2014 Knucklehead Grow Blog

[holyRYO]

Nice action photo! Good to put a face to your kindness, generosity, and resourcefulness. Keep up the good work.

 

[Knucklehead]

Nice action photo! Good to put a face to your kindness, generosity, and resourcefulness. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, sir! I'm not sure if you found this thread or not, but there's some more faces to put with names here: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/1324-Post-your-mug-2012

 

[forumdotabaco]

Lol I just checked the photos nice to meet you guys, now I understand a lot of things, lots of life experience here.

 

[Knucklehead]

The planted field. Far left row was planted Friday. The other two were planted Saturday.

 

[DGBAMA]

Been a good weekend.

 

[Knucklehead]

Been a good weekend.

It sure was. They were standing tall today, maybe three or four slightly wilted but they'll be recovered by tomorrow. That's a huge leap behind us now. One small step, etc. etc.

I have my left over/ backups in one tray and selected five varieties from my back up seedlings to plant in larger container pots. They all ended up being cigar varieties. lol. The tray contains my backups.

All that's left above ground. My backups. All shapes, sizes, and flavors.



The "Pet Plants" in containers in the back yard. Good sun. Good cigar varieties. Java/Sumatra Besuki, Colombian Garcia, Hacienda del Cura from the Canary Islands, Coroja and Criollo from Cuba. Nice international mix of varieties. In about a week, three of these will get larger pots.

 

[DGBAMA]

Nice selection of "exotics".

I still have about 20 grow-out / experimental varieties to plant in small quantity.

 

[Indianamac]

Nice look'n work Knuck.

I found a nice spot close to the back door for some "pets". Wife didn't complain, so I'm good!!

 

[Brown Thumb]

Jeesh You Guys Got it Going on down there.
Looks Super Knucks and real straight you using a plumb bob too?
No one said Cheese for the photo? Smile be Happy.

 

[Knucklehead]

There are already three of each of those in the patch, but I just wanted to select from my back ups and give some special varieties some special care. They are pretty plants, though, people that don't know what they are commented on how pretty they were last year. After you bag the seed head is when you'll get some funny questions. lol

 

[El Gallo]

So why clip the leaves on these baby plants, does it induce growth, root development , curious.

 

[Knucklehead]

So why clip the leaves on these baby plants, does it induce growth, root development , curious.

Those are leaves that were clipped while still in the trays. Remnants of the "haircuts" along the way. I do pinch off lower leaves so I can bury the seedling deeper than what the ground line was in the trays. Some of them are 6" deep. No more flopping around.

 

[Indianamac]

Those are leaves that were clipped while still in the trays. Remnants of the "haircuts" along the way. I do pinch off lower leaves so I can bury the seedling deeper than what the ground line was in the trays. Some of them are 6" deep. No more flopping around.

Hey Knuck (or anyone),

Are these bacca plants like tomatoes, were you can bury'em deep and they will grow a stronger root base from the buried main stalk??
Also, have you/do you plant them 6" deep every time? Did or do you have good luck doing this?

I would assume that planting them this deep, would keep then from breaking off, during higher winds after planting ??

Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[Knucklehead]

Growing so many seedlings so close together in the cells, each plant is supported somewhat by it's cell mates. Several of them have really floppy bases when pulled out of the group and left by themselves. Planting deep takes the floppy out and helps keep the plant from breaking off at that weak spot. I also think that like tomatoes, they do grow roots along the stem. I think mainly where the lower leaves were clipped off. I had a couple of weak tall leggy plants lean over last year to the ground. Where the stem made contact with the ground, new roots formed out of the side of the stem. So yeah, I think planting deep helps the root system and also helps protect the new transplant from wind and gives support to the stem. I have buried them up to the bud head if the seedling was a ground hugger to start with.

I don't have a set depth I plant to each time, the seedling dictates what depth it will need. Mainly just get the floppy part under ground so they will stand tall and strong by themselves.

 

[Boboro]

I plant all seedlins to the bud base.

 

[deluxestogie]

Standard practice for transplanting a lanky tomato plant is to lay it sideways into a trench, and bend the top to vertical. When I tried this with lanky tobacco plants, the auxiliary root development (which is usually extensive for a tomato plant) was minimal, and the tobacco showed a greater tendency to flop over in a strong wind.

While tobacco will form additional roots where the stalk contacts moist soil, my study of this in 2013 revealed that such root development was marginal, at best. So, if you plant deep, keep the stalk entirely vertical. One approach is to plant in a depression, then mound up the surrounding soil as the plant grows.

Bob

 

[Indianamac]

Growing so many seedlings so close together in the cells, each plant is supported somewhat by it's cell mates. Several of them have really floppy bases when pulled out of the group and left by themselves. Planting deep takes the floppy out and helps keep the plant from breaking off at that weak spot. I also think that like tomatoes, they do grow roots along the stem. I think mainly where the lower leaves were clipped off. I had a couple of weak tall leggy plants lean over last year to the ground. Where the stem made contact with the ground, new roots formed out of the side of the stem. So yeah, I think planting deep helps the root system and also helps protect the new transplant from wind and gives support to the stem. I have buried them up to the bud head if the seedling was a ground hugger to start with.

I don't have a set depth I plant to each time, the seedling dictates what depth it will need. Mainly just get the floppy part under ground so they will stand tall and strong by themselves.

I plant all seedlins to the bud base.

Standard practice for transplanting a lanky tomato plant is to lay it sideways into a trench, and bend the top to vertical. When I tried this with lanky tobacco plants, the auxiliary root development (which is usually extensive for a tomato plant) was minimal, and the tobacco showed a greater tendency to flop over in a strong wind.

While tobacco will form additional roots where the stalk contacts moist soil, my study of this in 2013 revealed that such root development was marginal, at best. So, if you plant deep, keep the stalk entirely vertical. One approach is to plant in a depression, then mound up the surrounding soil as the plant grows.

Bob

Thanks fella's. I will apply your feedback, while planting next weekend!! Very helpful...

 

[Mad Oshea]

Standard practice for transplanting a lanky tomato plant is to lay it sideways into a trench, and bend the top to vertical. When I tried this with lanky tobacco plants, the auxiliary root development (which is usually extensive for a tomato plant) was minimal, and the tobacco showed a greater tendency to flop over in a strong wind.

While tobacco will form additional roots where the stalk contacts moist soil, my study of this in 2013 revealed that such root development was marginal, at best. So, if you plant deep, keep the stalk entirely vertical. One approach is to plant in a depression, then mound up the surrounding soil as the plant grows.

Bob

When and if I have to plant one like that (a pet) I lay the head towards the wind side. The burle part of the plant will take the wind to the better.But that is not often at all.

 

[Knucklehead]

I sowed an acre of White Dutch clover today, including a heavy seeding on my tobacco patch. I'm hoping the clover will choke out some of the grass and weeds that I had last year. This will also give me some nitrogen into the soil and some green matter to till in this fall when I plant my winter cover crop of Crimson Clover. The White Dutch is for the bees also. I don't know if clover in the patch will help or hurt, but we'll see this year.

 

[holyRYO]

I sowed an acre of White Dutch clover today, including a heavy seeding on my tobacco patch. I'm hoping the clover will choke out some of the grass and weeds that I had last year.

Interesting experiment.