took the nutrients well.



If I get to it, I want to apply a basal fertilizer, but we’ll see. I am at the very least going to dip the roots in a kelp mix and add mycorrhiza to the planting holes.

 

[johnny108]

High phosphorus levels in transplant water helps give rapid early growth. (https://www.arec.vaes.vt.edu/conten...lue-cured-production-guide/Complete Guide.pdf. Page 30 of the document/36 of the pdf file)

 

[FantomBadger]

Quick update. Sowed the Olor Dominicano seeds. I’m looking for 60 plants, let’s see how it goes. I am probably going to have some excess broadleaf, burley and Virginia seedlings. Good problem to have. Timings will just be a week or 2 out.


29.2 C° and 99% humidity. I did give the surface a light hypochlorous acid misting before sowing. It didn’t do any harm the previous time, and I didn’t have a single plant dampening off, so I’m sticking with the method.

Also planted the broadleafs out today, 30 plants. Will probably increase to 40 by the end, I’ll keep the extra 10 as reserve. On that, are there any reason to attempt to grow those 10 plants in semi shade?

Holes made, compost mixed in with soil 1:3. About 2 hand fulls per hole. Roots dipped in the kelp mix and planted.

Kelp mix’s macro and micros,

Applied at the 1% recommendation for tobacco, so I did 40ml in 4liters. They were drenched in the mix this morning when watered and the rest was used to dip the roots in when transplanted.

Here they are,



When they survived the first two days I’ll breathe again.

 

[StoneCarver]

I didn’t have a single plant dampening off

I spray a good bit of hydrogen peroxide on the seedling soil when I sow the seeds. Some people will pasteurize their seedling soil by zapping it in a microwave. I don't have a microwave so I use hydrogen peroxide. Some people do both.

 

[FantomBadger]

Battle with birds are starting. I’m going to do bright things and then see what I can do to keep them away. Nets if really necessary, I have excess seedlings so have some insurance.

I’m going to apply Beauveria and Metarhizium tomorrow. I am definitely going to have some issues from pests coming from my other vegetables. Also planting the last packs of Marigolds I have and garlic. Don’t know how much they’ll do, but at least they’re pretty to look at as well.

If I see an infestation and need to terminate, I will get lambda or confidor.

Nothing much to show, some wilting on plants as expected, I am waiting for a bounce back soon. I did not dry them off long enough when hardening and it is showing.

Please comment if something is off in my thinking. I’m learning as I’m going.

Half of them look ok to me already, I’ll see how they bounce back after tomorrow morning’s watering. Tobacco growing is difficult. And I’m not even at the curing etc etc yet. I’m doing ok with germination and establishing seedlings before planting out.

 

[FantomBadger]

Looking much better today, they won’t all be perfect, that’s why I’m planting a lot more than I need. I wanted to do 100 odd plants and going to end up with 180 odd when done.



I’m apparently breaking records with my tobacco, the wrong ones. Would’ve loved to stick to bios, but I need to nuke the beds now. Tonight I’ll apply lambda at 1ml per 10l and use about 20l on both my beds combined. Going to water thoroughly, replant plants that have been destroyed and then apply the lambda by knapsack.

Hopefully see a decrease, other wise I’ll cup some more lambda around the plants. The plants will be left completely for 24 hours after tonight's watering and lambda application, for safety purposes. Hopefully tomorrow is not very hot and some clouds will be welcomed.



Below found in the vicinity of 30 plants, so a 25% odd infestation rate.

 

[FantomBadger]

Quick update, the lamda is doing its thing.



New plants, the mixed batch went into soil last night and the broadleaf batch is looking good. Some plants are still a bit small, but we’ll nurse them.





I’ve found for us batches of 30 works nicely. 30 200ml bags fits nicely in 2 baskets. I put the whole basket into a tub for them to drench from the bottom.

The Olor has started germinating. Very good germination rate across the whole tray.



Next batch of 30 broadleafs will be planted on Tuesday or Wednesday then I’m done for a while until it is time for the Olor to be planted out in seedling bags. They will then go into 20l bags, 5 gallon bags, as I’m not going to be able to finish them before moving. We’ll see how it goes, but currently I’m looking at keeping 100-120 Olor plants.

I’m loving this journey. I’m very fortunate, due to my time in the fertilizer industry, to have met a good amount of very knowledgeable people, agronomists and commercial tobacco farmers, that are coaching me through the process as well.

 

[FantomBadger]

Last plants are in, the Olor will go into 20l bags when ready and maybe replanted later in the season at our new house. Moving them is going to be a challenge, we’ll cross the bridge when we get there.

My 3 year old inspecting the bed,



Spacing is supposed to be 80x80. It looks a bit tight to my eye. We’ll do it differently next time. I want more space between plants so thinking of doing 2 rows at 80x80 and then a gap of 120 to the next two rows. I’ll experiment, ask and do some reading as well.

Olor’s are ready to go into the grow tent. Dome is coming off tonight and tomorrow they’ll get fresh UV light and nice airflow for breakfast.




All cells have germinated, 3 cells look empty, but they are just a bit slow. I think my finger sowing is improving, a lot more consistent across cells as the previous times, but we’ll see what they look like in a week.

I’m starting to plan my fertilizer program. I need to see if I can get K Mag in small quantities. So far I’m here, need to get some inputs please. I want the nitrogen to be very forward with LAN, low phosphate application with single super phos and SOP towards end.


Thank you.

 

[FantomBadger]

I placed my order for my biologicals today, I worked on recommendation, what pests and diseases I’m likely to encounter here and research. May the good people at North Carolina State be blessed and continue doing the great work. Unfortunately with times changing the new resources are getting less and less.

The order, (below is AI generated, I am not even going to attempt to write these names)

1. Delfin WG — (100 g)
The caterpillar killer. Active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki, a naturally occurring soil bacterium. Caterpillars (budworm, leafminers' larval stage, hornworm types) have to eat sprayed leaf, and the Bt toxins shut down their gut within hours. They stop feeding almost immediately and die within a day or two. Only works on caterpillars, harmless to bees, ladybirds, earthworms, and you.

2. Eco-Bb — (40 g)
The insect-fungus. Active ingredient is Beauveria bassiana strain R444, a fungus that infects insects through their skin on contact. Spores land on the pest, germinate, grow into the insect, and kill it over a few days. Registered against whitefly, red spider mite, leafminer, Tuta absoluta, mealybug, and more. Fun fact: this strain was isolated from soil in Clanwilliam, so it's adapted to hot, dry South African conditions. Spray in the evening, UV kills the spores.

3. Double Nickel 55 — (100 g)
The disease shield. Active ingredient is Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain D747 — a beneficial bacterium that colonises the leaf surface, outcompetes pathogens for space and food, and produces natural antifungal/antibacterial compounds. Foliar spray against things like frogeye, powdery mildew, and bacterial leaf spots. This is my preventative layer — sprayed before disease shows up, at the 4–5 week mark and again before topping. Studies on tobacco have shown Bacillus-based products performing on par with chemical fungicides for several tobacco diseases.

4. Eco-T — (40 g)
The root-zone bodyguard. Active ingredient is Trichoderma asperellum, a beneficial fungus that lives around roots, attacks soil pathogens like Fusarium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia (the damping-off and root-rot gang), and stimulates root growth. Goes on as a soil drench. I’m a bit late with this and might not use it on my current planted seedlings, but will apply it when I transplant the Olor.

I really hope to get them in good condition. Going to try my best to keep temps down during transport.

Photo updates,

Broadleaf 1,




Mixed field,




Broadleaf 2,



Mixed got its first 6-1-3 application.

I have managed to source LAN, MAP and SOP so fertilizer for the season is sorted as well.

I guess we now wait.