Grow diary of 2021 first bulk grow: @Clatsopnehalem

[Clatsopnehalem]

We’ve plucked all the mutant flowers and tagged a few of the ones I like a lot and the aphids are almost gone so far so good

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Finally I’m seeing the differences between the Orinoco tobaccos and these Havana tobaccos. I don’t have the vocabulary to describe what I see yet but it’s becoming more obvious

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Aphids almost gone but I don’t want to use citric acid anymore ever again because last night I found a dead bee inside of a flower so I dunno if it was also the dish soap or not but I’ve rinsed the plants thoroughly with the hose. The bees are buzzing today but I’m still paranoid about it. Any suggestions? I’m considering just letting the plants go and just taking any losses that may happen. Otherwise the humming birds are here finally and are fighting over the flowers hopefully they can share

 

[Knucklehead]

Aphids almost gone but I don’t want to use citric acid anymore ever again because last night I found a dead bee inside of a flower so I dunno if it was also the dish soap or not but I’ve rinsed the plants thoroughly with the hose. The bees are buzzing today but I’m still paranoid about it. Any suggestions? I’m considering just letting the plants go and just taking any losses that may happen. Otherwise the humming birds are here finally and are fighting over the flowers hopefully they can share❤

I‘ve never used the citric acid, but I’ve used dish soap. (Soap, not detergent) Spraying the leaves doesn’t help, you must spray the aphids. This article explains the how and why.

Killing Aphids with Soapy Water: Is It Safe & Effective? - The Bug Agenda

Is killing aphids with soapy water an effective and safe option for your garden? This article explores all you need to know.

thebugagenda.com

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

we lost the smaller leaf on half of the bottom string to mold but there’s going to be a full week of hot weather now and we did our best to space the leaves out more to give some air. They smell much less bitter today almost sweet . We’re probably going to have to air cure all the rest of the tobacco indoors and thinking we might need to kill the clover to get the lizard tail Orinocos to start maturing because it seems they are on a drip feed of constant nitrogen exchange from the clovers because the leaf keeps getting darker and more gigantic. Will have new photos next time but today I had to lay down I’ve been working hard this year and get faint

 

[deluxestogie]

I would imagine that the clover is hanging on to its nitrogen while it's alive. The nitrogen fixing doesn't fix anybody else until the clover is tilled under.

Bob

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Took some photos of the lizard tail Orinocos this morning and am seeing a lot of different pheno expressions one of them has such huge leaf that just curls down half way the length of the leaf I’m considering labeling the seeds from that plant (pumpkin Orinoco) all joking aside it does have the rough look and size of a medium to large sized pumpkin for sure.

pumpkin Orinoco lol

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Black Sea sampsuns

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Checked the hanging leaf today snd it’s drying a lot faster now with this heat spell we’re going through I’m hoping it all finishes drying outside before I bring it inside. And I got to the field just in time because a few plants were so dry there was some dry leaf on top level of a few smaller plants and I’ve realized the clover has been sapping the water from the tobaccos root zone so they gotta be plucked lol.

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Be back next week but partner sent me this today looks like this heat spell is doing us wonders.
Might just finish drying by next week

 

[Knucklehead]

Be back next week but partner sent me this today looks like this heat spell is doing us wonders.
Might just finish drying by next week ❤
View attachment 38235

Rhetorical question. Which warms your heart the most, the beautiful leaf or all that nice sunshine?

 

[Jgeisler]

Been thinning out the clover that’s around the lizard tail Orinoco tobaccos and I’m so greatful we laid out clover because I usually would need to spray for bugs but this clover has been acting as a trap plant of sorts. This was not my original intention I actually only wanted some kind of nitrogen fixing helper or a bug repellent helper but seems the clover is preferred over the tobacco and the squash beetles and other bugs just munch on the clover thankfully. This method I wouldn’t recommend to a commercial operation unless they found a way to streamline it and use short clover apposed to this crimson clover.

I keep my entire garden in white clover. Once the plants have gotten taller than the clover I don't bother cutting it back. It seems to keep most of the weeds back and is much easier than the ground cloth and mulch that I used in the past. This is my first year growing tobacco and it seems to be working out pretty well. I hadn't considered bug control but haven't had anything other than aphids so maybe it helps.

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

My partner sent me some photos today and I’m very excited to get back in town!!





we’ve been finding a bunch of tobaccos just popping up around the garden and this one I didn’t think would get bigger custhe melon leaves shaded it for a while but there it is in thatcluster of spiked vines of the melon. Very bizarre.

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Partner sent me these as well there’s a lizard tail Orinoco that’s got a mutation on a leaf looks strange. Also the bud sights are forming so they should make flowers soon!!

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Rhetorical question. Which warms your heart the most, the beautiful leaf or all that nice sunshine?

I am always greatful for the warm sunshine kissing my skin! We don’t get enough sunshine here in Oregon the garden is a blessing of course though

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

I keep my entire garden in white clover. Once the plants have gotten taller than the clover I don't bother cutting it back. It seems to keep most of the weeds back and is much easier than the ground cloth and mulch that I used in the past. This is my first year growing tobacco and it seems to be working out pretty well. I hadn't considered bug control but haven't had anything other than aphids so maybe it helps.

I’ll have to try the white clover next season I’m using tall crimson clover this year

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

So we’re running out of warm weather and sunlight so we clipped the flower heads off of the Black Sea sampsuns because there was enough swollen pods per plant to justify it to me and we hung them up to dry. We then harvested another set of 3 leaves from the sampsuns and we harvested the lugs and lower 3-4 leaves from the lizard tail Orinoco plants strung them up the same and hung everything in my closet with a fan pointing at the closet door from the top shelf so it doesn’t directly blow on the leaves. There’s also a radiant heater on the floor directly underneath that fan and to maintain humidity I’ve been pouring distilled water into the carpet every so often now that I have the fan up on high there’s some leaf tips on a few leaves here snd there that are completely dry feeling with pliability however are still green. It’s been 36 hours fluctuating between 90-97 degrees and 43-57% humidity. I forgot to turn the heater back on last night so humidity got up to 73% And temperature dropped to 72. So I got the heat back up and it’s fluctuating between 93-97 and more leaves are going much more yellow and some leaf has started to brown at the tips before it can go yellow. We knew the leaves looked very green at harvest but wanted to trigger stress to get our plants to finish and to get the ones we want to save seed from we’re not topping so probably going to see the leaf from the topped plants get yellow much faster unless that priming stressed everything the same. I’m unable to exceed 97F in this closet so I can’t really speed up drying like flue curing but I will turn the space heater up to number 2 once yellowing is progressed enough and then to number 3 on the heater once I need to kill the stems. But man my room is a jungle. We’re really hoping the plants we aren’t topping have enough time to finish and make seeds because these plants are definitely the biggest leafed plants I’ve ever worked with so far.

 

[deluxestogie]

Are you planning to color cure that huge crop in a closet?

Bob

 

[Oldfella]

I’ve been pouring distilled water into the carpet every so often now that I have the fan up on high
[/QUOTE]
Won't your carpet start to rot and stink? I'd be inclined to use a towel as a wick in a bucket of water.
Oldfella

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Had to crack one of the doors cus it won’t re attach I’ve needed to fix it for a long time now. But I’m hoping it acts as a vent and doesn’t disturb the process.