“Staying alive”: @ChrisN

[ChrisN]

Hi Everyone,
This is my first time attempting to grow tobacco. Purchased the cigar kit from sustainable seeds. The seeds are great and they sprout for me but for some reason they are not “staying alive”. It seems like the stems brake off from the roots as they grow. Not sure what I am doing wrong? I have a grow light right above them and got the vegetable etc mini greenhouse. I mist them with a spray bottle when seeds and then when growing I pour in water into the tray so the water comes from the bottom for the roots. I was afraid the mist was too strong and braking the stems. Thank you very much!

 

[GreenDragon]

Sounds like "Damping Off" disease. Usually caused by too much moisture and humidity. Are your seedlings uncovered and exposed to fresh, moving air? Pictures are always welcome and a help.

Also, did you use a seedling starting mix or potting soil? Potting soil has too much fertilizer in it and burns the delicate roots, causing a similar problem.

Good luck!

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. And welcome to your new grow log. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum. Be sure to read the New Growers' FAQ, and scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads. Both are linked in the menu bar.

Bob

 

[ChrisN]

Thank you very much, Bob aka deluxestogie and Green Dragon! I am really looking forward to growing Tobacco in the future.

The seedlings are uncovered and exposed to fresh-moving air. I am guessing it must be too much moisture/humidity. The Greenhouse I purchased came from Menard's, equivalent to Lowe's. Seed growing pods for veggies etc came with it. Like this but there were 30 something pods : https://www.menards.com/main/seed-s...5539443630.htm?tid=6614712207595230375&ipos=4

I will for sure take pictures and post them, likely tonight. I don't have many starts left. Maybe around 8 or so. Thank you again! Take care.

 

[ChrisN]

My setup and plants

 

[ChrisN]

I'm looking to transplant my bigger plants to flower pots. what kind of soil can I use? Can I use soil in my back yard? It's a clay base. Eventually they will be needing to go outside.

 

[billy]

generally not recommended to use actual dirt in pots because of being dense and not draining much. a mixture of peat moss perlite and compost is usually best potting soil. I get the compressed blocks of pro mix potting soil and mix in some compost with it and some extra perlite since compost dilutes it from the promix. But up to you what you gotta do, lots of things could work

 

[wruk53]

My setup and plants

Just looking at the pictures, I would say the seedlings need to be much closer to the light, or under a more intense light. When the sprouts get real tall like that, they are trying to find more light. For what it's worth, I'll attach a few pics of my seedlings. I use an LED light about 12 inches above the pots.

 

[ChrisN]

Thank you very much billy and wruk53! I will check into the soils and lower the grow light so it's closer to the plants. In a google search it suggested the use of a mixture of sand,silt,and clay. Here are the updated pictures of the surviving plants.

 

[deluxestogie]

Although most of my tobacco goes into actual earth, I do grow a potted tobacco or three each year. I have excellent results with the following mixture for a well drained pot:

• MiracleGro peat 2/3
• MiracleGro pearlite 1/6
• Vermiculite 1/6

I fertilize the pot the same as I do the plants in the garden beds, using low-chloride veggie fertilizer at the rate for tomatoes.

Bob

 

[ChrisN]

Thank you very much, Bob!
Was curious should I plant them in pots before I plant them outside or can I just plant them outside? As mentioned my soil is clay based. My mother in law has black dirt. Also,what's the best way to get them adjusted to the outdoors? They were grown indoors in a seed mini greenhouse tray. Do I put them outside for a couple hours and then bring them in? Repeat this for how long before planting them outside? Also, any pesticides or anything I should spray on them? I live in Illinois USA. Thank you!

 

[Knucklehead]

Thank you very much, Bob!
Was curious should I plant them in pots before I plant them outside or can I just plant them outside? As mentioned my soil is clay based. My mother in law has black dirt. Also,what's the best way to get them adjusted to the outdoors? They were grown indoors in a seed mini greenhouse tray. Do I put them outside for a couple hours and then bring them in? Repeat this for how long before planting them outside? Also, any pesticides or anything I should spray on them? I live in Illinois USA. Thank you!

If transplanted to pots, your seedlings will be larger when you transplant them to the field. However, your seedling area “footprint” will be much larger and will require more light and water over that larger area. Many here have success in transplanting to larger pots. If you keep your seedlings in the 1020 cells as myself and others do, including commercial farmers (the seedlings from float tray cells work with their equipment), the plants will rapidly catch up and be the same size at harvest as those transplanted into larger pots. The seedling area footprint will be smaller, require less water, the seedlings somewhat smaller, require less light over the area, but will be slightly more susceptible to insect attack after transplant into the field. It may come down to what works best for you personally.

I use a generic Admire in my transplant water. I don’t spray it on the leaves as the stuff can kill pollinators like bees. Here is what deluxestogie and I use. I get mine from Amazon. You want the one for edible fruits and vegetables.
https://fairtradetobacco.com/thread...le-insect-control-for-aphids.7151/post-130633

Hardening. Search function pulls up a ton of posts.
I spend up to two weeks gradually moving the plants into sun for a few minutes increasing the time until they can stay in the full sun for the whole day. Keep an eye on them, they are susceptible to sun scald until hardened. I withhold water the last week. Then use the imidacloprid in the transplant water.

 

[ChrisN]

If transplanted to pots, your seedlings will be larger when you transplant them to the field. However, your seedling area “footprint” will be much larger and will require more light and water over that larger area. Many here have success in transplanting to larger pots. If you keep your seedlings in the 1020 cells as myself and others do, including commercial farmers (the seedlings from float tray cells work with their equipment), the plants will rapidly catch up and be the same size at harvest as those transplanted into larger pots. The seedling area footprint will be smaller, require less water, the seedlings somewhat smaller, require less light over the area, but will be slightly more susceptible to insect attack after transplant into the field. It may come down to what works best for you personally.

I use a generic Admire in my transplant water. I don’t spray it on the leaves as the stuff can kill pollinators like bees. Here is what deluxestogie and I use. I get mine from Amazon. You want the one for edible fruits and vegetables.
https://fairtradetobacco.com/thread...le-insect-control-for-aphids.7151/post-130633

Hardening. Search function pulls up a ton of posts.
I spend up to two weeks gradually moving the plants into sun for a few minutes increasing the time until they can stay in the full sun for the whole day. Keep an eye on them, they are susceptible to sun scald until hardened. I withhold water the last week. Then use the imidacloprid in the transplant water.

Sounds great, Thank you very much!
I actually have some questions:
1) If I would like to get seeds from my plants, do I let them flower? How do I collect the seeds?
2) Was wondering if I could see your growing set ups? Would like to get ideas in the hopes of doing better in the growing results. It's my first attempt.
3) How often do you water seedlings and the plants? I believe part of my problem is I either over watered or didn't water enough at times? What do you look for to know when to water?
4) When planting the seeds do you just put them onto the soil or do you bury them/cover them in the soil?
5) When starting the seeds do you keep them out of the sun/grow light until they are started?
Just need help/tips to hopefully do a better job next year. Thank you very much again! I greatly appreciate it

 

[deluxestogie]

Seed saving is discussed in the New Growers' FAQ, which is linked in the menu bar. There is a section entitled, "Bagging Tobacco Blossom Heads " in the Index of Key Forum Threads.

Bob

 

[ChrisN]

Seed saving is discussed in the New Growers' FAQ, which is linked in the menu bar. There is a section entitled, "Bagging Tobacco Blossom Heads " in the Index of Key Forum Threads.

Bob

Thank you very much, Bob!
Was curious how often do I water seedlings in seed tray and how low/close should I hang the grow light to the tray?

 

[deluxestogie]

I don't use grow lights, so other members can perhaps answer that.

Bob

 

[MadFarmer]

how low/close should I hang the grow light to the tray?

Inches. The lower the better, and you'd only raise them once the leaves could grow long enough to touch the bulb.

 

[MadFarmer]

Fairly certain I raised the bulb to take the picture. The shop light on the right is supplemental.

 

[Knucklehead]

Sounds great, Thank you very much!
I actually have some questions:
1) If I would like to get seeds from my plants, do I let them flower? How do I collect the seeds?
2) Was wondering if I could see your growing set ups? Would like to get ideas in the hopes of doing better in the growing results. It's my first attempt.
3) How often do you water seedlings and the plants? I believe part of my problem is I either over watered or didn't water enough at times? What do you look for to know when to water?
4) When planting the seeds do you just put them onto the soil or do you bury them/cover them in the soil?
5) When starting the seeds do you keep them out of the sun/grow light until they are started?
Just need help/tips to hopefully do a better job next year. Thank you very much again! I greatly appreciate it

My seedling setup. I used 2’ fluorescent under cabinet prewired lights with male plugs. They were cheap back in 2012. I use miracle grow seed starting mix for seedlings. It wicks up the correct amount of moisture in the 1020 cells that I keep water in them all the time. Commercial growers use floating trays that float on water all the time. Same principle. The key is the soil that wicks the proper amount of moisture. I water from the bottom to avoid soil compaction, damping off, and spiral root. Remove one of the packs of cells and water there, then return that cell pack. I start using urea free orchid fertilizer 20-10-20 about two weeks after the seed sprout or a slight yellow indicates that the nutrients that came in the bag of soil have run out.
Photos of my trays and lights.

2015 Knucklehead Grow Blog

Thanks for the Orchid fertilizer link. Thats just what I was looking for today at the store but never found. We have one foot of muddy slush up here.

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[Knucklehead]

4) When planting the seeds do you just put them onto the soil or do you bury them/cover them in the soil?
5) When starting the seeds do you keep them out of the sun/grow light until they are started?
Just need help/tips to hopefully do a better job next year. Thank you very much again! I greatly appreciate it

I start seed inside two months before my predicted last frost. I sprinkle the seed on top of the soil in the 1020 trays with propagation mats and the lights on. I do not cover them. If I am seeding more than one variety in a tray, I separate one 4 cell pack from the tray and carry those cells away from the others and seed that cell, then return that cell pack to the tray and repeat. This prevent mixing up varieties. I label each cell pack. My seedlings stay in the cells until transplant to patch. Some guys use a separate starting method them move the seedlings to the 1020 trays or pots. Some guys let the seedlings get a little larger and then transplant to larger pots. Those methods work for them.

1020 trays come in different numbers of cells. I use mostly 48 or 72 depending on how many varieties I have and how much room I have for the total number of plants. I prefer the 48 cell. The trays can be purchased in 4 cell packs or 6 cell packs.

I have my set up in front of an eastern facing window because the window faced east. There are trees in front of it so it receives very little to no direct sunlight. It could just as well have faced any direction or no direction at all or have no window at all. I don’t move the seedlings outside until ready to harden off, approximately two weeks prior to transplant to the patch, depending on weather forecasts. Hardening - I move them outside a few minutes more each day, gradually increasing exposure to sun until they can withstand full sun all day. In the beginning they will be very susceptible to sun scald and can turn to mushy useless badness in an Alabama minute. I withhold water the last week as part of the hardening process.

Many guys here use different methods and have great harvests at the end of the season. Read some grow blogs and decide how those different methods work for your situation and your micro-climate.