Old Gasmans 2024 log.

[Old Gasman]

Hi chaps and Happy New Year to you all. Today I ordered my seeds for the forthcoming season, I went for Virginian Gold #1 and Harrow Velvet, I buy my seeds from here
https://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/seeds/Virginian Gold 1.html so I've no idea what the exact strain the Virginia is but as always I'm hopeful. As is my habit I shall have a holiday in Tenerife in March and plant my seeds the day before my departure and hopefully upon my return I'll have more to add to my grow log.

 

[Old Gasman]

Well then chaps my seeds are sown. I've only got two varieties this year as you can see. I'm not quite sure what exact variety the Virginian Gold #1 are but I believe their seeds are sourced from a grower on this site so maybe he can chip in. As is usual I'm off on Thursday to sunny Tenerife for 10 days of sun and relaxation, it's probably hard for some of you chaps to believe but this'll be the first time i will have felt the sun since last September. Anyways, my seeds will now be left alone on the table for almost 2 weeks, no fussin' and no frettin' and hopefully upon my return they'll be sprouted.

 

[Old Gasman]

Well then chaps, here I am returned from a lovely holiday in Tenerife, whilst I've been soaking up the first sun for 6 months my seeds have been doing their thing unattended in my chilly kitchen and they seem to be thriving. The game is on.

 

[Old Gasman]

My little seedlings are coming along nicely, I'd like them to be a bit bigger after 19 days but theres very little sun I'm afraid at the moment.
Oh, here's an amusing little ditty highlighting our obsession and disappointment with our weather,

View: https://youtu.be/_eT40eV7OiI?si=ILjmysXDg4Ocnw2s

 

[Old Gasman]

Well then chaps, it's time to transplant my little seedlings. I try to sow the seeds the same time every year but I think this year they're a wee bit smaller but I'm sure they'll soon catch up. Heres how I do it, first soak the cell trays then put the seedlings in the washing up bowl. Swirl them around to remove the soil and separate them and then transplant them. Job done.
They're now upstairs on a sunny window ledge for a couple of weeks until I can empty and sort the greenhouse out, hopefully they'll be outside in another month.

 

[Old Gasman]

Heres my transplanted seedlings coming along nicely, I've moved them to an upstairs windowsill where they'll be closer to the Sun, not that I can see the Sun of course but at least they'll get more light.

 

[Old Gasman]

The benefit of keeping a grow record year on year is not only learning from past errors but also comparing the time frame from one year to the next. Last year I'd sorted my greenhouse out by the second week of April, this year I haven't, it's just been so cold, wet and windy to do it, hopefully things might improve soon. I'm anxious to get my plants outside for a few hours to harden them off but I fear the cold wind would soon cut them down. Meanwhile theyre coming along well, so well that I had to treat them to a haircut today.

 

[Old Gasman]

Yay the Sun has finally shown its face which means that I've at last been able to empty and clean my greenhouse and get my plants in there, another couple of weeks then they'll be outside. How they've grown in just a week, amazing things..

 

[Old Gasman]

Well then chaps time to get my plants outside in their forever home. I've not grown many this year, only 5 Virginia and 5 Harrow Velvet. To tell the truth I dont smoke that much these days. I started smoking cigarettes when I was 16 if I remember right up till about 6 weeks ago. My chest had been feeling a wee bit tight at times so when I went to Tenerife on holiday I left my cigarette baccy at home and took my pipe instead and I've not had a fag since. I enjoy the odd pipe outside in my garden weather permitting so I figured I didn't need to grow so much this year. After enjoying tobacco growing so much I think I'd have to grow it even if I didn't smoke!