Do Mounded Tobacco Stalks Form Roots?

[deluxestogie]

Some people also mound up some dirt around the stem to hold it up better, the stem that is buried will become part of the root structure.

I'm not sure about that. What I mean is not that I disagree, but rather that I'm really not sure if that regularly (or ever) happens.

In some instances, when I've mounded dirt up a few inches on the stem of a field-growing plant, I later saw some roots that developed in that mound. But more often, at the end of the season, when I pull up a mounded stalk, there is no indication of rooting within the mound.

In 2012, I had several Smyrna #9 plants last year that insisted on flopping on their sides, then curving upward. Where the stalks rested constantly on the moist dirt, no roots were formed.

I don't know if this is related to variety, soil conditions (i.e. moisture in the mound) or the phase of the growing season at which the mound was formed. Perhaps it's related to whether or not a node is buried below the mound surface.

I would love to see comments and results of experiences with tobacco stalk rooting. Tomatoes (a tobacco cousin) easily root from any stem that is regularly kept damp. My own guess (only a guess) is that mounding aids in stabilizing a stalk, but seldom leads to additional rooting.

Bob

EDIT: If you see rooting from a mounded stalk, take some pictures.

 

[Michibacy]

Bob, good point that I forgot to mention, from my experience (in all plants) a node should be buried for that part of the stem to shoot out roots. I misspoke, I meant that the stem below the ground after mounding becomes part of the "root structure" but doesn't discharge roots UNLESS there is a node buried.

Good catch.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

i tried to get those suckers to sprout last year w/o luck, i did not use rooting hormone though, so my sucker crop was only successful in starting a new plant because it was still attached to the same root system.

when i think of mounding/burying to increase root structure i think of tomatoes, where anywhere you cover stalk you get roots, tobacco hasnt done that for me.

 

[istanbulin]

Root development of a plant is controlled by hormones of the plant, so may show discrepancy from variety to variety (genetic issues). If a plant produce a root from its stalk when the stalk is buried, these roots behave like leteral roots. The most effective hormone for leteral root development is auxin. Root development encourages the plant growth and strength. Because of this it's always advised here to plant tobacco seedling a little bit deeper. If a commercial plant (tomato etc.) (most of them unavailable nowadays because better varieties were developed) have lazy root systems due to lack of that hormone so farmers used to apply some hormones. Also these hormones are in use for rooting plant before planting (e.g. vine etc.)

 

[istanbulin]

I'm adding some photos here to show the effect of auxin on root systems. As for every hormone there's a limit for a healthy plant. Photos are showing a part of experiment about over dose auxin.

(A) A regular seedling without any mutation (control).
(B) An auxin overproducing mutant seedling (same with A but a mutant). Showing classical auxin responses, including epinastic (curled down) leaves, elongated hypocotyl (seedling stalk), and lateral root proliferation.
(C) After several weeks, the roots of plant B. The root proliferation of B becomes more dramatic, and adventitious roots emerge from the hypocotyl.

 

[BigBonner]

I have never seen a tobacco plant grow roots above the root line . It does not happen .

How ever if a plant falls over and the stalk is not damaged very bad , suckers will grow from the stalk and they will look just like tobacco plants . There will be no roots up the original stalk . They will only be at the bottom and only on the original root ball .

I have stalks go down almost every year . Sometimes in bunches . The wind will gust harder in places that take tobacco down . I cut the stalks off at the bottom and there will be no roots on the stalk .

 

[Fisherman]

So should we plant seedlings deep or not? My last in the flats have gotten a lil leggy is reason I am asking.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

i dont fisherman, when they start off they are so weak, eventually they just send down stronger roots.

 

[DonH]

So should we plant seedlings deep or not? My last in the flats have gotten a lil leggy is reason I am asking.

I did it both ways last year and I couldn't tell the difference.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

The first two years growing I was always afraid of how weak the root structure of the baby plants seemed but they always strengthened up after going outside.