Just starting to plan for next year. New grower

[magikk67]

I’m just starting to get my ground prepped for next year. my Ph is 6.0 maybe a little higher. I have about 8-10 inches of topsoil the yellow clay below.. I had thought about planting winter rye this fall since I already have rye seed on hand for whiskey making But after reading more about it.. it said it can cause a nitrogen lock blocking the seedlings from absorbing nitrogen. I would just cut it down as low as I could get it then plow it under in the spring. the article said to kill it. If that means herbicide then don’t want to do that. as far as compost material I have chick compost that’s broken down to nice black dirt And have access to pine needles. I read that chicken compost can contain a lot of chorides that I also read is bad. Sorry for all the questions. I just want to try and get it right. I read through most of the FAQ. all the knowlege here is appreciated. thanks all

 

[The Haroo ln]

For my grow next year. I will dig out the 3-4 inches of topsoil/compost which has a ph of about 7.0-8.5 and lime the solid clay subsoil underneath which has a ph of 3.5. I will do this at the end of this years harvest when all stalks and roots have been dug out and discarded. Once the limes sprinkled in i will dig it in with a fork so the lime breaks into the clay and has time to bring the ph up to approx 6.0.

I left it too late this year as i had a lot going on so to counter my tobacco roots hitting the acidic clay i made mounds approx 6-7 inches high for all my plants.
But i really want to break the solid clay pan for next year.

As for nitrogen. Tobacco doesnt need a huge amount of it, 2 x standard applications of dried blood (npk 12/13 - 0 -0) should be enough for the entire season. If you look at my grow blog this year, i gave my 3 sungrown criollo 98 1.5 teaspoons of dried blood per plant and watered in. The leaves are a healthy green.
Too much nitrogen will make it difficult to cure leaves after harvest and can also give a bitter taste. Also never giving any more N once you start to see the flower bud forming.
You do however want to make sure there is enough potash in your soil. Tobacco not just loves but also needs ALOT of potash, Especially after topping. This helps the cell walls thicken, produce more oils and drastically improves burning/combustibility properties of the leaves. (Something i learned after my 1st years grow, which failed to stay alight at all)

When using manure of any kind, you want to make sure its well rotted.

Finally remember any soil amendments you make will need time to start working, hence why i'm starting mine at the end of this years harvest. Gives the lime, volcanic rock dust, sand etc. Approx 6ish months to break down and work their magic.

Im still kinda new/experimenting with tobacco myself. This is only my 3rd year growing so i still also have a lot to learn.

I maybe wrong or my opinion on certain things maybe different to others but the best way to find out what/how much you need of something is to either do a full soil test via a soil lab or grow a few times and see what happens with your plants.

Oh and i almost forgot, Stay away from chloride! Wether thats in any fertilizer or your water. Its probably the worst thing for tobacco plants.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Potash..... combustion properties..... won't stay lit..... hmmmmm

The Trabzon #2 won't light and grew slightly variegated (not as green as it could). I'm certain, while all nutrients are lacking, insufficient potassium is my problem.

 

[GreenDragon]

Take a deep breath…. Hold it… let it out slowly… good. OK.

Tobacco roots rarely go below 6”, so don’t worry about the clay.

Go ahead and plant your rye cover crop. It’s good! It will add organic to your soil. Yes it will absorb N as it breaks down. No problem, you’re going to add a balanced fertilizer anyway (10-10-10 or similar).

Tobacco is a robust hearty weed. It’s native to the Americas and does well in a variety of soils and climates. Yes it has ideal growing conditions that will maximize yields, but we are hobby growers and are not chasing that last 5% of yield. Grow a crop, take notes, tweak, repeat. And enjoy the journey.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Cereal rye is promoted as a good cover crop and "green" manure. To properly kill it, you simply crush/crimp the plants as their inflorescence (seed heads) grow and release pollens. If you cut the rye, it'll still try to grow back from root even after you till. It's a delicate time window and life stage of cereal rye, but a worthwhile option for adding organic matter.

Intercropping (growing multiple plants together) with a legume - like feild peas - can help promote additional soil nitrogen. The use of cover crops and green manure is a growing trend for Regenerative agriculture to amend soils and reduce the reliance on synthetic/added fertilizers. Interesting fact for legumes and nitrogen fixing: nitrogen poor soils cause legumes to fix more nitrogen than soils with "adequate" levels of nitrogen.

 

[StoneCarver]

Its definitely a good idea to start prepping your bed now particularly if its "virgin" soil. When I make a new bed, I just scrape the sod off the surface, solarize the bare surface for the rest of the summer, then fork the soil in the fall, and finally pile compost on it to break down until I plant it next spring.