First Time Growing, Plugging...

[DeaconPiper]

Good afternoon!

Purchased:

Blue Star 100
Wild Rustica
TN90 Burley
Green Briar
Lemon Bright
Black Sea Samsun

Exited to grow, harvest, cure and try some homegrown tobacco. Maybe I'll try my hand at making plugs, too.

We have goats, ducks, geese, chickens and rabbits on eight acres of farmland here in Central Washington. I have a barn, and greenhouse, too.

Only growing a few beds of tobacco, but a young man in our parish hopes to do the same with me out here, so I have a partner. Wife is busy antiquing and thrifting.

Watching a variety of videos, following many of you on these forums. We'll visit Northwest Seeds in Spokane, Washington, a few hours away.

Wish you could join me!

I'll be sure to update.

Cheers,

+ DeaconPiper

 

[Briarcutter]

Best of luck to you in your new hobby, keep us posted!

 

[Brad H]

Honestly sounds very fun, yet a lot of work.
Really nice to see the start to end process in what you get to smoke.

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

Many who share their experiences with homegrown says it’s among their favorite tobacco that they’ve ever smoked.

I’m looking forward to your updates and sure it’ll be a blast. At the very least you’ll end the season a deep appreciation for the work and magic that creates this thing we enjoy. Wishing you the best in your endeavor.

 

[Scottmi]

Good afternoon!

Purchased:

Blue Star 100
Wild Rustica
TN90 Burley
Green Briar
Lemon Bright
Black Sea Samsun

Exited to grow, harvest, cure and try some homegrown tobacco. Maybe I'll try my hand at making plugs, too.

We have goats, ducks, geese, chickens and rabbits on eight acres of farmland here in Central Washington. I have a barn, and greenhouse, too.

Only growing a few beds of tobacco, but a young man in our parish hopes to do the same with me out here, so I have a partner. Wife is busy antiquing and thrifting.

Watching a variety of videos, following many of you on these forums. We'll visit Northwest Seeds in Spokane, Washington, a few hours away.

Wish you could join me!

I'll be sure to update.

Cheers,

+ DeaconPiper

Hello from Orcas, WA! Yes please do keep us updated! I'm very interested in how the growing goes. Cheers!

 

[VDL_Piper]

Always like these threads so please keep us abreast of your progress.

 

[KingPiper]

I can’t wait to have space to be able to live like this one day. Sounds like the good life. I’ll keep working my summers away till I get there and I look forward to updates on your progress!

 

[DeaconPiper]

Perhaps a bit late here in Central Washington but I'll be tossing some of these over trays with good potting soil this weekend, misting every so often, and keeping in my greenhouse through the day. At night, I'll bring them indoors.

 

[sittingbear]

Good luck! I've got some seeds too but I think it's too late to plant them this year.... I should have started them weeks ago. I think. Idk. I'm not a farmer.

 

[DeaconPiper]

Well, it finally happened.

On a windy April morning, with a bowl of St Bruno, I sprinkled four to eight seeds of each variety onto Miracle Grow potting soil, misted each square, and left in my greenhouse. It's 59 today and extremely windy, low tomorrow is 30.

I should have six plants each, when all is said and done.

These shouldn't take too long to get going, but I'll leave the two trays in the greenhouse, misting regularly.

I have burley and Virginia varieties going, plus an oriental.

The rustica Aztec seeds were the largest, looking like they fell off my Everything bagel.

I'll update soon.

 

[Pooh-Bah]

Looking forward to hearing more.
Started my seeds for the year a week or so ago - this'll be my third year home growing.

First year was Samsun and Rustica, cured them too dry.
Second year was Samsun, cured too wet and last the whole harvest to white fluff.
Sun-cured both times.

This year growing Rustica and some Japanese varieties (which I believe are all Burley, and will likely all come out tasting the same). Gonna try barn-curing some and sunning the rest.

 

[tracerbullet]

I am interested in hearing your progress. Please keep us in the loop with your joirney

 

[DeaconPiper]

I've been misting/watering three times a day, bringing trays between greenhouse and garage each morning and night.

And wouldn't you know, Aztec appeared this afternoon!

 

[DeaconPiper]

Checked on greenhouse last night, Black Sea Samsun sprouting nine days after planting.

 

[DeaconPiper]

So, about a month since my last update and we see Aztec rising high in the sky, followed by Black Sea - the oriental, - then TN90, - and the others. I'm unhappy with the Lemon Bright, but God knows. I should put them in the ground next month. Let me know what you guys think!

 

[Ahi Ka]

Looks great! I don’t know about your climate conditions so I can only make a suggestion based on where I live.

If I were growing here…

I would leave the plants in the pots for a few more weeks - normally I plant out roughly 8 weeks after germination.

Consider thinning the plants to one or at the most two per pot.

Read up about hair cuts. The larger aztec plants are at the size where I begin this process.

 

[condorlover1]

You might want to pick up a book called 'Grow Your Own Tobacco by Guy N Smith' as that is quite informative!

 

[DeaconPiper]

 

[stoopidbaits]

Looking good! I've got seeds and raised beds, I should get out there and follow your example!

 

[DeaconPiper]

I removed my trays from the greenhouse once we hit warmer temperatures, but foolishly sat the trays on the ground where something or other began tasting the leaves...spotted earwigs around and decided it was time to repot everything anyway, and then set these trays on a table.

Most everything survived, I made sure to plant at least six of every variety just in case. In many instances, I got more so I have plenty of room for error.

Happened to visit the Oregon coast last week and found an amazing book titled, Tobacco and Americans, published in 1960. If you can find a copy of this fascinating, beautiful book, you won't be disappointed. Chock full of illustrations and photographs, loaded with history and solid writing.