GrowleyMonster's Grow Thread, 2023

[GrowleyMonster]

I just harvested the last of the "grow-back" tobacco that sprouted back up from the stumps, and hanged a final batch of 150 leaves. I sprayed them with a weak solution of spinosad and BT. A few pretty nice leaves among them. Hornworms are starting to appear but I just chopped down all the tobacco again so nothing left for them to eat. Hopefully it won't grow back this time. I want to till the bakky patch and I am undecided what to put there. I really don't have a lot of options until the weather cools down a bit. My okra and jalapeños are bearing still, and they will probably hang on until the end of the year. Both crops are very pest resistant and they love the heat. My boxcar willie tomatoes overall were mildly disappointing. Maybe they will show me some more action later in the year. My tobacco seedlings all died before they got much over an inch tall. I am losing my enthusiasm for a second crop this year. I liked how it came out planting nice and early, harvesting in April and May. I will wait and plant next February again. I think just the Moldovan 456 and the Piloto Cubano.

 

[deluxestogie]

Keep an eye out. Tobacco hornworms will happily eat tomatoes and peppers—even hot ones. I think they also eat eggplant, though I've never seen that.

Bob

 

[GrowleyMonster]

So I gave away a good deal of the crop, worms got a bunch while it was hanging, fdslk razm frazm dag durn gnabbit. Anyway this is most of what's left. I did not grow a late crop due to severe drought conditions. Anyway this is enough for me.


Another shot. Front and center are some rather nice looking leaves from the Moldovan 456. It ended up looking quite nice, and the Monte Calme Yellow, too.


I just now rolled up three small imperfectos with the 456 for wrapper, Piloto Cubano binder, and stem cured Piloto filler. I will give one a try tomorrow.


So, in January I will set Piloto Cubano, and Moldovan 456 seeds. Still thinking about the Monte Calme Yellow again, as well. The 456 was very productive, the Monte Calme gave me on average slghtly bigger leaves. Both cured to a very light, almost distinctively light, color. I was surprised at how nice the Piloto came out. I was expecting something more like the Habano 2000 or Criollo 98, TBH. I might change my selection for the spring planting, depending on the preliminary taste tests. I figure for filler I can't go far wrong with the Piloto or Habano2k or Criollo98, and I can get some binder leaves from any of those, and I already know I can get nice wrappers from Golden Burley or Connectcut Broadleaf, My ultimate goal is to grow each spring just a handful of plants of a filler and a wrapper variety, each, and as conditions allow, try for a fall crop, too.

So, I know now that in my area I really got to stay on top of the worms, even when it is hanging in the barn. I might build a small kiln. I also want to try some more towel curing. And again, I need to use a little more discipline in labeling. But, my sprouting regimen seems to be spot on, giving me a fairly high germination rate and no drama with separating seedlings that have got their roots tangled together.

I kinda like these bags, BTW.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BGYHH25P

Big, and tough. 20 gallon size, 24" x 32"

 

[GrowleyMonster]

Darn it. Half my Piloto got mold. I gave it too much water to case for aging. I was just going to roll a few more smokes from this year's crop before storing them and I discovered the mold. But meanwhile the garden is all tilled up, and I got plenty of low chloride plant food, and got all my seeds and bags and pots and stuff all ready to go. Tobacco will be more Piloto, Moldovan, and one more wrapper variety, need to do some taste testing before deciding for sure. With only three strains going, things will be more manageable. I will also roll a few from last year's crop for a smoke test. The only thing lacking now is a small water tower where I can let the city water sit a bit, so the chlorine can evaporate before I give it to the tobacco plants.

Also planting more Okra of course, more Castle Dome broccoli, San Marzano tomatoes cause hey, sauce, bok choy, celery, cabbage, radishes, carrots, swiss chard, jalapeños, and that's about it. Just the stuff I had good results with already. Only thing new is the San Marzanos but I think they will do fine. Oh and lettuce.

More good news I suppose. I found a black garbage bag full of early primings, the first few strings I cured. Some might make wrappers. But TBH I am sort of okay with buying high grade CT Shade wrappers and just home growing binder and filler leaf. Final decision after the spring crop. I will try to double crop this year, drought or no drought. That's what my soaker hoses are for.

 

[GrowleyMonster]

Moldovan 456 wrapper, Piloto binder, Piloto filler. 2023 crop. Taste tester before final decision on what to plant next month. Gonna do another the same but with Monte Calme Yellow wrapper. I'm just gonna plant a filler and a wrapper, two strains only, this year, 10 plants of each.