I have moved the containers just a bit to the front, away from the wall, so the back leafs also receive some sunlight. That way I need to rotate them less, but I still turn them 90° from time to time. The dry season only lasted for about three weeks here in Jember and we already went straight into a new rainy season. Still plenty of sun in the morning, but plenty of rain in the afternoon. And rain here means rain for real.
Rain doesn't only mean rain, but it often comes along with quite a bit of wind. I suppose that keeping plants in containers is not really ideal against the force of wind. No extreme damage was done to the plants, as their main stem was not broken. Some lower leafs fell of and I've started sun curing them, just to get an idea for myself at what time of day the leafs need to be where. I can't always head back home when it starts raining so it's a good trial, I can play a bit with it.
I got a few pieces of flat wood and stuck it through the soil to prevent them to be blown down by the wind once more. The plants collapsed on the 4th of October and since then they've been holding out. It's definitely something I should construct from day one next time around.
So plants falling down is no longer the biggest issue. However, all three Amersfoort plants have started to form an early flower bud. I am not topping these plants because main aim is to collect seed. I am not growing tobacco merely for it's leafs, but also to get a fuller understanding of its growth. I am also planning on crossing varieties. Therefore, I am leaving them be. But, I am curious as to why these plants decided it is time to start flowering. I know that as I am growing them in containers I should not expect them to reach their maximum potential height. As you may find in the other
Amersfoort thread, one plant in the Netherlands has made it to a height of 2,60 meters. You would expect the Indonesian climate to be better suited for tobacco. Maybe not for this variety though. The plants in the Netherlands took much longer before starting to flower. On another note, this flower bud might have been triggered to grow out of stress. Remember, the plants were moved from one place to the other and were harmed a bit by the wind. Some of the newest leafs have a peculiar shape, although its difficult to see that in these pictures. Then, they were also blown down by the wind. The plant on the far right was the first to start its flower bud and in general has a slower pace of growth. It was the least harmed by the wind a few days ago, though.