Deluxestogie Grow Log 2020

[ChinaVoodoo]

These are 2 of @Tutu's Indonesian varieties for a seed growout. (I also have a Viqueque in a Folgers tub on my porch, which looks a whole lot healthier.) The good news is that those in the ground are still alive. I expect them to start showing convincing growth soon. They have ~10 weeks to give me seed.

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Bob

A few of my Viqueque plants have just taken off in the last couple days. They are nearly as tall as the Delhi, and have probably 3x the mass. I have high hopes for oz/per plant from this strain. It looks like a wind resistant plant shape too, very bottom heavy.

 

[deluxestogie]

At about 6 pm tonight, a powerful line of thunderstorms ripped through, dumping 2 inches of rain in 2 hours. And it took out the electric power.

My dinner consisted of cottage cheese, some diced Muenster, a chunked pickle, and a short stack of whole wheat Ritz crackers. It shouldn't be dark at 6 pm. But with the thick, black clouds everywhere, and no lights, I could barely see inside the house. I grabbed my trusty $2 Rayovac LED flashlight from its forever home in the hallway, then sat out on the porch to eat in the twilight.

Afterwards, I decided to roll a cigar.by the dim light of a Uco flashlight lantern.

It surprised me how much I missed subtle visual input while rolling. Then I returned to the porch, with no computer to rest in my lap, and enjoyed my sloppier than usual cigar.

Long exposure, no flash.

Note the $2 flashlight dangling from my neck. Later, I rolled one--better this time, and went out to smoke it. Like magic, as I flicked my BIC, the lights came back on. Fine folks, those utility workers. After the dangerous weather passed, it took them only about 1 hour to bring the power back on line. So 3½ hours of computer-free living.

A quick check of the tobacco, between two bouts of storm, revealed everything in good shape. If the tobacco had been fully grown, as it usually is by early August, every stalk would have been laid flat.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob

 

[plantdude]

Bob

Looks like a Bob bug got half of that lower viqueque leaf
Is it safe to assume it's ok to use the leaf trimming method on orientals prior to transplanting as well?

 

[deluxestogie]

It is safe to trim 2/3 of the length of each leaf--repeated as needed--of any Nicotiana tabacum varieties in the seedling tray. In addition to boosting the roots, strengthening the stem, and reducing shading of neighboring seedlings, the trimming decreases leaf transpiration at the time of transplant, which I believe is helpful in shortening the duration of transplant shock.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I inspect each of my plants once a day. I did use imidacloprid in the transplant water, so bugs are yet to be a problem. But I am not spraying BT for hornworms. So far, during this very late tobacco planting season, I have found two infant hornworms, three hornworm eggs, and one 1" long hornworm (that ate a divot out of a Prilep leaf). That's it.

The hawk moths must be really disappointed in my tobacco this year. It's like driving up to a favorite vacation spot on a lake, and discovering that the lake has drained. Sorry ladies. I have no peppers, and my tomatoes are still pretty pathetic, so there is little of interest to them for now.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

My forecast for today was for thunderstorms at about 2 pm. The lawn needed mowing, but was sparkling wet until after lunch. So at about 12:30 pm, I cranked up the Oh Deere!, and mowed as fast as the 20 year old contraption would go, finishing in about two hours. On checking the weather forecast again, it said, "Never mind. Zero inches of rain." I'm getting used to this.

As I was preparing dinner, a powerful rain storm ripped through, with winds that were in the 50 mph range. Some tree branches fell, though I was surprised how well the trees did.

When I had finished eating dinner indoors, I noticed that the storm had completely passed. Things were quiet outside. Then my NOAA weather radio sprang to life (loud enough to wake the dead), warning me that a severe thunderstorm was in my area. I stepped outside. No new storm. They were warning me about the one that had already passed, and had lasted about 30 minutes, dumping just under an inch of rain. Nice job boys!

I wandered around to check for any damage.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

This year, August is time to "Clear the Shelters". Find forever homes for orphan pets. In that spirit, I found homes for two Corojo 99 and one Olor, out in the growing beds. And a frisky Little Dutch is now in its own 3" pot, with a place in the sun.

For all of my tobacco this year, once a particular plant has produced enough leaves to justify its existence, then I will top it. Though this means more suckers and a lower leaf count, topping accelerates maturation of the plant, increases leaf size, and will hopefully give me more than a token yield. I haven't decided yet about the Prilep.

The three Indonesian varieties (for seed replenishment for @Tutu) will just have to do their best to hurry up. Those in 3" pots can be overwintered indoors, then topped close to the dirt, and put in the ground next season. They will usually produce a normal first crop and seed that way.

Bob

 

[plantdude]

This year, August is time to "Clear the Shelters". Find forever homes for orphan pets. In that spirit, I found homes for two Corojo 99 and one Olor, out in the growing beds. And a frisky Little Dutch is now in its own 3" pot, with a place in the sun.

For all of my tobacco this year, once a particular plant has produced enough leaves to justify its existence, then I will top it. Though this means more suckers and a lower leaf count, topping accelerates maturation of the plant, increases leaf size, and will hopefully give me more than a token yield. I haven't decided yet about the Prilep.

The three Indonesian varieties (for seed replenishment for @Tutu) will just have to do their best to hurry up. Those in 3" pots can be overwintered indoors, then topped close to the dirt, and put in the ground next season. They will usually produce a normal first crop and seed that way.

Bob

Good tips to know, thanks.
Is leaf quality diminished for the ones that you overwinter, top close to the dirt and let regrow the next year and does that apply to most varieties of tobacco as well?

 

[deluxestogie]

In my 2014 grow log (which unfortunately has had many of its images rotated, in moving to the new forum software), I show and discuss tobacco plants germinated in 2012, then overwintered indoors twice, then transplanted to the garden beds in 2014. I believe that it involved 5 varieties, and all but one grew to nearly normal size, with very nice leaf. The process begins at this post:

deluxestogie Grow Log 2014

You can put stakes at the corners of the beds to guide the hose. What I have is a 4" plastic pulley wheel with a stake down the center to hold it. Dollar General Store. I bought 4 of them 4 years ago, and they are still holding up. I pull them up, and store indoors during the winter. It...

fairtradetobacco.com

The 2012 Golden Burley that "failed" in 2014 was resurrected, then grown successfully the following season. I suspect that the low quality of sucker leaf comes from a plant that already has a fully developed root system. My elder plants had spent two years in 3" pots, so their root systems celebrated, once they experienced real dirt for the first time.

Bob

 

[plantdude]

In my 2014 grow log (which unfortunately has had many of its images rotated, in moving to the new forum software), I show and discuss tobacco plants germinated in 2012, then overwintered indoors twice, then transplanted to the garden beds in 2014. I believe that it involved 5 varieties, and all but one grew to nearly normal size, with very nice leaf. The process begins at this post:

deluxestogie Grow Log 2014

You can put stakes at the corners of the beds to guide the hose. What I have is a 4" plastic pulley wheel with a stake down the center to hold it. Dollar General Store. I bought 4 of them 4 years ago, and they are still holding up. I pull them up, and store indoors during the winter. It...

fairtradetobacco.com

The 2012 Golden Burley that "failed" in 2014 was resurrected, then grown successfully the following season. I suspect that the low quality of sucker leaf comes from a plant that already has a fully developed root system. My elder plants had spent two years in 3" pots, so their root systems celebrated, once they experienced real dirt for the first time.

Bob

Thankyou, your previous grow blog plus what you just said was exactly what I was looking for. Now I can grow indoors this winter and get a jump start on next spring

 

[deluxestogie]

Just keep in mind that my experiment consisted of N<10 plants. It's kind of like publishing preliminary science by Twitter. Looks promising, but by no means certain.

Bob

 

[plantdude]

Just keep in mind that my experiment consisted of N<10 plants. It's kind of like publishing preliminary science by Twitter. Looks promising, but by no means certain.

Bob

I'll just be trying this on a handful of plants that I was going to grow this winter anyway so no loss if it doesn't work perfectly. I'm intrigued with the root system being the key as you suspected with your 3.5 inch pots becoming unpotbound and seeing the results @eekay and @Radagast are having with their airpruning methods.

 

[deluxestogie]

Only two months behind.

Bob

 

[ArizonaDave]

Only two months behind.

Bob

Looking good. I'm able to grow in the fall. The summer here is harsh. Yours are looking good!

 

[deluxestogie]

Thank you. I will probably top everything in a week or two--maybe. I am less worried about growing conditions than I am about curing conditions. Leaf that has not yet color-cured is ruined if it freezes in the shed.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I think this will turn out to be a good year after all. I saw this sign in the heavens today:

Bob

 

[plantdude]

I think this will turn out to be a good year after all. I saw this sign in the heavens today:

Bob

Since I own stock in them I'm going to refrain from the foul language and just say they are wrong this year.

 

[deluxestogie]

Bummer.

EDIT: I did notice that it was headed south.