My first sowing of tobacco seeds

[tempbond]

So I started my seeds 6 days ago in my basement, with a 430 watts Phillips Sun Agro HPS lamp, which puts out between 48600 and 54000 lumens.

I've sowed 18 varieties of tobacco :

huge leaf tobacco
cuban tobacco
Cerimonial Mayan
Cuban Havana 503
Cuban Havana 142
Cuban Havana 608
Cuban Havana 501
Small Stalk Black Mammoth
Connecticut Shade Leaf
Pennsylvania Red Leaf
Havana Long Red Leaf
Long Red Leaf
Connecticut Broadleaf
Florida Sumatra Tobacco
Keller Brown Tobacco
Havana
Connecticut Shade
Connecticut Broadleaf

Hope everything goes ok...

Right half of table is tobacco, left half are vegetables.

 

[deluxestogie]

That's an ambitious collection. Do you have or plan to build a kiln?

Bob

 

[tempbond]

That's an ambitious collection. Do you have or plan to build a kiln?

Bob

I plan to build a kiln this summer, don't know what size yet though...
How many people would you say cure their tobacco in sealed plastic bags in a kiln VS just hanging in there ? I guess no need to worry about relative humidity when in plastic bags ?

 

[deluxestogie]

Hanging whole leaf is the easiest way to go, in terms of ongoing labor. A converted freezer seems to work well for a container. I stem and press my leaf to fit into quart-size Freezer Ziplocks, which are then left completely open within the kiln. I do this because my kiln is so tiny--a converted wood toolbox. Chicken converted an entire closet within a travel trailer.

Regardless of the approach, a Crockpot can serve as a heat and humidity source. For a bigger unit, additional heat sources may be required. My baby kiln uses only a 2 qt. Crockpot, set on "Lo."

Bob

 

[BigBonner]

If you leave the tobacco hanging , there are way the tobacco can be damaged . One is wind blowing through cracks in your building or barn shattering dry leaves . Two , is high humidity , foggy mornings , rainny seasons can cause mold to form . Three , Birds and animals like to build nest and hide in tobacco .

I plan to build a kiln this summer, don't know what size yet though...
How many people would you say cure their tobacco in sealed plastic bags in a kiln VS just hanging in there ? I guess no need to worry about relative humidity when in plastic bags ?

 

[deluxestogie]

Larry,
I agree with everything you say here. What I had intended to point out was that being able to hang whole leaf within a nice large kiln is a lot less work than what is required to get it into a small kiln.

Bob

 

[BigBonner]

My eyes are getting bad . I see he was hanging it in the kiln . I thought he was hanging to air age .

 

[tempbond]

I'm going to go the crock pot way to provide heat in my kiln. I just bought a digital temperature controller thermostat from eBay. Got the idea from an HTGT thread called "my kiln works brilliant". If you plan to buy one yourself, just make sure to chose one that's 110-120 volts if you're in Canada or US (most of those listed are 220V). It's rated for 5 amps and it seems that crock pots use less than 2 amps, so I should be ok.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-110-120V-AC-/370587159135?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item5648b74a5f#ht_3684wt_1059



Here are the specs :

Measure range: -58°F - 194°F
Control range: -58°F - 194°F
Measuring difference: ±1°F
Resolution: 1°F
Accuracy: ± 1°F (-50°F - 70°F )
Sensor type: NTC (10K/3435)
Power supply: 110-120V AC
Power consumption: less than 3W
Relay contact current: Rated 5A
Data retention: Yes
Working temperature: 32°F - 122°F
Storage temperature: -14°F - 140°F
Size: 85 x 75 x 35 mm


Gonna build my kiln out of plywood lined with rigid foam insulation, so a crock pot should be enough to heat it. I hope... This is the inspiration for it :
http://www.seedman.com/wkiln.htm

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Wow that list is pure cigar heaven. I can't wait to see how they progress thru the season. Hope you post a lot of pictorials, I have many of those varieties but have not grown them all yet. And you are north of me to boot. Very excited to follow your grow

 

[tempbond]

Wow that list is pure cigar heaven. I can't wait to see how they progress thru the season. Hope you post a lot of pictorials, I have many of those varieties but have not grown them all yet. And you are north of me to boot. Very excited to follow your grow

Thank for your interest ! I will post pics every so often, I've already taken some more this morning, though there's very little change in only 4 days... Hey, I'm a noob at this, can't wait for things to grow !

If I have enough space in the backyard, I plan on having 120 plants, so about 4 of each variety and the rest devided between 5 or 6 main tobaccos I want to have for cigars. I hope I'm not getting in over my head...I have a tendency to do that when I start a new hobby...

 

[deluxestogie]

tempbond,
Be sure and report on the functionality and durability of that thermostat. Even with shipping from Asia, it's only about $15. That's amazing.

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I bought 2 of them last year as backups . Can't beat the price... assuming they work!

 

[Tom_in_TN]

I hope I'm not getting in over my head...I have a tendency to do that when I start a new hobby...

Yeah, heard that. Us 1st time growers are likely to get in 'over our heads' but my research of this forum has me believing that there are so many experienced growers here that we can be 'rescued' from our mistakes if we keep posting our progress.

Nice setup for your seedlings. Looks really good.

 

[FmGrowit]

Just a couple of notes on the seedman design...

1. White glue (Elmer's) will fail very fast when exposed to moisture or heat. Moist heat will render it useless within hours if not minutes. Use a urethane glue (gorilla glue) or an exterior grade urethane caulk instead.

2. Fastening into the cross cut of plywood is by far the weakest way to assemble the box. Cut a 1" x 1" (3/4" x 3/4" actual measurement) the same height as the sides. Dry fit a corner and put the 1x1 on the inside corner. Fasten the plywood to the 1x1 using 1 1/4" drywall screws. Before you fasten the opposing side, run a bead of latex caulk near the corner and eliminate step one.

3. Eliminate the aluminum corners completely.

4. No need to use a piano hinge unless you already have one lying around. Small strap hinges will be much cheaper and easier to attach.

5.Reconsider the size unless you processing tobacco is going to be part of your weekly retinue. Consult other here for advice.

Other than that...I'd still try to modify a chest freezer for a kiln.

 

[Daniel]

I am also very interested in how the controller works. I have a couple of uses for them if they work.

I kiln in plastic bags. Humidity is far less of an issue but not a none issue. The heat tends to migrate the moisture to the upper side of the bag. leaving one side to wet and the bottom to dry. A weekly remixing of the tobacco seems to work just fine to fix that. IF it still feels to dry I give it a few squirts from a spray bottle and then rebag it. Otherwise I have not noticed any difference in tobacco kilned in a bag and what was hung. My main reason to kiln in a bag is it saves a lot of space. I actually shredded our tobacco last year before putting it isn bags. this year I am probably goign to jsut bag the whole leaf with the mid rib removed and and save shredding for a later time. This is unless I come up with a much faster way to shred.

 

[tempbond]

Here are some new pictures. It's growing...

 

[deluxestogie]

tempbond,
Very nice sellection of varieties.

Bob