Bottenslam
Well-Known Member
That is an great looking plant
Tobaccofieldsforever 2023 Grow Log
- Thread starter Tobaccofieldsforever
- Start date
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
Thank you. Here it is today. Too wet to weed right now (we needed it though)
The potatoes took off too!!
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
From left to right:
Row1:golden burley, row2 & row3: African red (my f4 hybrid (bright leaf the variety x local green stem burley) finishing out row 3), row 4: Prilep. Slightly out of frame rows of MD609, harrow velvet and Virginia gold (a variety that has grown on me. Sun cured VA gold has been as good as some flue cured Virginia varieties I have tried).
Row1:golden burley, row2 & row3: African red (my f4 hybrid (bright leaf the variety x local green stem burley) finishing out row 3), row 4: Prilep. Slightly out of frame rows of MD609, harrow velvet and Virginia gold (a variety that has grown on me. Sun cured VA gold has been as good as some flue cured Virginia varieties I have tried).
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
This green stem burley from local farmers market (purchased 2 years ago) grows some great big, wide floppy leaves that almost seem too big for the plant. They sustain a good bit of damage from catching so much wind…
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
My Prilep seems to be growing larger leaves than I remember. Seems a bit leggier too. I think I may have planted them too far apart (gave them about a foot but now I see it was more like a foot and a half) also had a very dry season. I hope they turn out ok because I am about out of Prilep and like it very much! They can be seen in row 4 of above picture…
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
Today I noticed this otherwise healthy golden burley plant partially dying. Looks like some kind of disease/ rot in the main stalk. Is there any action I can/should take (salvaging the dying leaves, cutting parts off etc…) or should I just leave it be?
It could be a cutworm. The one time I found one it was just below the soil near the stalk after searching for it in the evening. I lost one or two plants. They can get inside the stalk and tunnel around a bit or cut the stalk down.
tobacco.ces.ncsu.edu
edit: they are hard to spot. They are close to the color of your soil.
Insects - Cutworms - Tobacco Growers Information | NC State Extension
Biology A number of cutworm species are present in North Carolina and can potentially feed on tobacco. These include the variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), and…
edit: they are hard to spot. They are close to the color of your soil.
I agree that it looks like a disease. I'm inclined to do nothing with an isolated plant that is affected. The dead/dying leaves will probably not cure well, so you might top that plant just below the affected leaves.
Bob
Bob
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
Should I be concerned about it spreading and get rid of the entire plant immediately?
Could be Phytothora sp; could be Erwinia sp; could be a stalk borer; could be Tobacco Vein Mottling Virus, and probably a few other afflictions. A regional Ag agent might be able to diagnose it. Many of the isolated infections of plants are transmitted only by specific insects early in the growing season, and the infections do not seem to spread to neighboring plants (other than tobacco brown spot fungus). I would guess that @BigBonner would recommend yanking and burning the plant—just in case. Since I have no major financial investment at stake, I usually do nothing. Over the years, I have seen probably more than a dozen different plant pathogens/pests, but they seem to occur randomly, and seldom recur. Rotating the tobacco beds to a non-solanaceous veggie for a year or three is best practice, but often not practical. The greatest threat seems to be the unique burden of those planting massive monocultures of tobacco.
Bob
Bob
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
The rain has helped but still a dry season.
@Tobaccofieldsforever what's your method for sun curing that VA?
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
I color cure it in stacks that I then wrap in a terry cloth towel and a canvas drop cloth (for painting…I forget the size but they are large) takes a few days but you can check it and rotate the leaves every day or other day. Once at least half of all the lamina on each leaf has yellowed I simply hang them outside in a spot of my yard that gets the most sun possible. They are done once the main stem snaps like a twig. That is my current method because I have had trouble putting a fully green leaf directly into the sun even after wilting it in the shade. They usually flash dry green or mostly green if put directly into the sun. The stacks are usually at least 15 leaves but if you try this method you will get a feel for how many you can do and still close the towel/cloth combo. Placing the wrapped leaves in ambient outdoor conditions is ideal but I have found The hotter the faster they yellow. I have had stacks yellow in 24 hours in a hot car. They will “sweat” and there will be a good amount of moisture in between the leaves but as long as you don’t let them go too long I have never had any issues with mold (unless I forget about them and they sit too long).
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
For some reason I thought 12” was the proper amount of space for basma type orientals and planted them at that distance this season. I put them at about 8” last year and was very happy with the outcome. I can already tell they are growing larger than I would prefer. What can I expect out of these overly large Prilep leaves? I am disappointed because I was counting on this Prilep crop as I am nearly out of Prilep…oh well.
I have usually planted Prilep 66-9/7 at 12" spacing. It seems more vigorous than actual Basmas.
Bob
Bob
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
Good to know, thank you!
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
My tobacco is doing very nicely:
Unfortunately, my fathers is not doing so well. A very dry season (I watered mine) combined with planting next to corn and potatoes (this would not be an issue with plenty of rain):
Above is the buckeye red that started out so nicely. It is reaching for the sky and very leggy with minimal filling out of top leaves.
His yellow twist bud which again is showing drastic signs of dehydration. Everything needs weeded and suckered as well but that’s what sons are for. Maybe things will turn around. If not, I may have some old buckeye red pics for your book @deluxestogie .
Unfortunately, my fathers is not doing so well. A very dry season (I watered mine) combined with planting next to corn and potatoes (this would not be an issue with plenty of rain):
Above is the buckeye red that started out so nicely. It is reaching for the sky and very leggy with minimal filling out of top leaves.
His yellow twist bud which again is showing drastic signs of dehydration. Everything needs weeded and suckered as well but that’s what sons are for. Maybe things will turn around. If not, I may have some old buckeye red pics for your book @deluxestogie .
That first pic reminds me of a postcard sent to me from the Vuelta Abajo (lacking a smiling grower in a straw hat).
Bob
Bob
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
Thank you! I have put a lot of hours and sweat into it!
