PressuredLeaf's 2021 desert grow

[PressuredLeaf]

Done.

Thanks Bob.

I planted the YTB, Corojo 99, and piloto Cubano transplants today. Most of them are smaller than I’d like for transplanting, but they were root bound. I made sure to be extra careful during the transplant, hopefully the mortality rate isn’t too high. The transplanted Prilep plants look great, they seem to have taken already.

 

[Oldfella]

Well, the threat of frost is over and my seedlings are getting root bound. So, today I planted my Prilep seedlings. I planted them a bit closer, roughly 8-10 inches apart.View attachment 35328View attachment 35329

Hi a question for you. Why do you need to plant your baccy on mounds like potatoes? I never bother to do that. Is it for irrigation or because it gets too wet?
Cheers Oldfella

 

[PressuredLeaf]

Hi a question for you. Why do you need to plant your baccy on mounds like potatoes? I never bother to do that. Is it for irrigation or because it gets too wet?
Cheers Oldfella

Hi Oldfella, good question!

Its multipurpose, and some people call it "in ground raised bed gardening". In the desert here, both the soil and the water are very high in dissolved solids and we don't get enough rain to leach it down into the subsoil. So by building raised beds in a low spot (my whole garden is in a depression) we can do deep watering to leach the soil without drowning the plants. Plus, during the monsoon season, any rainwater is collected in the depression and is forced to soak in rather than run-off. The other two nice things are it makes convenient paths to walk through, and it keeps me from compressing the tilled beds ( we have very heavy very compactable clay).

On another notes, I got the CT Broadleaf planted today. I gave the garden a nice soak with the overhead sprinkler to help the seedlings establish, but soon i'll switch over to row watering to encourage deeper roots.

 

[Oldfella]

Hi Oldfella, good question!

Its multipurpose, and some people call it "in ground raised bed gardening". In the desert here, both the soil and the water are very high in dissolved solids and we don't get enough rain to leach it down into the subsoil. So by building raised beds in a low spot (my whole garden is in a depression) we can do deep watering to leach the soil without drowning the plants. Plus, during the monsoon season, any rainwater is collected in the depression and is forced to soak in rather than run-off. The other two nice things are it makes convenient paths to walk through, and it keeps me from compressing the tilled beds ( we have very heavy very compactable clay).

On another notes, I got the CT Broadleaf planted today. I gave the garden a nice soak with the overhead sprinkler to help the seedlings establish, but soon i'll switch over to row watering to encourage deeper roots.

Sounds like a great plan. I'll be watching your grow and see how it goes. Best of luck with it. Cheers Oldfella

 

[PressuredLeaf]

So, my Prilep transplants seem to have taken as well as my Corojo 99, but I had very high mortality with my CT broadleaf and piloto Cubano. I blame myself for keeping them in small pots too long. So I ordered some larger trays, but I lost my seeds! I guess I have to order more.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

Psychologists HATE him! - Learn this one simple trick to find lost tobacco seeds behavior scientists DON’T want you to know!
Re-order the same seeds.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

I’ve been out of town for 3 weeks, but thought I would post an update. Upon the arrival of my new seeds, I plant some more Corojo 99, ct broadleaf, and piloto cubano. They were transplanted before I left. Upon returning everything has really taken off, especially the Prilep. The cigar varieties are a little slower but still look great.
.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

Hi Everyone,

I'm midway into my first grow here in the Sonoran desert. So far things are going well with all things considered. I planted:
1. Corojo 99
2. Piloto Cubano
3. CT Broadleaf
4. Prilep
5. Yellow Twist Bud

Now, I don't have enough data points, but of my cigar varieties the CT Broadleaf seems to be bailing early (very yellow leaves before the plant even flowers). My theory is the Caribbean style varieties are a little more heat tolerant than the CT Broadleaf (day are creeping up into the low 100's now). Has anyone observed similar trends? Of my other varieties, the Prilep is growing like a champ, and it too originates from pretty warm climates. With the cigar varieties, they all look good, but the Corojo looks the best. I'm thinking I may narrow my cigar crop to mostly Caribbean varieties if they are more heat tolerant.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

Primed my first leaves today of Prilep and YTB. I’m pretty sure the Prilep thinks it’s a cigar variety, because it won’t stop growing. The YTB plants are pretty dwarf for me, but the leaves are a really nice size. The cigar varieties seem to be farther behind, but look great, especially the Corojo. I’m going to yellow them in a towel, then air cure the YTB. Once the Prilep is yellow, I’m going to sun cure it, which I imagine won’t take more than a day in the AZ sun.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

The YTB has yellowed nicely, and is now being hung indoors to air dry. The Prilep is close, but needs another day or two before it goes in the sun. Interestingly, the Prilep is starting to smell like oriental tobacco, that sort of spicy floral smell.

Also, FYI: I found 26awg enamel magnet wire works very well for stringing up tobacco
.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

I just hung up the Prilep to sun cure. It smells quite nice already, kind of like the WLT stacked Basma (from memory). This represents the mud lugs and a few seco leaves. I’m very excited excited to see how the leaves from the higher priming turn out.

The Corojo is starting to look really nice. Very pretty and large leaves. The other plants look good too, but I lost my tag and cannot remember if they are piloto cubano or ct broadleaf. Does anyone have a picture of a piloto plant?

 

[Knucklehead]

OldDinosar's 2018 Grow blog

Next year...are you ready for this? Next year, enter an entire tobacco plant, standing in a Christmas tree stand (with water). Pick a really tall one with a full blossom head. Bob

fairtradetobacco.com

There may be more photos earlier in the Grow Blog.

 

[PressuredLeaf]

OldDinosar's 2018 Grow blog

Next year...are you ready for this? Next year, enter an entire tobacco plant, standing in a Christmas tree stand (with water). Pick a really tall one with a full blossom head. Bob

fairtradetobacco.com

There may be more photos earlier in the Grow Blog.

Thanks! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make the different from the photos. I snapped some photos of the plants in question. Maybe someone on here could be able to differentiate ?



The first three photos are the plants in question: either ct broadleaf or piloto cubano.

Edit: deleted non-relevant plant photos

 

[deluxestogie]

Any guesses?

What are the choices?

Bob

 

[PressuredLeaf]

What are the choices?

Bob

Sorry, hard to put together sensical posts from my phone. The choices are : CT broadleaf or piloto cubano.

 

[deluxestogie]

My experience has been that CT Broadleaf reaches a considerably shorter final height than Piloto Cubano.

Bob

 

[PressuredLeaf]

My experience has been that CT Broadleaf reaches a considerably shorter final height than Piloto Cubano.

Bob

Thanks Bob, my only cigar plant that I have harvested was a single labeled CT Broadleaf, and it was pretty small. I’ll keep an eye on these as the continue to grow.

 

[deluxestogie]

This is from 3 years ago:

Bob

 

[PressuredLeaf]

I primed some more YTB and Prilep today. The cigar varieties are still chugging along, and are beginning to make some very nice sized leaves. I also built a crude kiln/flue chamber out of a trash can, some insulation, a crockpot, and a temperature controller. I think I’ll try flue curing this next batch of Prilep.

 

[deluxestogie]

Good luck with the cozy can. It can get the job done for small batches.

Bob