BarG's 2012- second season Grow Log

[BarG]

Great patch BarG. I just lay my turkish out in the sun and give it a few days of full sun without getting rain. The leaves turn a nice golden brown. I had to prime some and hung them under porch and they are the same. Hornworms here are a major problem, even with BT.

Indianjoe
I have a sample batch in the sun for a day or 2 now. Have you noticed any difference between the sun and air dried as far as a noticible taste difference. I have enough to play with both methods.
I have to spray BT this evening after the threat of rain is over. I went through all my wrapper rows and pulled over 200 eggs and newly hatched worms just this morning and lunch time. The showers have kept me from spraying the last couple days when it need it. .

 

[indianjoe]

I have not noticed any taste difference, but the sun dried progresses faster and all of the leaf usually turns a great brown.

My hornworms are living too long now that we got rain every day, BT is washed off as fast as I can put it on. I resorted to picking the worms and eggs and had to give up on that, too many. The rain is supposed to slow in a day or two.

 

[BarG]

It rained right after my last post a little and just got in from spraying a good soaking of BT. I only found 1 about an 1" long and 1 about 2". the rest were newly hatched. About 250 for the day for worms and eggs. Makes you wonder how they handled that in the olden days.
Can you stalk cure in the full sun or do you need to strip the leaves for that?

 

[deluxestogie]

Makes you wonder how they handled that in the olden days.

That would be by hand. Notice the worm picker squishing a worm in one hand.

(from Billings, 1875)

About stalk curing in the sun, I would expect that most of the leaf would not be exposed to the sunshine.

Bob

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Wowser!!! BarG with the rain you have been getting your patch has really taken off in the last 2 weeks. It all looks fabulous and you have some very healthy plants. You have some work to do to get all your plants primed. My Bursa plants are way up in the sky now like yours are. Sorry to hear the hornworms have moved into your patch and are looking to spoil/eat your crop. Although I have not sprayed anything to kill hornworms on my plants, the hornworms are almost non-existent. My son and I were priming some plants yesterday and he found one about 3/8" long. I regurlarly destroy groups of hornworm eggs that were recently layed by spraying them off with water. You have a hornworm problem and I have an aphid infestation. I have been keeping the aphids under control by spraying them off with a garden hose. The added bonus is that it keeps the hornworm population down to very low levels. I may start using the detergent/soap spray solution to kill aphids because they are sucking the leaves pretty bad on a few plants.

Have you had a chance to try any of the Hav 425? Just curious.

 

[BarG]

That would be by hand. Notice the worm picker squishing a worm in one hand.

(from Billings, 1875)

About stalk curing in the sun, I would expect that most of the leaf would not be exposed to the sunshine.

Bob

That picture looks all to familiar after this year. Notice the big hole where the worms been eating. Even the tinyest of holes warrent inspection.

Have you had a chance to try any of the Hav 425? Just curious.

I'm a couple weeks away from tring any of the Havana 425 yet . I have been sampling a few flyers and trash leaves from everything I have growing.

I'm smoking burly,virginia gold and sundried bursa mud lugs this week.

 

[deluxestogie]

I just noticed that the old illustration also shows worm poop on the leaf below the one with the large hole. (The poop is not really that large, but shows up as a collection of black specks in the leaf axil--crotch.) The tiniest worms don't leave noticeable poop, but once they are more than an inch long, the worm poop is a valuable sign of where to find the worm.

Bob

 

[BarG]

I just noticed that the old illustration also shows worm poop on the leaf below the one with the large hole. (The poop is not really that large, but shows up as a collection of black specks in the leaf axil--crotch.) The tiniest worms don't leave noticeable poop, but once they are more than an inch long, the worm poop is a valuable sign of where to find the worm.

Bob

You know you got a big worm when you see that, the size that has devoured half a leafs worth. I searched like crazy yesterday for one like that on my virginias but I fear he went to ground. Need to go look again. With any luck my spraying of BT last night will at least slow him down.

 

[Chicken]

around here,,,,

we want the worms to go to the ground,,,,

my chickens patrol my garden all day long,,,

im hoping they are eating the grasshoppers, and any worms they may find, are thru dealing<

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Yeah it must be great to let chickens run thru the field

 

[Tom_in_TN]

I'm a couple weeks away from tring any of the Havana 425 yet. I have been sampling a few flyers and trash leaves from everything I have growing. I'm smoking burly,virginia gold and sundried bursa mud lugs this week.

I smoked some trash leaves of the Hav 425 and it has some flavor but too soon to really tell anything. Keeping my eye on what is air curing and will roll some up before too much longer and compare it to the 142. Also tried Silkleaf but that must be very mild because there was no flavor.

Question on Yellow Twist Bud and Monte Calme Yellow, are they best primed or stalk cured? I am priming ground leaves of both now but just wondered if anyone would jump in here with some experience.

 

[BarG]

I smoked some trash leaves of the Hav 425 and it has some flavor but too soon to really tell anything. Keeping my eye on what is air curing and will roll some up before too much longer and compare it to the 142. Also tried Silkleaf but that must be very mild because there was no flavor.

Question on Yellow Twist Bud and Monte Calme Yellow, are they best primed or stalk cured? I am priming ground leaves of both now but just wondered if anyone would jump in here with some experience.

I think the monte does well either way, I'm waiting on Jitterbugdudes post for his grow comparison on the Monte. I have already given it away. The 425 looks promising as a heavy producer and the flyers of anything I tried can't be seriously considered for anything but combustibility and impatience. I've tried them all.

He grew MCY, Monte Calme Brun and Monte Calme X [which came from me] Every one will have to wait for his results.

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Well someone, anyone, wake Jitterbugdude up and tell him times-a-wastin' and we need answers.

 

[BarG]

I just went back and checked my log for when I got planted out. 1 month and less than a week. with the rain gone and most likely full sun all day and most plants topped I will be using my temporary dry structure to handle the bulk. My porch worked great for initial primings ,especialy for varied varietys. I'll probably fill that up also.

I'm looking forward to a soon to be harvest when humidity is low due to a drier clime, it is something I am counting on for my open covered air dry without worrying about mold. That would upset me , big time. I would have to shake my fist at mother nature. That would piss her off for sure.

 

[Chicken]

i didnt grow m,c,y, this year,,,,

perhaps next year,

hopefullt our leaf swap, will alter my mind,

 

[BarG]

You must have smoked some unsmokable or something.

We'll have to change that.

 

[BarG]

An update on my hanging. I won't be surprised if this rack holds 2400 leaves.

 

[johnlee1933]

Good job Tim ! The rack looks great and your patch puts mine to shame.

J

 

[Tom_in_TN]

Looking good, BarG. Your hanging racks look mighty easy to use and your baccy patch looks good. You still have a long ways to go on the harvest, and so do I.

I've got the YTB hanging and love the way that leaf cures out. Finished up Golden Twist today and it's gonna cure out good too. It is heavy, heavy resin. These leaves are so sticky that when a housefly lands on the leaf it can not get off, no fooling. I've had to break out a heavy duty cleaner to keep my hands washed up because after handling 40 or 50 leaves my hands were major league sticky.

Question: the huehuetenago leaves will not yellow up for me and are going from green to brownish. What's the secret to get those to color cure? The MCX, Bursa and some other leaves are taking too long to color cure too.

 

[BarG]

"Question: the huehuetenago leaves will not yellow up for me and are going from green to brownish. What's the secret to get those to color cure? The MCX, Bursa and some other leaves are taking too long to color cure too."

Tom...
Your asking ME! Heh heh

Give them a little a time I'm sure they'll come around to your liking.

I'm glad you turned me on to the havana 425, That is a real heavy producer. I got some great leaves hanging and ready to hang. Work hit me real hard right here at harvest time, but I'll manage.