They are looking great. I had an aphid outbreak last week and had to wash every leaf with soapy water several times but the aphids seem to be gone now. Now I am waiting for the horned ones to arrive. I hate catapillars
2014 Tobacco Garden
- Thread starter USHOG
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Awesome garden! We mounded out rows this year for veggies, way easier to water that way!
Yes I use huge rows that run water from one end to the other. This makes watering very easy. I also made 3 dams on each row to catch the rain water. Just had 3 inches of rain the other night so I am good on watering for a few weeks. I am about to start my tobacco seeds for the second palnting. I will take pictures and show how I get the tobacco seeds started.
I have veggies between the tobacco plants. Row 1 has carrots, row 2 & 3 have onions, tomatoes on the side along side the beans, pumkins, watermelons, 4 types of peppers, and strawberries. I have a huge patch of dew berries that I am about to pick to make jelly and wine. I can not wait until the grapes are ready in a month or so we have had enough rain to have a great grape harvest this year.
I have veggies between the tobacco plants. Row 1 has carrots, row 2 & 3 have onions, tomatoes on the side along side the beans, pumkins, watermelons, 4 types of peppers, and strawberries. I have a huge patch of dew berries that I am about to pick to make jelly and wine. I can not wait until the grapes are ready in a month or so we have had enough rain to have a great grape harvest this year.
The catapillars are a pain… I found the best solution was to just check the plants each morning, pluck and squash… how do you deal with them USHOG?
I have done this home tobacco garden in the past, it is lot of fun and pretty easy compare to a lot of the other stuff. Only issue is like all gardening it needs constant attention and sadly my travel schedule doesn't allow me to do it successfully anymore.
Looks great, good furrows only suggestion I would make based on the pics is you should increase your spacing a bit in between the plants within each furrow. The other thing I would suggest is to keep in mind is it is better to underwater than overwater, you want the plants stressed a bit to improve their root structure - how are you watering them?
Kudos!
STS
I have done this home tobacco garden in the past, it is lot of fun and pretty easy compare to a lot of the other stuff. Only issue is like all gardening it needs constant attention and sadly my travel schedule doesn't allow me to do it successfully anymore.
Looks great, good furrows only suggestion I would make based on the pics is you should increase your spacing a bit in between the plants within each furrow. The other thing I would suggest is to keep in mind is it is better to underwater than overwater, you want the plants stressed a bit to improve their root structure - how are you watering them?
Kudos!
STS
I just look, pick, and sqish the catapillars. They normally do not get here until it is hot around june or July. As for watering, I water them after they wilt. I also dug out a 6 inch by 18 inch deep hole for each of the tobacco plants and filled it will a moister holding dirt mix so that I do not need to water as much. It just rained and that should last me a few weeks. The spacing is 24 inches apart which has worked great in the past. I am planning on doubling the garden size and when I am done expanding I might go to 36 inches apart.
No differances in taste of the vegies but an onion flavored tobacco might be interesting. I have had bannana peppers that where hot because I placed them to close to the Jalapinos.
No differances in taste of the vegies but an onion flavored tobacco might be interesting. I have had bannana peppers that where hot because I placed them to close to the Jalapinos.
On the spacing, I meant between the plants, and if it is 24", that is workable… the typical recommendation is 24" between the plants and about 42"-48" between the rows. Personally I like to space the plants at 30".
And what is soil pH at?
Sorry to pepper you with questions, but I am kind of geek when it comes to this stuff. :>
Thanks,
STS
And what is soil pH at?
Sorry to pepper you with questions, but I am kind of geek when it comes to this stuff. :>
Thanks,
STS
I love talking to people that know what the are talking about. That is why I am here at BOTL. Keep them coming
Yes 24 inches between the plants and 5 feet between the rows center to center. I might go to 36 when I get time to expand the garden or at least make a test row on the next grow and see what differances it makes.
I use 5.5 when I am wateing with the fertilizers as they seem to enjoy the lower PH. I really do not know how to test the soil PH other than run off water. Which is what I test. Is there a better way?
Yes 24 inches between the plants and 5 feet between the rows center to center. I might go to 36 when I get time to expand the garden or at least make a test row on the next grow and see what differances it makes.
I use 5.5 when I am wateing with the fertilizers as they seem to enjoy the lower PH. I really do not know how to test the soil PH other than run off water. Which is what I test. Is there a better way?
Other than a lab, run off testing is regarded as the norm.
I do the same, but in a more controlled way… This is how -I- test soil ph:
#1) Invest in a good meter. Many readily available ones are quite inaccurate, one of the best imo that is reasonably priced is those made by Hanna.
#2) I take multiple soil samples from around the field/garden - for a home garden I would do 4.
#3) I take the samples from four to six inches beneath the soil. About a cup each...
#4) I then take the various soil samples and mix all of them together in a ziploc and blend well.
#5) Then I take a combine soil sample from the ziploc and in a separate container I add neutral 7.0 ph distilled water in a ratio of 1 part soil to 5 parts water… typically 1 cup soil to 5 cups water.
#6) Allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
#7) Then take my ph reading from this slurry utilizing my Hanna meter.
Using this methodology I typically ended up with results within +/- 0.15ph from the lab test results of the same combined soil sample. So often so, I don't even bother with lab tests.
Although there is ALWAYS debate on this topic, I believe the ideal soil pH for most black tobacco varieties is 5.8ph. Once you go over 6.5ph you really start to see poor growth and growth disorders.
Good luck with garden!
BR,
STS
I do the same, but in a more controlled way… This is how -I- test soil ph:
#1) Invest in a good meter. Many readily available ones are quite inaccurate, one of the best imo that is reasonably priced is those made by Hanna.
#2) I take multiple soil samples from around the field/garden - for a home garden I would do 4.
#3) I take the samples from four to six inches beneath the soil. About a cup each...
#4) I then take the various soil samples and mix all of them together in a ziploc and blend well.
#5) Then I take a combine soil sample from the ziploc and in a separate container I add neutral 7.0 ph distilled water in a ratio of 1 part soil to 5 parts water… typically 1 cup soil to 5 cups water.
#6) Allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
#7) Then take my ph reading from this slurry utilizing my Hanna meter.
Using this methodology I typically ended up with results within +/- 0.15ph from the lab test results of the same combined soil sample. So often so, I don't even bother with lab tests.
Although there is ALWAYS debate on this topic, I believe the ideal soil pH for most black tobacco varieties is 5.8ph. Once you go over 6.5ph you really start to see poor growth and growth disorders.
Good luck with garden!
BR,
STS
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I use compost, along with blood meal, bone meal, Lots of ashes from the fire place, and I mix in a bunch of peat moss when I first made the rows. This about all they get. I use a worm poop tea to folar feed when the plants are younger.
I do have a question. What is the easiest way to drop the PH in the soil?
I do have a question. What is the easiest way to drop the PH in the soil?
USHOG… you are deifinitely an experienced gardener as much of what you doing is right on and as you know lowering soil pH is a much tougher task than raising it…
There are basically 2 approaches: Biological and Non-Biological.
Biologicals can be done 100% organic, but require a lot of material and are temperature sensitive. This is why it is not uncommon in Central America for entire crops of legumes to be planted and tilled under annually and grazing cattle to be moved into a field every few years. Luckily the temp issue isn't a concern in these tropical climates. As for trying to achieve the same at the home garden level in the US, you would want to make certain you have a nice sandy substrate soil below 12" and you can utilize composted pine needles or imo, peat moss is better. You are going to need ALOT of it and this approach will take time and will work better in the South due to the overall higher temps, which keep the biologicals cooking. You could also opt for elemental sulphur (s) and while some suggest ammonia based nitrogens, I do not, as this approach will require you to use way too much to achieve the desired ph at the detriment of other levels.
In the Non-Biological category you have aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate. These are not temperature sensitive, faster acting and will help to move the soil pH much lower, but need to be applied sparingly and over time as they can drop pH significantly if over applied.
So if you need to drop the pH by 1 point or more, I would recommend utilizing aluminum sulfate and then trying to maintain with organics. If up north, then you might be forced to always incorporate some aluminum or iron sulfate.
Hope this helps,
STS
ps: Smoqman: The simple answer to your question is there are plenty of organic approaches to Tobacco home gardening and to make it simple, typically what is good for tomatoes is good for tobacco, this simple rule of thumb alone can allow you to grow a nice home plot of sweet leaf.
pps: You know what is weird about this conversation is my wife is a Master Gardener in the State of New Hampshire and gives lectures all across the state on various gardening related topics, but I am not a gardener, my experience is from commercial tobacco cropping and my interactions with tobacco farmers. So we rarely talk about anything like this, I think she would be stunned to read my comments in this thread… lol
There are basically 2 approaches: Biological and Non-Biological.
Biologicals can be done 100% organic, but require a lot of material and are temperature sensitive. This is why it is not uncommon in Central America for entire crops of legumes to be planted and tilled under annually and grazing cattle to be moved into a field every few years. Luckily the temp issue isn't a concern in these tropical climates. As for trying to achieve the same at the home garden level in the US, you would want to make certain you have a nice sandy substrate soil below 12" and you can utilize composted pine needles or imo, peat moss is better. You are going to need ALOT of it and this approach will take time and will work better in the South due to the overall higher temps, which keep the biologicals cooking. You could also opt for elemental sulphur (s) and while some suggest ammonia based nitrogens, I do not, as this approach will require you to use way too much to achieve the desired ph at the detriment of other levels.
In the Non-Biological category you have aluminum sulfate and iron sulfate. These are not temperature sensitive, faster acting and will help to move the soil pH much lower, but need to be applied sparingly and over time as they can drop pH significantly if over applied.
So if you need to drop the pH by 1 point or more, I would recommend utilizing aluminum sulfate and then trying to maintain with organics. If up north, then you might be forced to always incorporate some aluminum or iron sulfate.
Hope this helps,
STS
ps: Smoqman: The simple answer to your question is there are plenty of organic approaches to Tobacco home gardening and to make it simple, typically what is good for tomatoes is good for tobacco, this simple rule of thumb alone can allow you to grow a nice home plot of sweet leaf.
pps: You know what is weird about this conversation is my wife is a Master Gardener in the State of New Hampshire and gives lectures all across the state on various gardening related topics, but I am not a gardener, my experience is from commercial tobacco cropping and my interactions with tobacco farmers. So we rarely talk about anything like this, I think she would be stunned to read my comments in this thread… lol
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Great information. I thank you very much,
What about aphids and horned catapillars? Is there an easier way to get rid of them other than picking them off and killing them. I just had to rince off every leaf again with dawn soap and water. This is twice in the last 2 weeks. there is way more leaf this week than last week. It is a big pain to not use poisons on my garden but I am for any informnation on how to help get rid of these creatures safly.
I let my water sit for 48 hours before I use it to fetilize tha plants. I guess I should be doning this for all waterings? I could control PH and chlorine doing it this way. I have 5 plastic 55 gsallon barrels that I plan on using to hold water for the garden. I just need to build a platform to hold the barrels on and use gravity to water the garden from rain water and water that has sit for 48 hours open the the envirnment.
I also use a Hanna Combo PH and EC meter to test the water. I am going to try and do your method of PH testing this afternoon to get a better idea of what it is and go from there.
Thank you again for all of the information
What about aphids and horned catapillars? Is there an easier way to get rid of them other than picking them off and killing them. I just had to rince off every leaf again with dawn soap and water. This is twice in the last 2 weeks. there is way more leaf this week than last week. It is a big pain to not use poisons on my garden but I am for any informnation on how to help get rid of these creatures safly.
I let my water sit for 48 hours before I use it to fetilize tha plants. I guess I should be doning this for all waterings? I could control PH and chlorine doing it this way. I have 5 plastic 55 gsallon barrels that I plan on using to hold water for the garden. I just need to build a platform to hold the barrels on and use gravity to water the garden from rain water and water that has sit for 48 hours open the the envirnment.
I also use a Hanna Combo PH and EC meter to test the water. I am going to try and do your method of PH testing this afternoon to get a better idea of what it is and go from there.
Thank you again for all of the information
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