ChinaVoodoo's 2015 grow blog
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ChinaVoodoo
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Them suckers on the Bursa are sneakier than grey nose hairs.
ChinaVoodoo
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Big leaf photo with cute cat for perspective.
Good looking leaf. It looks like you managed to keep the critters at bay. How's the curing coming?
juan carlos
Well-Known Member
nice looking leaf! what part of town did you say you were in?? those suckers gotta be pokin' over the fence by now...hehehe :shifty:
ChinaVoodoo
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Those leaves are from the plot in Devon. The tallest Frog Eye Orinoco plants were 8 feet. The kumanovo are from 4 to 6 and a half feet tall. At my place in Richie, the Pergeu Brazil are more like 4 to 6' and the Bursa in the greenhouse is pushing up at the 8.5' foot ceiling.
I've got some nasty worms in my tomatoes though.
I've got some nasty worms in my tomatoes though.
juan carlos
Well-Known Member
ritchie?
Har! i got married in the church there about 25 yrs ago. we'll have to get together for a smoke one day!
(i'm just east of town these days)
Har! i got married in the church there about 25 yrs ago. we'll have to get together for a smoke one day!
(i'm just east of town these days)
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Sounds like a plan.
ChinaVoodoo
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Well, the little bit that's been harvested in the first pick is all done dried and bagged. We had some cold 5 degree Celsius nights so are a little worried that the majority of the crop might not make it to maturity, but the forecasts look good.
I did an experiment with some suckers. I need to try smoking it, but all signs are that the experiment was a success. I'll make a thread if it turns out. Basically, about two months ago I picked a bunch of suckers and destemmed them, pressed them into a brick still green, then vacuum sealed the brick for 6 weeks. No mold. I opened it up, and it was still completely green, and put it in the greenhouse and a day later it was black and smelled like slightly fruity pipe tobacco. It's like there was everything ready to cure it but the oxygen, and once that was imparted, it speed cured.
ChinaVoodoo
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I'm waiting in the greenhouse parking lot with my deerstongue. This is a photo of the best specimen. The other ones are doing rather poorly. It's an issue with the soil I'm sure, and I'm going to go in and ask an expert about what to do going forward. I plan on keeping them under artificial light over the winter and want them to thrive, rather than struggle and perhaps die, which is the way it's headed with the rest. I hope to learn about soil and how to pick them without ruining them.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Well, they recommended Schultz tropical potting soil mix which he says drains well, and 15 30 15 fertilizer which he says to use one a month. As for harvesting, he recommended taking from the bottom and pinching the leaves off. Hopefully that does the trick.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Transplanted the deerstongue. All they need is prayer. The roots on the largest one spread through half the 1 gallon pot, while the struggling ones had a little as half of a cup worth.
It's good to see that you have some of the Deer Tongue actually growing. Every single one of mine failed, once transplanted to the garden. They died if the soil was too dry, and died if the soil was too damp. They did poorly in shade, and toasted in direct sun. Next season, I will try again, but simply as a house plant.
I'm guessing that Deer Tongue likes very sandy soil that drains efficiently, and is frequently watered. They may grow in partial shade in their natural setting along the Carolina coastal plains.
Bob
I'm guessing that Deer Tongue likes very sandy soil that drains efficiently, and is frequently watered. They may grow in partial shade in their natural setting along the Carolina coastal plains.
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
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What a difficult thing to grow. Most certainly can't treat it like tobacco. But i sure you it's worth it. The flavour is superior to storebought.
I have no compass for knowing what that environment would be like, not having been there. I read mention of pine, but also of full sun. Around here, those two things don't generally mix. Do you think if this soil is too peaty, I may have to transplant again and mix sand in, Bob?
I've become an expert at killing them. I really don't have a clue about how to keep them alive. My only success was to get an excellent germination rate. After that, they just crapped out.
I guess that when I try them again, I will use my usual 2/3 peat, 1/6 vermiculite, 1/6 Pearlite, and dilute that mix with maybe 1 part sand to 2 parts of the mix. And I truly mean, "I guess."
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
A Haiku
Frost reflected rays
White grass and leaves refracting
Despair not; they thrive
Frost reflected rays
White grass and leaves refracting
Despair not; they thrive
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I realized how well insulated my curing room is today. I replaced a 40W bulb that had burned out with a 100W incandescent. I forgot to turn it off, and come back 8 hours later. It's 96 degrees in there, a full 25 above the day time high (six degrees above the set point on my temperature controller). Just from a light bulb! I'm thinking it would be no problem to flue cure in there with a 1500W electric radiator, but I'm going to have Maryland, dark air, oriental and cigar varieties coming off at the same time as my flue cured tobacco, so it looks like it's out of the question. Maybe I can plan accordingly next year.
A 100 watt incandescent light bulb consumes more electricity (and thereby releases more heat) than my 2 quart Crockpot set on Low, which is how I always use it during kilning. For flue-curing, I set it on High, which is rated at 100 watts. Chamber insulation and seal are the key.
[You've also demonstrated why it's crazy to use incandescent bulbs for everyday lighting in a home.]
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Bob, how long does the water last in the 2 quart Crockpot?
With my current setup, water in the 2 quart Crockpot must be refilled every 4th day. This is highly dependent on ambient temp (how much of the time the Crockpot is running), insulation of the kiln and the effectiveness of the door seal.
Bob
Bob
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