MadFarmer's 2021 Grow

[MadFarmer]

January 10th seemed an auspicious* day to start seeds. That's a dusting of snow on the cereal rye and the volunteer garlic.



This year's grow will consist of Bahia, Corojo 99, and Hacienda Del Cura.

The Bahia came up the fastest, the Corojo last. I thinned these down to one plant per cell and plan on leaving them be for the next seven weeks. There is 3 cubic inches of growing medium in each cell.




* Less auspicious now due to a week of ice and snow in the forecast?

 

[tmbutler]

I'm curious for my own information; what soil medium are you using? Will this be consistent until transplant, or do you modify at any point between now and then? Thanks!!

 

[MadFarmer]

I'm curious for my own information; what soil medium are you using? Will this be consistent until transplant, or do you modify at any point between now and then? Thanks!!

tmbutler, I use Sungro Seedling Mix, that I buy at Ace. It's mostly peat moss. If I pot up these starts to a 4" pot (which I'm hoping to skip this year) I'll use a potting soil that I've used for my tomatoes.

 

[MadFarmer]

To all the new growers: I've saved myself no small amount of effort this week by going through my posts from last year. Take lots of pictures, ask lots of questions, but don't worry if you feel you should be doing something and can't figure out what.

 

[MadFarmer]

~60 days and I would swear they grew an inch while I was at work.

 

[Chuckrambo]

Why do you cut the leaves is it just to help crowding out the light

 

[deluxestogie]

Check our Index of Key Forum Threads.

Bob

 

[MadFarmer]

Why do you cut the leaves is it just to help crowding out the light

Yes, to crowding out the light, also it stimulates stem growth. (It's all in the Key Forum Thread)

 

[Brown Thumb]

It’s works like viraga per say

 

[Oldfella]

Very nice looking plants. They should produce some nice Tobacco, good luck with it and enjoy.
Cheers Oldfella

 

[MadFarmer]

I haven't had luck finding this information on ARS-GRIN: how tall will Hacienda Del Cura get vs. Corojo 99?

 

[deluxestogie]

My Hacienda del Cura reached about 5½ feet. My Corojo 99 was pretty consistently over my head.

Bob

 

[MadFarmer]

Couldn't wait another week. I messed up my spacing, but not sure where. Spacial reasoning is not my strong suit.

 

[MadFarmer]

23 days in. The Corojo came up last but has outpaced the others.

 

[deluxestogie]

They look good.

Bob

 

[MadFarmer]

Thanks, Bob. This pic is from this afternoon. We're under a frost advisory tonight. The wunderground forecast says 40° at 6am. Hopefully it's the outlying counties that break records tomorrow morning.

 

[Oldfella]

Thanks, Bob. This pic is from this afternoon. We're under a frost advisory tonight. The wunderground forecast says 40° at 6am. Hopefully it's the outlying counties that break records tomorrow morning.

If frost is forecast you can cover them overnight or get up early and spray them with water. You may have to leave the hose trickling all night. Some orchards over here use helicopters, but that's probably overkill for us small growers. Nice looking plants though it would be a shame to lose them to frost. I hope that like our weather forecasters they're not always right.
Oldfella

 

[MadFarmer]

Everything survived the threat of frost. Now it's 8-9 weeks of dodging hail storms.

Picking suckers off the Hacienda del Cura. They've been less of an issue on the other varieties.

 

[MadFarmer]

Just one of those days where everything in the garden puts on an inch while I'm at work.
30 days in the ground.

 

[MadFarmer]

Mother nature has decided to rev up the Attic Kiln:

It's time to put up the very last of last season's grow. Xmas Little Dutch. It smells sweeter than the summer grow, but that may be that there's less of it.