ne3go's Grow Blog 2013

[ne3go]

Ok, litttle late to start a grow blog, but had a lot of work lately and i'm not sure how soon this blog will be refreshed.
I decided to grow 10 varieties this year, but only 10 plants from each variety, just to see which is the best for my cigars.
1.Virginia
2.Black Mammoth
3.Havana
4.Izmir
5.Tenessee
6.Connecticut
8.Maryland
9.African Red
10.Perique (just one plant grow!)

I started the seeds a month ago, with the trays outside, thin down to one plant, and transplant some of them in bigger cups.
Unfortunately, I left from home for 10 days holidays, and the person who supposed to water them, just forgot it. So i lost a lot of plants, the rest are not looking so green, but hope to keep alive them.
I'll plant them in the middle of a field with tomatoes...looks like desert, but i think i can grow some tobacco here!

 

[istanbulin]

Good luck my friend ! I was really expecting more Orientals from you. I'm sure that Izmir will grow good there, it may need some water if it's not rainy enough these days. Did you find a solution for watering the plants (especially cigar/American varieties) ?

 

[Knucklehead]

Your seedlings look very healthy. I will follow your grow with much interest.

 

[ne3go]

Good luck my friend ! I was really expecting more Orientals from you.

thanks istanbulin!I want the tobacco mainly for cigars, so i will experiment with oriental next year. They're better varieties than americans for greek soil for sure! I was hoping to found some greek varieties this year, but didn't have the time to contact with greek tobacco farmers...Maybe next year. As for the water, my temporary solution is to water the plants with well water. It has no chlorine, hope to be good for the plants. Here in Santorin,i there is no rain at all from a month ago to Octomber!

Your seedlings look very healthy. I will follow your grow with much interest.

Thanks Knucklehead! Try to follow your blog too, but it's huge!
So i missed some parts, but understand that there's a race between you and Leverhead! LOL

 

[leverhead]

but understand that there's a race between you and Leverhead! LOL

I gave up! There's no way I can catch up to him now.

 

[Chicken]

i thought your selection was for cigars,,, thanks for pointing it out,

im sure you'll have sucess, but my man,, that soil looks very poor,

i'd suggest supplementing it with some manure, if you can get some,

it doesnt look like, it retains water very well.

but good luck to you, and i also will be following,

feel free to ask any quiestions, im sure a answer will be given very promptlly,

 

[ne3go]

Yes the soil here is sandy, cannot hold water, and have a lot of difficulties to grow all my vegetables. I will put some manure, and hope for the best!

 

[Fisherman]

Forrest Gump once said "Sometimes there is never enuff rocks"
Welcome to the herd

 

[ne3go]

Forrest Gump wouldn't say that if lived in my island!

 

[Dimitris]

Your plants look great.
Here in Chios we have the same windy days and that rocky soil,with the difference that in my land the soil is that red clayey.
I hope that in this kind of soil the orient types will be well. Good luck.

 

[johnlee1933]

Forrest Gump wouldn't say that if lived in my island!

Or in Connecticut. LOL

 

[ne3go]

Ok, this blog was not updated for a long time.....
The plants were planted in the ground at May 5. After almost a month and still they're very small...!
I manage to save about 70 plants from the 100-120 that i was planning to grow. Maryland and Perique variety have only 1 plant each!
The distance between the rows and the plants is bigger because of the dry soil. Although i put a lot of manure in every hole before planting and add compost after planting, the soil still looks poor.I also use a local organic fertilizer, with no chloride. I use the same to my garden of vegetables.
I water them every 3 days, with well water without chloride and hope to avoid burning issues this year!

 

[deluxestogie]

I love the photo with the ocean in the background. Your soil does look challenging. Best wishes with the grow.

Bob

What are the rows of vegetation surrounding the tobacco plot?

 

[Knucklehead]

Nice. My plants are about the same age and size. They look very healthy. They will begin growing very fast soon.

 

[ne3go]

I love the photo with the ocean in the background. Your soil does look challenging. Best wishes with the grow.

Bob

What are the rows of vegetation surrounding the tobacco plot?

Yes the view of Aegean Sea is beautiful. The rows are tomatoes. My father in law is a professional farmer and grows them without watering.They have smaller size than usual tomatoes.

Nice. My plants are about the same age and size. They look very healthy. They will begin growing very fast soon.

Thanks Knucks, i hope to see them growing at a proper size, because the soil here does effect the plants and my vegetables are growing smaller than usual.

 

[DonH]

Have you had your soil tested?

 

[ne3go]

DonH the island's soil is a unique volcanic soil. Many professional farmers and agronomist had made soil analysis.Its a sandy soil poor both in basic N, P, K and organic matter.It has a lot of minerals though.
And below the surface, after 40-50 cm, there is a layer of calcareus rock called "aspa". This layer doesn't allow the roots to penetrate, so there are no big trees in the island except eucalyptus.
It's a tough job to do farming here, but the main products, cause of the minerals and small size, are so different in taste and smell than any other place.
Hope to do the same with tobacco.

 

[Knucklehead]

It would be interesting to trade some samples at season's end.

 

[ne3go]

Yes that will be nice, just hoping that this year's tobacco will be smokable! Don't want to sent someone leaves that are useless!

 

[johnlee1933]

Yes that will be nice, just hoping that this year's tobacco will be smokable! Don't want to sent someone leaves that are useless!

You'd be surprised what these guys will smoke! :< )​