Fisherman's grow blog; Port Lavaca Texas ,Gulf coast

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

3-24-13:

• Humidity64%
• Wind Speed N 25 G 38 mph
• Barometer 29.97 in
• Dewpoint 44°F (7°C)
• Visibility10.00 mi

Last Update on 24 Mar 8:15 am CDT

Bright and sunny but a lil breezy... Already had to take down the tarp due to high winds. Hopefully the continued hardening and the cooler temps will let the plants bear the direct sunlight later on today. Im off work so will be able to check on them.

Plants faired the night well but wind and yesterday's sun made me decide to trim them and bring indoors. We are to get to 39°F tonight and 35°F tommorow night with 60's°F daytime.

Had set up 3 trial grow cup buckets.
All using only peat moss.

1 with only grow cup full of peat
1 with grow cup and entire bucket full of peat
1 with 2" wide cotton wick extended thru grow cup and full of peat.

All were set in gutter system.

Over night only sign of soaking was naturally the 1 with only the grow bucket alone being full which was soaked.

I didn't dig in the full buckets but will add 4 inchs of peat to the cup only bucket and see if saturation will continue upward. I had hoped for free water in bucket.
It didn't so i filled it with peat and will saturate it and the wicked one and see if the peat will maintain a uniform wetness and how much.

Started with dry peat knowing that capillary action will not occur to any great extent until all parts of medium are wet .

Still haven't officially lost a plant but 3-4 are looking worse than Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.

Found a grow blog from another site a few years old that container grew all his smoke and he really did great! Looks like he defied all the rules of spacing etc. and turned out with great leaf and size on his plants. Will be pumping him over next few days for info too.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

More on clipping for next season:


Re: deluxestogie Grow Log 2012

Clipping the Leaves
No photos here. Just a discussion. I've noticed that when the leaves are clipped, the stalk becomes thicker, the roots become more robust, and the color of the leaf becomes a darker green, suggesting an increase in chlorophyll.

I read through a number of articles on plant response to insect herbivorous damage. It seems that leaf damage (being eaten or clipped) sends a chemical message to the roots to increase their alkaloid (nicotine, etc.) production. This might account for the increase in the root structure. I suppose that the decreased leaf area signals the lamina to produce more chlorophyll. I'm not sure what specifically accounts for the thickening of the stalk.

While BigBonner has observed these effects from routine clipping to keep the plants roughly the same size and not shade each other--a significant issue when the transplanting will be automated, it really seems to be of benefit to the home grower raising a few hundred plants.

Last year, when the plants outgrew my 72-cell trays, I transplanted them into 3" pots, until they were ready to go into the ground. By comparison, the clipped plants from this year, still in their 48-cell trays, are hardier and appear healthier than last years re-potted plants. The clipping, which I performed with a pair of scissors, seems time consuming. But compared to the cost and time required to manually transplant them to a temporary, larger pot, the clipping is definitely the way to go. It's cheaper, requires less work, and results in healthier plants with a nice root ball.

The tobacco quickly forgets that I ever gave it a haircut. These are about 2 weeks since transplanting.

​

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Thanks Knucklehead..... I trimmed them out of need and feel better reading your info.... Mine now should have trunks big as oaks and leaves greener than ............. green cuz they are some pathetic lil fellas after i got the sizzors after their wilted leaves. The center crown didnt wilt so that is a good sign.... I sure didnt like this last 2 days of weather. I got all 144 inside now under a fan and their last few leaves are recovered. Mite lose 3-4 that the tarp prop fell on .... I hope that weather didnt hit you to hard.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

It missed me this time. No power outage either which surprised me. I was without power a couple days last week, but fortunately I didn't get the downed trees and damage that alot of folks around me got. There was quite a bit of damage in the area last week, mostly from high straight line winds. No twisters.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

More from Stogie's clipping experience (I love his grow blogs):

And finally, our continuing comparison of Dominican Wrapper transplants. Four were grown in 3-1/2" pots, while four were left to develop within the cells of a 48-cell tray, and regularly clipped.

The four clipped transplants are in the foreground, the potted transplants in the background. You'll have to ignore the Guatemalan squash that is beginning to intrude into the Dominican Wrapper's growing space.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

3-25-13:
Nothing today... went to work and will be off tommorow. Will set plants back out and see if cant harden some more. grrrrrrrr dam almanac and its last frost date grrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthread.php?781-Last-and-First-Frost-Date-When-Is-It-Really

Try this link. Type in your zip code and see if you get a different frost date.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

3-26-13:
Thanks Knucklehead., It showed that only 40 miles up the coast and on the coast that as much as 2 weeks difference was there for last date too! WOW!
Set a few out before daylight today at 46 deg F and they seemed a lil down until the sun hit them and moved all outside for about 5 hours of good sun without any adverse affect. That was encouraging but brought them in at dark and put fan on them Ole box fan and wide open. We want no prisoners here If ya cant hack it get out Im telling em... SO far havent lost one but have 4-8 that the tarpp and prop pole got that really should be discarded I guess.

After this cold spell we have a few nice days them scattered thunderstorms.... I bet my lil felllas are wondering what they did wrong to be done like this week has done them.

Hoping for ground breaking mid week this week anyway for 50 or so. Then it is building a few 2x4 frames for the float bed / rain gutter type system for grow bags. Will finish off with 300 total and maybe a few for veggies in between as space holders.

Found parts to finish my boat for a sea trial and will install them this early week...... 2 year project entering phase 2 at last.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

I think I am going to make it with these plants..................... SO far...................................... This is second day outside in full sun but mid 70's temps and they seem fine..... And guess I need to figure what to do about blending all these bright leaf ones with.........................?

I mite get some burley and oreintale and start 1 flat only............... I have shade available for late starting like maybe in July ??????????????????????????? WOnder if it is possible to mature a plant in south texas from July to November?

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Yes. The question is usually what the cure weather will be like.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Yes sir.....

I am hoping to build a 6 x 8 x 8 kiln with metal 2x4's and tin roofing material on walls roof and for floor maybe sheetmetal or even wood.... Was gonna use rivets but am thinking maybe just self tapping screws to secure the tin with.... for heat maybe a stove element or a few burners and a fan inside and humidifier or in my case a dehumidifier would be called for..... I found the controls I want and is matter of paying for them later.

Wonder how many leaves it would handle????

I can't remember if you can add green leaves to kiln and color cure them totally in kiln???? I have few remaining brain cells and am not tying to many up right now towards curing but am weaning/re-training a few at a time towards that arena.

 

[deluxestogie]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Fisherman,
Color-cure first, then send to kiln. Since the kiln will likely be held about 125ºF, you will need a source of humidity, regardless of your ambient humidity.

Bob

 

[leverhead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

WOnder if it is possible to mature a plant in south texas from July to November?

I think it is, I haven't done it yet. I'm going to give it a try this year. Hurricane season will be a worry, mold might get bad unless an early Norther comes through and drys your leaf green. It will be a gamble, all of this is.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Fisherman,
Color-cure first, then send to kiln. Since the kiln will likely be held about 125ºF, you will need a source of humidity, regardless of your ambient humidity.

Bob

Thanks for info..... I wanted to hear that answer as I could then take my time with kilning....

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

I'm confused as to whether you are planning to build a kiln or a flue cure chamber. Two different animals. The kilns pretty much have the bugs worked out, easy and cheap to build, and are for artificially aging your leaf after color curing in a months time, rather than naturally aging them for a year or more. Flue curing is totally different, the chambers folks are building here are pretty much all in the experimental stage, all the bugs are not worked out yet. Flue curing replaces the color cure and dry for VA type tobaccos. Most folks here air dry and then kiln their VA type tobacco. What are you hoping to accomplish with the chamber you are talking about building? If we know that we can direct you to the threads and builds that will be most beneficial for you to read. I may be wrong, but from some of your posts, and where you posted some of them, I get the idea you may have the two chambers confused or combined. No offense, just want to help get you going in the right direction, because you're obviously already putting some thought into it.

 

[Fisherman]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

Knucklehead. I am not the britest bulb in the string...

I am confused ....

I want something I can put raw fresh picked tobacco in and finish up with smokeable goods.

I'm growing flue cured virginia bright and was under impression I need a flue curing "kiln" for lack of the right word.

I am assuming also that the unit could do both allowing the heating element would reach the 165 deg F they seem to recognize.

I sure dont know what I am doing and appreciate your intrest.

Ideally I would like to insert fresh leaves and wind up with finished tobacco..... Then again if I was lucky enough to hang the leaves and color cure and be able to store at that point then that would be good as well. It just seems to me that all that hanging time means more could go wrong and cutting time makes sence.

Im totally lost as to how much room I need in said chamber as well since I haven't grown any tobacco yet.

And while on the subject of my blessed ignorance..... I see where some are doing this in bales

I have some time yet to learn and am doing so at a rapid rate but until now the actual unit size was my search topic.....

Yes if you would be so kind as to steer me in right direction I would be more ever in your debt.

Mike

http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthread.php?1694-kiln&p=24634&viewfull=1#post24634

Like this fella.... Some hang and he is using stacks. I see what he had in there is already color-cured tho.

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

color cure - when you harvest your plant, the leaf is still alive. Color curing is basically slowing down the dying of the leaf. You want it to slowly die by keeping in about 70 degrees and 70% humidity. If it's too hot or dry, it will dry green and never properly cure or taste like good tobacco. Garden mulch. If the humidity is too high, over 80% for a few days, it will mold. garden mulch. What you want is the proper balance between the heat and humidity so that the dying of the leaf is stretched out over a few weeks. There are metabolic or some kind of processes going on, sugar conversion, fermenting, all this stuff Idn't understand, but there's acouple on the forum that do. I just basically know how to do it and not so much of the why. The leaf will slowly change colors from green to yellow and then brown. It's pretty much cured then but you keep going until the stem is crispy dry. At this point the leaf is cured but pretty raw and will be harsh and not very good tasting. It will need to age to be any good. about a year for cigarette varieties and as much as three for some cigar varieties. Like wine, it will continue getting better the longer it ages. OR

Kilning - this basically speed ages the leaf. You can kiln it for about a month, until the smell from the vents goes from wet, cut grass to smelling like good tobacco. Then just a couple weeks of air aging and you've cut the aging down from at least a year to a month to six weeks. The kilns most of the members use are like the one in the link you posted. They use old free upright freezers, a crock pot for heat and humidity, and either a water heater thermostat or one of the ranco digital thermostats to control the heat. humidity is furnished by the crock pot and controlled by venting. You run it at about 125 degrees and 70% humidity for about a month. you fill it with curedleaf, and it can be packed in there.

Flue-curing - is a curing process. You fill the chamber with evely spaced green leaf. it cannot be packed in there. Up until I think last year, it was only done commercially for the big farmers. Last year, two flue cure chambers were built by members for home use. Deluxestogies cozy can flue cure chamber and leverheads flue cure chamber. This year Dr. Bob and AmaxB are building experimental flue cure chambers. One on a budget and one all out. It takes the leaf through several stages at different temperatures and times. I don't understand what goes on but it's complicated and the builders are trying to take commercial specs and adjust them for home use.

 

[AmaxB]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

thanks Knucklehead

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

VA can be air cured and naturally aged or kilned. It is very good this way, but it's not flue cured. It can also be flue cured like the big companies. Flue cured leaf may be a little sweeter, I think it fixes the sugar or something like that. It also raises TNSA's which aren't that good for you. Leverhead has probably studied flue curing as much or more than anybody here and can correct my mistakes and give you the best information. Keep in mind, I'm trying to repeat what I have read and hardly understand. you also have several months to decide what you want to do and study up on the curing threads.
Read the leverhead and Deluxestogie threads on flue curing. Also check out the DrBob and AmaxB threads which are still ongoing and neither of which have been tested, shaken down or bugs worked out.
Personally, this being my first year also (I've been amember for months and I've read every thread at least once) I have bought up at least a years worth of whole leaf tobacco to smoke while I grow and naturally age my leaf. I don't have a kiln yet, i want to make sure it's worth growing rather than just buying whole leaf, which is pretty dog gone cheap anyway. I'm growing enough for two years this year and next year i'll grow enough for at least one. This way I will have naturally aged leaf each year by staying a year ahead. I won't need a kiln. After curing, you just have to keep it from molding while it ages. You can leave it hanging, or put it in bags or boxes, pretty much anything until you're ready to use it. You can go ahead and destem it to make more room, you can even shred it if you smoke cigarettes and let it age shredded. Just don't let it mold. If it gets too dry to handle, that's not a problem, just mist a little water on it, seal it in the bag overnight and it will get moist again.

 

[DonH]

Re: Fisherman's grow blog

I agree with Knucklehead that air curing Virginia works fine. I don't have a kiln and my air cured VA tastes just as good as flue cured, just the same really. The big difference is in the color. It is more yellow than that nice orange color.