The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 86

Day 86. I'm ready for my close-up.

Greetings Friends,

Another week has gone by and the progress continues. These plants have more than doubled in size and they seem eager to be transplanted to the open backyard. And thus, our little project, the Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, continues its straight course. The plants average a height of about 5 inches and they are a healthy green color with thick leaves. In terms of maintenance, not much has changed . I check the plants at least twice a day (once in the morning and one more time in the afternoon or early evening), make sure the soil is hydrated, and see that pests are not present.

There have been no problems except that the area has not seen showers so I am forced to water the plants everyday. I have also taken the tarp off the last 2 days to see how the plants respond to direct sunlight. I saw some slight wilting this afternoon but nothing major. I am doing this to prepare the plants when I transplant them and leave them out in the open backyard. At this point, you will definitely see an exponential increase in growth (as the roots are not constricted to any closed-off area). You can see that the roots right now are dense and even showing themselves at the surface.

I had originally planned to transplant them by this point but maybe I will wait until this weekend as this will leave the plants with enough time to acclimate to life without the shade-tarp. Before then, I will add a post about how the area of the backyard is to be prepared for your tabaco garden. So until the next post regarding the GABTE, check out the photos taken on Day 86.

Day 86. The All-Stars.

Day 86. The guys in the middle are standing straight.

Day 86. The MVP (in the back) is getting some competition.

Day 86.

Saludos,

Luis

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Greetings Friends,



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Saludos,

Luis

Devil's Weed O.S. T-Shirt

"Original Style" Tee on a Smoke-Grey background (Click to enlarge)

Greetings Friends,

I wanted to quickly notify all that we are offering a new Devil's Weed T-shirt which is called the "Original Style" (or O.S. for those abbreviation-savants). Like our first shirt (the "Crown-Style" Tee) the Original Style is a comfortable 100% pre-shrunk cotton shirt that will announce to the world of your support of not only Devil's Weed, but of the handmade cigar. The shirt color is a smoke-gray (no pun intended) color and the text is a brighter ash-white (I can go all day). They come in L, XL, 2X and 3X. You can purchase these shirts by clicking the checkout button on the side of this blog or you can email us at blog@molinacigar.com for an order.

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Saludos,
Luis

The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 73

Day 72. The results of 1 day without water. Beware!

Greetings Friends,

Here is the latest update of our Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment which features the events from Day 72 and Day 73. Enjoy!

Day 72:

The past few days have been great for the growth of the plants and it finally rained one day (although we have been watering everyday except on this day). So here is some evidence of what happens when these plants in very hot weather go without water for one day: they can wilt dramatically to protect themselves from the heat. Again, tabaco is a water hog and loves the stuff so make sure they're hydrated especially at this stage. Don't worry though; I watered them late in the afternoon and expect the plants to straighten right back into shape by tomorrow. Any further delay without water however would certainly have caused severe damage; so remember to always keep the soil in these containers moist.

Day 72. Wow! The MVP has let his leaves down to escape the heat.

Day 72. Remember to love your tabaco plants. Water them!

Day 72. The remains of the fallen. RIP, sprout.

Day 72. Now we wait to see the rise of the thirsty...

Day 73:

And so to no surprise, the plants are alive and doing well. Look at the growth of them all. I anticipate that another 8 - 15 days will suffice for the final transplanting out to the open field. The goal is for each plant to be at least 6 inches tall so that they will be strong enough to develop fully out in the open heat. The MVP which showed the most dramatic effects after receiving water is standing straight today and looks taller than before (he's about 4 inches tall right now), but the other plants are also doing well and have seen dramatic growth. Even the guy who had some caterpillar damage has new leaves and offshoots. The GABTE is going well right now and the forecast calls for a good transplanting. Until next time, get out there and grow your own!

Day 73. The All-Stars jump back!

Day 73. In the left corner...

Day 73. In the middle ring...

Day 73. In the right corner...

Day 73. The MVP is up and running again.

Day 73. Grow and prosper.

Saludos,
Luis

The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 68

Day 68. An example of the great growth thus far.

Greetings Friends,

The transfer has been a success for the most part. Any time you transplant/transfer plants, the shock is a stressor and can kill a plant (especially if the plants are very young). This post features pictures and notes from Day 64 and Day 68. Enjoy the update!

Day 64:

This past week saw record-breaking high temperatures in the Greater New Orleans area so it was imperative to keep a close watch on the tabaco plants. Even though tabaco thrives in hot and tropical climates, these plants are still young and the heat should be minimized.

The tarp definitely helped out, but it was important to make sure the plants had water at all times. On Day 62, the plants did not receive water and it showed. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures but little guys were wilting and not as green. However, everyday after, I made sure that the plants had plenty of the H2O and by Day 64, the plants were growing fast and getting greener. The only plant that caused some concern was the guy on the lower-right hand corner and I knew he was struggling and might not make it. Check out the photos.

Day 64. Looking good even in the 100+ degree weather.

Day 64. Notice even that the MVP shows signs of wilting in the extreme heat.

Day 64. Grow baby grow.

Day 64. This guy is growing even with some of the prior caterpillar damage.

Day 68:

Wow! Constant watering and vigilance pays off. Even though we are not talking about a lot of water (about a 16 oz bottled water's worth per day spread among the three trays), if the plants are well-hydrated, nature will take care of the rest. It is amazing to see how rapidly they are growing; new shoots and leaves are appearing and they are growing fast! The MVP is about 4 inches tall now and the green is very deep right now. Unfortunately, there is one plant that did not make it. I deduce that the combination of transferal, the heat and how small it was caused the plant to wither and die. But all is well otherwise. The remaining 11 plants should suffice and result in a good crop regardless. Also, there have been no signs of any caterpillars or other pests so the plants have been able to thrive.

Check out the blog next week for an update as we continue the Great American Tabaco Experiment.

Day 68. What progress...

Day 68. A nice specimen.

Day 68. Notice the little leaf in the center that is appearing.

Day 68. The MVP.

Day 68. Even with the heat, the leaves do not wilt as much during the day.

Day 68. This guy did not make it.

Saludos,
Luis