China Voodoo 2020 Grow

[ChinaVoodoo]

I don't know where I will plant them, but I figured now would be a good time to start some tobacco. I'm using really small pots that fit 84 in a 1020 tray, so I plan on potting up at some point. Promix soil.

I started 3 kinds. The first two I have grown before; the last one is new to me:
30 Delhi-34
23 Kasturi
18 Bolivian Criollo Black

 

[deluxestogie]

Good luck with your grow.

Bob

 

[Charly]

Good timing !
Yesterday I washed my small pots and I will begin my seeds today (about the same date as last year).

The Kasturi (Angsa) is on my list too, the first time I grew it, it was small and not healthy, I want to give it a new chance, with a different soil.
I grew Bolivian Criollo Black a few years ago, it became big, it has something unique, I tried it as cigar binder/wrapper, it gives something "different", something that reminds me of pine ("terpene" said Bob), but not overpowering.

You save 13 empty cells ? (84 - (30 + 23 + 18) = 13)

Good luck with your grow.

 

[GreenDragon]

Hope you have a good year

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Charly, the pots are those brown cardboard-like ones. They come in sections of 12 (2x6), and when I undid the stack which I bought, a single pot cracked off. I suspected it would be a pain to use so I tossed it and ended up with a hole in the tray, and I'm happy because it's easy to water from below by pouring into that hole. I'll probably continue this practice.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Delhi 34 and Kasturi Jepun have sprouted. (4 days)

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I began this thread on Sunday with the premise that I didn't know where I would be planting these tobacco plants.

Three weeks ago, a couple put in a bid, just hours before us, on a home we were interested in. On Monday, they backed out due to newly found job insecurity. I feel sorry for them and hope all is well, but this gave us the opportunity to re-present our offer, which was accepted. I held off celebrating until now because I just got confirmation from the lender.

So I will be planting in my own back yard this year! It may require a lot of work. The yard is on a steep slope which faces ESE. The slope will be a whole new ball game, and hopefully produce excellent results because the ground temperature will be higher than in a flat garden which is an issue in my climate.

So this will be a real grow blog this year!

Edit: here's a view of the back yard. I plan on taking out a couple trees.

View: https://youtu.be/fcv3Mr-FmRg

 

[GreenDragon]

That is so awesome! I’m so happy for you. That looks like a beautiful yard too. It may be a good year after all.

 

[deluxestogie]

Wow. They gave your wife a whole lot more lines in that movie than they gave you. You need to have a talk with your agent.

Bob

 

[Charly]

Great news and great place !
I am glad you can grow in full ground and wish you the best.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I understand that older seeds take longer to germinate. The first season of the Puerto Rican piloto took 3 weeks if i recall. While the Delhi 34 and Kasturi were germinated in 4 days, the Bolivian Criollo Black has not germinated in 11. I haven't given up, but i decided to try a few other seeds just to be sure i have some variety.



All of these varieties I received from @Tutu.

Besuki we all know.

Lumajang is a commercial variety. I believe it is considered a dark sun-cured. I haven't looked into it too much.

Rindi is from a plant he collected from on the island of Sumba. It was at least a 7 foot tall plant with a plethora of leaves.






Viqueque was collected in East Timor.


Despite not knowing what class of tobacco they might actually be, (unless if you count primitive), I have my fingers crossed on the last two. There is only a very small number of Viqueque seeds.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

In my search for more info on Lumajang, I now am more confused. Lumajang is a region where they grow sun-cured, rajangan, and burley. So this could be a few things.

 

[deluxestogie]

Given the near absence of cross-pollination control in most parts of rural Indonesia, it's probably a little bit of all of them.

Bob

 

[Charly]

I will follow this with great interest
The Kasturi (Angsa) seeds I started this year are not germinating yet (10 days), but I am not worry, they took 14 days the first time I tried them.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Viqueque is beginning to germinate.


Besuki is totally germinated

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

What do y'all think by looking at Tutu's photos of Viqueque and Rindi what they could be? I see similarity between Viqueque and both Kasturi and Orinoco. Rindi, idfk. If Rindi germinates, i should be able to cure them in enough ways to figure it out.

 

[deluxestogie]

I think one could generalize that Orinoco varieties present as a pyramidal plant (bottom leaves always larger, and taper at the top to smaller leaves), whereas Orientals, Sumatra, Besuki and surprisingly, Corojo 99 are columnar (bottom leaves and top leaves are roughly equal in size). The tall Rindi is definitely columnar. The Viqueque plants seem to be more pyramidal. But all of those rural Indonesian varieties are surely hybridized.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Good luck on your grow and congrats on your new home. Yeeeeck - moving. Hate it. Bless your heart but it will be worth it.

 

[Charly]

At 20 days, my Kasturi Angsa does not show any sign of germination... Last time it took 14 days... I wonder if I give them enough water ?
The Besuki germinated in only 6 days.
Here is the Besuki at 20 days :


The holes are there because I already transplanted what I need in small pots.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I have never done this hundred seeds in a cup method before. The first batch of Besukis that I transplanted dried up from the heat of the lights. Good thing there's a ton more.

Obviously, I could lower the light intensity. But I was just thinking I transferred them too soon. When do you transplant them? What's your routine?