I'm with you Bob, I just make do in outages. I don't want to get and maintain any more things. Last outage was 2 weeks in winter, we barely even noticed the difference, only change was I added led lanterns to the closet jic.
deluxestogie Grow Log 2016
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Snusser
Active Member
I am going to guess you are on municipal water and have a natural gas hookup. Otherwise, that is a BIG generator and a lot of bunkered fuel.
During the last big hurricane week long outage, I recall that 50% of the professionally maintained business generators failed early on.
It was surprising to many when the cell phone tower backup generators all started running out of fuel after 72 hours or so. No tower, no phone.
Not even close, we go Amish (old house) but I don't want to hijack Bob's thread, someone should start one, it's a fun subject.
The Subtle Signs of Maturity in Nostrano del Brenta
Nostrano del Brenta produces an unusually smooth leaf surface at maturity, with a hint of yellowing at the tip. Soon after this stage, the tip browns and curls.
I discarded the bottom leaf or two, which had become really trashy, then primed 4 leaves per plant. With 10 Nostrano plants, this gave me a string of 40 leaves. The lamina of these huge leaves are thick, and the stems are fat and succulent. This was probably the heaviest 40 leaf string I've ever carried to the shed. I worry about the stems drying well, so I hung the string near the exhaust fans.
This is purportedly cigar leaf, so it will be interesting to cure and finish it.
Bob
Nostrano del Brenta produces an unusually smooth leaf surface at maturity, with a hint of yellowing at the tip. Soon after this stage, the tip browns and curls.
I discarded the bottom leaf or two, which had become really trashy, then primed 4 leaves per plant. With 10 Nostrano plants, this gave me a string of 40 leaves. The lamina of these huge leaves are thick, and the stems are fat and succulent. This was probably the heaviest 40 leaf string I've ever carried to the shed. I worry about the stems drying well, so I hung the string near the exhaust fans.
This is purportedly cigar leaf, so it will be interesting to cure and finish it.
Bob
ArizonaDave
Well-Known Member
Man, I just saw this. Besides loosing all that leaf, which is bad enough, the heat isn't fun. If they cut the power in the summer in AZ, they would have multiple deaths. Why not during a milder climate?
My previous grow of Hacienda del Cura was unimpressive. Its productivity was poor, and the plants were generally feeble. The story is entirely different this year. Although the seedling mortality was horrible, my six surviving transplants have grown up, and look promising for cigar leaf.
Leaf size is 23.5" x 13.5", which isn't too shabby.
The primary difference between this grow and the earlier one several years ago is a change of scenery. Instead of growing in a bed that has proven to be a poor one for tobacco (my Little Dutch is languishing in that bed this year), it went into a different bed, which it is sharing with Nostrano del Brenta.
Hacienda del Cura is one of the ingredients of the famed cigars of the Canaries, like Flamenco.
Bob
Leaf size is 23.5" x 13.5", which isn't too shabby.
The primary difference between this grow and the earlier one several years ago is a change of scenery. Instead of growing in a bed that has proven to be a poor one for tobacco (my Little Dutch is languishing in that bed this year), it went into a different bed, which it is sharing with Nostrano del Brenta.
Hacienda del Cura is one of the ingredients of the famed cigars of the Canaries, like Flamenco.
Bob
Smokin Harley
Well-Known Member
Looks a lot like Florida Sumatra. beautiful leaf .
Only the strongest survive!... and they are strong.
It hapends to me last year with Stamm 161. Only three seedlings and all were super good in the end.
Unfortunately, I topped all six of the Hacienda del Cura this season. (My expectations were set too low.) The ample seed that I have is from their year of feeble growth. I'll have to undergo the ordeal of death again next year to get seed from the strongest of them.
Bob
Bob
August is Almost Gone
Below is a nice comparison of PA Red vs. Corojo 99 (Robaina). Go wide or go tall. I would guess that each has roughly the same weight of leaf, though the PA Red--shorty--may have somewhat more weight. This is about as nice as my PA Red has ever grown.
Later today, I will stalk-harvest all the Baldió Vera (only 8 plants). Since I know very little about Baldió Vera, I'm just guessing about how to manage it. What class of tobacco this is remains a mystery. I think burley. We'll see.
Bob
Below is a nice comparison of PA Red vs. Corojo 99 (Robaina). Go wide or go tall. I would guess that each has roughly the same weight of leaf, though the PA Red--shorty--may have somewhat more weight. This is about as nice as my PA Red has ever grown.
Later today, I will stalk-harvest all the Baldió Vera (only 8 plants). Since I know very little about Baldió Vera, I'm just guessing about how to manage it. What class of tobacco this is remains a mystery. I think burley. We'll see.
Bob
Tutu
Well-Known Member
Top quality pictures again Bob. How is the weather this August? Looks pretty good!
August in southwest Virginia is hot and humid. Most afternoons offer a threat of pop-up thundershowers, but the rain actually falls about once a week. Always fog in the mornings.
Bob
Bob
Foggy August Morning in Southwest Virginia
Anton inspired me to take out the camera at sunrise.
I am always amazed by the large number of newly constructed spider webs that are visible each morning, but only while the fog remains. Just in the mowed lawn, there is often a new, small spider web in every square foot. They're everywhere.
While walking back to the house after taking the photo shown above, I passed a stubby little Mugo pine that harbored a collection of distinctively shaped webs. These appear to be baskets, and are woven by only two species of spiders along the Appalachian mountain range (from Ohio to Alabama).
This spider apartment house is constructed by either Calymmaria persica or C. virginica. They seem to lack a common name, even though they are quite common. The former has dark rings on its legs, while the latter does not. This late in the day (just before the sun rises), the spiders have all gone to bed, and are nowhere to be found.
My guess about the purpose of this basket shape is that the loose, random upper strands briefly stop and annoy an insect victim. It easily frees itself by struggling, and falling clear of the web. But ah! These clever webs have a dense floor. Welcome to dinner.
I am not a spider expert. I spent quite a while on the Web (ouch!) this morning, trying to identify what made those devilish traps. Although there are apparently over 30 spider species that make such webs, there are fortunately only two of those species here in southwest Virginia. So, even without seeing the spiders themselves, we have identified the perpetrators--almost.
Bob
Anton inspired me to take out the camera at sunrise.
I am always amazed by the large number of newly constructed spider webs that are visible each morning, but only while the fog remains. Just in the mowed lawn, there is often a new, small spider web in every square foot. They're everywhere.
While walking back to the house after taking the photo shown above, I passed a stubby little Mugo pine that harbored a collection of distinctively shaped webs. These appear to be baskets, and are woven by only two species of spiders along the Appalachian mountain range (from Ohio to Alabama).
This spider apartment house is constructed by either Calymmaria persica or C. virginica. They seem to lack a common name, even though they are quite common. The former has dark rings on its legs, while the latter does not. This late in the day (just before the sun rises), the spiders have all gone to bed, and are nowhere to be found.
My guess about the purpose of this basket shape is that the loose, random upper strands briefly stop and annoy an insect victim. It easily frees itself by struggling, and falling clear of the web. But ah! These clever webs have a dense floor. Welcome to dinner.
I am not a spider expert. I spent quite a while on the Web (ouch!) this morning, trying to identify what made those devilish traps. Although there are apparently over 30 spider species that make such webs, there are fortunately only two of those species here in southwest Virginia. So, even without seeing the spiders themselves, we have identified the perpetrators--almost.
Bob
Alpine
Moderator
Is mugo pine native of South east US? I thought it was indigenous on the Alps... It is used as a medicine here, good for your lungs.
Pier
Pier
Mugo Pine is native to the Lowe's superstore nursery department, here in Virginia. I purchased it as an 8" sapling over 15 years ago. It's now about waist high.
Bob
Bob
Tutu
Well-Known Member
Although I've been a big fan of spiders since a young age, the first picture beats the others. Beautiful foggy picture that is. Besides the fogginess, there's really something about half harvested tobacco plants. It always looks very nice. You not only see the plant, but you also see the work that's gone into it. Altogether a beautiful view.
Spiders are funny animals. As a kid I always kept one or two and fed them through autumn. Later when I moved to Indonesia I remember being in West Timor and feeding a huge spider a small frog and realising how this was the world upside down. In the Netherlands, a frog would eat a spider. Travel half the world and it works the other way round. Nature really is amazing
Spiders are funny animals. As a kid I always kept one or two and fed them through autumn. Later when I moved to Indonesia I remember being in West Timor and feeding a huge spider a small frog and realising how this was the world upside down. In the Netherlands, a frog would eat a spider. Travel half the world and it works the other way round. Nature really is amazing
I got a "pinus mugo mugo" about 20 years ago. It's now about 3m high, a bit more than the dwarf size the label promised...
I tried some pine liquors from the alps, and made my own this spring by infusing rum with fresh needles. Nice, even without extra sugar slightly sweet and with a resinous aroma.
I tried some pine liquors from the alps, and made my own this spring by infusing rum with fresh needles. Nice, even without extra sugar slightly sweet and with a resinous aroma.
My unfortunate Mugo pine is planted at the north-northeast corner of the house, and is shaded most of the day.
I had my fill of "resinous aroma" in Greece, drinking retsina wine. Juniper berries were once used as a preservative, before the days of pasteurization, then ascended to the status of "traditional." I'll just say that retsina is an acquired taste.
Bob
I had my fill of "resinous aroma" in Greece, drinking retsina wine. Juniper berries were once used as a preservative, before the days of pasteurization, then ascended to the status of "traditional." I'll just say that retsina is an acquired taste.
Bob
wrapper
Well-Known Member
Retsina is indeed an acquired taste. I was married to a Greek woman for 23 years which adds up to a great deal of retsina. Never did acquire the taste.... Now gin on the other hand makes much better use of the conifer family offerings. I use your US western redcedar (juniperus virginiana) in all my gins. I prefer it to the European j communis. It is brighter and more citrusy. And the Finns use pine in their ales; very good it is too.
Oops. Wikipedia says that retsina is flavored with pine resin (rather than my assertion that it's flavored with juniper berries). Maybe that's why it's not quite as yummy as gin.
Sad news. "Retsina" is now a designated appellation by the EU, so if you make your own, you can't call it that. Sigh.
Bob
Sad news. "Retsina" is now a designated appellation by the EU, so if you make your own, you can't call it that. Sigh.
Bob
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