Mark W's 2013 Grow Blog

[Markw]

As I am sitting here typing this and looking out of the window, yes it is snowing again. I am just thinking what the summer is going to throw at us, floods and tons of rain like last year, or hopefully a nice warm and sunny time for growing our priced crop.

This year and don’t ask my why I am growing 14 new varieties and a few of the ones I liked from last year, the Silver River, TN 90 ,and the LP Havana.
The new varieties are:

Havana 142
Florida Samarta
Yellow Orinoco *JBD
Huehuetanago * JBD
Little Dutch
Yellow Twist Bud
Ct Shade* JBD
Vuelta Abjo* JBD
Cornplanter
Jacks NB11
Cordoba *
Nacional *
TI 712
TI 751
Who said that this tobacco growing lark wasn’t addictive !!. I have three growing locations and the use of two large greenhouses; hopefully I will be able to cope. Most of them have germinated and are already planted up in starter trays. I will up-load some photos and keep you all up-dated on how this madness is going.

 

[johnlee1933]

I have three growing locations and the use of two large greenhouses;

Any chance you will be able to use it in the fall? It might be handy for color curing.

 

[Markw]

Any chance you will be able to use it in the fall? It might be handy for color curing.

Hi John
Yes I use my garage for color curing and semi drying and then into my Conservatory to finish drying the rib .It would take to long time in the garage due to the humidity I started getting mold late in the season. I stalk harvested my orientals last year and nailed them up in the loft, they color cured and dried ok.

 

[squeezyjohn]

Hi Mark - good luck - the weathers set to change for the better in a week or so. I'm intrigued to hear how your grow goes this year. UK growing seems to be fine for the growing part. But I think we'll all be needing each others support when it comes to curing!

 

[Markw]

Hi Squeezy
Yes they do grow well over here even in a flood, what we all need to do is bang our heads together and come up with some good ideas on the color curing and drying in our conditions.

 

[johnlee1933]

Hi Squeezy
Yes they do grow well over here even in a flood, what we all need to do is bang our heads together and come up with some good ideas on the color curing and drying in our conditions.

After reading your humidity/curing woes I think you might consider flue curing. There is plenty of "how to" info in threads here and it would solve the "too damp" problem nicely.

 

[DrBob]

After reading your humidity/curing woes I think you might consider flue curing. There is plenty of "how to" info in threads here and it would solve the "too damp" problem nicely.

unfortunately, not all tobacco strains flue cure well.

 

[squeezyjohn]

I'm sure flue curing would definitely be a good answer for lots of the cigarette tobacco varieties ... unfortunately I'm not going to be smoking mine and it's going to be all air-cured for me.

We've just got to try and get the earliest harvest we can get here and then do the most fast and effective colour curing we can in the conditions available to us before moving somewhere dryer for the autumn.

One of my tactics involves growing a lot of Yellow Twist Bud which from the reports colour cures easily and quickly as well as growing like stink!

 

[AmaxB]

Sounds like ya could do a little work to the garage maybe to control conditions, or maybe get some kind of a trailer like Chicken is using so ya don't have to keep moving it.

 

[Markw]

Ha Guys thanks for the replies.
I think the problem we have over here is the high humidity all the time. The color curing is no problem thats the easy part but for last year the leaf was always in low to middle case and the rib took for ages or would never dry let alone crispy dry. late in the season I hod mold problems on the rib, Don said it was ok to remove this from the leaf end of problem.

The shade grown Silver River was the biggest problem I ended up drying it all in the conservatory. Now last year was a big learning curve. I expected that all the Tobacco I grew should start to turn yellowish before priming. That was a bad mistake especially with the Havana. So to be totally honest I think I could have started priming much earlier which would have helped a lot. I think JBD mentioned this in a thread but I am unable to find it. The Ottomon was 8 ft tall full of flowers and still the leaf was green. The thing that might help us growers over here is what is the earliest recommended time you can start priming the plants and what are the pros or cons.

 

[rainmax]

We have some kind same weather over here. OK, little less rain. I had also problems last year with color curing with last harvest. This year it was raining and snowing a lot. We still have snow and is on prognoses for next week. I hope and believe that summer is going to be hot and dry. Wish you too.
I'll check often to your blog and keep fingers crossed for you. All the best,...

btw: I believe that your second strain is Florida Sumatra

 

[Markw]

Hi Maks
Ha Ha spelling has never been my best point, to late to correct now , I must be suffering from lexdixia!!! Yes lets hope we all get good growing weather this year. I also hope your grow goes well. I will also be checking.

 

[squeezyjohn]

Ha Guys thanks for the replies.
I think the problem we have over here is the high humidity all the time. The color curing is no problem thats the easy part but for last year the leaf was always in low to middle case and the rib took for ages or would never dry let alone crispy dry. late in the season I hod mold problems on the rib, Don said it was ok to remove this from the leaf end of problem.

The shade grown Silver River was the biggest problem I ended up drying it all in the conservatory. Now last year was a big learning curve. I expected that all the Tobacco I grew should start to turn yellowish before priming. That was a bad mistake especially with the Havana. So to be totally honest I think I could have started priming much earlier which would have helped a lot. I think JBD mentioned this in a thread but I am unable to find it. The Ottomon was 8 ft tall full of flowers and still the leaf was green. The thing that might help us growers over here is what is the earliest recommended time you can start priming the plants and what are the pros or cons.

I know what you mean - we need to harvest as early as we possibly can! I was far less patient last year and started priming my Black Stalk Mammoth while still green and wet in the middle of September. Those leaves ended up cured fine with a good aroma - the ones I left until October to harvest moulded at the colour curing stage.

Cheers

Squeezy

 

[rainmax]

Hi Maks
Ha Ha spelling has never been my best point, to late to correct now , I must be suffering from lexdixia!!! Yes lets hope we all get good growing weather this year. I also hope your grow goes well. I will also be checking.

Why we can not edit all our posts?

 

[Knucklehead]

Why we can not edit all our posts?

There's a limit on how long you have to edit. Mainly because people like me might post something to get a fight going between 3 or 4 people and then go back and delete the first post. Funny as hell, but the moderators don't like it. lol

 

[rainmax]

So, if I want to correct something latter I need to ask moderator for permit. Than is possible, or we still don't have chance to do so?
I'm not very good in english and I make many mistakes i Like to correct it later if someone explain it to me also here is a good example to correct Florida Samarta.
For me is funny and for you, but newbie will search around for new variety.

oh yeah, let him who cares,...

 

[Knucklehead]

I think you have about a day, then you have to get a moderator.

 

[Markw]

Spell checkers are fantastic but sometimes they are unable to work out some of my words, plus I need new glasses. As knucks has said I think you have a few hours to change anything.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I think JBD mentioned this in a thread but I am unable to find it.

I harvest my tobacco as soon as the lower leaves snap off like a stalk of celery. For cigar tobacco I harvest no later than 3 weeks after flowering. With cigar leaf you want it to be nice and green, no yellowing and no krinkling. Most people will let their cigarette tobacco leaves start to yellow. I find the tobacco to be a bit smoother if it is harvested before it turns color.

 

[BarG]

Priming leaves is something I could use some coaching. I use my best guess and probably guess wrong. They do snap like celery but I think I will let several varietys mature more this year while others?