MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
I'll have to wait and see if I can turn them on grass, they're heavy with rain water.
Mad Farmer's 2025 Grow Blog
- Thread starter MadFarmer
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I did it out of caution. I'm not sure it's necessary. I think all the plants got plenty of sunshine anyway.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
they are definitely getting there!
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
YTD our rainfall is down 1.25" but don't tell my tobacco. Three weeks ago the rain left water in the pool to just below the tops of the bags. This week I left ~2" of water in the bottom for over a day to see if they'd need to soak it up. Nope. Hauled all of them out this Friday and dumped it out. The forecast says we'll hit 100°F on Thursday this week.
For now though I'll let the wind dry out these bags some. When I press on them my fingers come back damp.
For now though I'll let the wind dry out these bags some. When I press on them my fingers come back damp.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
That was my plan, I just expected to not use power tools until I needed to add water.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
Added a drain hole and mixed up fertilizer. Had hail around midnight but everything looks good. Chance for severe storms this evening because it's May.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
What a difference a week makes:
May 31st:
June 8th:
Two of the Vuelta Abajo are flowering, but I don't think any of them are actually mature enough for that. I'll top them low and see what kind of sucker growth I can get out of them. The plan is to save seed from the best looking of the other two.
I have to be careful pulling suckers between the potted plant and the swimming pool to keep from disturbing the guardian. I fed her/him two hornworm eggs in tribute.
May 31st:
June 8th:
Two of the Vuelta Abajo are flowering, but I don't think any of them are actually mature enough for that. I'll top them low and see what kind of sucker growth I can get out of them. The plan is to save seed from the best looking of the other two.
I have to be careful pulling suckers between the potted plant and the swimming pool to keep from disturbing the guardian. I fed her/him two hornworm eggs in tribute.
WillQuantrill
Well-Known Member
Genius!
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
Normally, I crop these down for clarity and to save data. But this one came out too well. This is my potted Machu Pichu and I love the contrast I got on the underside of the top leaf juxtaposed against the blue sky. The spider guardian lives another week and has grown.
The tallest plant is also a Machu Pichu. Eight weeks ago it was among the more runty and anemic of my plants so I dosed it with lava sand (high in iron) and granular fertilizer. It was no more than 2 tablespoons worth, probably closer to 1, but with the regular Miracle Grow added to the entire pool it was just too much so some nutrient is locking out another nutrient and the leaves are cupping. I'm mostly annoyed at myself for it than worried. The first grow of Piloto I had looked worse but smokes just fine though it was only filler quality. The sucker growth came out fine and makes a good binder.
The tallest plant is also a Machu Pichu. Eight weeks ago it was among the more runty and anemic of my plants so I dosed it with lava sand (high in iron) and granular fertilizer. It was no more than 2 tablespoons worth, probably closer to 1, but with the regular Miracle Grow added to the entire pool it was just too much so some nutrient is locking out another nutrient and the leaves are cupping. I'm mostly annoyed at myself for it than worried. The first grow of Piloto I had looked worse but smokes just fine though it was only filler quality. The sucker growth came out fine and makes a good binder.
A possibility for the cupping
tobacco.ces.ncsu.edu
Remedy is to top as soon as it is ready.
Calcium Deficiency
Over the past week or so we’ve received a number of phone calls, emails, and text messages asking about irregular/abnormal leaf growth and bud development. It’s safe to say that nearly all of these conversations have turned out to be Calcium (Ca) deficiency. Calcium deficiency is characterized...
Remedy is to top as soon as it is ready.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
The Machu Pichu has not buttoned yet, but the two remaining Veulta Abajo have. I'll pick up paint strainer bags on the way home from work tomorrow.
Are you getting comfortble with the pools yet? Will you do it again next year? I didn't grow this year but I want to try again next season and try a three sisters planting of corn, pole beans, and squash but in the pools. The pools make watering crazy simple.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
One thing I'd change with my pool setup would be to level it, and also only go with 2 varieties per. The Vuelta Abajo matured first and also got out grown by the other two. The two side by side might be a better fit. Ideally I'd do one pool per variety but that sounds like too much tobacco. (For me anyways.)
But, I have been very happy with it. The plants seem bigger than the potted one.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
First time seed saving. Next time I'll go for the 5 gallon bag (rather than the 1 gallon.)
I have been terrible on hornworm patrol this season:
I've been reading entomologist Doug Tallamy and about the catastrophic loss of habitat for caterpillar feedstock for native birds. Here's hoping someone had a big green breakfast.
GreenDragon
Well-Known Member
I've allowed two generations of Black Swallowtail caterpillars to cycle through my fennel plants this year. The plants are huge so they are not really affecting them. My tobacco and tomatoes, however, get regularly treated with BT.
Good to hear BT works on baccy critters, I try to check my plant daily and have not seen anything "yet" but it's good to have a battle plan.
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
Busy weekend here at what I've settled on calling Finca de Sombra. Yesterday was prime day, the day I finished priming the Vuelta Abajo and primed half the Machu Picchu. Two plants still show no sign of flowering, along with all of the Olor. For anyone interested in trying the grow bag kiddie pool method, trying to grow more than 2 varieties makes it challenging. I'd like to dose the slow plants with a little fertilizer, but I have topped plants in the pool too. Three gallon grow bags do work better than a five gallon pot, the two late maturing Machu Picchu are pushing 6' with no sign of a crows foot. Seriously not a button in sight. But I'm down to the last 6 plants, give or take some top leaves, and a bouquet of seed pods. 
MadFarmer
Well-Known Member
Still waiting for flowers on one Dominican Olor and one Machu Picchu. We fret and complain about the plants that flower early - but let's hear it for the plants that act as though they'll never flower at all. I know which one I think is worse right now. I'm chalking it up to operator error. I'm willing to bet these two were among the few I added granular fertilizer to in April. (The planting medium had fertilizer added, plus I did regular feeding with liquid miracle grow) The few saddest looking plants back then just needed more time between heavy rainfall and more direct sunlight.
I very happily stripped some Machu Picchu off the line and put it in the attic kiln last Sunday. Looking forward to November.
Machu Picchu sucka! It's already 3x this size as this pic is a week old.
