Yeah I never thought of wind, just bugs that's why I used them, I also only bagged as a formality as I'm sure there is no other strains nearby . Next year with more strains wind might be a factor but when Bob speaks I listen. So I probably won't change what I use.
Bagged Flower Heads
- Thread starter COLIN
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Ok, so basically all the options above are viable options and it boils down to preference or availability. I'm glad COLIN asked that question as the answers have given me options and knowledge. Thanks guys. I think my main cause of confusion stemmed from the intended purpose of the bag. I was thinking in terms of pollen containment rather than keeping the pollinating insects out. I should have known better since we raise bees.
Duh.
Duh.
Seanz
Well-Known Member
Just wondering is this the same stuff vineyards use to cover there grapes while waiting for them to sugar up?
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Omg Knucks! Everyone knows orange blossom honey but Tobacco Blossom honey might be the next sleeping giant! I see $$$ there
Markw
Well-Known Member
Hi Seanz
They do make a UV stable one for greenhouses but it is very expensive. Seanz I hope your grow goes well down-under and hope that the weather is good to all you growers down there.
Ha Smokes
Tobacco Honey sounds interesting, but then again most of the plants are topped, but it would be interesting if someone has bees near flowering tobacco who could tell us if there is any change to the taste when the plants are flowering.
Mark
The thing with bees is they would get pollen from tobacco but probably not enough nectar for them to make honey.
A neighbor has bee hives that are located about 150 yards from my tobacco. The few honeybees that I've seen on the tobacco appeared stuporous. I suspect that the nicotine content of the nectar does not agree with them.
Bob
Bob
LOL OK rub it in I had that coming. I was thinking my hazing was about over but guess not.
Haha no I was serious
If I saw that I'd choose it over the other types instantly
If I saw that I'd choose it over the other types instantly
It's easy Knucks, get a lot of Buckwheat honey and lie a little.
voila ! -- Tobacco honey. -- John
I refuse to be lured off topic. I have my standards to maintain. Not to mention a stellar reputation. hee hee
Just a silly question about cross-pollination:
Let's say I grow 3 different varieties (for example Florida Sumatra-Burley-Oriental), and do not bag the flowers, what will happened with the seeds?
The seeds from a Burley plant, it will also contain seeds from the other 2 varieties? Or in any plant, seeds will have random characteristics of the 3 types?
Let's say I grow 3 different varieties (for example Florida Sumatra-Burley-Oriental), and do not bag the flowers, what will happened with the seeds?
The seeds from a Burley plant, it will also contain seeds from the other 2 varieties? Or in any plant, seeds will have random characteristics of the 3 types?
The characteristics of each plant from such seed may exhibit unpredictable variants. Growing tobacco is too much work to depend on unknown seed.
Bob
Bob
skychaser
Well-Known Member
Amen to that.
Crossing two different strains is like crossing a black cat with a white cat. The offspring might be black, white or both black and white. The offspring, ( F1 generation) will have 50% of each parents genes. Breed two of the black and white cats from that generation and their offspring (F2) may come out the same, or they may come out all white or all black like grandma or grandpa. Keep selecting for mixed black and white over several generations and eventually you will reinforce the mixed color genes and make them dominant and create a stable new strain. This is a very simplified example. Color is just one potential trait to pass on. Random crossing is a game of chance with a 100 dice to roll. Occasionally you will get all sixes. But 99% of the time you lose.
Old cotton bedsheets have worked well for me for the past few years.
Cut into 10 by 16 sheets (with no holes or weak spots), folded and the top and side sealed with duct tape or red tyvek/vapour barrier sealing tape, they give me a bag 8" wide by 10" deep. They slip nicely over a top cluster cut down to a half dozen buds, and I twist-tie the bottom. After a week and a half to two weeks, I usually have to remove the bags and re-trim the heads, because new buds form rapidly and can overfill the covers.
The resultant seed has come true to the parent plant, so it appears they're effective against both pollinating bugs and drifting pollen.
They do get heavy and sag in rain, sometimes keeping a permanent tilt at the top of the plant, but that hasn't hurt the seed or the tobacco leaf.
If I'm late putting the bags on and flowers have actually emerged, or if flowers are present when re-trimming the plants, I wash up before going on to another variety, to reduce the risk of me cross-pollinating some plants.
Cut into 10 by 16 sheets (with no holes or weak spots), folded and the top and side sealed with duct tape or red tyvek/vapour barrier sealing tape, they give me a bag 8" wide by 10" deep. They slip nicely over a top cluster cut down to a half dozen buds, and I twist-tie the bottom. After a week and a half to two weeks, I usually have to remove the bags and re-trim the heads, because new buds form rapidly and can overfill the covers.
The resultant seed has come true to the parent plant, so it appears they're effective against both pollinating bugs and drifting pollen.
They do get heavy and sag in rain, sometimes keeping a permanent tilt at the top of the plant, but that hasn't hurt the seed or the tobacco leaf.
If I'm late putting the bags on and flowers have actually emerged, or if flowers are present when re-trimming the plants, I wash up before going on to another variety, to reduce the risk of me cross-pollinating some plants.
marksctm
Well-Known Member
I've read that some people use paint strainers for bagging flower heads.
Are they acceptable for keeping pollen from getting in or out, and guarantee to keep from cross pollinating?
This year I'm going to only need 10 bags but I need to make sure to keep the strains pure.
Also can you reuse them, (or any other type bags,) with out risk of contaminating the next seasons grow?
Thank you.
Are they acceptable for keeping pollen from getting in or out, and guarantee to keep from cross pollinating?
This year I'm going to only need 10 bags but I need to make sure to keep the strains pure.
Also can you reuse them, (or any other type bags,) with out risk of contaminating the next seasons grow?
Thank you.
Somewhere in an earlier series of posts this was discussed. As I remember the paint strainer bags kept "almost" all of the pollen in and 100% of the pollen bearing insects out. I think the consensus was they are safe. Reusable if they were thoroughly washed w/ bleach between seasons.
I had the same question. Bob said they're not designed to keep pollen in or out but to keep the pollenating insects like bees and moths out. Pollination by wind is extremely rare. You can reuse them if you label them for the strain you used them on the previous year. I got my 5 gal. paint strainer bags from Walmart. 25 per box.
I bought the strainer bags cause they were cheap and easy. Don't blame me if somehow they cross, other people use other things, and but I'm reasonably confident in them
jekylnz
Well-Known Member
Ive been using frost cloth,its pretty cheap,most plant and hardware stores have it,and it comes in 2m+5m lengths,just cut squares as big as needed and tie with a strip of it...nothing fancy does the trick tho
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