Dgbama 2014 grow blog

[DGBAMA]

GO BIG OR GO HOME.......theme for the year.

Cleaned out starting trays this weekend; almost time.

Even better though, I locked in my new growing area. Approx 20x100 almost level, well drained, and full sun.

Can't wait to see the results of better plant spacing and more sun vs. last year.

 

[Knucklehead]

That looks like a really nice spot. Congratulations! I bet you're happier than a pig in slop.

 

[leverhead]

It looks great! You won't need to worry about what you're going to do in your spare time.

 

[Rickey60]

Nice area you picked out. Do you plan to plant the entire 20 X 100 area with tobacco?

 

[Rickey60]

When do you plan on starting your seed, and expect to transplant to your garden this year? I was going to start my seed around the the first of March and transplant around the first part of May. I could start a little earlier but after what we went through last spring I think i'll wait a little longer with my garden this year.

 

[DGBAMA]

Rickey, I will use the new area for my "production varieties", the bulk of my grow for leaf. I have a couple friends that want "in" on helping with this year's crop so it shouldn't be too bad. Also going to have big row spacing/walkways. The plot will probably be only 3 lengthwise rows, each planted with a staggered double row of plants. I have about a dozen varieties for seed grow-out which will occupy last year's patch at the house where they can receive more attention.

I will start seeds in a couple weeks. Goal is to have starts plantable Apr 15 if weather is good, but not so big that they cannot stay in cells an extra couple weeks if we get late bad weather.

 

[Markw]

It looks a good area you have there. I bet you just can't wait to get those seeds started, will you be doing any shade grown this year.

 

[DGBAMA]

Mark, no "correctly" shade grown, as in full sun with cloth. I have a bed that only gets about 6hrs/day of sun where I will put some cigar varieties. Cigar wise, I only grew Lonnie's Havannah last year.....making my own quality cigars had not even crossed my mind at that point.

DAZED AND CONFUSED A BIT . Just took inventory of seeds I can plant and realized I have over 50 varieties to choose from. I have started looking up each variety and adding descriptions to my "seed index" to help in the decision making process for what to grow; ALL OF THEM is pretty much not a good answer. It is already going to get a bit crazy (and fun).

Looks like I will break it up into 3 grow categories:
"production", 15+ The Bulk of my grow for smoking
"experimental", 8-10 plants per variety
"seed growout" 3-5 plants per variety

Hopefully will get a list up this weekend of the planned varieties.

 

[DGBAMA]

Got my list narrowed down a bit. Here is what it is looking like. Hope I have not bitten off more than I can chew. Wish I could be happy with just a few basic varieties but it is just not in my nature i guess.

2014 Planting Varieties:

“Production/Quantity Varieties”
* indicates varieties I grew last year

VARIETY: CLASS:

1*Silver River	White Stem Burley/Primitive/Unknown
4Bolivian Crillo Black	Dark Air
2*YTB	Mild Burley
2Golden Burley	Medium Burley
3African Red	Bright Leaf/Flue Cure
5NC-95	Flue Cure
5SP-172	Flue Cure
6*Bursa	Oriental
6*Izmir	Oriental
7Prilep 66/9-7	Oriental
7Xanthi-Yaka	Oriental
8Scantic	Cigar (CT Broadleaf variety)
8Dominican Olor	Cigar
8*Lonnie’s Havannah	Cigar

“Experimental” – Want to try, in a little more than grow-out quantity

4One Sucker	Dark Air
2Harrow Velvet	Medium Burley
8Jalpa	Cigar, Nicaraguan
8PA Broadleaf	Cigar
4Black Mammoth	Dark Air/Fire Cure

9“Seed Grow Outs”
italics indicate notes I found from old commercial growing literature, not my own observations.
+ are for Deluxestogie wrapper grow out

+John Williams – Conn Broadleaf variety; poor growth compared to other CT varieties; not commercially desirable

+Kupchonos – Conn Broadleaf variety; resistant to fusarian wilt but not horticulturally acceptable as a CT Broadleaf.
Samsun Maden Oriental
Prilep 2 TI-1291 Oriental
Prilep 79-94 Oriental
Prilep TI-1325 Oriental
GL-737 Flue Cure
Oxford 940 Flue Cure
Dixie Bright 27 Flue Cure
Sacred Cornplanter Rustica

 

[Knucklehead]

Good looking list. I'd say you're hooked.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Good luck on this years grow. I know what you mean about too many seeds to choose from.
That plot is 20x100 yards correct.

 

[DGBAMA]

Good luck on this years grow. I know what you mean about too many seeds to choose from.
That plot is 20x100 yards correct.

4 rows 100' long, staggered planting, 3ft row spacing this year. Plus I have last year's planting space for the experimentals and grow-outs.

Just finished filling starting trays with soil and getting stuff together for labeling. Pics when I get seeds set.

Doesn't seem right starting seed when its 43deg outside, but in 6 weeks winter will be a memory and the only debate will be when it is safe to plant without frost. If I wait till the weather feels right to start seeds I will be planting late again. Feel much more prepared this year.

 

[Brown Thumb]

That sounds like a nice size patch you should be able to take care of it n/p.
Do yourself a favor when planting, Dont look at the end of the row it will seem a mile Away.

 

[DGBAMA]

After an evening "dropping seed", the list no longer seems quite so intimidating. The size of the seeds still amazes me.

.....and the waiting begins.......

 

[Mad Oshea]

Looks like over 600 + plants. Love the table layout. That is a great way to use a game table for Your game plan.

 

[Nikfits]

I like the setup you have there. I have four - four bulb florescent fixtures in the basement (too many on a single switch for one). Fixing that problem - hee hee. I'm gonna swap em out with some pull chains (later - switches). Except for the area my big tools will be. I'm gonna use two for grow lights. One works perfect for four starting trays. I did the 2x (overcharging) to one of them. Need new bulbs for it - the ones on them are probably too old to tell a difference. I also need to pick up two more ballasts for the other one. The one thing I'm concerned about is the area is still cold. I'm beating myself over the fact that I got rid of those type of lights you can use for heating (never knew that). I must have had 50' of it. Someone gave it to me a long time ago and it sat.

Good Luck with your Grow!!!

648 Plants it looks to be? I know I'm gonna need some reading glasses and my handy dandy head fishing light when I go to dropping seeds. I may do the seeds with a paper towel in a sandwich bag method. But I'll still need the headlight and glasses, lol.
Fishing season is justa bout here too. Yeah, I love to catch me some fish.

Gary

 

[Knucklehead]

The one thing I'm concerned about is the area is still cold. I'm beating myself over the fact that I got rid of those type of lights you can use for heating (never knew that). I must have had 50' of it. Someone gave it to me a long time ago and it sat. Gary

Gary, rather than trying to heat your whole area, you could try heating mats for your trays. That's what I use in the basement. http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/seedling-propagation-mat/s They claim they raise the soil temp 10F over ambient temperature.

 

[indianjoe]

Nice setup on your lights. Lonnies Havana makes a good puro cig, and mixed.

 

[DGBAMA]

648 Plants it looks to be? I know I'm gonna need some reading glasses and my handy dandy head fishing light when I go to dropping seeds. I may do the seeds with a paper towel in a sandwich bag method. But I'll still need the headlight and glasses, lol.
Fishing season is justa bout here too. Yeah, I love to catch me some fish.

Gary

good math; 9 - 72 cell trays. Probably end up about 550 in the ground if all goes well.

As for seeding, I found a Q-tip to be ideal. can pick up just a few seeds at a time to put in each cell. The contrast of dark seed on cotton makes it quite easy to see how many seeds you are picking up and by giving it a GENTLE "tip" (like flicking ash from a cig) you can see the seeds fall off into the cell. I have also seen a piece of plexiglass with a series of holes lining up with the tray cells used for seeding.

The paper towel/bag method is good for germination, but I did not feel I got the same quality of seedling that way as placing seeds directly on soil. I only did 7 varieties last year so starting each variety in separate containers was not bad; 32 this year would have had germination trays all over the house.

Nice setup on your lights. Lonnies Havana makes a good puro cig, and mixed.

It is a great grower too..........IIRC you actually sent me seed for it last year. Got some nice wrapper leaf from it. I flue cured some too; shredded it with high expectations only to be disappointed by it literally tasting like DIRT. Set it aside for a month or so and it changed so much that I would have thought someone put different tobacco in that bag. Very Good.

 

[Markw]

That is a mighty fine set-up you have there DG. It looks most professional, I take it that there won't be much space left over this year for growing vegetables, or gaining browning points,