I made sure all my affairs were in order—yesterday. Today, I think the fat lady has already sung.
Bob
Deluxestogie Grow Log 2023
- Thread starter deluxestogie
- Start date
Bob
Free short story download (about boys and a hornets nest in Atlanta of 1960):
Download Balou's Artillery: disturbing the hornets (~10 page pdf).
I wrote this over twenty years ago. Since it is essentially true, it was in the forefront of my mind yesterday.
Bob
Download Balou's Artillery: disturbing the hornets (~10 page pdf).
I wrote this over twenty years ago. Since it is essentially true, it was in the forefront of my mind yesterday.
Bob
Bob
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
That reminds me of what it looks like If u paper mache a balloon. Imagine the possibilities...!
9:45am. Relative humidity is 99%. The temp in the shade is 80°F, heading for 91°F this afternoon. There is no breeze. The wet knees of my jeans, from kneeling in the grass to harvest today's crookneck squash and cukes, will have to serve as my wet-bulb thermometer. They say, "Yikes!"
My Little Yellow plants are all ready for stalk-harvesting, but that will have to wait for the somewhat cooler weather Sunday. The same for mowing the lawn.
I did manage to harvest one tiny, solitary yellow pear tomato that had ripened. I'll be making my dinner plans around that.
Bob
My Little Yellow plants are all ready for stalk-harvesting, but that will have to wait for the somewhat cooler weather Sunday. The same for mowing the lawn.
I did manage to harvest one tiny, solitary yellow pear tomato that had ripened. I'll be making my dinner plans around that.
Bob
Last edited:
It's a gray, dripping day. Tobacco harvest is on hold, for the moment, to wait for the plants to dry. Yesterday brought two separate thunderstorms, with two separate "severe threat" warnings from the National Weather Service. Despite the 40-50 mph wind gusts, no plants were blown down or even leaned over a bit. Just wet. The worst impact was that I had to shut down my computer twice, totalling several hours.
At least all the birds are chirping again. Yesterday evening, as the leading edge of the second storm front swept in, I saw a distant circle of four vultures suddenly rise vertically at least 1000 feet. I never did see how that turned out.
Buzzie: Hey, Ziggie, did something just happen?
Ziggie: What do you mean?
Buzzie: All those houses down there suddenly shrank. They look like little dots.
Flaps: When stuff gets wet, it sometimes shrinks.
Dizzy: Yeah. I wouldn't worry about it.
Bob
A week ago, I primed enough bottom leaf from the Corojo 99 and the Olor so that their remaining stalk length would fit in my curing shed, for stalk-harvesting. But after both those varieties were topped, they continued to grow taller. So this afternoon, I primed 3 more leaves from each of the plants of those two varieties (~75 leaves total). The NB-11 burley also seems to be creeping taller.
Bob
Bob
Bob
I had hoped to postpone cutting the Little Yellow until the temps cooled this evening, but the weather forecasts are saying things like, "Zero chance of rain, except for a possibility of sever thunderstorms." I need all the leaf to be dry, but I prefer not having the plants wilt much between being cut, and making it to the shed. So I went out at 11 am, to cut 15 of the 16 Little Yellow plants. Prior to cutting them, I once again removed any new suckers. It took me 5 trips to the shed to carry them all in there and hang them.
Since the pith of the stalk softens as it dries, the tip of the nail must pass beyond the pith, and penetrate the opposite wall of the stalk.
Bob
Since the pith of the stalk softens as it dries, the tip of the nail must pass beyond the pith, and penetrate the opposite wall of the stalk.
Bob
This is a happier view of the entire garden than yesterday's. And up against the house, you can actually see one of the sixteen MD 609 plants that are growing there. And I've made a remarkable discovery this year. Sun-curing works better when the sun shines.
Bob
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
Perhaps that's why it isn't called cloud curing?
I should not have made the statement in such a facetious manner. Cloud-curing, which is what I have called it during past, cloudy season posts, works just fine. It just takes longer to complete. Those sunrays that cause skin to acquire a sunburn on cloudy days are effective in curing the leaf. This summer's more continuous sunny days are bringing about the sun-cure in about half the time as cloud-curing.
Bob
deluxestogie with stogie in stogieland:
Bob
Bob
Is that one of them fancy store bought ceegars you’re smoking?deluxestogie with stogie in stogieland:
Bob
deluxestogie with stogie in stogieland:
Bob
90% of my tobacco growing knowledge is thanks to this man!
Bob, that cigar is just amazing!
The top leaf on my remaining 2023 varieties all show subtle signs of maturation, with a slight yellowing of the leaf tip. I've photographed them with a white card in the background, in order to more accurately correct the image color. I may or may not stalk-cut all of these over the next couple of days. I'm inclined to allow both the NB-11 burley and the MD 609 to fully ripen, if weather permits.
Below, the bagged heads show well formed seed pods, but most of them are still green, and should remain on the stalk, in the field, until they have mostly browned. Notice how the larger bags may get stretched, even though not filled.
Bob
Below, the bagged heads show well formed seed pods, but most of them are still green, and should remain on the stalk, in the field, until they have mostly browned. Notice how the larger bags may get stretched, even though not filled.
Bob
One of the problems that I've had with the bed of my MD 609 this season is the result of my laziness last season. Last year, grass in that bed went to seed. Despite nuking the bed with glyphosate this past spring, to kill the grass and weeds, dormant seed from 2022 emerged in abundance after tobacco was transplanted.
I kept a 12 inch diameter of soil surrounding each plant relatively clear, but have found it increasingly difficult to cut the remaining grass as this season progressed—as the tobacco plants grew and spread their leaves. The major problem created by the taller grass was that it provided an easy route for crickets to climb onto upper leaves of the tobacco, and munch holes. But now, I decided that I really needed to cut that grass before it goes to seed again this year. The only way to do that is to remove the tobacco first. So I went ahead and stalk-cut the MD 609 today.
Bob
I kept a 12 inch diameter of soil surrounding each plant relatively clear, but have found it increasingly difficult to cut the remaining grass as this season progressed—as the tobacco plants grew and spread their leaves. The major problem created by the taller grass was that it provided an easy route for crickets to climb onto upper leaves of the tobacco, and munch holes. But now, I decided that I really needed to cut that grass before it goes to seed again this year. The only way to do that is to remove the tobacco first. So I went ahead and stalk-cut the MD 609 today.
Bob
I decided to collect the flyers and trash remaining in the beds of Little Yellow and MD 609, in separate bags. At some point in the future, I plan to bring them back into case, brush them clean(er), and cook them into Cavendish. My experience in the past with trash leaves has not been particularly favorable. [That is what you get with many cheaper brands of bulk, commercial Cavendish—just cooked and flavored flyers and trash.]
Bob
Bob
No rain forecast today. No indication of rain on the radar weather map.
Itsy bitsy grower hiked out to his Olor.
Along came the rain; he could harvest it no more.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
So the itsy bitsy grower hoped to hike out there again.
Along came the rain; he could harvest it no more.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
So the itsy bitsy grower hoped to hike out there again.
Itsy bitsy grower hiked out to his Olor.
Along came the rain; he could harvest it no more.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
So the itsy bitsy grower hoped to hike out there again.
Itsy bitsy grower hiked out to his Olor.
Along came the rain; he could harvest it no more.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.
So the itsy bitsy grower hoped to hike out there again.
Maybe tomorrow.Bob
