Zapotecorum 2017 TN86-KY16-BrightVA

[Zapotecorum]

Heya guys! This is my first grow. I found this website a month or two ago when i was looking for info about rolling cigars - Since then i've come for help because my tobacco plants werent really growing after 16 days since germination

I'm not sure how often i'll update this thread - I probably will just update when there is alot of growth, pre/post transplantation, curing, and finally smoking the finished product. I'll be uploading pics via Imgur so i don't have to resize them

I'm mainly just doing this as a fun experiment, i love the idea of smoking some tobacco grown in my own back yard. I'm an everyday smoker, usually a cigar or two a day, plus 6-8 bowls of pipe tobacco (Dunhill Royal Yacht is my favorite)

I'm currently planning on growing 3 plants. As the title suggests, they will be a KY16 Burley, TN86 Burley, and Bright Virginia. I have 9 seedlings(3 of each) and will be using the strongest plant of each strain. The seeds germinated on March 3rd, And i'll be updating my pics with an "### days old" the number being days since germination


Heres my first set of pics, this growth was all before i installed a plant light: 16 days old http://imgur.com/a/VkIVF


Heres my current set of pics, taken today 3/22/17. The grow light has been on for 3 days now, first for 8 hours a day then i bumped it up to 12 hours a day and they seem to like it: 19 days old ​http://imgur.com/a/nr8aQ


I also recieved my SuperThrive today, and added that using 1 drop per cup of water, as per the instructions on the back of the bottle

Thanks for reading! I'm sure i'll be back with updates soon enough

 

[Charly]

I wish you good luck with your grow

 

[greenmonster714]

Best of luck with your new hobby. I say hobby but this can turn to compulsion rapidly....lol. Your young plants look great.

 

[Zapotecorum]

I tilled out my soil today, about 18" down. Sadly, a few inches down, i discovered nothing but clay!!!! uh oh.

So heres my current thought. Instead of filling the hole back up with the clay-y soil, i'll dig the hole bigger. Its currently about 18" deep and about 1 & 1/2 sq ft at the top and tapers down to 1 sq foot at the bottom. I'm thinking that i'll make the hole just a little bit deeper, maybe 20 or 22", and widen the hole a lot and make the walls of it more sheer. Then i'll mix up my own soil (i'm currently looking on the forums for a good type of soil to try - but if anyone has any suggestions i'd really appreciate the help) and dump the clay soil somewhere else. This way the roots will have a alot of room to grow before they hit the clay.

As for the plants - they are growing very well at the moment. The 2nd sets of leaves are getting larger every day and are almost twice the size of the original leaves! I'll post more pics today or tomorrow

 

[Gavroche]

Put fresh(cool) stinging nettles at the bottom of the hole excellent fertilizer

But rather than to dig, thought you of making the opposite? To make mounds of earth held by wooden boards as permaculture? It is less getting tired

Mettez des orties fraîches au fond du trou... excellent engrais

Mais plutôt que creuser, avez vous pensé à faire le contraire ? fabriquer des buttes de terre retenues par des planches de bois comme en permaculture ? c'est moins fatiguant

 

[greenmonster714]

Put fresh(cool) stinging nettles at the bottom of the hole excellent fertilizer

Mettez des orties fraîches au fond du trou... excellent engrais

Gav, what are stinging nettles? I've never heard that before.

 

[Gavroche]

[quote = greenmonster714; 133103] Gav, quelles sont les orties? Je ne l'ai jamais entendu ça. [/ QUOTE]


https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortie

 

[greenmonster714]

Interesting. I've never heard of that before. The translation states that they are widely used as tonics or remedies for medical reasons. It also says they are used for agriculture as a insecticide fertilizer. It states that your country has 5 of the known 30 species. Sounds like a great organic way to fertilize. Thanks for the info. I love learning something new.

 

[Gavroche]

Me pleasure

Avec plaisir

 

[greenmonster714]

I tilled out my soil today, about 18" down. Sadly, a few inches down, i discovered nothing but clay!!!! uh oh.

So heres my current thought. Instead of filling the hole back up with the clay-y soil, i'll dig the hole bigger. Its currently about 18" deep and about 1 & 1/2 sq ft at the top and tapers down to 1 sq foot at the bottom. I'm thinking that i'll make the hole just a little bit deeper, maybe 20 or 22", and widen the hole a lot and make the walls of it more sheer. Then i'll mix up my own soil (i'm currently looking on the forums for a good type of soil to try - but if anyone has any suggestions i'd really appreciate the help) and dump the clay soil somewhere else. This way the roots will have a alot of room to grow before they hit the clay.

As for the plants - they are growing very well at the moment. The 2nd sets of leaves are getting larger every day and are almost twice the size of the original leaves! I'll post more pics today or tomorrow

I did a google search on this. Below is an old document pdf. On page 8 is talks about clay soils. From the other sites I visited it appears that the main concern in clay is it has a tendency to hold water longer than light soils and water logged tobacco plants do not do very well. My soil here in Alabama is of the sandy type. A big rain makes water stand but it is gone within a few hours. There are many folks here on the site that I'm sure deal with clay soils. Hopefully some will pipe in some help for your concerns. In the mean time maybe just poke around a search engine and see what you come up with.

https://aurora.auburn.edu/bitstream/handle/11200/2699/BULL0044.pdf?sequence=1

 

[Jitterbugdude]

If you can till fairly easily till an extra patch and do several plantings of buckwheat, tilling it under each time. In the fall plant a winter cover crop. By next spring you should have a fair amount of humus in your soil. Use organic fertilizer (if any at all). The non-organic (salt based) will kill the microbes in your soil.

 

[Zapotecorum]

If you can till fairly easily till an extra patch and do several plantings of buckwheat, tilling it under each time. In the fall plant a winter cover crop. By next spring you should have a fair amount of humus in your soil. Use organic fertilizer (if any at all). The non-organic (salt based) will kill the microbes in your soil.

I might try that in a different spot for next year, i'm definately looking to grow some this year though

I think I'm just gonna go to walmart or something and find the cheapest, most simple soil i can and fertilize with some low-cloride, nitride-nitrogen fert and mix in a little bit of sand for drainage, Then test the PH and hope its around 5.8 or 6

Just took some more pics though! 23 days: http://imgur.com/a/xMdwF

 

[Zapotecorum]

Been awhile since i updated, but i'm down to 3 plants, 2 TN86 and 1 Bright VA

Most of them died off while still very small, but these ones are doing great and growing very quickly. And its really no big deal since im only planning to grow 3 plants anyways, would have been nice if a KY16 would have survived though

http://imgur.com/a/FNrvM - Sorry for the awful quality, my new phone camera isnt good at taking pics under artificial light

The last frost date is still a month away - Think they will be okay if i keep them inside for another month? Or should i plant them in a couple weeks and cover them if it gets cold

 

[greenmonster714]

Yeah man, they look nice and healthy. I started putting my plants out on the porch for full sun when the temps allowed it. If the night temps stayed 40degrees or above I would leave them out all night as well. There's only been a few nights I've brought them in whether it be heavy rain or temps. Your plants look like they can handle some outdoor action. Just don't forget about them..lol. I once forgot and had to bring in ten trays of plants in the pouring rain. Not fun with lightning cracking all around. Thanks for updating your thread. I always like to see how others are doing.

 

[deluxestogie]

I agree with greenmonster. The pots are large enough for at least a couple more weeks. If the forecast is worrisome at that point, I would suggest just leaving them in the pots, and clipping the leaves a bit.

Bob

 

[Zapotecorum]

I set them outside an hour or so ago. I think i'm gonna bring them back in in another hour , just so i dont shock them with too much sunlight. Unless one of you experienced growers can comfirm its safe to leave em out all day

 

[deluxestogie]

Accommodate them to the direct sun gradually.

Bob

 

[greenmonster714]

I put mine it the shady part of the porch the first day. After that I move them to direct all day. Ya have to check them daily. A warm day can dry them out fast. Especially when there's wind involved. Yours are pretty good size so they should eat up the big high pressure sodium in the sky quite well.

 

[Zapotecorum]

Got my plant in the ground!

Sadly since my last update, I left the 2 burley plants in solo cups for too long and they became rootbound and stopped growing, even after i transferred then to larger pots

Still, i'm happy with 1 plant. I've learned a lot already and i think i'll have better results next year

Without further adieu, here is a pic of the lone survivor, a Bright Virginia plant http://imgur.com/a/ahn80

 

[deluxestogie]

The VA Bright looks content.

The rootbound plants will probably grow just fine, if you put them in the ground.

Bob