The Knucklehead way to Grow a Blog

[Knucklehead]

Well, pretty early for plan B, but I'm glad I caught it when I did. I went Turkey scouting today and found new red ribbon on several trees. I'm guessing the paper company will be thinning or clear cutting the pines behind my house this summer. So the little rain we got last night was a blessing. Otherwise I would have turned my plot this morning. After I found the ribbons I decided to go ahead and turn the ground by the pond while it was wet, because that ground hasn't been disturbed in several years. That worked really well. I ripped through the fescue first pass and finished up with a couple more passes to get some depth.The sod kept building up under the cultivator so I'll let it die down and turn it under. Then I will turn it one more time before transplant time and follow up with the rock rake. Looks like I'll be running water downhill pretty soon. All my tobacco will be on my property this year. I was hoping my hunting lease could be made to pay for itself. Oh, well, there's always Mary Jane. LOL Just kidding.

 

[johnlee1933]

I just read the name of this thread again. To my shame I admit I've never grown a blog. Is it difficult? Can you smoke it?

 

[Michibacy]

I did on accident John, it was a bit nutty tasting, kinda moist...I got a lot of weird looks when I smoked it, smelled good though...

 

[Knucklehead]

I just read the name of this thread again. To my shame I admit I've never grown a blog. Is it difficult? Can you smoke it?

I saw Grow Blog and that's just what I did. Every time I add something the Blog Grows. Wasn't Grow Blog a recommendation?

 

[johnlee1933]

I saw Grow Blog and that's just what I did. Every time I add something the Blog Grows. Wasn't Grow Blog a recommendation?

NO, No,no that was grow "log".

 

[Knucklehead]

Dang John that makes no sense at all. LOL

 

[joelmora89]

im only 2300 miles away sounds like a looooong road trip lol

 

[Knucklehead]

Here's the first ground breaking of my baccy patch. I will abandon the other spots until they finish logging. Then I'll have places to rotate my patches every couple of years. For those of you unfamiliar with your geology, this is the Alabama soil that's been washing south for several thousand years, caught up on a log jam in the Gulf and formed the island eventually known as Cuba. Good dirt.

Once the fescue dies down, I'll give it another stirring up with the cultivator and dig deeper. You can see my cigar smoking spot in the background.

 

[darren1979]

Looking good, and by the sounds of it you've got the soil for growing almost anything.
Keep up the good work!

 

[johnlee1933]

Here's the first ground breaking of my baccy patch. I will abandon the other spots until they finish logging. Then I'll have places to rotate my patches every couple of years. For those of you unfamiliar with your geology, this is the Alabama soil that's been washing south for several thousand years, caught up on a log jam in the Gulf and formed the island eventually known as Cuba. Good dirt.

Once the fescue dies down, I'll give it another stirring up with the cultivator and dig deeper. You can see my cigar smoking spot in the background.

Nice and that's a better pic of your float boat. The expression "Whatever floats your boat." springs to mind.

 

[Knucklehead]

I ran 400 ft. of 1/2" drip line down the hill for water. I had it on hand and it should supply enough water for the 66 or 68 half gph emitters I'll be using. Two rows of 100 ft. half inch drip line, emitters every three feet. That's only 34 gal. an hour.
100 ft. of Virginia and 100 ft. of mostly TN 90 with some YTB and a few spaces for a seed bank grow out if Don sends some grow out seed. I left the variety up to him. I have about 300 sq. ft. for Izmir, Bursa and BSS-Maden, no drip.

Now I need to work on moving some stuff in my shop to make way for my curing rack. I have a wheeled dolly to set my planer on so I can store it out of the way and roll it out when I need to use it. It's old and made of all steel and cast iron. I'm going to have to pull the tractor in the shop and lift it with the front loader to get the dolly under it. It's heavy.

 

[johnlee1933]

Now I need to work on moving some stuff in my shop to make way for my curing rack. I have a wheeled dolly to set my planer on so I can store it out of the way and roll it out when I need to use it. It's old and made of all steel and cast iron. I'm going to have to pull the tractor in the shop and lift it with the front loader to get the dolly under it. It's heavy.

What kind of a planer is it? Mine was an old American Woodworking Machinery Company "Prize Panel Planer" 27 ".

 

[Knucklehead]

It's a 12" planer made by Parks Woodworking Machine Co. That 27" one must have been a beast.

 

[johnlee1933]

It's a 12" planer made by Parks Woodworking Machine Co. That 27" one must have been a beast.

Yep. 1400 lb. It was so old it was designed to be powered by 4" wide flat belt. I modified it to run with a 5hp 220V electric motor. Three knife configuration. I paid a grand for it when I was in the business. I got that back in short order. Setting the knives was a PITA but it turned out some fine work. On major cuts you could see blade marks. Take the same piece and run it thru a couple more times and it was flat and really pretty.

 

[Knucklehead]

Busy day. I got the planer set on the dolly with the tractor. Moved some other stuff out of the shop and into my daddy's storage building. Turned the patch one more time ahead of an expected three days of rain. The Mean Green Baccy Machine had a flat tire so I had to get it off and to the tire store. I wonder how to factor all this in the price of a carton of homegrown smokes.

You know if that had been a back tire, I'd be seriously considering retirement. Ya'll pump me up here. How much will I be saving over buying whole leaf from Don? I could even cut my posts down to one a year. "Hey guys, got my order in from Don today, talk to ya'll about this time next year." Dang.

 

[johnlee1933]

Busy day. I got the planer set on the dolly with the tractor. Moved some other stuff out of the shop and into my daddy's storage building. Turned the patch one more time ahead of an expected three days of rain. The Mean Green Baccy Machine had a flat tire so I had to get it off and to the tire store. I wonder how to factor all this in the price of a carton of homegrown smokes.

You know if that had been a back tire, I'd be seriously considering retirement. Ya'll pump me up here. How much will I be saving over buying whole leaf from Don? I could even cut my posts down to one a year. "Hey guys, got my order in from Don today, talk to ya'll about this time next year." Dang.

Hey Knucks, You have to factor in all the FUN you are having. Figuring the cost of a movies these days you are way ahead.

About retirement: Before I was working and broke. Now I'm just broke. For me it is a toss up.

 

[Boboro]

I like to grow a garden so Im gonna grow stuff any way. tomators are a $ a lb. and baccers $15 a lb. Yhe curein and all can be maddin. Its a new problem every year. Keeps me from bein a fat lazy drunk all summer.

 

[deluxestogie]

Well, Knucks, you have to consider the total cost of purchase, maintenance and repairs over the tractor's lifetime. Then you apportion a "value" to its productivity in everything you use it for over that lifetime. I've done the exact math for you, and the replacement of a front tire = sucks.

Bob

 

[Boboro]

I put Slime in all the tires that dont go fast. Its good stuff.

 

[Knucklehead]

The valve stem was pushed into the tubeless tire somehow. I guess a rock did it although I tried to miss all the ones I saw. I'll drag them out with the rock rake after the greenery has composted.