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?

[CJ Wolf]

I started growing my own two years ago. First year I lost it all. Couldn't get the little guys going. Second year was great and harvested last fall. A small patch and I let some seed. On new years eve after air drying in my new big shed/barn I took some leaves down and rolled a couple cigars. Best darn things I ever tasted. My wife even smoked one and said she would stop making fun of me. My neigbors all had a nice cigar that night. My brother loved them and he is a real cigar affectionado. I still have some left from then. Good luck and tend to them. I did have a problem last year with those pesky tobbaco worms(they eat everything on them).

I didn't want to use pesticides so I picked them off ever day. I read some where that turkeys can pick them off, so I got some turkeys this year as pest removers and thanksgiving will be good this year as well.

Here is a good article on the whole process.

[Calpernia]

I didn't ping you about growing tobacco :)

The freeper I pinged you to was asking about Alaska :)

[Calpernia]

I found rhubarb! :)

[Calpernia]

>>>Cheepers FReepers

Sounds like the making of a new Daily Thread :)

[Calpernia]

Guinea Fowl are great pest removers too.

[chudogg]

Do you have any old rusted out exhaust pipes, you could just scrape off the old carbon into flakes and roll that up and smoke em. It will probably taste better than a rollie.

[Gabz]

All of your activities in the garden could be used for some other occupation that earns more dollars per hour. Your barn could be used to rent out to others. Just because you don't write checks doesn't mean the costs are not there.

Dear Lord, you are absolutely dense, aren't you????????

Did you even bother to read what I wrote??????? I am a FULL TIME STAY AT HOME MOM.......that earns me NOTHING monetarily. Are you suggesting that I should be out in the workforce earning money and paying someone else to take care of my child instead of being home saving money and teaching my daughter valuable skills?

You are an absolute lunatic if you think that I should be doing something else to earn money. But you're a money man and have absolutely no understanding of the intangibles that are worth far more to some people than the almighty dollar.

Rent out my barn? You need to get a clue. Not write checks? I write plenty - I know exactly what my costs are for everything I do. I may not have the letters "CPA" after my name, but my accountant asked me why I bothered having her do my taxes this year because I already had everything organized properly - to me it was worth paying her to do the 2 states and fed and file them for me. Just like like it is worth more to me to have my child home with me and work in my garden than it is to have a paying job and have her in daycare.

[Gabz]

I admit, when it comes to machine sewing, I'm pretty much self taught because I wasn't interested in it when I was 13/14 - I learned enough to make myself a couple of gored skirts and scoopnecked shirts - and then I never touched a sewing machine until I was pregnant (she will be 7 next week and I'm 44) Pillows, blankets, curtains are about the extent of my repetoire :)

Cheepers FReepers!

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually just responded to someone on this thread who claims my garden activities could be used for another occupation paying more money.

I will reuse the freezer bags if they didn't contain raw meat, poultry or fish...or didn't get stained with tomato products.

[Gabz]

I was just acknowledging the FRiend that sent them to me!!!!!

[Gabz]

Good for you...........just please don't become one of the anti-smoker crowd.......PLEASE

[Gabz]

WOW - you are a resourceful gentleman, aren't you???!!!!!!!!

[Hank Rearden]

The mere fact that we try to remember whether or not the fed has outlawed growing a plant shows just how far we've moved from what America is supposed to be.

Ping for a great comment!

Nobody I know cares what Big Stupid Government "thinks" about plant use. As if people who could only get government jobs could actually think . . . . . .

See my tagline.

[VeniVidiVici]

Good for you...........just please don't become one of the anti-smoker crowd.......PLEASE

Oh, don't worry. I never could understand why ex-smokers are bigger anti-smoking Nazis than people who have never smoked.

[Hank Rearden]

I roll out a beautiful carton for a little under $8 dollars. Premiums in my state are now up to $45-$50 a carton. Can you imagine the money I have saved over the past 4 years since I now roll my own? It's mind boggling.

Hmmm, running the math here. My next cigarette will be my first, so if I start smoking - will I actually start making money?

[Gabz]

I found rhubarb! :)

Good for you!!!!!!!

I found a lot of weeds, Mickey D's for my daughter and a game of trivia with friends with a beer for me :) The Garden center has to wait until Friday for me. And after paying a bunch of bills in between all of that - I'm really not in the mood for more weeds........but they are out there....*SIGH*

[SheLion]

Hmmm, running the math here. My next cigarette will be my first, so if I start smoking - will I actually start making money?

You lost me.

If you don't spend it, then it's still your money. Right?

[Gabz]

>>>Cheepers FReepers

Sounds like the making of a new Daily Thread :)

---

Thank you both - you just gave me the theme for Friday's Freeper Family Table thread!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gabz]

Do you have any old rusted out exhaust pipes, you could just scrape off the old carbon into flakes and roll that up and smoke em. It will probably taste better than a rollie.

HUH????????????????

[Gabz]

Thank you my FRiend.

I have always been supportive of folks I know who have chosen to stop smoking...........several of them have gone the control freak route expecting everyone else to do the same - to a one I have told them I regret the concessions I made for them during their time of "duress".........the funny thing I have found is with the folks I know who have stopped smoking - it's the ones that always complained in the beginning are the ones that become the antis. Folks that just said "no more" never go the nanny route.

[chudogg]

HUH????????????????

Think about it.