2014 Knucklehead Grow Blog

[DGBAMA]

Looking much better.

I think you are on to something with the soil compaction idea, the row you hoed (read aireated) made the biggest improvement this week.

 

[POGreen]

I'm proud of you BigBro.
Its a sight for sore eyes , really nice and tidy + very nice lookin' plants.

 

[Chicken]

i finally got myself planted this weekend...about 180 plants so far.[ all of them were big-bonners plants ]

i got camera issues... ive got to get it back online or get another one..

my plants are still small. but i think they will make it to the ground. im putting them in cups tonight.

 

[janetta007]

View attachment 11257

Just kidding. That going to be a clover plot for deer. That's my hunting shed on the left.

That's a nice spot for the deer stand. Are you going to put up a trail cam?

 

[Knucklehead]

That's a nice spot for the deer stand. Are you going to put up a trail cam?

Yeah, we have a few up now watching trails. I'll move one to the plot once the clover is up. My female German Shepherd refuses to be left behind. I have to let her inside the stand with me to keep from scaring the deer off. It's 4'x4' and can get kind of tight with us both in there. The hunting property joins my private property and the stand is about 150 yds on the other side of the hill from my house. I leave my private property as a sanctuary and the deer come up in my yard all the time.

 

[Knucklehead]

This is a new one for me. I've seen eggs laid directly to the leaf, but never a mud cocoon on my tobacco before, nor have I seen pictures. I just found this today, I can't swear it wasn't there yesterday.







Any info, or guesses?

 

[DGBAMA]

Potter Wasp. The worm was there to feed the baby.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-30_potter_wasp_eumenes.htm

 

[Knucklehead]

Potter Wasp. The worm was there to feed the baby.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/beneficial-30_potter_wasp_eumenes.htm

Yep, that looks like it. It never occurred to me the worm might be food. I should leave the next one, that looked like a horn worm in the nest.

 

[deluxestogie]

Amazing.

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

Yup, one of the good guys.

Another is Red Wasp. I normally kill them on sight, but if they are patrolling the Baccy patch, I leave them alone.

 

[Brown Thumb]

That is just Cool, Your patch is looking Super Duper Also.

 

[grgfinney]

Cool learned something new today

 

[grgfinney]

Waiting for this week's patch update pic I like to watch everyone's grow

 

[Knucklehead]

Treated my aphids today. I have been spraying for horn worms as the rain permits, but my leaf was still getting chewed on. I suspected grasshoppers but today was the first time I had actually seen any. I saw about three, so I put garden safe Ortho Bug B Gone around the perimeter of the patch on the grass and one strip down the middle of the patch. Hopefully this will start to take care of them.

Many Orientals are blooming and the Cuban varieties GRIN had classed as Orientals or Primitives are budding also. They may very well be Orientals. I was hoping for cigar varieties, but a Cuban Oriental will have some interest also. The growth habit is more like my Orientals than like my cigar varieties. Pictures to follow.

 

[Knucklehead]

Some overall patch pictures.

The row on the far right are Burley and Flue Cure varieties. I don't know if they are slower than the other varieties or if my planting them while the patch was mud had anything to do with the size difference.





Orientals on this end of the row, the 7 Cuban varieties in the center, and the cigar varieties on the far end of the row.


Opposite view, varieties classed as cigar filler on this end, Cuban varieties in center, Orientals on far end.

 

[Knucklehead]

There were eight varieties in the GRIN bank shown as being donated from Cuba. One of them was Vuelta Abajo which was classed as an Oriental. The others are as follows: Little Cuba PI 405669 classed as PR, Remedios PI 405667 classed as OR, Criollo PI 405646 classed as Oriental, No. 6055 PI 405645 classed as OR, Coroja PI 405643 Classed as OR, PI 404951 classed as CF, PI 404935 classed as PR.
PR - Primitive
OR- Oriental
CF- cigar filler
I'm trying to determine if these varieties are classed correctly, or, like Vuelta Abajo, are really cigar varieties classed as Orientals or Primitive. Perhaps some of you pointy heads can help me out as the season progresses. Suggestions as to what photo angles or close up are needed, as well as measurements, will be greatly appreciated.

First is one of my pet plants in a container, Criollo and a couple of leaves and it attachment.







Coroja in a pot with a leaf shown.





The field grown plants will be shown in the next post.

 

[Knucklehead]

Following are the seven Cuban varieties that were possibly misclassed. Help is needed in classification.

Little Cuba PI 405669 classed as PR



Remedios (Cuba) PI 405667 classed as Oriental



PI 404935 (Cuba) classed as Primitive



Coroja (Cuba) PI 405643 classed as Oriental




#6055 PI 405645 classed as Oriental



continued to next post

 

[Knucklehead]

Well hell. The pictures quit uploading. I'll try again later.

Many of my Orientals are beginning to bud, and most of these Cuban varieties are beginning to bud. None of the cigar filler or wrapper varieties are budding yet. Another clue?

 

[deluxestogie]

It's difficult to make sense of pot-grown plants since all measurements are affected. The leaf images (from the links in post 396) show a leaf shape and vein angle strongly suggestive of a Havana type.

I would assume that the "Oriental" and "Primitive" descriptions from GRIN for Cuban tobaccos are incorrect, until proven otherwise.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Criollo (Cuba) PI 405646 classed as Oriental



PI 404951 (Cuba) classed as cigar filler