deluxestogie Grow Log 2014

[deluxestogie]

Olor Comparison

Some of you may recall that when I grew the GRIN accession labeled "WRAPPER (DOM REP)" I compared its appearance to every Dominican cigar variety that I could locate, and decided that it was, in fact, Dominican Olor. Since then, I've simply called it Olor.

This season, with seed provided by GRIN (through Jessica), I began a comparison grow:

• my "Olor" from the Dominican Republic
• Olor 1542 (Puerto Rico)
• Olor 1377 (Puerto Rico)
• Seleccion Olor (Puerto Rico)

They were transplanted to the bed on 5/14/2014. So they are about 3 weeks old.

While all of the vary a bit from plant to plant, I believe that they all look pretty much the same, so far: leaf size, leaf shape, vein angle, vigor.

I will be able to tell more with all the parameters from the adult plants, and will post comparison photos as the season progresses.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Machu Picchu Havana

All Machu Picchu Havana cigar.

In the world of industrial cigars, "puro" is winkingly used to designate a cigar made of leaf that is derived entirely from a single country (or region, or hemisphere), regardless of the varietal mix used. For example, "Nicaraguan puro" just means that whatever the heck is in that cigar, it all grew in Nicaragua. Those of us who are home growers in the US make a lot of "American puros." Mine are cigars made exclusively from the deluxestogie tobacco plantation. Yawn.

Well, the cigar pictured above is made entirely from my homegrown, fully sun-grown Machu Picchu Havana. Even without considering its smoking qualities, I find it deeply satisfying to be able to produce a handsome cigar that I started as a single, 500 micron seed, and nurtured along its path to cigar-worthy condition.

In 2013, my Machu Picchu yielded an abundant supply of wrapper-size, wrapper quality leaf. Most of it ranges from a dark EMS to a medium maduro. The tips are a nearly black oscuro (which are usually only large enough to use as a wrapper on a petite corona). Secondary veins are relatively small for a sun-grown wrapper--definitely smaller than in commercially grown CT Broadleaf.

Machu Picchu, at least in my hands, has never been a great burner. It usually benefits from combination with better-burning leaf. This exclusively Machu Picchu cigar does burn reasonably well, producing a gray ash. The smoke is cool, smooth and flavorful. Nicotine is medium. Overall, I would rate its strength as medium to full.

I believe Machu Picchu Havana is comparable in strength to Nicaraguan Habano seco, when used as filler. But so much of the leaf is wrapper grade, that it seems a pity to not be able to see it while I smoke it.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Nice one Bob. Machu Picchu is on my wish list of seed.

 

[istanbulin]

Which one is not on your wish list ? lol

 

[deluxestogie]

Photo-op that Never Happened

Last week, a study was published that demonstrated that the non-nutrative sweetener, Truvia, worked as an insecticide for fruit flies. In an accompanying news discussion, a "journalist" stated that Truvia (erythrotol) is now used in all diet sodas. Well, today, I checked the sprayer cap of one of my cheap spray bottles, and discovered that it fit perfectly on the threads of an empty diet Pepsi bottle that I re-purposed as a fridge water bottle.

Wheels turned. I conjured a study to compare the effect of a dish detergent solution vs. diet soda on aphids. In my imagination, I laughed at the prospective photo of a sprayer top screwed onto a full bottle of Diet Pepsi. I jumped into the car and drove to the local gas station quick shop.

To make a long story longer, I read the ingredients of every diet drink in their capacious display coolers. Not one diet beverage contained erythrotol. They all contained aspartame. Damned journalist. I comforted my disappointment by buying a packet of Grandma's peanut butter cookies--quality since 1914!

Bob

 

[DGBAMA]

Reading coke bottles to see if they contain a potential insecticide.......lol.

 

[rustycase]

Very nice looking stogie, DS.
One day I should try that.
Question
How would you feel about a test using the aspartame soda in comparison with dish soap & water?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Bob, Go to the sugar isle in your local grocery store. Usually on the top shelf they have little plastic squirt bottles. The bottles are different colors to signify sucralose, aspartame and erythrotol. Not all stores carry this stuff though. Good luck, if it doesn't work you can always use it in your coffee, unlike dish detergent.

 

[Michibacy]

Worst case scenario it'd just hype up the flies even more...only now on caffeine

 

[deluxestogie]

Well...you can test different chemicals on their insecticidal effects, but it's not every day (or any day, it seems) that one of them can be an actual bottle of diet soda. Without diet soda in the running, the love has gone out of it.

Bob

 

[Michibacy]

A quick run to the petrol station shows a "Sprite Green" that contains Truvia. It looks like they are just testing the market at the time being, not a full switch over. Perhaps sprite may work?

 

[deluxestogie]

Sprite Green. Thanks. I'll have a look.

Bob

 

[rustycase]

Fun?

I guess you could always sit out there in a lawn chair and smack 'em with a twinkie, like I do!

 

[DaveC]

Soda is pretty acid. Maybe it will hurt the plants.

 

[deluxestogie]

Soda is pretty acid. Maybe it will hurt the plants.

Any experiment would be run on the extra seedlings. Quite a bit of the carbonic acid would be lost as the soda is aerosolized, and outgasses the CO2. But that's certainly a good point that would be worth considering.

Bob

 

[cotillion]

I read that truvia is stevia-based. I wonder if mixing it or another stevia sweetener with water would produce the same effect while avoiding all the additional junk in pop. Stevia is pretty common in grocery stores but I don't think I've seen truvia.

 

[Michibacy]

Bob, I've got Truvia and Stevia at my local grocery, if you have a problem finding any, I can send you some at cost

 

[Boboro]

I have Stevia growin in the yard. If the storm didn't get it.

 

[Boboro]

Ill get image if you want to see it.

 

[Boboro]

I was gonna use it in casein but never did. I run over it with the tiller this spring. It looks better than it ever has.