Ct tobaccoman's 2015 log

[ProfessorPangloss]

You pick them off and squish them, one by one, when they are still tiny.

Bob

well, there you go. I call that a boozable activity - like deadheading flowers. You can one-hand it without putting down your after-work adult beverage or your morning coffee.

 

[Knucklehead]

If you want to add all of the trace elements that might be missing from your soil you can add Azomite .

Interesting stuff. Test plots were free from worm infestations that were prevalent in the non-treated plots. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azomite

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Been using it for 20 years. There is a theory amongst some growers that harmful insects are the garbagemen of the plant world. When a plant is not healthy the garbagemen come in to take care of it. A plant is not healthy if it is not getting ALL of the nutrients it needs. Most of our society seems to focus on 3 macronutrients and a few micronutients, nothing more. I have noted significantly less insect pressure when I use heavy doses of Azomite and Soft Rock Phosphate.

 

[ProfessorPangloss]

That is a super interesting theory about the insects.

That's why I think in the long term, wholesale massive chemical use will be disastrous, because we can only scientifically/chemically paper over our problems of soil culture, monocropping, and nutrition for so long.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

If you want to add all of the trace elements that might be missing from your soil you can add Azomite .

Thanks for the tip Bug. Seems a wise thing to do--tho I did get fine plants last year with just cottonseed meal, urea and miracle gro

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Hey man, glad to be of some service if I can. I'm just happy to learn at the knee of veterans such as yourself. I wasn't trying to come across as one of those sanctimonious douche types who's all "organic at all costs." In my ornamental landscaping, I use chemicals as necessary, organics if possible, and "best practices" (drainage management, siting, etc) as a rule. Because I know (and love) some chemicals that will give you truly outstanding flowers, and you can't (easily) grow hybrid tea roses without Daconil and Immunox or Sevin (just for starters). Food-wise, I've always just tried to feed the soil, and it usually takes care of me in return. I actually think it's really hard to try to manage the million aspects of soil chemistry manually, so I think what you do is harder than what I do because I'm just trying to let the dirt do the work.

I also think organic is interesting when it comes to tobacco, because like other things (wine grapes and vegetables), if excellent practices and overall plant health come with being organic, then everyone wins - not to mention the grower rising to the challenge of not spraying hornworms (I have no idea what else you do). Also, the Santa Fe company apparently has an organic manual and a fly-in expert that it uses to support its contract growers, which I find really fascinating. Are people paying a premium for that leaf because they feel they're getting superior quality, or are they doing it for the fad factor? I don't have the smoking palate to answer that.

These are all just musings.

Actually, I am thinking more organic. Nitrates are probably illegal on Cape Cod and I see the damage nitrates used for tobacco has done in Connecticut. Now I'm thinking cottonseed meal, urea and/or blood meal for fast nitrogen side dress and miracle gro every 10 days until topping.

To acidify soil I'm going to do it plant by plant with match heads and coffee grounds.

This is the worst time--waiting for the seedlings to grow. It is still pretty cold here, high 50 at best, possible freeze at night. Living on a peninsula 40 miles into the North Atlantic you get a long warm fall because ocean temp stays warmer than the air temp. But Spring is the opposite. We really get no spring--just a relaxation of winter until suddenly one day in late May or early June--it's summer.

So, June 1st is my target date for transplanting. That gives me 4 warm months.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

If you want to add all of the trace elements that might be missing from your soil you can add Azomite .

This is a test of new iPhone. Just made an entry on my log here that does not seem to have posted

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Try again. Have 110 plants now on CT tobacco land fallow 5 yrs. About 20 Prilep, 5 Izmur, 10 yellow twist bud, 10 CT Broadleaf, 10 Fla Sumatra, the rest VA Brightleaf and Lemon Bright. Pics soon. Set the plants mid to late June and they are doing okay. Giving side dress urea-land is low in N but has good P and K. Blue mold already present in CT Valley, TN and PA. No blue mold in my lot yet-using dimethylmorph/mancozeb spray

 

[DGBAMA]

Been a while. Good to hear you got them going.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Been busy, new iPhone more confusion, 100 plants Prilep flowering, tough season in Conn, no rain, blue mold,flue cured ok but a bit starved for N, Yellow Twist Bud weird, cigar tobacco so so, Promise photos once I figure out how to post the pics I sod this iPhone, so much real life, so little time, all in all tho, 100 plants are a lot of leaves to cure
More later, stay tuned friends

 

[DGBAMA]

I am stalk curing Prilep this year. Avoid stringing each leaf.

If "weird" ytb means big leaves, but low growing, lack of height, you have no worries, it is normal for the variety. Low and dense for a long time then shoots up at the last minute before flowering.

 

[Gmac]

Hey man, glad to be of some service if I can. I'm just happy to learn at the knee of veterans such as yourself. I wasn't trying to come across as one of those sanctimonious douche types who's all "organic at all costs." In my ornamental landscaping, I use chemicals as necessary, organics if possible, and "best practices" (drainage management, siting, etc) as a rule. Because I know (and love) some chemicals that will give you truly outstanding flowers, and you can't (easily) grow hybrid tea roses without Daconil and Immunox or Sevin (just for starters). Food-wise, I've always just tried to feed the soil, and it usually takes care of me in return. I actually think it's really hard to try to manage the million aspects of soil chemistry manually, so I think what you do is harder than what I do because I'm just trying to let the dirt do the work.

I also think organic is interesting when it comes to tobacco, because like other things (wine grapes and vegetables), if excellent practices and overall plant health come with being organic, then everyone wins - not to mention the grower rising to the challenge of not spraying hornworms (I have no idea what else you do). Also, the Santa Fe company apparently has an organic manual and a fly-in expert that it uses to support its contract growers, which I find really fascinating. Are people paying a premium for that leaf because they feel they're getting superior quality, or are they doing it for the fad factor? I don't have the smoking palate to answer that.

These are all just musings.

We have a Doctor (MD) here who does the Rose Garden for The University of Southern Miss. He uses Human hair from a local barber shop who uses vacume clippers which enters a large plastic barrel , therefore it compacts. He has won the state rose show several times. Hair is 95% Colligyn protein. Check it out on the Web. http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/human-hair-fertilizer.aspx

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Dgbama, yes that is what I mean but also the leaves are turning yellow from the bottom. This could be nitrogen starvation. Most of my plants are too pale. I put lots of urea around them all, all 7 types, and July has been a drought. Now that I had some rain the upper leaves are green. My VA Brightleaf and Lemon Bright have lower leaves almost white. Time to start priming them I guess. Prilep and Izmur also quite yellow and budding, I primed and topped the older oriental plants. My Prilep planted later is greener and might be ok for stalk cutting.

Many of my plants are budding too soon. Maybe I will give them one more blast of nitrogen.
Blue mold is all over the Conn Valley. So far my plants have not been affected. Using Forum to spray against blue mold, which is a mix of dimethylmorph and mancozeb.
Again this year I got started late with no time for pre-plant fertilizer so I have made several applications of Miracle Gro laced with dissolved urea as well as urea crystals but lack of rain prevented uptake of fertilizer by the plants and drought over stresses them. They are improving now, I still can expect a decent yield. Glad I had 112 plants to start-I can afford losing many plants

 

[Knucklehead]

Orientals are traditionally left untopped if you are shooting for the traditional Oriental grow.

I'm not sure I would add more nitrogen at budding time. Not only could this affect the burn and/or curing, but you might trick them back into a growth phase and prolong maturity. You could end up trying to cure in some unfavorable weather.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Orientals are traditionally left untopped if you are shooting for the traditional Oriental grow.

I'm not sure I would add more nitrogen at budding time. Not only could this affect the burn and/or curing, but you might trick them back into a growth phase and prolong maturity. You could end up trying to cure in some unfavorable weather.

I have 2 planting of orientate, of different ages. I took 1st priming of the older ones, topped them and sun cured the leaves. Prilep and Izmur. Came out fine. I gave them more nitro because they are mostly too pale and the soil has no long acting fertilizer and is nitro depleted. I am aware one should not side dress at this stage but I decided to do so because of this nitro problem. Upper leaves are coming in greener as plants finally access all the fertilizer I applied. There has been near total drought in CT Valley all summer. My irrigation system is a watering can.

The younger 15 Prilep plants are mostly nice color and now budding. I'll try not to top them but I might have to because of strong wind during (all too) brief thunderstorms. Several of the older orientals blew over before I topped them and I had to tie them to stakes.
Thanks for the info. Never thought NOT to top orientals.
I have about 35 orientalist, mostly Prilep.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Took first picking from my flue cure plants, VA Brightleaf and Lemon Bright. I have about 50 flue cure plants. These lower 4-6 leaves are generally poor quality. Upper leaves look better.

I cured them in the sun 4 days, then finished in kitchen oven, adding pans of boiling water under the leaves as needed. Seems to have worked ok but most leaves being poor to begin with show various necrosis now that they are cured. Going to have to cut out bad sections of lamina to get usable tobacco. They smell too grassy and will need ageing. Maybe fermentation with pressure and moisture too.
It is my first grow of flue cured and I never had time to build a proper curing chamber. It is like a trial run, since it is so very different from the CT Shade and Broadleaf experience I have from working for commercial growers in Connecticut. I consider this year's flue cured crop a learning experience. Flue curing is way more technical than what I am used to. I don't know if I want to do it again. Maybe I should stick to cigar tobacco and cigarette types like burley, Maryland, Oriental. Time will tell.

In any case, a second picking is due soon. BTW, I did let the flue leaves wilt and fade for 2-3 days before sun curing them. All cured to brown, no green, but some are brown with a slight greenish cast on the underside

 

[DGBAMA]

sounds like they cured well. The "mystique" of flue curing is no less than that of how cigar tobacco is aged, just different. Since you essentially "sun cured" I would expect 6-12 months of aging and the grassy smell will go away leaving good tobacco. you have done nothing wrong. 30 days kilning will work wonders and you will have a nice finished product.

In absence of a kiln, I have filled clear storage totes with leaf in medium case and placed the container in direct sun. My monitor said temps reached the 110-125 range (kiln temps) and speeded the aging process. just take out the leaf and give it some air every so often, so that condensation does not become an enemy. You will know when it is getting ready, the smell opening the tote will be different one day than on the previous. Your nose is your friend.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

Dgbama
thanks for the advice and encouragement, friend

 

[bonehead]

i air cure all my flue cure tobacco and it comes out fine. i don't use any of the tobacco i grow for at least a year and it is very good for cigarettes. i leave it hanging in my shed and garage through the next hot summer and it comes out better than i ever expected. i almost kilned some the first year but it was not necessary. everyone that ever smoked my cig tobacco always asks for more but are never around to help when weeding and other time consuming tobacco growing jobs are being done. someone from maine always gets some but they help me process firewood or carry it into the house in the winter when they come to visit so it is worth it to me to trade tobacco for labor. i was in the windsor,windsor locks area this morning next to the river and some of the broadleaf fields were being harvested already. i watched for a few minutes after droping my son off at the airport so he can get back to alaska.

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

i air cure all my flue cure tobacco and it comes out fine. i don't use any of the tobacco i grow for at least a year and it is very good for cigarettes. i leave it hanging in my shed and garage through the next hot summer and it comes out better than i ever expected. i almost kilned some the first year but it was not necessary. everyone that ever smoked my cig tobacco always asks for more but are never around to help when weeding and other time consuming tobacco growing jobs are being done. someone from maine always gets some but they help me process firewood or carry it into the house in the winter when they come to visit so it is worth it to me to trade tobacco for labor. i was in the windsor,windsor locks area this morning next to the river and some of the broadleaf fields were being harvested already. i watched for a few minutes after droping my son off at the airport so he can get back to alaska.

good info,thanks. We try to set plants as early as possible and many broadleaf guys were setting by Memorial Day, so it's time. Did you get a chance to see OJ Thrall's shade operation near the airport? They must be on fifth priming by now at that farm, which is first in their rotation of 3 farms in different towns. They grow over half of CT Shade still grown, for General Cigar Macanudo wrappers