Growing my own tobacco -I've had it with these prices! (A journal)

6-21-5 | RandallFlagg

[RandallFlagg]

Since I have to get to bed, I'm just going to paste what I placed into the coffinnails.com forum. There's relevant questions inclused that I'll place on this thread if they get answered.

Day one -finally got my seeds!

Them things are SMALL! Sheesh! I had to fuzzy up the end of a Q-Tip to place them into the trays. Before I screw things up, there's a few questions I must ask. The 200 seeds I got are Dark Virginia. I'm doing 16 at a time.

Will the unused seeds keep for a while? I'd like to grow 'em in staggered stages. Will regular tap water work, or will I have to use distilled or rainwater? I have to used that kind for my Venus's Flytraps. Flourescent lighting. Will it work well for staggered stage growing year-round? Humidity? Someone told me that nicotine is a natural insect repellant. Is this true? Has anyone here saved the $$$ they expected to save? That's why I'm doing this. What's the best soil to use?

Luckily, there's a big place near my home called Paulino's Gardens, where I can find almost all the accessories I need for this venture of mine. I'll update on this thread as I go along.

OH! First entry: Got seeds three days ago and placed them on top of potting soil in 16-cube icetray container with holes in the bottom. Placed trays in my carnivorous plant terrarium that uses three 15-watt flourescent bulbs on a 18-hour timer. Sprayed and soaked with rainwater. Crossing my fingers.

Last question for the day: How long should it be before something actually grows?

[Muzzle_em]

I'm not a smoker, but I've always thought tobacco plants are beautiful and would look great in my yard!

[Gabz]

Ice cube trays??????????????

[RandallFlagg]

Ice cube trays??????????????

Yep! Stuck 'em in my Venus Flytrap terrarium. It has a timed flourescent rig for 16 hours a day.
I just got back from the garden shop with 16 plastic pots for $0.10 each. I'm gonna have to get some ashes from folks to put in the backyard soil where they'll end up living.
I'm thinking that the other four didn't sprout because my sprayer didn't water them as well as the other 12. I turned the tray 180 degrees to remedy.

[Gabz]

Next time around use peat pots - there will be no root trauma during transplanting because you plant it pot and all.

We hauled ashes from the woodstove out to the garden all winter long.

[RandallFlagg]

Unfortunately, I have no stove.

I finally got that book y'all told me about. You folks weren't kidding!

I didn't know that cigarettes were the currency used in Germany after WW2.

I wonder of that would even be allowed if a certain someone were in charge of the rebuilding effort.

[Gabz]

Let's not go there.............

[in the Arena]

If you're afraid of harming the pests you could try one of these items:

http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/urines_all.htm

I'd hate to be the guy that has to collect the Mountain Lion pee...

[Gabz]

I'd hate to be the guy that has to collect the Mountain Lion pee...

ROFLMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree!

[Calpernia]

bump for catch up later.

[CORedneck]

Happened to a friend of mine in Kentucky. He handled it without gloves. Got sick as a dog !

When you transplant it and it grows, DO NOT WORK IN SHORTS OR SHORT SLEVES! Wear gloves too.

Never walk through a field of tobacco in shorts, very unpleasant. The nicotine is secreted by the plant to ward off critters that might eat it, works on unsuspecting humans too.

[Luke]

Dark Virginia

Sounds like Burley to me. American cigarettes are a blend. Burley all by itself will smoke extremely harsh - worse than a Class B Picayune cigarette. You will not like it.

Best to simply give it all up. Save the money you would have spent on smokes ...and within a few years ...pay cash for something real nice (if prices keep going up maybe a ...Lexus).

[RandallFlagg]

Sounds like Burley to me. American cigarettes are a blend. Burley all by itself will smoke extremely harsh - worse than a Class B Picayune cigarette.

MMMMmmmm!!! I like harsh! And the nice thing about harsh is that few people ask for one of my smokes.

[RandallFlagg]

Day 16 ping!

They're doing better than I expected. I'll transplant them outdoors Thursday.

[Gabz]

Good job, FRiend!

[RandallFlagg]

Updated: 7/13/05
I finally pulled them out of the terrarium and placed them in their area in the back yard. I churned up a large area and made it really inviting for the new arrivals. Fresh fertilizer, moist Earth, fingers still crossed.
The area. About 4' X 15'

Where the six (out of 16) survivors will be.

A close up of the biggest.

Thanks to Gabz for suggesting the peat pots. Them things are pretty cheap.
I have 16 more seeds in the tray again.

[RandallFlagg]

Ping to #295 for an update.

[Sloth]

I save even more money by not smoking at all.

[RandallFlagg]

Yeah. It's more of an experiment than anything. One of those, "I just wanna see if I can do it," types of things. If it succeeds, I'll be amazed. About the only thing I've ever been any good at growing is a Venus Flytrap -Mine's almost three years old.

[Sloth]

Try an aloe vera plant. They're almost impossible to kill, plus they're good to keep around for treating burns.

[RandallFlagg]

Naaaa. Can't smoke 'em.
;-)