Deluxestogie Grow Log 2023

[deluxestogie]

My single, lonely Tofta seedling continues to stare back at me, expressionless. (If the lighting isn't just right, I have to pull out my keychain LED flashlight, in order to be sure it is still there.) I'm hoping to see some growth within a week or so. The fact that it has not shriveled to nothing tells me that it is going to make it. Yay!

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I went out to my shed today. Other than a few odd strings of primed tobacco, there are 32 stunted stalks of Corojo 99 (from the two "no-till" beds) and 6 "Pieate" stalks yet to be stripped. The remainder of my 2022 crop is in bags indoors, awaiting their turn in the kiln. I'm way ahead of most years. There were at least a couple of years when the curing shed was totally filled with the previous season's tobacco in June of the following year.

"Pieate" or "Peiate." It doesn't matter much. Both are incorrect. It's doubtless Piloto Cubano, said to be from the Dominican Republic. (Those bright things are my pathetic garlic harvest from 2023.)

With my late February and early March weather way nicer than it should be, I should be able to clear the shed soon, if I can find enough bags for the leaf.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Today is the birthday of one of my older brothers. I snapped this photo this morning for him. I'm smoking one of the Nicaraguan cigars that he sent me at Christmas. Temp is about 47°F, with a 10 mph breeze. L.L. Bean makes it almost like Florida.

That bright spot above my head is my kitchen light, not the sun. The sky is totally overcast.

Bob

 

[Plinsc]

I thought maybe that light was a new blend formula you were thinking of!

 

[Knucklehead]

I thought maybe that light was a new blend formula you were thinking of!

I wish my ideas started out like that. Mine begin as impulses that morph into ideas as necessity and panic sets in.

 

[deluxestogie]

The secret to new ideas is that I am a has Bean.

Bob

 

[JOE1977]

Bob, I think you may be living my dream!

 

[deluxestogie]

L.L. Bean makes it almost like Florida.

My eldest brother, who is at the moment a snowbird in Florida [fleeing the abnormally warm temperatures here in Virginia] was unkind enough to point out that he is currently wearing sandals. Ouch!

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Starting Seed

During the process of dispersing seed into the germination cups, only one germination cup is ever opened at any given time.

I begin by adding ¼ cup of water to each cup, and replace the lids. The labels are applied with packing tape. At least one end of each piece of tape is folded under, so that I can easily remove the label after use.

I'm too lazy to set up a tripod to snap a time-delayed photo of my actual seed-sprinkling process. After opening the tiny zip-loc, I hold it open horizontally in one hand, while thumping a knuckle using my other hand (still have only two). This causes the seed to slowly migrate toward the bag opening. I do this while passing the opening of the bag over the starting mix. Sometimes I can actually see the seed coming out; sometimes not.

Each subsequent morning, I remove the lid, and look for germination. Once I see green, then I leave that lid ajar, with a slight air gap.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

This food thermometer, with its tip resting on the bottom of the tray, is not a particularly accurate way to measure the temperature of the soil within the germination cups, but the reading is about 9°F above ambient. That is sufficient info for me.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

My eldest brother, vacationing in Florida, may be wearing sandals, but I don't have to watch out for large, hungry alligators in my yard.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Germination Begins

The NB-11 burley seed (from 2021), shown in the following image, displays bright white radicles emerging. Two examples are indicated by the arrows. Radicle emergence appears to be widespread.

Below, my 2011 seed for Xanthi-Yaka 18a is the very first to show green. I will wait until tomorrow to set the lid ajar.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I've completed one more tedious task—mixing batches of starting mix, and filling the required 1020 trays.

This year, I require four 48-cell 1020 trays to accommodate the count of my expected transplants plus ~25% extra. The four trays also will have some extra cells for some veggie starts. I spoon the mix (big spoon!) into the trays, then scrape away the spillage from the top edges. I do not compact the mix, since it will settle after water is added to the underlying trays.

I vaguely recall one memorable season when I required over a dozen trays, just for the tobacco.

Bob

EDIT: On further thought, that memorable season required probably more like 8 trays. But it felt like a dozen...

 

[deluxestogie]

I have transferred tiny seedlings of Xanthi-Yaka 18a into all 48 cells of a 1020 tray. Since I intend to plant 36 of them into a 5'x6' half-bed (at roughly 6" between plants), starting 48 of them will provide more than enough replacements for transplant mortality. There are still plenty of germinated Xanthi-Yaka seedlings remaining in the germination cup.

I added sufficient water to the bottom tray so that once the soil had moistened by wicking the water, there was still a bit left in the tray. I use forceps to separate and gently cradle individual seedlings into each cell. Then the surrounding soil is sprayed with water until the divot holding the seedling appears wet.

To provide a bit of shade from full sun, I have covered the tray with a scrap of Agribon AG-15. This tray will not get a seedling heat mat or a dome.

The next up will be 20 NB-11 seedlings.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

As of this morning, all of my started varieties show germination, including the Tofta.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I've been able to set-up 8 Tofta seedlings in individual cells. That's better than I expected. And there are a few more left in its germination jar. Although I did not count the seeds that were sprinkled into the jar, my sense is that the germination rate is below 50%. [Perhaps the flat, Tofta seed envelope that was mailed from Sweden was subjected to X-ray screening somewhere along its journey, or crushed by mail-handling rollers.] That might explain the Tofta's poor germination (in a sample of only 6 random seeds) during my coffee filter germination test.

Little Yellow (dark air-cured) is also completed, with 20 seedlings in individual cells. The rest of my varieties will have to wait until later today, since my seedling transfer work bench is currently busy drying a load of laundry. (Those embarrassing dryer-control knobs are usually cropped out of my photographs.) In the image below, from last year, notice the orange box of fabric softener sheets in the upper right corner, while the machine controls are cleverly blocked from view.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Angry Jet Stream

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Germination and transfer to 1020 trays is complete. I have set-up 3½ trays of tobacco and 1 tray of snow peas.

Each of the tobacco trays has a scrap strip of Agribon AG-15 for shade, which I will leave in place for a few days. Peas are on the right, below.

These trays are resting inside my enclosed back porch. The windows are 48 inches off the floor. About a decade ago, I added rubber-coated, wire closet shelving, to support my plants at the windows. (The wire shelving is sturdier than the walls to which they are attached.) The porch windows have simple, plastic sheet weather-proofing. This porch opens to my kitchen. I leave the door between them open year round, with no heat source within the porch itself.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

There it is. The prediction was for 3-5 inches of snow. Bored, aimless snow plows wander up and down the road, looking for something to do.

Bob

 

[skychaser]

Send them this way. We will find some snow for them to plow.