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maturation duration

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Charly

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Hi,

I was checking my last year notes and noticed that my plants took a lot of time to get to full maturation...
First I have to say two things :
- I did not top my plants (only a few were topped).
- we had a full month of non stop rain in June.

strain "401 Cherry Red" :
- started the seeds on the 13th of April,
- transplanted them in soil on 4th of June (7 weeks after starting the seeds),
- harvested the first leaves (those touching the ground) the 22th of July (the plant were less than 1m high, 48 days after transplantation)
- the flowers begun to appear on the 14th of August (71 days after transplantation)
- harvested the last leaves the 21th of October... (some plants were 2m50 high, more than 4 and a half month...... => 139 days after transplantation !)

strain "Semois" :
- started the seeds on the 13th of April,
- transplanted the 14th of June (9 weeks after starting the seeds)
- harvested the first leaves the 1st of August (45j after transplantation)
- the flowers begun to appear on the 16th of August (68 days after transplantation)
- harvested the last leaves (7th picking) the 17th of November ! (5 months..... => 156 days after transplantation !)

When I search on northwoodseeds.com, I find that Cherry Red "matures in about 75 days after transplant"... did I miss something ?
 

deluxestogie

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Of the many, many varieties that I have grown, the median maturation time (transplant to ~50% in bloom) was between 50 and 70 days. For some varieties, the maturation time during one season differed by as much as 30 days from another season. The published numbers are not particularly useful. Although some are indicative of what you can expect, most are not.

(Add to that the tiny number of tobacco varieties that display daylight period sensitivity in their blossoming habits.)

I've had varieties with very short (published) maturation times take 20 or more additional days to mature.

I believe that the maturation numbers you see on GRIN (and hence on vendor sites) are from a single (or at most two) growouts by research contractors in their specific location and seasonal conditions. When more than one set of data exists for a variety, the maturation numbers are often different.

In summary, I don't place much value in published maturation dates.

Bob
 

Alpine

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And let's not forget that those are days to have 50% of the plants IN BLOOM. But blooming doesn't automatically mean RIPENESS. With the Symbol 4 leaves were ripe ahead of blooming, with my last year Yellow Pryor leaves ripened 20 to 30 days after blooming (and topping)

Pier
 

Charly

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Thanks for your answers, I was wondering if I did not grew my baccy like it should be done :)
I thought maturing time was the time needed by the plant to mature its upper leaves :)
 

DGBAMA

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Days to maturity is planting to flowering. So your 401 was right on time. Keep in mind weather and growing conditions play a part too. The only leaves I pick before flowering are the "lugs" or damaged lower leaves.
 

rainmax

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Also there is difference for cigarette and cigar tobacco.
ripening, maturity ...

I believe that for cigarette or pipe tobacco over rip is good which is not the case for cigars. At cigars we are looking for technical maturity and right timing for primings.
That is of course know how of a good veguero which we all wants to be one day. This is my sixth year of growing tobacco and every year I found out that I'm still green...but tobacco improves.
 
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