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Post by nctobfarmer on Feb 18, 2013 15:42:40 GMT -5
I had the day off from my regular job today, so I stopped by the "greenhouse" farm on my wife's family land. The guys were starting the tobacco season. The plants are started in styrofoam trays that float on water basins in the greenhouse. The trays are divided into multiple cells that contain potting soil and a tobacco seed. The tobacco seeds are really tiny, about the size of a turnip seed, so it is really neat to watch the machine pick them up and put them individually into each cell. The video will show you the process if the link works! The plants are started now, and will be transplanted into the fields in late April and early May. They will grow about 160 acres and all the plants will come from this greenhouse. The Greenhouse  The process: youtu.be/YYH7v7TXAOc |
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Post by Quinton DeDecker on Feb 19, 2013 7:23:40 GMT -5
very neat! we will start seeding ours around march 20th up here in canada
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Post by duplin97 on Feb 19, 2013 16:53:59 GMT -5
Are all of the transplants you grow for the farm alone or are you growing some for other tobacco farmers as well?
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Post by nctobfarmer on Feb 19, 2013 21:33:10 GMT -5
I don't think they sell any, only grow for their own farm. The interesting thing though is that they grow three different varieties. The best yielding variety has the least disease resistance, so they hedge their bets by planting half in that variety and half in two other varieties. It is all flue cured, and I'll try to post some pictures of other parts of the process during the spring and summer. I always enjoy seeing the photos from the huge prairie farms in Canada, so ill try to return the favor by showing some things they don't grow.
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Post by ihred4me on Feb 20, 2013 22:06:25 GMT -5
We seeded ours today. I might have some pics from last year. I didn't get any this year as we were too busy.
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Post by nctobfarmer on Feb 22, 2013 22:20:51 GMT -5
Ihred4me, this farm is close to you. It's in Wilson NC.
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Post by ihred4me on Feb 23, 2013 21:43:27 GMT -5
Yeah I'm in Johnston County. Different Strickland Crossroads. Got some buddies up there though.
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Post by duplin97 on Feb 23, 2013 22:05:56 GMT -5
Yeah I'm in Johnston County. Different Strickland Crossroads. Got some buddies up there though. Are you in the Benson area? |
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Post by nctobfarmer on Apr 8, 2013 19:24:48 GMT -5
Here is how the seedlings are coming along. They will be transplanted in two to three weeks. I'll try to get some photos of that process. There are enough plants here for 160 acres of planting. If you notice that the leaves look cut, good eyes. The plants are mown several times. The mower is suspended from a hoist in the greenhouse. They're more interested in getting the roots going right now, instead of the leafy part of the plant.   |
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Post by ihred4me on Apr 8, 2013 20:06:48 GMT -5
Yeah Duplin I am just east of Benson about 15 minutes. Our plants look about like these. We are probably going to start the 22nd.
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Post by duplin97 on Apr 8, 2013 20:23:16 GMT -5
All the guys in my area got around to bedding the last of their tobacco ground on Saturday. The last I heard some are aiming to starting planting around the 15th.  |
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