China Voodoo 2019 Grow Log d'Incertitude

[ChinaVoodoo]

My 2019 grow is going to be unique because I am moving into a condo for probably just this season. Now, where the struggle is usually in weeding a list of twenty(ish) varieties I want to grow down to eight(ish), this year it is down to one or two(ish).

One(ish) is already spoken for. I have 25 seeds of a cross between Isleta Pueblo (N. rustica), and Samporis (N. tabacum). I might get no germination. Who knows. The sooner I try, the better.

If I only get a few to germinate, I can just grow them on my balcony. If a greater number germinate, I will be growing at a friend's place 40 minutes away. And since I'll have space, I might as well throw in 30 of something(s).

So I was thinking this year I would do some exploration of older Canadian varieties. If anyone here has experience with any of these, please speak up.

https://www.lasocietedesplantes.com/produits/tabac-grand-rouge-fort/
View attachment 26683
Grand Rouge Fort is a Canadian tobacco that is listed on few seed websites as well as on GRIN-CA. One source states that it is commonly blended with Obourg, a lighter Belgian tobacco. The name most likely means Big Strong Red. I'm just going to hazard a guess that it is a tobacco, and hope that it is a bright variety.

It does concern me that although it appears to be a fully legitimate seed supplier, this website doesn't offer photos of plants with bags on them. I will ask.

https://www.lasocietedesplantes.com/produits/tabac-parfum-ditalie/
View attachment 26684
Parfum d'Italie is also a tobacco. Of that, I am certain. It is also listed on GRIN-CA. It looks to me like a flue-cured tobacco variety, but who knows.

And then there's L'Assomption 201, a commercial dual purpose, pipe/cigar filler.
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1325514

 

[deluxestogie]

Interesting options. The photo on the lasocietedesplantes site for tabac grand rouge fort is difficult to interpret, since they were diligent in allowing every possible sucker to grow. The very bottom leaf is not well shown. While Cherry Red is a flue-cured variety, Long Red and PA Red are not.

Those Canadian seed sellers don't seem to be concerned with the sinful uses of their plant. But they do have nice flowers.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

While Cherry Red is a flue-cured variety, Long Red and PA Red are not.
Bob

And then there's Rot Front, which is a dark tobacco.

 

[deluxestogie]

You seem attracted to ill-documented varieties. Here's an apparent authority (#3 on a Google search): L'Assomption 201

Bob

Pondering how to grow tobacco in a condo:

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Lol. The condo is a block from the Franciscan friary. Maybe my friend, brother Michael can convince them to let me grow tobacco on their property.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

GRIN-CA also has Grand Bleu, Grand General, and Rose Quesnel. Maybe if the red is good, I'll have to look into the others.

 

[DistillingJim]

I didnt think the public had access to GRIN anymore?

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I didnt think the public had access to GRIN anymore?

We don't. I received the seed a few years ago and the one time I tried to grow it, my temperature controller failed and I killed my seedlings.

 

[Charly]

Good idea to try some new strains !

I wish you good luck with your (probably too small) crop ! and I hope your cross between Isleta Pueblo and Samporis will give you something interesting.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Well, well, well...
I've decided that I'm only going to try to grow the cross between Samporis and Isleta Pueblo.

I had counted 25 seeds when I harvested them, but there were so many little pieces of chaff that I ended up planting 36 (25 seeds, 9 pieces of chaff), one per pot.






Let's see if any germinate!

 

[Levi Gross]

My N. Rustica x N. Tabacum from @skychaser did not germinate either he grew it last year and sent me an offering as a courtesy. I’m hoping my second attempt will produce some sprouts. Good luck this year my friend!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

It has been a week since I planted those seeds and all I have to show you is the North Saskatchewan River.

 

[deluxestogie]

That's just a painting! What's it really look like?

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

That's just a painting! What's it really look like?

Bob

All you need to know about Edmonton is that there's a stadium for the best CFL team in the league, and a guy smoking Cibao Valley and Ecuador Maduro on his balcony.

 

[ciennepi]

Bravo, ChinaWoodoo! Ever inside a block you try to grow your tobacco.
Never give away.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Today I planted 25 L'Assomption 201, a Canadian cigar tobacco from the 50s. I have not grown it before, and I hope the fact it was developed in a climate more like mine, that it will grow well and be good.
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1325514

I also planted a 14 Jasmine (Nicotiana alata) tobacco to be planted at the house which I am selling. I have grown this before and it smells incredible. I think if we don't sell by summer, that it will be a nice thing for people to experience when coming to the house.
http://nwtseeds.com/Jasmine.htm

Now, I would like to share a photo of planting tobacco seeds. It seems to me that it is very common for people to plant too many seeds, resulting in excessive thinning, and unnecessary conversations about vegicide.

I put my seeds in a white soup spoon and use gravity and a little jiggling to get them all at the handle-end, then gently push a few seeds to the tip, then easily slide them off into a cell with a stroke of a finger.



I would have taken an action shot, but I only have two hands.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

The rustica tabacum cross didn't germinate.
But the L'assomption 201 did. Let's see what a Canadian cigar tobacco does.

 

[GreenDragon]

Is that the balcony you will be growing one? Not much direct light if so. You may want to rig up some reflectors to bounce some extra light if you can. Good luck!

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Is that the balcony you will be growing one? Not much direct light if so. You may want to rig up some reflectors to bounce some extra light if you can. Good luck!

The seedlings will eventually be under t5 fluorescent light. I will be planting them in a garden about 30 miles away, actually.
I plan on growing food on the balcony. It faces south west and by June should be getting ~12 hours of direct unobstructed sun per day. It's already getting about ten. It's just that it's below zero at night, and it looks shady because all the photos on that balcony are early in the morning when I'm getting off night shift. I try to be in bed before the sun swings around.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]