Next year...are you ready for this? Next year, enter an entire tobacco plant, standing in a Christmas tree stand (with water). Pick a really tall one with a full blossom head.
Bob
Bob
OldDinosar's 2018 Grow blog
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OldDinosaurWesH
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Actually, I have considered that in the past. Maybe I should plant one or two Just for that purpose. Give those guys with their big sunflowers a little competition. I don't know if these hillbillies around here are ready for something like that. They tend to be a pretty narrow-minded bunch. Especially the X-ers and the Millennials.
I'll definitely keep that in mind. A little shock to their delicate sensibilities might just be what they need.
Wes H.
Oh...and I already have a big heavy cast iron Christmas tree stand.
I'll definitely keep that in mind. A little shock to their delicate sensibilities might just be what they need.
Wes H.
Oh...and I already have a big heavy cast iron Christmas tree stand.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
This mornings pickings.
Three strings.
One with 17 leaves of Piloto Cubano and 31 leaves of Corojo 99. Hopefully these will do better that my first string of Cigar Tobacco. Said string mostly flashed greener than a gourd, and has been evicted from my curing room to languish out in the wood shed where maybe the sunshine might bleach them. Maybe. Sometime in the next few months.
A second with 80 leaves of Ostrolist 316.
A third with 30 leaves of Ostrolist 316 and 41 leaves of Ternopolskii 7.
That must make 199 leaves today. Plus another 60 I picked and hung on Friday.
All of my cigarette tobaccos have been coloring down nicely. Those darn Cigar types are hanging on to their chlorophyll with a death grip. Pesky things.
I'm heading over to the fair in a while, but will probably pick another string this evening. I have about 300 leaves that need to be picked in the next couple of days.
Wes H.
Three strings.
One with 17 leaves of Piloto Cubano and 31 leaves of Corojo 99. Hopefully these will do better that my first string of Cigar Tobacco. Said string mostly flashed greener than a gourd, and has been evicted from my curing room to languish out in the wood shed where maybe the sunshine might bleach them. Maybe. Sometime in the next few months.
A second with 80 leaves of Ostrolist 316.
A third with 30 leaves of Ostrolist 316 and 41 leaves of Ternopolskii 7.
That must make 199 leaves today. Plus another 60 I picked and hung on Friday.
All of my cigarette tobaccos have been coloring down nicely. Those darn Cigar types are hanging on to their chlorophyll with a death grip. Pesky things.
I'm heading over to the fair in a while, but will probably pick another string this evening. I have about 300 leaves that need to be picked in the next couple of days.
Wes H.
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
Very nice ... sounds like you've got you're work cut out.
~Darin
~Darin
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OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
Today's pickings and a photo to show height contrast.
Photo one, two strings. One string w/ 55 leaves ot Ternopolskii 7 and 27 leaves of Chillard's. Second string showing 80 leaves of Gold Leaf 939. I guess that makes 162 leaves picked today.
Second Photo. My relative who is 5'8" standing directly in front of Piloto Cubano which is about 8' tall.
Wes H.
Photo one, two strings. One string w/ 55 leaves ot Ternopolskii 7 and 27 leaves of Chillard's. Second string showing 80 leaves of Gold Leaf 939. I guess that makes 162 leaves picked today.
Second Photo. My relative who is 5'8" standing directly in front of Piloto Cubano which is about 8' tall.
Wes H.
That tall one looks taller than a mere 8'. I call for a measurement! (And apologize to your relative for making him stand there. He doesn't look all that happy about it.)
Bob
Bob
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
I was just guessing that it was 8'. It could be taller. I don't think my ladder is tall enough to get an accurate measurement. You might have to wait 'till I start on my final harvest push. Later in the month as the possibility of frost starts showing up, everything that hasn't already been primed will be topped and hung. I like to have everything hung by no later that Sept. 30th. The only exception will be bagged plants, which will wait 'till an actual frost prediction. If past history is any indicator, I can keep the bagged plants "on the hoof" 'till mid October, maybe later.
In re: my relative, that's a long story that is inappropriate in this venue. He just happened to be available for a quick photo.
Wes H.
In re: my relative, that's a long story that is inappropriate in this venue. He just happened to be available for a quick photo.
Wes H.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
This morning's pickings:
87 Gold Leaf 939 leaves and 5 Gold Leaf 939 "Off Type" leaves. The GL "Off Types" look suspiciously like Ostrolist 316. So this one might just be an errant seed from when I made my original seed plantings last winter.
I have two "Off Types" in my Ternopolskii 7 rows, and they don't resemble anything I have. These Ternopolskii 7 x ? certainly make big dark green leaves. The last time I measured one it was 32" long and 16" wide. Nature has her way, and she doesn't explain them to us mere humans.
I seem to always have a few "Off Types." Last year I planted 36 Harrow Velvet in one block and ended up with four "Off Types".
Wes H.
87 Gold Leaf 939 leaves and 5 Gold Leaf 939 "Off Type" leaves. The GL "Off Types" look suspiciously like Ostrolist 316. So this one might just be an errant seed from when I made my original seed plantings last winter.
I have two "Off Types" in my Ternopolskii 7 rows, and they don't resemble anything I have. These Ternopolskii 7 x ? certainly make big dark green leaves. The last time I measured one it was 32" long and 16" wide. Nature has her way, and she doesn't explain them to us mere humans.
I seem to always have a few "Off Types." Last year I planted 36 Harrow Velvet in one block and ended up with four "Off Types".
Wes H.
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
Yours plant are imptressive. How many time and with wath tipe do you have manured they?
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Yes, Wes, I agree with ciennepi. You certainly have growing down, and we could all learn allot. Was that Ternopolski seed from me? I hope not.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
Ciennepi:
I am strictly a commercial fertilizer guy. I custom mix Calcium Nitrate (15.4-0-0), with 16-16-16, and with Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-24-4.5). I use a ratio that conforms with the recommendations made by the University of Kentucky website for tobacco growing. This year I added a small amount of Boron, and I add small amounts of Iron and copper in a single application. Additionally, I split my fertilizer applications into three parts. I add said fertilizer three times throughout the growing season. I fertilize at planting, and two more times at approximately 30 day intervals. I shun all forms of Urea based nitrogen fertilizers. I spent part of my earlier life in the commercial fertilizer / pesticide business, and learned a whole lot about soil fertility. The company I worked for at the time sold commercial fertilizer by the thousands of tons per year.
It also helps that I have very high quality dirt. The soils around here will yield 140 bushel wheat on dry land farms (no irrigation). It also helps that I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from a Land Grant University. I also know a great deal about rocks, minerals, and Mineralogy which also helps. Hopefully, my run-on sentences will translate into Italian reasonably well.
ChinaVoodoo:
My Ternopolskii 7 seed is from a commercial source.
Is Delhi 34 supposed to be so small? Mine are 3 - 4 feet and pretty puny. There won't be a whole lot of leaf there.
Wes H.
I am strictly a commercial fertilizer guy. I custom mix Calcium Nitrate (15.4-0-0), with 16-16-16, and with Ammonium Sulfate (21-0-24-4.5). I use a ratio that conforms with the recommendations made by the University of Kentucky website for tobacco growing. This year I added a small amount of Boron, and I add small amounts of Iron and copper in a single application. Additionally, I split my fertilizer applications into three parts. I add said fertilizer three times throughout the growing season. I fertilize at planting, and two more times at approximately 30 day intervals. I shun all forms of Urea based nitrogen fertilizers. I spent part of my earlier life in the commercial fertilizer / pesticide business, and learned a whole lot about soil fertility. The company I worked for at the time sold commercial fertilizer by the thousands of tons per year.
It also helps that I have very high quality dirt. The soils around here will yield 140 bushel wheat on dry land farms (no irrigation). It also helps that I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from a Land Grant University. I also know a great deal about rocks, minerals, and Mineralogy which also helps. Hopefully, my run-on sentences will translate into Italian reasonably well.
ChinaVoodoo:
My Ternopolskii 7 seed is from a commercial source.
Is Delhi 34 supposed to be so small? Mine are 3 - 4 feet and pretty puny. There won't be a whole lot of leaf there.
Wes H.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
My Delhi 34 were average 6-7'. That's weird! Sorry they didn't turn out for you.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
Well...I'll plant a few next year and see if a different location and a different year will make a difference. It has been an odd year around here. None of my tobacco has been as good as I expected. But my roses have been doing really well. Don't ask me why.
Wes H.
Wes H.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
Delhi 34
HercDriver
Well-Known Member
Your plants are definitely impressive. I envy your knowledge about fertilizers and soil. I do appreciate you making your knowledge available on this website for the rest of us to learn!
How do you combat caterpillars? I feel like most of my plants now are battling small caterpillars that are putting unsightly holes in my leaves degrading them to binder/filler category.
How do you combat caterpillars? I feel like most of my plants now are battling small caterpillars that are putting unsightly holes in my leaves degrading them to binder/filler category.
OldDinosaurWesH
Well-Known Member
If the caterpillars you are talking about are Lepidopterans ie; Moths or butterflies, Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) is a useful insecticide that is specific to moths and butterflies. Tomato and tobacco horn worms are lepidopterans. BT is only effective against the caterpillar stage of these type of pests. The caterpillars must consume the BT material and get the BT in their digestive system. BT is an bacterium which has been around for about 40 years. Personally I use a single treatment of imidacloprid shortly after planting. Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide belonging to the (ironically) neo-nicotinoids. Imidacloprid has a residual in the plant lasting 40 to 110 days. So it is a little late in the year for that.
Mr. Bob recommended Permethrin for late season insect control. Permethrin belongs the pyrethrin family and is generally fairly short lived. Generally, Permethrin shouldn't last as long as the time it takes to cure and kiln tobacco. One caveat re: Permethrin. Permethrin is a topical insecticide that is only effective on the sprayed areas. Permethrin is also very bad for honeybees. But, then again, most insecticides are very bad for honeybees.
But...I can hear the ponytail crowd howling just as soon as I post this...I believe in better living through modern chemistry. So you can take it for what it's worth.
Bob, our administrator, is also a good source of information re: pests and pesticides. And of course, there is a substantial library of information on pests and pesticides available on the FTT website.
Wes H.
You're on Bob.
Mr. Bob recommended Permethrin for late season insect control. Permethrin belongs the pyrethrin family and is generally fairly short lived. Generally, Permethrin shouldn't last as long as the time it takes to cure and kiln tobacco. One caveat re: Permethrin. Permethrin is a topical insecticide that is only effective on the sprayed areas. Permethrin is also very bad for honeybees. But, then again, most insecticides are very bad for honeybees.
But...I can hear the ponytail crowd howling just as soon as I post this...I believe in better living through modern chemistry. So you can take it for what it's worth.
Bob, our administrator, is also a good source of information re: pests and pesticides. And of course, there is a substantial library of information on pests and pesticides available on the FTT website.
Wes H.
You're on Bob.
Imidacloprid added to transplant water has little if any effect on hornworms. It prevents flea beetles and aphids for all but the very tail end of the season. Its measured concentration in blossoms and nectar is negligible.
The BT will kill hornworms and budworms, but you have to re-spray fairly frequently. Since hornworms tend to come in waves about 3 weeks apart, you can just watch for them carefully, then spray.
I use permethrin primarily to spray the bud head of plants that I'm immediately bagging for seed. So in that sense, it's safe for anything that's outside the bag. Permethrin is the stuff they use to treat outdoor clothing, and mosquito bed nets for children.
Bob
The BT will kill hornworms and budworms, but you have to re-spray fairly frequently. Since hornworms tend to come in waves about 3 weeks apart, you can just watch for them carefully, then spray.
I use permethrin primarily to spray the bud head of plants that I'm immediately bagging for seed. So in that sense, it's safe for anything that's outside the bag. Permethrin is the stuff they use to treat outdoor clothing, and mosquito bed nets for children.
Bob
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
Thanl you Wes for your informative answer. I'm a more organic grower but may be uaeful too.
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I use BTK because it's organic, and because it's really effective for cabbage.
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
Always impressed at how much leaf you get from such a all area. Very nice grow Wes.
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