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the Smokin Harley /Black Lion grow of 2016 is now under way

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Smokin Harley

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ok, so my crop is going extremely well....so sorry about not posting pics yet. I'll take some before (in flats)and after I set them out .
The plants are now going on 6 weeks old and I have given some a haircut and within 2 days the new growth that sprang forth was outstanding . I haven't lost one single plant yet (knock on wood). Additionally ,I have yet to even see one yellowing out. Last year I turned off the bottom heat (mats) and I think thats where the yellowing and plant loss came from,dreaded root rot.
I have kept the heat mats on and the full spectrum fluorescent lights down close and before watering I let the soil in the cells kind of shrink away from the sides a bit . Then each (bottom) watering since sprouting anything green, I have fed with Superthrive and a weak Miracle Grow mixed with slightly warm water ,and just about enough MG to turn the water blue.
My best growers (leaf size) so far in the flats is Colombia Garcia ,Comstock Spanish and Perique .
Replanting the Criollo Ti1376 deeper was the best thing I have done. The other day the plants were top heavy and had laid over. I thought they were going to bend the stalk and pinch off the nutrient path . Planted deeper as I would tomatoes , they are now more upright and sturdy. Might give them a haircut to help the roots and stalk bulk up .
Little Sweet Orinoko is small but the leaves are a deep green. Reminds me a lot of the Little Dutch growth habit. This plant will go on the west most side of the plot since it seems like it will be the shortest of what I'm growing.
Even my Ct Shade that I thought was doomed from the start has perked up nicely. The first transplant takes up almost the entire cell while the 2nd transplants ("back-ups") are about half the size of those but catching up.
I will probably give one more haircut to the bigger ones today and a feeding ,hopefully get them out soon. Rain coming Tuesday through Friday this coming week.
I also acquired the EZup canopy 10 x10 ft frame from a friend. Free. My 20x36 shade cloth is to arrive June 8 or sooner. I will support the shade cloth on the frame and the frame if need be will be used to support the Habano 2000 and Ct shade leaf plants on wires/strings hung from the insides. I will put an anchor cable down from the middle peak to secure it from any high winds we may get, and we do.
The place in the garden plot I plan to put this structure is shaded heavily in the morning until about 9 am to partially shaded up to about 11 am , the rest of the day it is in full sun and wind protected . I'm hoping this combination will yield me some nice clean wrapper leaf.
*So I'm hoping ,since the summer sun sets around 8 or so ,this is enough full sun(40% shaded) to allow sufficient growth.
Question on this - Will it be enough to allow at least one of these plants to go to seed under the shade canopy or should I set one plant of each in full sun for seed production only?
 

DGBAMA

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It would seem plants in full sun would produce seed acclimated to the growing conditions. So while I may plant a couple full sun as backup plan, I would strive to collect seed from one acclimated to your shade growing conditions to reserve the integrity of the variety
 

Smokin Harley

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yeah thats where im kind of on the fence about...integrity of the variety? I mean wherever it grows the genetics wont change, its Ct Shade 8212 all day anywhere,right?...but being hardy to varied conditions ,yes indeed. I was just wondering if by shading it that is required to produce wrapper quality leaf,would there be sufficient sun time to produce seed heads in time. I don't know how the plantations do it.
 

DGBAMA

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I don't think the shade will affect the seed timing much, since they still get the hours of sunlight. If it's close at the end of season, a plant with mature but green pods can be cut and stalk hung indoors. There is enough moisture in the plant that by the time it dries the seed will be good. I did this a couple years ago when frost threatened a couple varieties before the pods were ready.
 

deluxestogie

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In Connecticut, the commercial Shade growers collect seed from plants in the center of the shaded field, without bagging.

The issue of the genetics is fuzzier than Gregor Mendel would have expected. In a fairly homozygous plant (stable genetics, like you get with a pure variety that is bagged to prevent cross-pollination), epigenetics may come into play, depending on the environment of the seed producing plant.

Epigenetics is the collection of "switches" that may "turn on" or "turn off" a particular trait that is present in the genetics. Even though the genetics may not change, environmental factors may alter the expression of the genes. The extent to which this is meaningful in tobacco is not clear.

One aspect is fairly well understood. In every seed, the genes in the chloroplasts (think mitochondria in animals) are strictly inherited from the female parent--the plant on which the seeds form. Environmental factors that influence the mechanics of chloroplasts (say excessive shading, for example) may alter the expression of genes within the chloroplasts--these are still epigenetic changes--and so impact the 1st generation offspring.

My own guess about such "acclimatization" in tobacco is that it's not particularly helpful, or stable from one year to the next. It might be worth a careful, controlled comparison trial.

Bob
 

Smokin Harley

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Bob, I'm sure of all that. I'm hoping that while the seed that I've got came from -whether it be Cuban origin(or did it? I mean really , where did the Cubans get that seed??)Nic,Dom.Rep, Hond ,(tobacco belt-Ct,KY,AL,OH,etc) or wherever the certain FTT members that grew it to seed live. I'm growing it here in IL ,45 minutes as the crow flies from downtown Chicago. Conditions must be somewhat within a stones throw from ideal to do as well as it has. Loamy humusy dark soil. We get humid hot summers that are 2 months. Hmmm, coincidentally the same amount of time to grow tobacco to harvest. I'm making sure I save seed from at least my first grows with the seed that has come to my hands . If not for my own purpose of furthering my "collection" but in hopes someone in or around my zone need seed that has already withstood these conditions common to the midwest can have some as well. I guess I will find out whether or not they grow any better when I regrow them to harvest. I still have this years entirely new seed crop to grow and maybe even one more year next year to grow out quite possibly a new crop altogether again before I go back on what would be a 4th season to pick out my favorites and do a complete regrow of my saved seed. Only then will I realize what localized regional conditions will have done to a growout to seed.
 

Smokin Harley

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Alright, I'm not very good at holding up my promises of taking pictures this year...I apologize for that. I just got done putting all 126 plants in the ground. 9 of 10 varieties, 18 each of the 2 wrapper varieties in the northeast corner of the garden where the 10 x 10 shade structure will be placed as soon as the cloth arrives....June 8th? So I'll give them the almost 2 weeks to soak up some sun to get a foothold ,then they'll get the 40% shade from then on .
Sprinkler is on and everyone is perky and loving the sun.
Tomorrow and through most of the week the weather is supposed to be in the low to mid 80s and overcast/cloudy with an expectation of some rain. I saw this as an opportunity . No sense in leaving them under the lights on heat mats when mother nature can take over now. Most of the root masses were very impressive. Most of which were the ones that had received haircuts ...so in case anyone was wondering , it does in fact make a difference so as much as it pains you to clip your babies, do it.
 

Smokin Harley

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Up this morning...I look out the bedroom window to the plot and all of the plants are reaching up and perky . Nice... Out to turn on the sprinkler soon .
 

Smokin Harley

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20160524_153351.jpg

Shade cloth arrived today. Had my stepson help me out put up the easy up frame and drape the shade cloth. 20x36 is bigger than it looks. Must have more stretch than they account for because I covered every side that would otherwise allow sunlight in. Left halfway down on the north for access .The whole shade structure took less than 30 minutes to erect and cover and soft tie the cloth to it. Watering now to make sure it reaches the far corner of the tent.
 

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Smokin Harley

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I can see I'll need to hand water a couple corners the sprinkler can't shoot through the cloth or to without watering the neighbors yard. Overall ,looks like a successful 40% shade. Now I wait and see if the H2K and Ct Shade think so too.
 

Smokin Harley

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As it happens I found some fertilizer today that I think/hope will suffice for tobacco. (cue the experimental entrance music) its an organic 4-6-6 from of all places ,Menards. I just happened to look up on the high shelf and there it was ready to pounce on me. Bought two small bags . We'll see what happens.
 

DGBAMA

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2 caveats I know of in fertilizer for baccy, read the fine print. Source of nitrogen..... urea is a no-no. Also, high chlorides are bad, inhibits combustion.
 

Smokin Harley

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This is what I bought.
http://www.pennington.com/all-produ...ka/alaska-vegetable-and-tomato-dry-fertilizer

After attempting to buy actual formulation tobacco fertilizer and no luck ( damned Haz-Mat laws and/or excessive shipping charges ) I have to use what I can get easily and locally.
I like organics .
and since I was using the Superthrive which ingredient includes kelp ...this one has it as well. Like I said , I'll see what happens.
I'll spoon feed the plants as soon as I see some growth .
I will also mix in some wood ash to boost the potash . Hopefully I will end up with what I need.
Now if I had a source for composted peanut shells,I'd try that as well.
 

Brown Thumb

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Fish emulsion is a good fertilizer or kelp.
I will hit my plants with fish emulsion this yr instead of using calcium nitrate after they are all set and established for a few weeks.
 

Smokin Harley

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I just watered my plants ....Looks like they are establishing fine. I see some amount of tip and leaf size growth already and its only been in the "field " now 2 days. Even the tiny Ct Shade that even though I thought about waiting for them to get bigger in the cell packs, already are on their own in the shade tent. Expecting partly cloudy skies today and possible rains later today and through the week. If it does rain and theres a break where I can get in it without sinking into mud,I'll hit them with this fertilizer.
 

Smokin Harley

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had a setback today...I, my wife and her sister and nephew (from Alaska) spent the day up in the windy city. I got to find Iwan Ries and buy a few Padrons and a meershaum pipe bowl for my swap meet find Falcon... on our way home we encountered some heavy downpours ...Just got home a few minutes ago and I see the shade structure must have taken on some high winds and not only blew over the fence, but the frame itself is mangled and twisted beyond use now. So now I have to come up with a reasonable structure frame in a few days. More rain coming .Also, tomorrows high is supposed to hit 88*F .
:(
 

Smokin Harley

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well, I went out and carefully extracted the mangled structure and cloth from the plot. No fence damage. LUCKILY no tobacco was harmed ,not so much as scraped or pulled out of its place. The structure may be salvaged with some minor repair to one of the expanding scissor like "roof" members .It had folded over on itself and the metal flatstock "scissor hinge" pulled out of the flat tube . I think I can straighten it out and slide it back together and secure with a rivet or two. I'll try to put it back then stake and brace once back in place. I'll know more after I get time to look into it ...maybe tomorrow,maybe not until Monday. Supposed to get chance of rain every day with lightning and thundershowers ,every day chance through Sunday.
 
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