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ChinaVoodoo's 2015 grow blog

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ChinaVoodoo

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This is my second serious year of tobacco. Last year's crop of Burley Gold Seal, and Black Sea Samsun are about ready to smoke. They have been in the kiln a little over a month, and I already know that the quality that I was able to achieve was beyond what I expected a simple gardener like me could do at home. I have an itch to get started, but it would be too early to plant my tobacco just yet, so yesterday I planted some deer's tongue plant to calm my trigger happy green-thumb. Nothing serious, just one pot of them, but enough to get a couple plants going in order to learn something about them. I don't even know what they will look like.

The details of the arrangement of my tobacco plants is yet to be determined. I have gotten several friends on board, and quite possibly an acreage owner with 13acres of relatively unused land. So I could be looking at anywhere from 60 plants to 500plants. Fingers Crossed. This is my tobacco seed list: Kumanovo, Japan 8, Symbol 4, Cuban Criolo 98, Adonis, One Sucker, a non-specific Maryland, and Orinoco (the primitive one).

Fortunately, my wife got me one of these cute greenhouses from Ikea for Christmas.
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I like it; cats can't ruin my plants, and it will keep some humidity in, considering the house is around 10-30%RH.

What I planted is the Deer's Tongue Plant Carphephorus Odoratissimus, and is neither Deer's Tongue Lettuce, nor Deer's Tongue Grass. It is a long standing, and traditional tobacco flavoring. I intend on curing it in different ways, and using different parts of the plant in order to perhaps discover some new flavors from it.
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The first thing to do was to try to save my wife's neglected aloe vera plant. There wasn't many options for soil at the HD, seeing as its winter, and cactus soil seemed like the best choice for both plants. Deer Tongue, from what I understand is a coastal plant which generally lives in sandy soil. This may not be because that is best for them; it may simply be that they have an advantage over other plants in sandy soil. Nevertheless, I think they will do fine.
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So now, I get to sample my 2014 crop of baccy, and watch these plants grow.
 

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ChinaVoodoo

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I have some concern about what exact strain of tobacco the Maryland, and Orinoco are. I was reading AZDave's grow blog, and the topic of erroneously named tobacco had come up, so I was wondering if anyone knew any more about these two tobaccos which I got from http://www.thetobaccoseed.com/Maryland.html, and http://www.thetobaccoseed.com/Orinoco1.html

I am not worried about the other seed varieties I have, because they are from a different, and better website. I don't know if it's necessarily the right photograph, but if you zoom in on the Orinoco photo, the sign says it is Lizard Tail x Turtlefoot.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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An interesting selection of varieties you have planned.

I guess it is partly because being new to this, I have yet to differentiate tobaccos based on popularity. I mostly smoke a pipe, and a variety will be useful for trying different blends, and with a short season, and a northern climate, I want to try a variety to see how each does.

Orientals
Kumanovo - short season, small dense plant, more resistant to wind.
Japan 8 - for the greenhouse, a unique oriental with licorice taste - sounds interesting

Bright Leaf
Symbol 4 - Moderate growing season length, "heavy producer" probably sold me, I'm half Ukrainian, so what the hell.
Orinoco - Should be dramatically different from the Symbol 4

Cigar Leaf
Cuban Criollo 98 - For the greenhouse. One site says it's also useful for pipe blending.

Dark Air Cured
Adonis - Specifically bred for adverse weather conditions, and frost resistance. Flavor profile looks interesting.
One-Sucker - Resistant to bad weather as well.

Maryland
Some generic Maryland - To make Black Cavendish
 

deluxestogie

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I am not worried about the other seed varieties I have, because they are from a different, and better website. I don't know if it's necessarily the right photograph, but if you zoom in on the Orinoco photo, the sign says it is Lizard Tail x Turtlefoot.
A lot of folks on-line indiscriminately use the photos they snag from other sites. [Many varietal photos that include my own house in the background have appeared in Ebay vendor descriptions. The collection of excellent photos from the now-defunct Nicotiana Project web site also are ubiquitous in the listings of others. I guess we should all be flattered that FTT is host to photos of many varieties that are available nowhere else in the world. Sometimes the purloined photos are matched to the correct variety; sometimes not.]

So, I would simply label the Orinoco as "Orinoco," and enjoy the leaf, but not save the seed or offer it. There are quite a number of different Maryland varieties, all with subtle and not-so-subtle morphological and taste differences. I would handle them the same way.

Bob
 

Knucklehead

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I have some concern about what exact strain of tobacco the Maryland, and Orinoco are. I was reading AZDave's grow blog, and the topic of erroneously named tobacco had come up, so I was wondering if anyone knew any more about these two tobaccos which I got from http://www.thetobaccoseed.com/Maryland.html, and http://www.thetobaccoseed.com/Orinoco1.html

I am not worried about the other seed varieties I have, because they are from a different, and better website. I don't know if it's necessarily the right photograph, but if you zoom in on the Orinoco photo, the sign says it is Lizard Tail x Turtlefoot.

If you will email the Tobacco Seed Co., they will tell you which variety you ordered. I had to do this with their Burley Original (TN 90) and the Virginia Gold #1 (K326) The actual variety could possibly change every few years so I wouldn't go with any old data. I don't know if they rename the variety so it will sound catchier, or if the variety for say, Burley Original may actually change if they come across a good deal on something other than TN90. I personally don't care for the practice as many of these varieties are patented.
 

jolly

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I've not heard of that one. Price is kinda high for 50 seed IMHO. If you're interested you should track down posts by Skychaser. Lots of rustica info in them, and I recall reading a post that listed quite a few varieties and their characteristics. Not sure if it was here or the other forum, though.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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I was considering how I would cut my tobacco, and figured I would try making a plug, then slice it with my meat slicer, so I tried making a plug with my jerky shoot r /caulking gun. Oh, and i also made a still today. DSC_0056.jpgDSC_0058.jpg
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DGBAMA

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I will be interested to see how the slicer does.

Also I would suggest a pressure canner for your boiler, or make very sure you devise a good seal for the lid off that stock pot.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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I'm going with cork for a gasket. I'll do a water run first. If that doesn't work, I will probably drill some holes and mount some clamps on the pot and lid. As is with the bulldog clips, I can lift the pot with two ten pound weights in it by the lid.
 

ChinaVoodoo

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Here is a photo of the tobacco. I think it was a decent idea, but the fact that the leaves aren't flat caused the cuts to not be a true cross section. The meat slicer would do a good job if it was a square plug. This cut will be just dandy for pipe, but I'm guessing it would be rather poor for cigarette.
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Chicken

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That still looks good...I'd be afraid to try that...I know I'd probably blow it up..knowing my luck.
 

deluxestogie

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It appears from the specs that it would do the job. The instruction manual list the "Operating Temperature" as 0-50ºC. I assume (from the differing specs for the control ranges) that this "Operating Temperature" refers to the control module, rather than the sensor module.

The benefit of this device would be to control two separate devices: one for temp and one for humidity. If your humidity source is separate from your heat source, then it would make sense. If your humidity comes from the heating device, then I would see no advantage.

Whether or not the cost is justified is a separate question, for which I have no answer.

Bob
 

Brown Thumb

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It matters what you are going to use it for.
Kilning leaf at the same temp setting and Rh setting it will work fine. Easy to use also.
They designed the hd100 for me at no extra charge and that one is a programable step controller for rh only. I use it for flue curing and kilning. next I am going to try steaming leaf with it.
Very good company to do business with. With the lowest pricing on a quality product.
 
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