Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor
droughtmonitor.unl.edu
My area is only in "severe" drought, whereas your area is in "extreme" drought.
Bob
Deluxestogie Grow Log 2026
- Thread starter deluxestogie
- Start date
droughtmonitor.unl.edu
My area is only in "severe" drought, whereas your area is in "extreme" drought.
Bob
It's been a trying and minimally productive day. Scorching heat and unexpected rain left me with one small victory. Part of my tilled veggie bed was cleaned and prepared, and four Big Beef tomato plants were placed. Yay!
I still need to clean and prep the two tilled tobacco beds.
Large bed (5' x 12').
Small bed (5' x 6').
I was unable to mow. My increasingly unreliable weather forecasts mean that I will just have to pretend it's 1850, and plant the tobacco when I can.
Bob
I still need to clean and prep the two tilled tobacco beds.
Large bed (5' x 12').
Small bed (5' x 6').
I was unable to mow. My increasingly unreliable weather forecasts mean that I will just have to pretend it's 1850, and plant the tobacco when I can.
Bob
BahstanStoges
Member
By clipping, you mean you clip off the top of the plants at a certain height as opposed to thinning?
I know many cigar companies do this with their grows to ensure an even grow, but it seems like you do it to help if there’s a delay in transplant?
In commercial tobacco growing, the greenhouses contain tracks above the float trays. A lawn mower is moved along the tracks. Its updraft lifts the leaves of the tobacco seedlings, and clips them. This process is mostly done so that the seedlings can be held in the greenhouse until the weather or field conditions are suitable for planting.
I clip my leaves (not the top of the plants) for the same reason. Otherwise, the fastest growing seedlings will shade-out their neighbors. Their height is not an issue; just their spread. I use scissors to clip the individual leaves. The growth tip of the stalk is never clipped.
Bob
I clip my leaves (not the top of the plants) for the same reason. Otherwise, the fastest growing seedlings will shade-out their neighbors. Their height is not an issue; just their spread. I use scissors to clip the individual leaves. The growth tip of the stalk is never clipped.
Bob
At least it is still May! What trying weather for a codger. After a week of rain every day, I have yet to see a single puddle. (Therefore, I have seen only a couple of lost mosquitoes wandering about.) Since the rainy days ended, every morning the grass is covered with dew until about noon, and the surface soil of the garden beds is sticky. By the time the dew has cleared, the temp is up to 80°F+.
My garden is prepared with a mattock, a long-handle hoe, and a small hand cultivator. No machines. No fuel. The half-bed received 1 bag (28 pounds) of Black Kow composted manure (0.5-0.5-0.5). The full bed got two bags. Also, both beds were fertilized with 10-10-10, at about the rate for tomatoes. Each transplant, after being tamped, received 2 cups of water, to settle the roots.
I managed to prep and transplant 16 Izmir-Ozbas on May 29, into the short bed:
The Long Red (8 of them) went in yesterday, and the Dutch (Ohio) (8 of them) were transplanted today, both into the long bed:
Below is a side view of the long bed:
Bob
My garden is prepared with a mattock, a long-handle hoe, and a small hand cultivator. No machines. No fuel. The half-bed received 1 bag (28 pounds) of Black Kow composted manure (0.5-0.5-0.5). The full bed got two bags. Also, both beds were fertilized with 10-10-10, at about the rate for tomatoes. Each transplant, after being tamped, received 2 cups of water, to settle the roots.
I managed to prep and transplant 16 Izmir-Ozbas on May 29, into the short bed:
The Long Red (8 of them) went in yesterday, and the Dutch (Ohio) (8 of them) were transplanted today, both into the long bed:
Below is a side view of the long bed:
Bob
I just transplanted four Izmir-Ozbas to my porch corner bed. These will be the plants that I always enjoy seeing when I sit out on my front porch. They often attract hummingbirds after they blossom. This bed received no Black Kow, but a hefty sprinkling of 10-10-10.
All of the Izmir-Ozbas, like all my Orientals, will be allowed to blossom, and one of those will be bagged for seed.
Bob
All of the Izmir-Ozbas, like all my Orientals, will be allowed to blossom, and one of those will be bagged for seed.
Bob
I took pity upon one of my orphan (extra) seedlings, and decided to grow it in a pot on the porch.
The Folger's decaf tub looks like a coffee tub from 3 sides, but from one side, it looks like just a green pot. That is the side that faces my driveway. Using the pointed blade of a pair to tin snips, I punctured a series of holes in the bottom of the tub for drainage.
The tub was filled with my starting mix (⅔ MiracleGro sphagnum moss, ⅙ MiracleGro Pearlite, and ⅙ vermiculite). This contains about 1 month of slow-release fertilizer. I'll likely add a light sprinkle of 10-10-10 within the next week. The presence of vermiculite significantly aids in rendering the mixture more hygroscopic. After setting the transplant, I slowly added about 4 cups of water, before it began to trickle from the bottom.
Bob
The Folger's decaf tub looks like a coffee tub from 3 sides, but from one side, it looks like just a green pot. That is the side that faces my driveway. Using the pointed blade of a pair to tin snips, I punctured a series of holes in the bottom of the tub for drainage.
The tub was filled with my starting mix (⅔ MiracleGro sphagnum moss, ⅙ MiracleGro Pearlite, and ⅙ vermiculite). This contains about 1 month of slow-release fertilizer. I'll likely add a light sprinkle of 10-10-10 within the next week. The presence of vermiculite significantly aids in rendering the mixture more hygroscopic. After setting the transplant, I slowly added about 4 cups of water, before it began to trickle from the bottom.
Bob
It's been 12-13 days since the Dutch (Ohio) and Long Red transplants went into the bed. I've had to replace two of the Dutch (Ohio). Yesterday, I finally hauled out the garden hose, and soaked all the beds. I'm expecting a severe rain storm (perhaps including hail) in a couple of hours.
A few of the Izmir-Ozbas are standing up straight, while most are tipped or floppy. This is 14 days after transplant.
The Izmir-Ozbas in the porch corner bed (at 11 days) have required watering several times, since they endure not only the heat from the sun, but the prolonged heat radiation from the brick of the porch.
This is truly my happiest plant. At 7 days in the pot, this Long Red is flourishing.
Hopefully I won't need to post hail-damage photos later today.
Bob
A few of the Izmir-Ozbas are standing up straight, while most are tipped or floppy. This is 14 days after transplant.
The Izmir-Ozbas in the porch corner bed (at 11 days) have required watering several times, since they endure not only the heat from the sun, but the prolonged heat radiation from the brick of the porch.
This is truly my happiest plant. At 7 days in the pot, this Long Red is flourishing.
Hopefully I won't need to post hail-damage photos later today.
Bob
My high quality, graphical weather forecast went from 99% chance of .63 inches of rain (falling over a 30 minute period)—along with a National Weather Service (NWS) emergency alert on my weather radio—to a 50% chance of only .02 inches (i.e. drizzle), just since my previous post. At least NWS didn't wake the dead once again, just to say, "Never mind."
Bob
Bob
I was awakened at 7:30 am by my (intentionally loud, since it lives in my living room) NWS weather radio. Once I arose, the sky looked unremarkable. I had coffee and breakfast, and started my laundry.
At about 9:30 am, I lit up a cigar, and walked out to the garden. Everything is still growing okay, though my squash and okra refuse to germinate. I sat down in a chair beside an apple tree, and took about 3 puffs, before a gust of wind nearly blew my hat away. The gusts increased to, I would guess, about 50 mph, so I headed back to my front porch. Immediately, torrential rain began, forcing me to stand in the most sheltered corner of the porch to continue my cigar. That lasted about 10 minutes. Seated once again on the porch, I enjoyed the remainder of my JR Alternative Hoyo de Monterrey Rothschild cigar down to a nub.
Given the probability of continued, intermittent rain today, photos will have to wait until "...Tomorrow, tomorrow. There's always tomorrow. It's only a day away."
Bob
At about 9:30 am, I lit up a cigar, and walked out to the garden. Everything is still growing okay, though my squash and okra refuse to germinate. I sat down in a chair beside an apple tree, and took about 3 puffs, before a gust of wind nearly blew my hat away. The gusts increased to, I would guess, about 50 mph, so I headed back to my front porch. Immediately, torrential rain began, forcing me to stand in the most sheltered corner of the porch to continue my cigar. That lasted about 10 minutes. Seated once again on the porch, I enjoyed the remainder of my JR Alternative Hoyo de Monterrey Rothschild cigar down to a nub.
Given the probability of continued, intermittent rain today, photos will have to wait until "...Tomorrow, tomorrow. There's always tomorrow. It's only a day away."
Bob
I went out to the garden during a brief window of blue sky.
The Dutch (Ohio) and Long Red are alive, and beginning to grow, after 18 days.
My Izmir Ozbas is now at 20 days since transplant.
It looks like all of these plants will begin to show rapid growth (after weeks of scorching weather and bug nibbles). I'll post pics of the porch corner bed and the potted Long Red perhaps later. Some of the Izmir Ozbas have already produced a sucker or two, but I usually allow suckers to grow on my Oriental varieties.
Bob
The Dutch (Ohio) and Long Red are alive, and beginning to grow, after 18 days.
My Izmir Ozbas is now at 20 days since transplant.
It looks like all of these plants will begin to show rapid growth (after weeks of scorching weather and bug nibbles). I'll post pics of the porch corner bed and the potted Long Red perhaps later. Some of the Izmir Ozbas have already produced a sucker or two, but I usually allow suckers to grow on my Oriental varieties.
Bob
Why do you let the suckers grow on orientals?
Not bob but the suckers on mine grew so fast to a palm sized leaf i didn’t even notice a sucker grew lol.
In contrast to most tobacco varieties, smaller Oriental leaves often provide a richer floral aroma. In their native growing regions, larger Oriental leaves are considered a lower grade of leaf.
Bob
EDIT: I should also add that, if you plant Oriental varieties at "American" spacing, like burley, then they not only grow very large leaves, but also may grow over 6 or 7 feet tall. They look wonderful, but simply don't offer the same smoke aroma of traditionally grown Orientals.
Last edited:
The rest of my modest grow:
The porch corner bed Izmir Ozbas are now 17 days post transplant.
And my decaffeinated Folgers Long Red is 13 days post transplant.
Bob
The porch corner bed Izmir Ozbas are now 17 days post transplant.
And my decaffeinated Folgers Long Red is 13 days post transplant.
Bob
GreenDragon
Moderator
They look really heathy - I bet they are going to explode with growth in the next week or so!
