These photos show up the colors a little better. It was overcast and the sun was in front of me, rather than behind me like the previous photos. Opposite side of the pools.
Knucklehead's 2023 Grow Blog
- Thread starter Knucklehead
- Start date
These photos show up the colors a little better. It was overcast and the sun was in front of me, rather than behind me like the previous photos. Opposite side of the pools.
Plinsc
Well-Known Member
Those pools and grow bags look like they out great
They go together like biscuits and gravy.
Laredo
Active Member
I am hoping to have a similar experience growing in containers next season. I don’t think I will go with the kiddie pools, but I might. I am going to grow in 5 gallon fabric pots because I already have 15 or 20 of them. I think I am going to grow all yellow twist bud burley and then buy the 11 pound bulk box of threshed lemon and bright Virginia from WLT. I like a medium cigarette so hopefully that will get me close.
Looking at all these beautiful pictures from @Knucklehead has me jonesing for next years grow.
Looking at all these beautiful pictures from @Knucklehead has me jonesing for next years grow.
Time to try out a mud lug allowed to die on the stalk. I'm using my cut down clay pipe (Missouri Meerschaum).
No shredding necessary. I just tear off a hunk and stuff it in the pipe. Only about half of that hunk fit in the bowl at a time.
Pairs well with Maxwell House. A little raw but mild, not much tongue bite for a Virginia. Nice flavor. Nice start to a day.
Primed a couple more coat hangers full.
Looking a little thinner.
GreenDragon
Well-Known Member
Have you ever forgotten to remove the hangers before going to the store???
Nice composter in the background BTW. Where did you get it?
Nice composter in the background BTW. Where did you get it?
I park so I have to go past the tobacco to get to the door. Despite that, I did come close a couple of times.Have you ever forgotten to remove the hangers before going to the store???
Nice composter in the background BTW. Where did you get it?
I got the composter from Lowe's.
I brought in two more coat hangers worth of leaf and hosed off the leaf. Mostly woody detritus blown from the hill above the pool patch.
I expanded my sun curing capabilities and can now use my Jeep without first moving my tobacco. If I need more sun curing space, I can lay an 18' aluminum extension ladder across the fender stand and the compost bin.
An upper leaf from the third (youngest) pool of plants.
The biggest struggle this year was trying to figure out the fertilizer schedule. The University of Kentucky has no fertilizer guidelines in regards to the amount of Miracle Grow to add to your swimming pools for tobacco to thrive, mature, and cure properly. I didn't even ask the County Ag Agent. It's definitely different.
*all the fertilizer added to the pools is taken up by the soil. No leaching, no waste
*if there is any leaching during a rain, it is captured by the pool and taken back up by the soil the next day. Rain has no effect on the nutrients. Again, no waste.
*fertilizer usage has been completely based on plant needs. Bigger plants, growth stage, better weather, etc. effect the fertilizer demands. Fertilizer doesn't spread to surrounding soil, it doesn't go down below root level, it doesn't leach out from rain, etc. Its been different. Will actually be great once I figure out how to allow for the difference.
*figuring out when to stop fertilizing later in the season to prevent kicking the leaf back into the growth stage was trial and error. I kicked them back in and found where too far is. I may have set maturing back a couple of weeks but I have a long season. No harm, no foul.
*the proper application of granular time release garden fertilizer should be good for the season. Miracle Grow water soluble is not granular time release. Instructions say every two weeks for outdoors. I found that it varies depending on several factors. Plant size, growth stage, weather conditions (more than just rain or not), etc. I never found a "schedule". Especially since the fertilizer is "captured" in the pools.
*My problem in terms of figuring out a schedule could have been using the recommended amount, rather than the recommended time frame. I could never get the time frame right for a "schedule". Perhaps next year I will reduce the amount of fertilizer and increase the frequency.
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That first photo proves that the Miracle-Gro has forced your tobacco into becoming Romaine lettuce. That's a bonus. Looks tasty!
Bob
Bob
GreenDragon
Well-Known Member
With your setup as a closed system you might try looking up recommendations for aquaculture/aeroponics application rates.
Primed another load.
Two plants in the middle pool were planted at a later time, one plant was bagged. Those three are maturing at a later time.
The third pool. They are showing rugosity, ruffled edges, and mottling.
Clipped off and removed the stalks that had no more leaves, speared them off up into the woods away from the pool patch. Consolidated the remaining plants into one pool and set the plantless grow bags off to the side to dry. We had thunderstorms all last night. When those bags are dry in a few days I will take them to the shop and sift the roots out of the soil. The soil will be stored in a tarp along with the contents of my composter. Maybe the potting soil can recompost. Next year I will mix in some fresh potting soil and some composted cow manure for a semi-fresh start.
Got the empty pool clean and sanitized. When its dry I will store it in the shop with the others. I was trying to find an empty spray bottle to mix up some chlorox solution and saw my bottle of Bleche-White tire cleaner with a spray bottle already attached. Sulphonic acid and all kinds of groovy stuff. Plus the spray bottle. Plus it smelled like battery acid. Perfect! If there's some kind of alien bacteria that can survive that stuff they're taking over the planet anyway. I used chem gloves and a tire brush, I'm good.
Redneck version of Bob's bushel basket. We've had storms and clouds for a few days, sun curing slowed down and stem drying came to a screeching halt. 110% humidity. I had to move some leaf inside to allow the stems to dry. Mostly sunny for the next several days.
And I always thought that a bushel basket was a redneck version of a cardboard box!
Bob
I made my first haul from the third pool.
I got my portable Extension Sun Curing Rack in place and in operation.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
@Knucklehead
Your grow this year has been inspiring, I'm waiting impatiently for my Glessenor to ripen up that much before I harvest. Also might scout for thrown out kiddie pools this winter.
Your grow this year has been inspiring, I'm waiting impatiently for my Glessenor to ripen up that much before I harvest. Also might scout for thrown out kiddie pools this winter.
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
Wheres what’s his name Barbo.
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