Posted on 06/21/2005 8:25:15 AM PDT by 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?
PS: We're in Floriduh. ;-)
Until you start growing some Pinar del Rio gold, with some Cameroon for the wrapper, I aint buying.
Oh, lovely :)
I'm aware that it is a labor intensive crop and needs to be started/planted as early as possible - unfortunately I encountered a "problem" that basically cost me 2 months of doing anything but dealing with that. My garden has seriously suffered. I don't even have corn in yet - that's going in tomorrow, along with more chile pepper seeds.
No problem. You gave me the machine to look for. My wife is already on the case...:-)
GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm off to sleep - I've got a garden to contend with before the temp climb into the 90s!!!
It's been a pleasure, hope to FReep with you soon.
In Virginia you still have time to plant corn and have a late crop. Same for the peppers. Probably best to plant pepper slips and give them a head-start. You can plant field or blackeye peas for a fall crop.
Happy gardening. God bless.
I'm not a smoker but, as an avid gardener, I'm fascinated by the Alaskan gardener's setup!
>> Can you recommend a decent machine I could possibly pick up down at the tobacco shop?
Shelion posted stuffyourown.com. I ordered from there and am happy to date.
>>I will say it one more time - growing my own crops SAVE me money. Adding another crop to what I am already growing is not going to cost me a danged thing.
Bump
Bump!
Bumping back at 'cha.
Lol. Roll your own cigarrettes taste like carbon scraped out of an exhaust pipe. Might as well do that.
Funny. I've only met one person who didn't care for one of my cigs when offered. Everyone else -and there's quite a few- either asks for information of how to roll their own, or asks me to order them a machine, tubes and tobacco for them because they aren't on the internet. I've got a lady here at work who's had me order her twelve (not all at once) Excel stuffing machines for her and her family.
She's partial to Zig-Zag light tobacco.
LOL!
Quite welcome!
(Although it really should be Cheapers FReepers....*stupid* spell-checker! :)
Your time is worth money. You may think it isn't but its not true. For example, I have stay at home mom's who earn 20K per year.
Your post on pests made me remember a product called Diatomaceous Earth. It's made of oceanic diatoms and kills every insect in comes in contact with. The ONLY thing I've seen that can kill a full grown Texas grasshopper.
Anyway, this stuff is great because it doesn't affect birds, pets or other warm blooded creatures. (It's even a common ingredient in commercial baked goods...they use it to kill any weevils and such in the flour.)
The only thing I don't like about it is that is leaves a fugly white residue on the plant.
Bumping this again since we have anti self reliant troll on this thread.
I had to look that one up.
What is Diatomaceous Earth?
It is a non-toxic, safe substance made up from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. Crushed to a fine powder and observed through a microscope, the particles resemble bits of broken glass. Deadly to any insect and completely harmless to animals, fish, fowl or food. Most insects have a waxy outer shell covering their bodies, INSECT STOP scratches through this shell causing the insect to dehydrate leading to eventual death.
(snip)
I hear ya.
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