Stop babying your plants

[FmGrowit]

This is something we've discussed before, but today a friend with more than 40 years in the tobacco industry explained it pretty good.

Nicotine is created in the roots and migrates up into the leaves. If you have a small root ball, you get low nicotine. If you starve a plant for water, it develops a large root mass searching for water.

I'm betting aquaponics will yield a very low nicotine content.

 

[DrBob]

big bonner's seedlings have great roots. they are grown in float trays. go figure

 

[Randy]

I figured most of you OLD guys wnt get Fm post looks like I was rite

 

[marksctm]

I think Fm is talking about plants grown to maturity with aquaponics will yield very low nicotine content.
I don't think starting them in float trays, then transplanted in soil would yield a low nicotine plant.
But I've been wrong before, I think!

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Yeah he's referring to growing not starting plants. Based on my first year growing when it rained every week I'm sure he's right, but would still like to see the results of aquaponics.

 

[Aaron]

maybe that would make it possible to grow some normally high nicotine rustica into a low nic version

 

[marksctm]

maybe that would make it possible to grow some normally high nicotine rustica into a low nic version

To me, and JMO, that would be like making non alcoholic beer, the reason I'm growing rustic is for it's nicotine.
That's just me though.

 

[Brown Thumb]

maybe that would make it possible to grow some normally high nicotine rustica into a low nic version

mabey it wont smell as bad either?

 

[Seanz]

Low nic tobacco?? Isnt that like going to a whorehouse for a chat and bikkies

 

[Aaron]

Low nic tobacco?? Isnt that like going to a whorehouse for a chat and bikkies

Might be more like taking a Viagra so you can enjoy more per session. Maybe.

 

[FmGrowit]

Another form of "babying" might be drip irrigation. Drip irrigation could be useful in cases of extreme drought, but if it is used as intended, I think this would also be counter productive...if you want a nicotine content for typical of a specific variety.

 

[Boboro]

At what they charge me for water Its onley when I have to.

 

[ne3go]

From my experience, plants like tomato growing in my area without any watering in very dry soil, are full of flavor. But they are smaller in size.
So in watering issues, only experiment will tell you the best results.

 

[andrewislord]

I notice when I pulled my plants out of the ground that the root balls we're really small. I could of fit them in a 3 gallon pot. But the one I had in a 5 gallon bucket was really root bound. I'm not used to plants in the actual ground, I'm more experienced with containers. I think I over watered my plants in the ground.

 

[FmGrowit]

Tobacco plants can go for a couple of weeks with no water. Most of the time, the only time they get water intentionally is when they are set.

In general...tobacco plants are pretty hard to kill once they get started growing.

 

[andrewislord]

I think I was thinking that the south is much more humid or something and I would need to water more. That and it only rained once on my plants, and it was light and at the end when I primed half of it. I practically stared at them all summer and was eager to water. I think this next time will be much easier and I can pretty much ignore them except for some watering and pest control. I'm going to add more sand as well.

I only grew six plants and it was like a full time job with overtime. I think I was way over babying them.

Also, I had a lot of perlite in the pot, so I think when you say they like drainage you mean it. I always like a lot more drainage than most people but I think tobacco wants more than that.