Charly's grow blog 2018

[Charly]

I did not find a lot of time to update my grow blog these days...
But here are some news.

3 days after having started the firsts strains, I decided to add a few other strains I had, just in case some would not grow, so I started 4 strains that are new for me :

- Colombian Garcia
- Deli
- Frog Eye Orinoco
- White Stem Orinoco

And I started 4 strains that grew well in my garden last year :

- Adonis
- Bahia
- Bolivian Criollo Black
- Nostrano Gentile

A few days ago, I added two others brigh leaf types because the Frog Eye Orinoco and the White Stem Orinoco did not show any germination :

- Cherry Red 401
- Maesan Samporis

All in all, I finally started 21 different strains, I plan on growing only 14 or 15 of them (I will take the healthiest varieties).

I had some difficulties with the Prilep (only 8 seeds germinated) and Yenidje (only 1 seed germinated), I might just grow a few plants of them to save seeds and try them again next year (the seeds were crushed in their enveloppe).
Deli and White Stem Orinoco did not germinate at all yet (after 18 days).

As the seeds begun to grow, I started to put them in individual pots so they can grow nicely.
This year, I wanted to try smaller pots because each year I end up with pots everywhere in the house ...
I did not find afordable pots, so I decided to create my own, using some pieces of XPS foam scraps (when I built my kiln).
The holes are small (maybe too small), but that's an experiment : 3.2cm large x 3cm high (1.26 x 1.2 inches)
Last years, I used to put 4 seedlings per pots, so these new pots are not really smaller.

I plan on moving them in bigger pots if they need, and I will put some seedlings in other pots just to compare.

Here is a picture of the new "home made" trays :




You can see that the seedlings are still very small, but they have a lot of time before going in the ground

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I'm impressed at how clean and aligned the cuts in the foam are. Are you floating this tray? Are there holes underneath?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

https://www.cultureindoor.com/214-pots-carres-en-plastique
10 to 20 euro per 100 pots depending on the size.

 

[Charly]

I'm impressed at how clean and aligned the cuts in the foam are. Are you floating this tray? Are there holes underneath?

Thank you
Well... the holes are not all as well cut as the ones on the picture, but I managed to do some clean job after I made the right tool : I used a small pipe with the right diameter, then I sharped the edges.
With this simple tool, all I need is to rotate it while pushing slowly in the foam, and it "cuts" nicely, instead of tearing through it.

The holes are completly open from one side to the other side.
I put a plastic sheet around the board and put it on a hard foil. This way the soil is kept in place and the water can go from one hole to another without too much pain (I water from top).

 

[Charly]

Very busy these days... I have not many time for my tobacco.
But here is a picture to show that my small babies are growing (this is the same view as above)



I love seeing them growing !

As always, I think I spread too many seeds some seeds are a little bit overcrowded

 

[greenmonster714]

That bottom pic looks like a chia pet..lol. They all look very healthy.

 

[Charly]

It's not a chia pet, it's a chia pot

Now that they have 3 leaves they will grow faster and faster, I love watching them becoming bigger and bigger

 

[DistillingJim]

Charly, is nostrano gentile the same as nostrano del brenta?

 

[Charly]

Charly, is nostrano gentile the same as nostrano del brenta?

Hello James,
The strain shared by Pier (thanks again Pier) we call Nostrano del Brenta has for real name "Nostrano Gentile" (see the post : http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/6480-Nostrano-del-Brenta-Italian-Cigar-Leaf).
But I often call it Nostrano del Brenta instead of Nostrano Gentile

 

[Alpine]

And you’re right in calling it “Nostrano del Brenta” since Nostrano Gentile is the only remaining sub-strain of the “del Brenta” family. Is it growing well?

pier

 

[DistillingJim]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying (I meant to ask earlier) I'm growing it as well this year, Pier, and its doing well so far. I should really update my grow blog.

 

[greenmonster714]

I have some of that Nostrano del Berenta from bigb. Very big leaf and kinda thick. I've used it in a few cigars I've rolled. Good stuff.

 

[Charly]

Finally some update !

Sorry if I did not update my blog these last weeks... Hard to find enough time to do both the tobacco and the blog !

So, to summarize what happend in the last two month :

1. Too much poop will kill you
2. Touching the ground for the first time
3. Grow little babe, grow !
4. PVY, my love (again)

Ok, let's begin by the poop

1. Too much poop will kill you

The 3th day of May, I decide to help my small seedlings with a little bit of chichen poop. So I give each of them some dust of chicken poop pellets (this is the manure I often use when I put them in the ground).
The fact is that I may have given a little bit too much to some plants...

The same day, I put them in full sun and ... and ... and forget them
When I came back in the end of the afternoon, I saw that some were not very healthy... Poop + sun = not good !

The next morning, I transplanted many seedlings which seem to not like their poop treatment.

In this story, in one week, I lost about a hundred seedlings (one quarter of all my seedlings)... grrrrr ! Thankfully, I started more seedlings than I need !

pics, after poop :
View attachment 23808


Lesson learned.


2. Touching the ground for the first time

May, the 16th : I begun to put my seedlings in the ground, I manage to transplant 73 plants this day (some Samsun Maden, Jupiter Burley and Vuelta Abajo)
The next days, in one week, I transplanted 149 plants more (14 different strains).

A lot of work, but I am happy !

One week later, I decide to transplant about one hundred seedlings in a small bed, wich only 15cm between each plant (just like the Samsun I already transplanted two weeks before) : this is a test to see what I can get with small spacing with traditionnal strains (Maesan Samporis, Colombian Garcia, Huehuetenango and Samsun Maden again)

This morning I finally planted some of the last seedlings : 11 plants of Frog Eye Orinoco

Pfiouuu !


3. Grow little babe, grow !

Each seedlings was planted with some chicken poop
When in the ground, they like it !
Take a look :

Just after transplantation :


The same spot, 18 days later :


Now the other strains : some plants with only 15cm or 30cm (6 or 12") spacing


Some with 60cm (24") of spacing


Some strains that worked well last year : Nostrano del Brenta and Bahia


Bolivian Criollo Black, planted directly in a spot already filled with poppies To see if they grow as big as last year


The spot with 4 strains at 15cm spacing :


And finally the last planted (Frog Eye Orinoco) :

 

[deluxestogie]

You have indeed been busy. My last crop of Colombia Garcia grew to over 10 feet high, but at ~21 inch spacing. 15 cm seems like a challenge. I will be interested in your results.

Bob

 

[Charly]

4. PVY, my love (again)

My plants are in the ground for only a couple weeks, but the first signs of PVY (Potatoe Virus Y) are already beginning to appear !
The first strains to show the disease are Vuelta Abajo and Foreheimer G. III

See the difference :


4.a. ... and other greedy pests

PVY is one thing, but there are other nasty critters around... see :

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

4. PVY, my love (again)

My plants are in the ground for only a couple weeks, but the first signs of PVY (Potatoe Virus Y) are already beginning to appear !
The first strains to show the disease are Vuelta Abajo and Foreheimer G. III

See the difference :
View attachment 23818

4.a. ... and other greedy pests

PVY is one thing, but there are other nasty critters around... see :

View attachment 23819

View attachment 23820

That looks like cutworms!

 

[Charly]

You have indeed been busy. My last crop of Colombia Garcia grew to over 10 feet high, but at ~21 inch spacing. 15 cm seems like a challenge. I will be interested in your results.

Bob

Yes, I remember your Colombian Garcia big monsters !
I really don't know what to expect with so small spacings, but I wanted to try to grow some "non oriental strains" the oriental way : small spacing, zero fertilization, no topping.

 

[Charly]

That looks like cutworms!

I saw your post about cutworms
Yes it can be cutworms, or other worms, or slugs, or snails... there are so many nasty hungry little things lurking around my garden

 

[deluxestogie]

...the oriental way : small spacing, zero fertilization, no topping.

Also, you will have to learn to sing to them in Turkish.

Bob

 

[Charly]

Also, you will have to learn to sing to them in Turkish.

Bob

Ok, I will try that