RbwGeorge's Blog 2023: Growing "Rustica/Machorka" and a Cigarette Blend
Old Gasman
Well-Known Member
Just my opinion of course but if you get a bright day I'd be inclined to stand them outside as long as the wind doesn't dash them, it'll stop them getting to "leggy"
Hey, thank you for the Advice. I have to be very careful because we still get temperatures close to freezing
.
If its warm enough ill put them outside for the day.
George
Those daytime temps look good. Bring them in as the afternoon temp drops. Light breezes will help to strengthen the stalks because the plants will try to resist the movement. An alternative to that would be a small fan moving across them then rotate the trays. Mottled clouds, sun to shade is good at that stage. They can burn up fast in intense sun until they have hardened off and are slowly introduced to full sun. Monitor them closely and slowly introduce them to sun a little bit more each day.
Also, start letting them get dry between waterings. That forces the roots to search for moisture and makes for better, stronger roots that can support bigger stalks and leaves.
I had them outside for a few hours, now its getting dark.
Ill put them back.
What is a good frequency of watering?
I did it every 2 days so far.
Today i worked on my first Papirossa style cigarette tube.
Its basically a paper straw i still had flying around and a cigarette paper.
I will get 8mm plain paper straws and thinner paper, to get closer to the original.
Ill put them back.
What is a good frequency of watering?
I did it every 2 days so far.
Today i worked on my first Papirossa style cigarette tube.
Its basically a paper straw i still had flying around and a cigarette paper.
I will get 8mm plain paper straws and thinner paper, to get closer to the original.
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I had to google that one.
Belomorkanal - Wikipedia
I found a few sources for commercial but they seem excessively expensive. I can certainly understand why you want to make your own. Keep us posted.
I wait until the soil is dry. The soil looks dry, there is shrinking of the soil and it has pulled away from the walls of the cells. I lift the section of cells and it feels airy light, not heavy with moisture. Bob uses a wooden stick that demonstrates how dry or wet visually because the stick looks dry. (wooden popsickle stick) I haven't tried that yet but I like the idea. I look for subtle signs. Later, a couple of weeks before planting time, I start letting the leaves wilt down from lack of water before I satisfy their thirst. It is part of the process of prepping them to turn over their care to Mother Nature. I neglect them a little, I stress them a little, I make them cry for Mama, I make them tough and angry. The most common mistake growing tobacco is overwatering. They do not like"wet feet". I have in the past, watered again when the soil was less moist rather than dry. At transplant time, all the roots were in the upper half of the soil in the container cells. They always found moisture and didn't have to seek for it. If you allow the soil to dry, the plant tries to save itself by sending roots deeper and spreading out in the search for moisture. Better, stronger roots below supports better, bigger, healthier leaves up top.
I have been following your advice and stopped watering them very regularly.
My biggest concern right now is the way my rustica has grown.
Moving the tray outside every day for a few hours has helped my tabacum plants to grow much more straight,
but my rustica is wobbling around a lot.
You have suggested to stabilize them with soil as soon as i transplant them outside, im wondering if it would make sense to help them a little before that.
(I have also used a vegetable fertilizer and vegtable/crop protection product because, i have noticed some small flies emerging from the soil. I think it was contaminated when it was produced)
Peace
George
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A fan moving air across the plants can force the plant to stiffen the stalk to resist that movement. Move the location of the fan around or spin the plant tray around so the air moves from different directions.
Cutting 1/2 of each leaf off (don't cut the growth tip) can trigger a defense mechanism within the plant to strengthen the stalk and release more nicotine.
It appears all the plants are leaning towards the window. Turn the tray 180 degrees and rotate occasionally.
You could prop them up with sticks. When you plant in the ground, remove a couple of the lower leaves and bury the stalk up to the next true leaf.
The plants are looking good.
Cutting 1/2 of each leaf off (don't cut the growth tip) can trigger a defense mechanism within the plant to strengthen the stalk and release more nicotine.
It appears all the plants are leaning towards the window. Turn the tray 180 degrees and rotate occasionally.
You could prop them up with sticks. When you plant in the ground, remove a couple of the lower leaves and bury the stalk up to the next true leaf.
The plants are looking good.
The small flies are probably just fungus gnats- every potting soil I’ve used in Germany has them- they don’t harm the plants unless they get really bad (swarms), then they can attack the roots. Water from the bottom, and the top layer where they grow will dry out, and they will go away.
I'm not sure what you're asking.
Do you plan on growing the plants permanently in pots or in the ground?
I'm growing outside in 3 gal. grow bags.
I keep mine in the 1020 cells until time for their permanent home. Some guys transplant into larger pots and then transplant into their permanent home. They all end up about the same size at harvest time.
I grew Prilep in one gallon pots last year, and while they got up to nice size, they were very prone to tip over in the wind and required a lot of watering. I would recommend at least three gallons or more. Here are a few grow blogs in pots/grow bags. @wruk53 is using cypress mulch as a grow medium, which is quite a bit less expensive than potting soil.
Wruk53 2023 grow log
I started 72 cells of tobacco seeds this morning for a spring crop, 36 cells of One Sucker and 36 cells of Thompson. These are both new to me. The One Sucker is a dark variety, the Thompson is a Maryland type. I hope to be able to plant them out by mid-February. I'll probably start some...
Wruk53 2022 grow log
I sowed seed in 65 small cups today. 25 Trabzon2, 20 Small Stalk Black Mammoth and 20 Little Dutch. I plan on planting these out early to mid Feb. I'm sticking with the T2 for now, because I like the growth habit. It has a thicker stalk and closer spaced leaves than the Shirazi and doesn't...
Knucklehead's 2022 Prilep and Veggie Container Grow Blog
Projected last frost date April 22. My projected seedling start date was supposed to be Feb. 22 but I'm running a little late. I can't lift more than five lbs. with my right arm for a couple weeks due to heart cath and two stints so I'm kicking back trying to learn how to play slide guitar. I...
Knucklehead's 2023 Grow Blog
I plan to start seed 1 Feb for a planting date of 1st week of April. I will have 48 cells of Reams 158 flue cure variety. Four will be backups. My seedling mix is several years old and dry so I went down earlier and dumped a gallon of water in the bag to help premoisten the soil. I struggled...
The biggest problem with pots or bags is water passing right through and drying out. A water reservoir helps for hot, dry weather so you don't have to water so frequently or waste alot of water.
Hi everybody,
ive decided against pots, because buying them would be more expenisve than getting new grass for the lawn.
Today i started removing the grass on a small partition of our garden.
I hope i can finish it tomorrow.
Cheers
George
ive decided against pots, because buying them would be more expenisve than getting new grass for the lawn.
Today i started removing the grass on a small partition of our garden.
I hope i can finish it tomorrow.
Cheers
George
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