Johnlee's grown log
- Thread starter johnlee1933
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Yeah, I built this place 28 years ago and that room was planned but not built. About 5 years later a mostly glass house in Westchester burned and a guy I knew was hired to demolish it. He sold me 32 thermopane door sized panels for $800 with varying amounts of fire and smoke damage. Some were in frames, some just bare pane and there were four sliding door sets, no tracks or hardware. I scrapped about half of them as soon as I got them (smoke stains inside the glass, melted seals, etc.) I sorted thru the rest and got three complete double door sets and the rest either bare panes or rigid frames. I kept the three door sets and the six framed panes (+two spares) and sold the rest (all cleaned up) for almost what the lot cost. My expense was mostly labor and know how. Now I had all that
F---ing glass I was out of excuses so I built the sun porch. It is not a heated space but is a good thermal buffer for that side of the house and stays 10/15 degrees warmer than the outside. In the summer it runs about 20 deg. hotter than outside if I close it up and I can control the humidity so it great for coloring. A sloping 11' to 8' ceiling makes a good hanging space.
On another note, today I met a guy I have been giving snuff to for the past three years. I asked if he would be interested in growing some tobacco. He said "I'd be GLAD to." It turns out he has 37 acres with about 8 under plow only 8 miles from here and a big barn we will hang in. So if things work out I may be needing several hundred of BigBonner's seedlings next year. My own starting attempts have been pretty dismal. (BB -- I'll PM you with details and questions.)
The T-storms here last night were pretty spectacular, some wind , lots of rain but, thankfully, no hail. The sky got that weird green/grey color and was kinda scary. Power went for a while but that is no big deal. We're supposed to get more of the same tonight but not as strong.
John
i guess, the storms fizzled out by the time they reached you?
..that room should make a good solar curing chamber,
i'd do a temp, and r,h, test on it?
im currentlly, loading the kiln, with many hands, i took a smoke break,
it's 120 degrees in there, im hot, i got a walk-in kiln,
but i did build it, to kiln the whole crop at once,
and so far, it may be tight, but i may get it all in there,
bursa, and ottoman, produce a lot of leaves, and i grew 24 plants of each,,,
i have a lot colour cured right now, but when i fill it with, the ott. and bursa, im gonna let the rest air cure, for a month,
..that room should make a good solar curing chamber,
i'd do a temp, and r,h, test on it?
im currentlly, loading the kiln, with many hands, i took a smoke break,
it's 120 degrees in there, im hot, i got a walk-in kiln,
but i did build it, to kiln the whole crop at once,
and so far, it may be tight, but i may get it all in there,
bursa, and ottoman, produce a lot of leaves, and i grew 24 plants of each,,,
i have a lot colour cured right now, but when i fill it with, the ott. and bursa, im gonna let the rest air cure, for a month,
DonH
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear the storms weren't bad. In the morning they were saying it could be another Derecho. We didn't get anything but gentle rain where I live. Once again we were protected by the force field of the Mass Pike. For some reason the forecasts for the last two big storms said it would be all south of the Mass Pike (I-90).
BarG
Founding Member
Shoot John, And here I thought you were getting frustrated , You just want to grow more.
I would attempt it if I had a market. I'll stick to a lifetime supply for now. Your ct. broadleaf and pa red look great. My 2nd or 3rd upper leaves look like that but my lowest lugs took a beating. I left 3' between rows and wish I had left a bit more for those 2 varietys.Mine are a bit tighter than that and it really is a pain at times but that is all the space I had. They grew well enough. If this new guy works out then I'll have plenty of space. I wonder a bit about this new project. Obviously I won't be able to do all the work. He has the plow, harrow, tiller, trailer etc. . I think I'll be able to do the planting and spraying but the staking and harvesting will require help. I don't plan to pay for it and don't know if he will want to work at it. Guess what I'll do is ask him to pay for the seedlings from BB and if he doesn't want to I'll have my answer.
John
John
BarG
Founding Member
I found getting them in the ground was probably the easy part. Then a good lull and the work begins all over again. After topping seemed to be where I needed to spend the most time in my patch , but if you use a sucker control thats non-human it would save a lot of time.
Tom_in_TN
Well-Known Member
As for the guy who wants to grow a crop and has the land and some equipment, that would be a good deal for both of you. For the 1st year get a good amount of area worked up NOW and then worked up again just before planting (broadcast plenty of seed) Crimson Clover 4 weeks before frost (to be tilled in about 20-30 days before transplant.) Make your rows 5' apart and give the transplants at least 3' of spacing. Have a buffer zone around the entire planting that can be mowed down or kept bare/tilled. As for the cost of the seedlings from BB, split the cost with him because YOU WILL want him to split the labor to get the plants staked, harvested AND hung in the barn.
Thanks Tom, WILCO Did you plan ahead when you picked your post name? Or didn't you realize the acronym is T-i-T? Just happens to be one of my obsessions ! ;<))
J
Just happens to be one of my obsessions ! ;<))J
leverhead
Well-Known Member
Thanks Tom, WILCO Did you plan ahead when you picked your post name? Or didn't you realize the acronym is T-i-T?
J
Silly boy, Tits are for kids!
I guess that's why everyone always says I STILL act like a kid!
The way they build the young ladies now days I wish I was as young as I was thinking .I guess im still a kid at heart
I keep telling them, I'm old NOT dead.
J
BarG
Founding Member
This will be my 1000th post. I should say something profound. "Sorry, I couldn't think of anything."
John
John
BarG
Founding Member
Were looking forward to another grand set of posts, John.
OK Here's an update plus some pics
These are first some CT broadleaf and then some YTB.
This is hanging leaf in various stages of color curing. The leaf in the extreme upper left was picked yesterday. Then from the lower right upward and to the left is several days priming. Each string is a different day. The leaf in the farthest row is color cured but the stems are still damp. They will get handed tomorrow morning when the humidity will permit handling to make room for more fresh leaf
Finally the patch is looking kinda thin now. One or two more primings and I'm done for this season. The CT shade in the foreground is over 12' tall to the blossom base. Thankfully no hail this season yet. I've had a few blow downs but nothing I couldn't correct
John
These are first some CT broadleaf and then some YTB.This is hanging leaf in various stages of color curing. The leaf in the extreme upper left was picked yesterday. Then from the lower right upward and to the left is several days priming. Each string is a different day. The leaf in the farthest row is color cured but the stems are still damp. They will get handed tomorrow morning when the humidity will permit handling to make room for more fresh leafFinally the patch is looking kinda thin now. One or two more primings and I'm done for this season. The CT shade in the foreground is over 12' tall to the blossom base. Thankfully no hail this season yet. I've had a few blow downs but nothing I couldn't correctJohn
That CT Shade is amazing, John. Mine has not be watered all summer, was grown in full direct sun, and was my tallest plant at just over 7'.
Bob
Bob
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