Deluxestogie Grow Log 2021

[deluxestogie]

I find it truly quaint that "folklore" attempts to predict the future based on conditions of the present or recent past. Knowledgeable adults have used these tenuous assumptions to predict events such as the dates of ice melts, pupal insect emergence date, productivity of an upcoming harvest, expected rainfall, upcoming storms. When the cows lay down in the pasture, it's going to rain.

[My own observations suggest that when a day suddenly becomes a bit chilly, the cows may lay down in the pasture. Otherwise, they seem to not give a rip about rain or snow or sleet or any lightning other than a direct hit.]

I suppose that's all the result of experienced associations, as opposed to the fantastical interpretations of planetary and stellar alignments. If I had been a Mayan priest, I definitely would have invented a convincing reason why I should keep my job (and my heart).

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Amazing micrographic photo of 3 vaccine antigens zeroing in on a Covid-19 spike protein.



Bob

 

[dvrmte]

I've found that my "low" concentration is easy to measure for my transplanting process. It's also considerably safer, if you accidentally spill some on your skin. Using imidacloprid only in the transplant water also minimizes the residual in the tobacco, by the time it is harvested.

Bob

Reminds of the first time I sprayed Black Leaf 40 for aphids on my fathers fruit trees about 50 years ago. He was working out of town and wasn't come home as planned. He wanted me to spray with malathion but there wasn't nearly enough in the bottle. I saw the old bottle of Black Leaf 40(40% nicotine sulfate) and mixed up a few gallons according to directions. You know where this is going. LOL I didn't use the PPE required and the wind eventually blew some of the mist back on my exposed arms. I didn't think much of it until I started spinning and became nauseous about the time I finished spraying. That was from skin absorption. I'm glad I didn't inhale.
I was always amazed that aphids thrived on tobacco but that nicotine sulfate spray would kill them.
Anyway, imidacloprid is a synthetic neonicotinoid insecticide that is much safer and more effective than nicotine sulfate, except for the bees. I believe Platinum(thiamethoxam), another neonicotinoid, is also labeled for tobacco. On tomatoes, it kills whiteflies better than imidacloprid. I don't think it comes in lower concentrations suitable for home gardeners though.

 

[deluxestogie]

Ainaro, the dark sun-cured variety from Timor-Leste (seed provided by @Tutu), is looking like it won't be available to plant again during the 2021 season. I had intended to plant 16 of them densely, in a 5' x 6' half-bed. The Ainaro failed to produce buds by first frost, this past fall, so I had placed one of them from the garden bed into a pot, and brought it indoors. Although it has looked like it just might bud for the past two months, it really has not done much.

My thought is that the Ainaro variety may be photo-period sensitive, and that my indoor lighting has been preventing it from budding. Although I've now taken measures to block indoor light from my enclosed back porch, so far it has not done anything. Even if this works, I won't have mature seed in time for 2021, and I have no more seed for Ainaro from @Tutu. If the potted immigrant continues to appear healthy until May, I will likely find a relatively neighbor-light free spot out in the garden, and give it another season to bud. It is a truly unique tobacco type, and a tasty one after sun-curing and kilning.

So, the half-bed will get 25 seedlings of one of the many Oriental varieties for which I currently have seed: maybe Trabzon.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I find it truly quaint that "folklore" attempts to predict the future based on conditions of the present or recent past. Knowledgeable adults have used these tenuous assumptions to predict events such as the dates of ice melts, pupal insect emergence date, productivity of an upcoming harvest, expected rainfall, upcoming storms. When the cows lay down in the pasture, it's going to rain.

[My own observations suggest that when a day suddenly becomes a bit chilly, the cows may lay down in the pasture. Otherwise, they seem to not give a rip about rain or snow or sleet or any lightning other than a direct hit.]

I suppose that's all the result of experienced associations, as opposed to the fantastical interpretations of planetary and stellar alignments. If I had been a Mayan priest, I definitely would have invented a convincing reason why I should keep my job (and my heart).

Bob

Groundhog day is based on the position of the jetstream. It's not folklore because they are using a measurement tool, a groundhog, to measure the latitude of the jetstream.

 

[deluxestogie]

So, using a divining rod to locate where to dig a water well is not folklore?

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

So, using a divining rod to locate where to dig a water well is not folklore?

Bob

If there's a scientific reason why it would work it would be science. I don't know anything about the reliability of divining rods or method of use.

The arctic jetstream begins to travel northwards part way through winter as the wind bands also do so. Because the border between the polar easterlies and prevailing westerlies is usually always a low pressure front, there is high likelihood of clouds. If the groundhog sees his shadow, it means that you are either still north of the jetstream or already south of it, in which case you wouldn't care about groundhog day because you'd be warm.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

True, it's kinda like measuring the time of day with a sundial made of playdoh, but we've done worse.

 

[deluxestogie]

As the arctic warms, causing the socks of the polar vortex to become unpredictably less and less stable, and to fall down around the ankles of the earth, large rodents are evaluating its significance and implications.

Bob

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

As the arctic warms, causing the socks of the polar vortex to become unpredictably less and less stable, and to fall down around the ankles of the earth, large rodents are evaluating its significance and implications.

Bob

Now try that as a haiku.

 

[deluxestogie]

Arctic warms its socks
To earth's ankles falling down
For large rodents' thought

Bob

 

[Levi Gross]

Ainaro, the dark sun-cured variety from Timor-Leste (seed provided by @Tutu), is looking like it won't be available to plant again during the 2021 season. I had intended to plant 16 of them densely, in a 5' x 6' half-bed. The Ainaro failed to produce buds by first frost, this past fall, so I had placed one of them from the garden bed into a pot, and brought it indoors. Although it has looked like it just might bud for the past two months, it really has not done much.

My thought is that the Ainaro variety may be photo-period sensitive, and that my indoor lighting has been preventing it from budding. Although I've now taken measures to block indoor light from my enclosed back porch, so far it has not done anything. Even if this works, I won't have mature seed in time for 2021, and I have no more seed for Ainaro from @Tutu. If the potted immigrant continues to appear healthy until May, I will likely find a relatively neighbor-light free spot out in the garden, and give it another season to bud. It is a truly unique tobacco type, and a tasty one after sun-curing and kilning.

So, the half-bed will get 25 seedlings of one of the many Oriental varieties for which I currently have seed: maybe Trabzon.

Bob

I’m curious to see what the outcome is.

 

[Snowblithe]

I knew a groundhog from Nantucket
It emerged with it's head in a bucket
But that pail of brown fur
Was made of white fir
And it turns out a woodchuck would chuck it

 

[deluxestogie]

Call me old fashioned. Why the hell is there a bat on a US quarter from 2020?

It's been known for about a year that the virus causing Covid-19 likely crossed-over to humans from bats. I just discovered this bizarre thing in my pocket change today.

Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

Bob, you're old fashioned! I haven't had pocket change in years.

 

[Knucklehead]

Call me old fashioned. Why the hell is there a bat on a US quarter from 2020?

It's been known for about a year that the virus causing Covid-19 likely crossed-over to humans from bats. I just discovered this bizarre thing in my pocket change today.

Bob

Hang onto it. Prices have gone up 500% since issued. (I quickly scanned eBay and the least expensive I noticed out of the ten I saw was $1.29) Here’s the story from U.S. Mint

First 2020 Quarter Celebrates American Samoa | U.S. Mint

U.S. Mint will release a quarter honoring the National Park of American Samoa in Utulei, American Samoa. The quarter is the first release of 2020.

www.usmint.gov

 

[Snowblithe]

Call me old fashioned. Why the hell is there a bat on a US quarter from 2020?

It's been known for about a year that the virus causing Covid-19 likely crossed-over to humans from bats. I just discovered this bizarre thing in my pocket change today.

Bob

That's some irony for you!

 

[leverhead]

Maybe it was an omen!

 

[Snowblithe]

Maybe it was an omen!

We lost the coin toss

 

[deluxestogie]

Speaking of quarters, I've added a quarter of a bed of NB-11 Burley to my grow this year. The layout below is my latest rendition of my grow for 2021:

Bob