Good timing on the BT. Those tiny hornworms appear to be only about 1 day old. Yesterday, they were innocent newborns.
Bob
Bob
Wruk53 2023 grow log
- Thread starter wruk53
- Start date
wruk53
Well-Known Member
It is a nice place to live if you love to garden. Most years we do not have any freezing weather at all, so you can do some sort of outdoor gardening year-round. The downside is that most of the time it's so hot and humid that you don't feel like doing it.
I had to watch the map, you are living by the mexican gulf, that is great for growing!
I am at the same latitude as Anchorage, we have 39.2°F now. It is great here also, we have a real spring, summer, winter and autumn.
I was in southern europe one winter and it was awful because I am used to having four season.
They had some palm trees there, they looked the same all the time and I felt very strange there because there was no real seasons.
In autumn here the ground is filled with a thick layer of red and brown leaves. The autumn is very beautiful here.
I am at the same latitude as Anchorage, we have 39.2°F now. It is great here also, we have a real spring, summer, winter and autumn.
I was in southern europe one winter and it was awful because I am used to having four season.
They had some palm trees there, they looked the same all the time and I felt very strange there because there was no real seasons.
In autumn here the ground is filled with a thick layer of red and brown leaves. The autumn is very beautiful here.
wruk53
Well-Known Member
Some leaf color curing on the lanai and some coloring in a box. Once it's completely colored it will be moved to the garage for drying. One Sucker colored up pretty good after 4 days in the box. Thompson was a little slower, I may have primed it a little too early. I thinned my mystery seedlings yesterday to one per container.
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wruk53
Well-Known Member
We had almost 2 inches of rain earlier this week, so my lawn is starting to perk up a bit. The lawn consists mostly of low creeping weeds, it's never really pretty.
The first priming has colored up okay.
My mystery seedlings are doing well. I usually start seedlings in a cabinet, but I decided to grow these on the lanai. They get about 4-5 hours of screened sunlight in the morning. It seems to be working fine. I think I'll build a small table to put in that spot and grow all my future seedlings that way.
It's been almost 3 weeks since I topped the OS, some leaves could be primed now, but I'll try to wait a few more weeks and let them get very ripe. I stated in an earlier post that I didn't think they would yield much, but I've revised that opinion now. The lamina on these things is very thick and the upper leaves are still growing and thickening, so I believe I'll end up with good weight for container plants.
Thompson is going to be a good yielder. However, the leaves are very close together and pointed upright so it's difficult to break off the suckers.
Ainaro is about 4 feet tall and I think I'll top them soon. That's about the max height I want for containers. When I handle the Ainaro leaves, I notice a kind of oriental type smell on my hands instead of the 'okra' type smell of the others.
The first priming has colored up okay.
My mystery seedlings are doing well. I usually start seedlings in a cabinet, but I decided to grow these on the lanai. They get about 4-5 hours of screened sunlight in the morning. It seems to be working fine. I think I'll build a small table to put in that spot and grow all my future seedlings that way.
It's been almost 3 weeks since I topped the OS, some leaves could be primed now, but I'll try to wait a few more weeks and let them get very ripe. I stated in an earlier post that I didn't think they would yield much, but I've revised that opinion now. The lamina on these things is very thick and the upper leaves are still growing and thickening, so I believe I'll end up with good weight for container plants.
Thompson is going to be a good yielder. However, the leaves are very close together and pointed upright so it's difficult to break off the suckers.
Ainaro is about 4 feet tall and I think I'll top them soon. That's about the max height I want for containers. When I handle the Ainaro leaves, I notice a kind of oriental type smell on my hands instead of the 'okra' type smell of the others.
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Ok-cypress mulch with miracle grow and epsom salts.
You never get any nutrient deficiency or ph problems?
In Germany, I might try conifer bark mulch and whatever tomato fertilizer I can find (“triple 20” miracle grow isn’t allowed here- I’ve never seen an npk number higher than 6!).
Any idea on what your getting, yield wise, per plant?
You never get any nutrient deficiency or ph problems?
In Germany, I might try conifer bark mulch and whatever tomato fertilizer I can find (“triple 20” miracle grow isn’t allowed here- I’ve never seen an npk number higher than 6!).
Any idea on what your getting, yield wise, per plant?
wruk53
Well-Known Member
The only time I've ever had a problem was when I did not use pure cypress mulch, that season, the plants did not get as large and had more brown spot and disease than usual. Cypress is much more resistant to rotting and decomposition than most other wood. I've never taken ph readings, so I just assume that the combination of cypress mulch and MG for tomatoes must be in the proper ph range for tobacco.
One year I grew Prilep 66/9-7 and it yielded one ounce per plant. Other 'full size' varieties usually yield about two ounces per plant, but it can vary quite a bit. Container grown plants generally will not get as large as plants grown in good, rich soil.
I found this method of gardening in an old publication on Florida gardening. I can't explain why it works, only that I tried it and it worked for me, so I've continued to use it. The original article recommended the use of 'nutri-sol' soluble fertilizer, which is no longer in production, so I began using MG for tomatoes and epsom salts instead. If you can't get cypress mulch nor MG for tomatoes where you live, I can't advise you on your chances of this method working for you. You might want to just try a few containers the first time and see how it turns out. Good luck!
Cypress is hard to find and expensive here.
I might try one container, but it looks like potting soul and sand are a better choice.
I’ll be lucky to get anything at all- just put Xanthi on the window sill this morning and it just got hit with 15 minutes of hail.
wruk53
Well-Known Member
All 3 varieties are ripening. One Sucker is the most advanced. Sunday will be 4 weeks from topping for OS and just over 2 weeks for Thompson. Both could be primed right now, but I'll try to wait as long as I can stand it so that they'll cure easily.
I'm thinking about priming some of the Ainaro before it ripens too much and see if it will make suitable wrappers.
I'm thinking about priming some of the Ainaro before it ripens too much and see if it will make suitable wrappers.
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wruk53
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I primed the Ainaro a few days ago, 3-4 leaves per plant. I have them yellowing in a plastic garbage bag. Today I primed 2-3 leaves from each of the One Sucker and just piled them in a box. We are having a stretch of low humidity right now. Next Monday the humidity is forecast to be higher, so I'll probably stalk harvest them at that time and hang them on the porch. The Thompson still needs to ripen more.
I have Carolina wrens nesting in my nest box. I can only see one chick, but the nest cavity curves around, so there may be more in there. The parents have been very busy bringing food to the nest and carrying the poop away. Not very good pictures, my phone camera doesn't do zooming well at all.
I have Carolina wrens nesting in my nest box. I can only see one chick, but the nest cavity curves around, so there may be more in there. The parents have been very busy bringing food to the nest and carrying the poop away. Not very good pictures, my phone camera doesn't do zooming well at all.
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wruk53
Well-Known Member
I transplanted the mystery seedlings this afternoon. The leaves are elongated, so I'm pretty sure they are Little Dutch.
Some random pics of primed leaf color curing and some drying.
I'll probably have all the main crop harvested within the next 2 weeks.
I plan on starting seeds for a fall crop about mid-July or early August. Not sure what varieties yet.
Some random pics of primed leaf color curing and some drying.
I'll probably have all the main crop harvested within the next 2 weeks.
I plan on starting seeds for a fall crop about mid-July or early August. Not sure what varieties yet.
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stdly
Well-Known Member
I love following your grows!
I wonder what the towel draped over the row of leaves is for?
I wonder what the towel draped over the row of leaves is for?
wruk53
Well-Known Member
Thank you. There is still some dark green lamina near the fat part of the stem. The humidity is very low at present, so I'm keeping a damp towel draped over them until they color completely.
wruk53
Well-Known Member
I have some Ainaro sun curing, about 40 leaves or so.
I primed the Thompson pretty hard yesterday and piled them in a box for coloring.
I wanted to stalk harvest the One Sucker today, but low humidity is forecast until next Monday which will be six weeks from topping. I read a bulletin about dark tobacco published by the University of Kentucky that recommends stalk harvesting at 5 to 7 weeks after topping. They are definitely ready now and bordering on past ready.
My Little Dutch transplants are growing well. Bad thing is, they'll be ripening in rainy season. In a normal rainy season, we'll get 3 or more feet of rain from June through September. Temperatures and humidity will be very high also.
A lot of the OS seed pods are ripe and a lot more will be soon.
I primed the Thompson pretty hard yesterday and piled them in a box for coloring.
I wanted to stalk harvest the One Sucker today, but low humidity is forecast until next Monday which will be six weeks from topping. I read a bulletin about dark tobacco published by the University of Kentucky that recommends stalk harvesting at 5 to 7 weeks after topping. They are definitely ready now and bordering on past ready.
My Little Dutch transplants are growing well. Bad thing is, they'll be ripening in rainy season. In a normal rainy season, we'll get 3 or more feet of rain from June through September. Temperatures and humidity will be very high also.
A lot of the OS seed pods are ripe and a lot more will be soon.
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Those bulletins are written with multi-acre, commercial growers in mind. The actual growers always have to adapt to present conditions. With your experience, I would suggest you just go with your intuition on stalk-harvesting. The stalks themselves do a fairly decent job of slowing the leaf drying.
Bob
How does box color curing work?
Is it light deprivation, a build up of ripening gasses (ethylene)?
How do you do it?
If I might intrude...the "Little" of Little Dutch, refers to the plant's height. It's stalk is quite thick (over 1½ inches). It's advantage in container growing is not that it requires less soil, but that it is less prone to being blown over in a gust of wind.
- Days to Maturity: 40-47
- Spacing: 24-36 inches
- Plant Height: 29-32 inches
- Leaf Length: 21-31½ inches
- Leaf Width: 8-11 inches
- Leaf Count: 13-16
wruk53
Well-Known Member
The only time you need to box leaves is when the average relative humidity is low. It just allows the leaf to die and change color before it dries. If your RH is predicted to remain at or above 70% for a week or so, boxing is not necessary, just hang them as usual. All boxing does is maintain humidity until the leaf color changes to yellow or brown.
You'll need a box that is large enough so the leaves will fit into it without bending or folding. Line the bottom with paper or cloth, stack your leaf inside then cover with more paper or cloth, close the box and shuffle the leaves daily removing the ones that have colored and hang them to dry as usual. In short, it's just a way to maintain proper humidity until the leaf changes color.
Note that it's very important to check the piles of leaf daily or you may end up with a pile of rotten leaf. Piles of wet leaf can heat up quite a bit and start decomposing in just a few days, hence the importance of shuffling them daily. If your leaf was at least beginning to yellow on the plant before harvesting, all of the leaf should color nicely within 3 to 7 days. If it takes longer than that, then you probably harvested too early or maybe the temperature was too low.
I don't keep track of the final weight of leaf, but I estimate that I end up with about 2 ounces of destemmed leaf per LD plant, judging by the bulk.
Keep in mind that I live in an area that is generally very warm, if you're attempting this in a cold, dank cellar, you may not get the desired results. There is no 'one size fits all' solution to producing quality tobacco. You have to learn by experience what works best in your environment.
Good luck!
