BarG's 2012- second season Grow Log

[BarG]

This year I am putting about 210 plants in a plot about 25' x 60'. I figure about 8 rows with a 26" space between plants staggered between each row, with 3' row spacing. This ground has been unused for any type of farming for about 40 yrs, since it was used to grow corn before this area of land was subdivided.It probably is the deepest sandy loam on my property, Digging 2' down with a pitch fork is no problem and no clay.If what Bob says about the blackcow using 1 bag per 30 sq' then 1-1.5 bag per row tilled in a few inches a couple weeks before planting should be about right for a 60' row. Last years plot was only about 8-10" till I hit red clay. Last years plot is utilizing my best producing area for my tobacco [based on last years crop] and the rest for veggies and melons. I expect to put about 200+ plants there. I have been tilling and preparing both areas for about a month now. So far I have spread pellitized dolomitic lime early on and that is all as far as adding to soil conditions besides the rye grass on last yrs plot. The fresh plot was mostly bahaya and clover and spring flowers and weeds.
1st pic is new plot in fore ground with veggie garden in center and old baccy plot in far left.
2nd pic is old baccy plot with ,potatos,peas,beans, soon to be baccy and melons.

I plan to add more pics of my do over seed starts to edit this first post when I get my kodak program to respond properly.

Edit; Heres a pic after restarting on april 7th- 10th about for most of these, I had to bring indoors due to low temps. to date I have about 300 in seed flats. I have been keeping out doors with a light clear plastic cover under porch with partial sun to about 2-3 hours semi full sun, to shaded after noon time. The plastic seems to help keep the sun and wind from drying trays out to fast or wilting fresh transplants. I still have to be extremely cautious about transplanting sprouts to soon or getting any direct sun on new transplants cause they will wilt in a heart beat. I'm going for several cigar varietys as well as cigarette varietys this year.


BarG

 

[BarG]

The oldest plants in these pics are 2 weeks old. Bursa and ottoman. All varietys include:

Fl. Sumatra
Pa red
Havana 425
YTB
Guatemalen
Big gem
MC[ my 2011 seeds]
huehuetenago
Ct. Broadleaf
Silver river
Bursa
Ottoman
Golden wilt

Seedlings from BB include;

Virginia gold
Havana 41
Perique
silk leaf
burley
Maryland 609

Thanks to everyone who shared and traded seeds.

 

[Chicken]

your welcome....

trading seeds, or just giving them to a grower, is what we do best,

and your plot looks fantastic,

 

[Tom_in_TN]

OK, looks like 2 super nice plots for your grow-out this season and you did a great job getting them prepared.

Good luck with raising your crop and hope you don't have the drought conditions like last year.

Thanks for passing some of your seeds on to me. They are sprouted and doing just fine.

 

[BarG]

Thanks Chicken, My plants don't hold a candle to yours yet but ima workin on it....

Tom,This year we started with a good wet spring, last year we had no rain since september 2010, that was worth mentioning. I'm counting on those havana 425 seeds you sent to make up for my 142's that got ruined. We'll see, I'm hopeful they are similar.

Does any one have much info on regular air drying for the bursa and ottoman? I'm going to have to really pay attention to keep so many varietys and leaf location separate. I may utilize my carport for some stalk curing to simplify those varietys that cure well that way and some tops. Any primed leaf I'll hang from porch and make each variety its own section of rafters.

 

[Chicken]

^^^^

I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR WANTING TO KNOW WHAT STRAIN IS, GROWING,,,

im gonna put them on a wire strand to air cure, and put a piece of DUCT-TAPE on it, with the strain name,

 

[johnlee1933]

^^^^

I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR WANTING TO KNOW WHAT STRAIN IS, GROWING,,,

im gonna put them on a wire strand to air cure, and put a piece of DUCT-TAPE on it, with the strain name,

I bought a package of "sale labeling tags" (250 for $3.59) I put numbers on them to correspond to my variety list. It's a positive ID but a little unhandy.
.
John

 

[BarG]

I bought a package of "sale labeling tags" (250 for $3.59) I put numbers on them to correspond to my variety list. It's a positive ID but a little unhandy.
.
John

Ha, I coaxed my wife to help me this year. she put the tape and labeled for me....he he he...I'll keep track.

Good morning John , that was some revele! I sent to my son in law. You should start a thread with that.

Patriots Not Forgotten!

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Keeping track of all the varieties I want to grow out will probably drive me insane this year. Any help keeping it simple AND foolproof is needed (I'm the fool for starting so many).

 

[deluxestogie]

I buy wide craft sticks (~$5 per 500 at Walmart). These are also called tongue depressors. I make a stack of 10, drill the stack with 3 holes, then use tin snips to cut each stick into 3 parts, each with a hole. Since I exclusively leaf prime, I make enough tags to approximate 1 to 1.5 tags per expected number of plants, assuming 12 to 18 leaves per stringing wire. When I prime leaf, each wire will hold leaf of the same variety from the same stalk position (I use 4 stalk positions). A wood tag is labeled with an extra-fine point Sharpee, to indicate the variety and position, then strung onto the wire and twisted into place near the end. I do this in the field, at the time and place of priming. This wood tag follows the string of leaf until it's time to go into the kiln.

Probably heavy cardboard product tags would work, but I worry about them molding in the humidity. My wood tags have survived color-curing, kilning, fire-curing, abuse and neglect, and are still readable.

Bob

 

[johnlee1933]

That's a hell of an idea ! (A little anal ) but still a hell of an idea. Just call me copy cat.

John

 

[deluxestogie]

Here's my basket for priming. It's rigged with all the junk I use: stringing wire, tags, Sharpee, steel skewer for puncturing difficult stems.

Bob

 

[BarG]

Here's my basket for priming. It's rigged with all the junk I use: stringing wire, tags, Sharpee, steel skewer for puncturing difficult stems.

Bob

You used that method before Bob, If I recall last yrs. posts. I was intrigued but last yr. I only had MC. I will Have to adapt to Harvesting several varietys. I will definitely keep that method in mind. I have witnessed your results first hand so how would you suggest for helping with this yrs. crop Aint nothin to unreasonable for the work to get this far..Oh s==t you just showed me that. You have to learn to see whats right under your nose.Hows them apples. Bob , you have never steered me wrong yet.My first problem will be distinguishing ripe from un ripe I'm guessig. Using your method will be something I have to adapt. How can I apply the small amount of leaves to their respective final location will be easier than than the field harvest? You know you have to lookat it like you have all that in hand. If you don't have the materials its hard to do th job. Wrap your mind around it.

 

[deluxestogie]

You used that method before...how would you suggest...for helping with this yrs. crop
...distinguishing ripe from un ripe...
How can I apply the small amount of leaves to their respective location will be easier than than the field harvest?

Using the same method for more than one year is permitted.
If you wait for a leaf to slightly thicken, and the very tip of the leaf to begin to yellow, then the leaf is mature. When the whole leaf is going yellow, that's ripe. Mature is ideal for cigar leaf, while ripe is preferred for cigarettes.
Your last question is unclear.

Bob

 

[BarG]

My last question was asked out of ignorance. I bet youl get a lot of those this year, Your method last year was meticulos. We can't all be that meticulous even if we tried.Its a mind set that not everyone has for finish product. It will have to be learned.

 

[BarG]

Using the same method for more than one year is permitted.
If you wait for a leaf to slightly thicken, and the very tip of the leaf to begin to yellow, then the leaf is mature. When the whole leaf is going yellow, that's ripe. Mature is ideal for cigar leaf, while ripe is preferred for cigarettes.
Your last question is unclear.

Bob

Bobs advice;
1- lime the soil
2-blackkow manure

Tims advice
1 plant on cool cloudy day
2-water at trans-plant

feel free to add.

 

[BarG]

I harvested last yrs crop too soon perhaps according to what you said.
Bob, I'm not gonna try to pump you for info or insight.
I totataly respect your knowledge on the subject.
I will take any advice or insight you care to offer. [PLEASE]
But any debate about baccy and your gonna beat my ass.

Your one tough son of a gun. thats a good thing.[thats not up for debate]

Barg

 

[Jitterbugdude]

1- lime the soil
2-blackkow manure

Tims advice
1 plant on cool cloudy day
2-water at trans-plant

feel free to add.

Lime your soil .. if a soil test says you need Calcium. Alternatively you could add lime if you want certain smoking characteristics. The Ag literature back in the 1880's said that high calcium soils made great filler tobacco, but lousy binder/wrapper.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Keeping track of all the varieties I want to grow out will probably drive me insane this year. Any help keeping it simple AND foolproof is needed (I'm the fool for starting so many).

Haha last year I failed miserably at this task, this year I'm just doing 1 strain.

 

[BarG]

Jitterbugdude, if it smokes better than last years I'll be happier.