Oldfellas 21-22 grow

[Van]

Decided to start harvesting yesterday. If I'm lucky I might beat the Bugs and get a smoke or two out of the grow.
Not a bad looking leaf.
View attachment 40720

Will they leave any for me?
View attachment 40722

Been a bad year for my grow. First we wind and storms. Very warm and humid conditions. I was unable to spray for the Bugs, at a guess I would say that they have eaten at least half of my crop. Looks like a winter grow is going to be required.
I've never had to spray for the Bugs before, so, is it the warm humid weather, or the lack of Chickens?
I've Stalk harvested the Virginia Gold and am wondering if I should let a nice sucker grow. What do you guys think? I've grown the odd sucker from a damaged plant before and it has seemed to be OK although it was blended in with the other plants.

I know the feeling with first weather and then the bugs.
Thats why I had to start my second grow.
Good luck I hope you all the best!

 

[Oldfella]

Had a good look around my patch today and found 3 types of catapiller, an assortment of grasshoppers and a abundance of Crickets. Definitely gotta get some CHICKENS. I've never had a bug problem in all my years of growing tobacco, minor damage that I could live with but not like I have now. Unfortunately my chickens got old and needed to be sent to Chicken heaven, I also have to move and rebuild the coop so I must get on to it if I want to solve the bug problem. Enough ranting now.

 

[Van]

Had a good look around my patch today and found 3 types of catapiller, an assortment of grasshoppers and a abundance of Crickets. Definitely gotta get some CHICKENS. I've never had a bug problem in all my years of growing tobacco, minor damage that I could live with but not like I have now. Unfortunately my chickens got old and needed to be sent to Chicken heaven, I also have to move and rebuild the coop so I must get on to it if I want to solve the bug problem. Enough ranting now.

Send in the troops!

 

[Oldfella]

View attachment 40760
Send in the troops!

Very next job

 

[Alpine]

Chickens are the best insecticide on hearth!

pier

 

[Van]

Chickens are the best insecticide on hearth!

pier

Unfortunately I will not be able to use chickens for my grow because the plants are indoors .
My wife will let me do the headless chicken run if I do.

 

[Alpine]

Being in South Africa, you could sneak in some Guinea fowls and innocently tell the wife that they spontaneously entered the house…

pier

 

[Van]

Being in South Africa, you could sneak in some Guinea fowls and innocently tell the wife that they spontaneously entered the house…

pier

We actually have a flock that comes to graze on our property from time to time.
They dont come close to the buildings.
Maybe I must leave a trail of crushed corn on a pathway and catch 2.
We can call them Fowl-Hanzel and Fowl-Grethel.

 

[Knucklehead]

We actually have a flock that comes to graze on our property from time to time.
They dont come close to the buildings.
Maybe I must leave a trail of crushed corn on a pathway and catch 2.
We can call them Fowl-Hanzel and Fowl-Grethel.

Don't waste the corn. The best way to catch a bird is to sprinkle salt on it's tail.

 

[Van]

Don't waste the corn. The best way to catch a bird is to sprinkle salt on it's tail.

I'm to fat and ugly to stand there and wait until they walk by and I have the chance to "a-salt" them.
I'm more of a bearded scarecrow.

 

[Oldfella]

Update time, bugs are giving me a hard time but never mind. Here's a few pics of what's happening.

The patch

Cricket food

Stalk harvest V.G

Stumps left

Kitchen kiln

Lounge kiln
Gotta go now catch you later

 

[Oldfella]

Hi guys, I'm getting good temperature and humidity control in my lounge kiln.



Leaves are coloring up nicely.


I'm going to have to hurry up if l'm going to get a smoke out of this lot.

But other than the bug damage it's not looking too bad lucky I'm growing for cigarettes and not cigars




Here's one for always good to start the day with a LOL. "It's OK Mother We'll be fine here tonight, I learned how on you tube. " OOPS

I'll be back

 

[Radagast]

I think they call that 'careening', which is sailor talk for 'pretending to run aground on purpose to scrape barnacles and sea crud off the hull'.

 

[Oldfella]

I think they call that 'careening', which is sailor talk for 'pretending to run aground on purpose to scrape barnacles and sea crud off the hull'.

Thats correct but it is only permitted in certain areas in NZ. They are in river estuary at the bottom of the harbor and it’s not allowed. The reason is that the antifouling paint can kill the feeding grounds of the birds and fish. They have missed the channel edge by a few feet. However they are not in danger and just need to await the tide.

 

[smallwanderings]

I think they call that 'careening', which is sailor talk for 'pretending to run aground on purpose to scrape barnacles and sea crud off the hull'.

In the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland some boat owners will anchor their boats where the Susquehanna River enters the bay. The freshwater causes the barnacles to unattach themselves from the hull of the boat.

 

[Oldfella]

Weather here has turned to crap, 55mph winds and heavy rain. Not an outdoor day. Hopefully my plants can stand it, they've had a tough season.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Had some 75 mph gusts the other day. Thankfully my tobacco isnt planted out yet! Lol

 

[Oldfella]

Lucky you, fortunately I only use my baccy for cigarettes so the odd hole or tear doesn't matter. My main concern is waking to find its all been blown to Australia. . I had to get my neighbor to come and help me tie down my little Tractor shed this afternoon one side was trying to fly away. All sorted with ropes and bits of wood lol.

 

[Oldfella]

Storm was bad we had 3in or rain in 1/2hr. Wind was around 65mph. A fishing charter boat was sunk off North Cape with an unfortunate loss of lives.
Here's an early morning picture of my patch.


Not too bad, should be able to save most of it.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

Glad u fared so well