SmokeStack's Grow Blog 2012

[wazzappenning]

i guess we got your rain. theres been 1 full sunny day without rain in the past week. a few of those days had horribly large downpours which caused flash flooding

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Hey guys, the ground cover that has worked best for me is the Silt Fencing contractors use on roadway construction. You see it all the time. My neighbor had the local utility company install sewer across his land and they used it to control soil erosion. After the work was done and it was no longer needed he let me collect it up to use as ground cover. I keep it around my asparagus beds (permanent) and as a main run between the rows of tomato plants. It is picked up at the end of the season so the soil can be tilled and put down the next season. I've been using it for 10 years and wish I had at least 3,000 feet of it because it has held up really well and can be walked on at will. Sure, it has developed a few holes and wear spots that allow the weeds to poke through but it is a lot better than weeding all the time.

Smokestack, hope your season is going well for you and you get some time to post those pics.

 

[SmokeStack]

After 6 weeks, I finally have some more pictures of my current crop...

• Yellow Orinoco
• Closeup of a Yellow Orinoco bud (right) - when should I top this one off?

• TN90

• Cigar Leaf (Zimmer Spanish, Florida Sumatra, Connecticut Broadleaf)

• Oriental (Xanthi Yaka 18a, Black Sea Samsun, Izmir-Ozbas)

• Rustica (Isleta Pueblo, Aztec)

• Rustica (Aztec) & Italian Bright Leaf

• Yellow Twist Bud

• Yellow Prior

 

[Chicken]

the tn90 looks real good,

my first year growing that,and i like the way the plant grew, and produced, a very sturdy plant also,

i will definatlly be growing it next year<

 

[SmokeStack]

the tn90 looks real good,

my first year growing that,and i like the way the plant grew, and produced, a very sturdy plant also,

i will definatlly be growing it next year<

I planted the TN90 during the excessive heat warnings we had here in Michigan - but they are sturdy and all survived except one seedling didn't make it - it was a weekling to begin with. Chicken, how do you intend on curing your TN90 - priming or stalk? I was going to stalk cure since it seems easier.

 

[Chicken]

i had mildew issues,

florida, has been very wet every day for the past 50+ days,

so the little colour-curing i had done, was good,

but i had to get rid of the bad leaves, and threw the rest of my first picking's,

in the kiln at a low temp 100 degrees, and 55 rh,

so right now , me and mother nature is having a battle to see if my crop turns out to be satisfactory,

i believe im gonna win this battle<

 

[Jitterbugdude]

how do you intend on curing your TN90 - priming or stalk? I was going to stalk cure since it seems easier.

Since it's a Burley, I'd suggest stalk curing it.

 

[Chicken]

the stalk curing i did last year turned out nicely,

the leaf dried to a perfect colour and texture, and when it come time for picking, it was so easy to stand at the plant, and just strip the leaves off,

i'd stalk cure everything, if i could,

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I stalk cure everything too, just watch for suckers that continue to grow, they attract bugs and mold

 

[Chicken]

^^^^

yes. i let mine hang for too long, and they developed some mildew, but im in a humid area,

id say, as soon as the stalk is dried, go ahead, and process the leaf<

 

[Michibacy]

Looking good man! VERY clean looking field. Thumbs up from me (if it counts for anything)! How/where are you curing them? Shed barn...teepee?

 

[BarG]

Those yellow orinoco tops look nice. Bag and save those seeds.

 

[FmGrowit]

Nice looking baccy patch. You can let the flower heads grow for a little while yet. Your plants should grow another couple of feet. I'd top them when you have 10% of the flowers open.

 

[SmokeStack]

Looking good man! VERY clean looking field. Thumbs up from me (if it counts for anything)! How/where are you curing them? Shed barn...teepee?

That's a good question. Since I planted late this year, I will be harvesting close to the frost date so I might cure as much as I can in the basement and the rest in a small barn. I am not sure what will happen if the tobacco freezes in the barn, but October should be OK. All I can do is keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Once it is dryish it can take a freeze no problem, mine did and a year later it smokes nice.

 

[SmokeStack]

Once it is dryish it can take a freeze no problem, mine did and a year later it smokes nice.

What will happen if the leaf freezes while it is still green? I am sh%t out of luck?

 

[Michibacy]

If it's anything like lettuce, it could get wilty not really be palatable. I'd imagine the same. Maybe that's a test someone should test out this year.

 

[deluxestogie]

I am sh%t out of luck?

Yes.

Bob

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I tried growing a sucker crop after harvest last year, and took the 2' plants in before the first freeze. They remain exactly the same beautiful shade of green today as the day they were harvested nearly a year ago. The real harvest nearly browned up entirely tho... come to think of it I wonder how that sucker crop tastes despite the color, I will find out when I get home

 

[SmokeStack]

I tried growing a sucker crop after harvest last year, and took the 2' plants in before the first freeze. They remain exactly the same beautiful shade of green today as the day they were harvested nearly a year ago. The real harvest nearly browned up entirely tho... come to think of it I wonder how that sucker crop tastes despite the color, I will find out when I get home

SmokesAhoy, how long did it take for your real harvest to brown up? And at what temperatures did they air cure?

I planted about 350 plants this year (late in the season) and it would be very disappointing if they don't air cure properly. The basement I have is small so I will have to fill it up as much as I can. But out in the barn or garage I was thinking of using some heaters to keep the temperature from falling below 50 or 60 degrees. Anyone know of a cost-effective electric heater?