MadFarmer's 2021 Grow

[MadFarmer]

This is the 5th or 6th hornworm I've pulled from curing leaf. When you string up yours how much leaf per string do you allow?

 

[Knucklehead]

This is the 5th or 6th hornworm I've pulled from curing leaf. When you string up yours how much leaf per string do you allow?
View attachment 37792

A pretty good bit, but my strings might be longer than yours. I use the old timey “stringing horse” methods. There is a full 1x2” rough cut board under the strings to support the leaf and they alternate stringing back and forth. There are leaves on both side of the stringing horse so you are seeing half the leaf. The photos are showing three or four separate stringing horses so, six to eight rows of leaf. They hold a ton of leaf. I spread them further apart if humidity is high, or crowd them closer to share their moisture when the humidity is low. I turn on a big shop fan when the humidity is high. In my area, I can have pretty large humidity swings from night to day and or when it rains so I have to stay on top of it, monitor with hygrometer, watch the weather, and plan ahead. I also have to open and close the shop door to either trap good humidity inside and keep bad humidity out or open the door to allow good humidity in.

2015 Knucklehead Grow Blog

Got a good soaking rain right now in guntersville. knuck.hope your getting some of it. Is all this rain this late in your grow good or bad?

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[BamaTinkerer]

No. But I did get a UV flashlight, been checking the plants every night. BT will probably be easier.

I found this guy Saturday morning. Likely just hatched. By afternoon he moved to the leaf tip and was just sitting/no longer feeding. By this morning he had fallen to the leaf below. BT was last sprayed on Sunday evening -5 days prior. I would imagine a spray a few days before harvest would provide similar results if they hitched a ride into curing area.

 

[deluxestogie]

A large hornworm in the shed will leave poop on the floor directly beneath its location.

Bob

 

[PressuredLeaf]

I stack my primed leaves in piles to yellow before hanging, since I’m in a desert climate. I’ve noticed any hornworms I’ve missed migrate to the edges of the leaves when they are in a pile, and consequently much easier to spot.

 

[MadFarmer]

Very different smells coming from the Attic Kiln this year. Granted, there's already more tobacco in it than last year, but I think I smell the difference between Caribbean vs. American heritage tobacco.

 

[deluxestogie]

Caribbean vs. American heritage tobacco.

It's Montecristo vs Marsh Wheeling.

Bob

 

[Clatsopnehalem]

Great job!! Very beautiful leaf and such a crazy battle with nature lotta horn worms I haven’t seen those here in Oregon not even on my tomatoes or eggplants but they really are gross lookin! Haha.

 

[MadFarmer]

TFW, those water spots and white mold turn out to be holes in the seco where the light can come in.

This smells so good, it's been in the kiln the longest:

 

[MadFarmer]

Day 35 for much of the tobacco in the Attic Kiln . The forecast looks like I'll have another week of kiln temps up there.

Is it possible to over kiln leaf? I realize I'm not running a steady 130°f at 80% humidity so the risk of damage is lower, but I am curious.

 

[deluxestogie]

Excellent question, for which I have no answer. It is, of course, important to maintain a temp high enough to prevent mold growth, but below ~130°F.

Bob

 

[Alpine]

Tobacco, unlike human beings, can only get better with age. I am convinced that over kilning isn’t possible. You may reach a point where improvement in taste is negligible compared to the effort you put into it, and decide to stop your experiment, but I don’t think you can turn your baccy into garbage by keeping it at the proper humidity and temperature for months (or years)

pier

 

[MadFarmer]

Last hand of the season. Bahia second growth. Topped ~8 weeks ago. Not pretty but should make tasty filler around 2023.

 

[MadFarmer]

I wanted to get in on the leaf pictures from a few weeks ago. Bahia: volado, seco, ligero.

 

[deluxestogie]

Excellent demonstration of priming level differences.

Bob