DonH
Well-Known Member
No there's enough space there. I was just standing far away from that plot and I zoomed in a bit. It's actually about 25' X 25'.
DonH's 2013 Grow Log
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No there's enough space there. I was just standing far away from that plot and I zoomed in a bit. It's actually about 25' X 25'.
leverhead
Well-Known Member
He's got to be a little careful, that patch is about 1/3 the size of Rhode Island. Massachusetts isn't all that much bigger. All kidding aside, not too many rocks and it looks good. I hope you have a pleasant summer, I think we can guess where to find you in the evenings.
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
That's going to be so greeeeeen. Your soil is what I wish I had. Here its all peat, pine straw and sand when it isn't swamp.
DonH
Well-Known Member
The soils not too bad. It could be a lot worse in Massachusetts, but I'm a few houses away from a small river, so that helps being in the valley. But I'm originally from the midwest where there's like three feet of topsoil. Here I have about 10 inches and a lot of it is sand with rocks. Of course sandy soil is good for tobacco and it drains really well so I'm not complaining. Better than clay soil. But I've been adding compost (and removing rocks) for over a decade to the older garden plots I have. We have a lot of pine straw here, too. And the big pines are causing too much shade in my plot. I toyed with the idea of taking the trees down, these pines are just like huge weeds, but I'm looking to sell the house and move to another property, so I decided not to spend the money.
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
Let the next guy deal with it
BarG
Founding Member
Sell the pines before you move.
ChuckP
Well-Known Member
Nice looking plots and good looking black dirt!
DonH
Well-Known Member
My neighbor and I looked into this and the tree guys we talked to said they are "bull pines" and don't have value as lumber. Who knows, though. We were trying to get someone to take them down for free. Since the are near houses it costs more to take them down than if they were out in the woods.
DonH
Well-Known Member
I got seedlings from BigBonner last Thursday and planted the rest of my plot. Total plants 103. 19 varieties:
African Red 3
Del Gold 4
Virginia Bright Leaf 5
Big Gem 6
Lizard Tail Orinoco 4
One Sucker 4
Baiano 5
Catterton3
Kelly Burley 3
Silver River 7
Yellow Twist Bud 5
Harrow Velvet 1
Burley 7
Bolivian Black Criollo 6
Isleta Pueblo 2
Black Sea Samsun 8
Bursa 13
Xanthi Yaka 11
Ottoman 6
The Black Sea Samsun I started from seed is shooting up in height, as is the Rustica, and the rest are producing big leaves but not much height yet. All in all they're growing well. Just need some sun. All that rain you guys in the south got made its way up here (without the wind, luckily).
African Red 3
Del Gold 4
Virginia Bright Leaf 5
Big Gem 6
Lizard Tail Orinoco 4
One Sucker 4
Baiano 5
Catterton3
Kelly Burley 3
Silver River 7
Yellow Twist Bud 5
Harrow Velvet 1
Burley 7
Bolivian Black Criollo 6
Isleta Pueblo 2
Black Sea Samsun 8
Bursa 13
Xanthi Yaka 11
Ottoman 6
The Black Sea Samsun I started from seed is shooting up in height, as is the Rustica, and the rest are producing big leaves but not much height yet. All in all they're growing well. Just need some sun. All that rain you guys in the south got made its way up here (without the wind, luckily).
Nice variety list for blending. Your plants look great, you've just about caught me already.
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
When they get big, How's about a pic of the African red..... please
DonH
Well-Known Member
The ones I planted on May 30 have reached take-off stage. We have had a few days of sun with hardly any rain, luckily. Last week we probably got 3 or 4 inches of rain.
On the right side of this pic, the two big plants are African Red as is the one at the end of the row. The second one is a replacement Orinoco to an African Red that got hit by cutworms, so it's smaller.
The next row to the left are Del Golds (growing nicely) except for one replacement Big Gem in the foreground.
In the middle of this next picture are two Hungarian Baianos which are doing great. the rest of that row are One Suckers.
In the back of this next one you can see the Black Sea Samsuns are really taking off in height.
Here are six Silver Rivers and one YTB in the foreground.
On the right side of this pic, the two big plants are African Red as is the one at the end of the row. The second one is a replacement Orinoco to an African Red that got hit by cutworms, so it's smaller.
The next row to the left are Del Golds (growing nicely) except for one replacement Big Gem in the foreground.
In the middle of this next picture are two Hungarian Baianos which are doing great. the rest of that row are One Suckers.
In the back of this next one you can see the Black Sea Samsuns are really taking off in height.
Here are six Silver Rivers and one YTB in the foreground.
leverhead
Well-Known Member
You're off to a good start!
workhorse_01
Well-Known Member
Don the African red is a great looking plant they all look good. Have the one suckers started to spiral in the middle yet? I grew alot of them last year and the healthiest ones spiraled in the middle.
DonH
Well-Known Member
I've been out of town for 4 days, and when I came back after we had a nice hot week with only one massive downpour, the plants had grown a lot. One problem: a crime mystery. I lost seven plants, four of which were from the first batch I planted and were pretty large. When I say lost I mean they completely disappeared without a trace! No stalk, no paw prints no messed up soil, nothing. Here is a picture of one of the crime sites:
That little plant on the lower left is just a raspberry shoot that spread from a root a few yards away. The other weird thing is that the plants I lost were separated as far as possible, and the surrounding plants are doing great with no insect damage. Has anybody had anything like this happen?
I replaced the plants with more seedlings even though it's almost too late. Here are some pictures of the other plants. They are looking very green now, even the Burleys.
Here is a closeup of two Del Golds. They are doing great. I think it's a must have variety for northern growers.
On this next one, the tall plant on the top right is a Hungarian Baiano. They are also performing really well. I hope they taste good.
The plants I got from BigB and put in the ground on June 6 have started to take off. Here are two rows of Bursa with one row of Ottoman in the middle.
Here is a row of TN90 on the left and one of Bolivian Black on the right.
That little plant on the lower left is just a raspberry shoot that spread from a root a few yards away. The other weird thing is that the plants I lost were separated as far as possible, and the surrounding plants are doing great with no insect damage. Has anybody had anything like this happen?
I replaced the plants with more seedlings even though it's almost too late. Here are some pictures of the other plants. They are looking very green now, even the Burleys.
Here is a closeup of two Del Golds. They are doing great. I think it's a must have variety for northern growers.
On this next one, the tall plant on the top right is a Hungarian Baiano. They are also performing really well. I hope they taste good.
The plants I got from BigB and put in the ground on June 6 have started to take off. Here are two rows of Bursa with one row of Ottoman in the middle.
Here is a row of TN90 on the left and one of Bolivian Black on the right.
Fisherman
Well-Known Member
Nice grow for sure. If it was human theives took your plants at least they stole something that will make them appreciate this life we all share. But if you catch them. still shoot them.
DGBAMA
Well-Known Member
I have had gophers steal both tomato and pepper plants in the past. find them half their previous height and wilting. Guesss they ate the root ball then started pulling the plant down their hole.
DonH
Well-Known Member
We have woodchucks around here, so that's a possibility.
My impression is that groundhogs (woodchucks) don't like tobacco. One of my tobacco beds is only 15 feet from a groundhog burrow. I see the little guys all the time. They've never touched the tobacco. (I do know that they will eat habanero peppers!)
Bob
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