@NewTobaccoGrower 2024 Grow Log: Florida

[deluxestogie]

The problem could be the lights. It could also be excess moisture in the soil (leading to damping off). My suspicion is that the issue is with the content of the soil itself. My usual growth medium is 2/3 MiracleGro Peat; 1/6 Perlite; 1/6 vermiculite. One season, I could not find enough MiracleGro Peat, and was forced to substitute a coconut coir blend for some of the cells. In the photo below, the coconut coir mixture was used in the cells on the left, and MiracleGro Peat mixture in the cells on the right. They were started on the same day.

A poor soil mixture leads to poor moisture control in the soil.

Bob

 

[Ycc]

您好，我是一名新种植者，第 24 天在佛罗里达州种植了几个品种的新幼苗，在室内种植（当然，考虑到过去两个月的天气）。看看其他人在第 20 天以上的幼苗，它们看起来都比较大而且健康。正如你所看到的，我的身材又小又长。我相信这个问题是由于它们在带有透明塑料盖的小/短塑料种子细胞容器中生长而引起的，在“Ferry Morse”小型荧光灯下，与幼苗入门套件一起出售。即使使用提供的底座完全降低，它仍然比植物高出一英尺左右。因此，我最近购买了一个悬挂式 LED 灯（如图所示）和一些较小的附加蓝红色 LED 灯，我将它们放置在离植物更近的地方。我也开始把它们放在户外阳光直射的地方（这些天我们在这里得到的阳光很少），每天大约一个小时。有谁知道这是否有帮助？我打开了吊扇，让植物上有一些“风”，并定期用手指触摸它们，我读到这也能刺激茎的强化。有没有其他人发现自己处于这种情况，如果是的话，是什么帮助植物处于这种情况？谢谢。

种植的什么品种？
[What varieties are grown?]

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

The problem could be the lights. It could also be excess moisture in the soil (leading to damping off). My suspicion is that the issue is with the content of the soil itself. My usual growth medium is 2/3 MiracleGro Peat; 1/6 Perlite; 1/6 vermiculite. One season, I could not find enough MiracleGro Peat, and was forced to substitute a coconut coir blend for some of the cells. In the photo below, the coconut coir mixture was used in the cells on the left, and MiracleGro Peat mixture in the cells on the right. They were started on the same day.

A poor soil mixture leads to poor moisture control in the soil.

Bob

That's quite a difference, and the plants on the left look a lot like mine. As a 'control' group, at the same time that I planted the tobacco, I also planted cucumber and tomato in the same soil. They behaved just like the tobacco-- initial normal growth, and then they sort of "froze" in place with no further growth, and then they ALL died off one by one. I'd read that cucumbers and tomato are difficult to grow in Florida, but this was ridiculous! So all I can say is do NOT use the soil I purchased and photographed above for not just tobacco but ANY growth. Not surprised, as this was the cheapest "seedling" soil Walmart had.
Edit: after reading the definition of "damping off", it seems to be exactly what is happening here, and wouldn't you know it, apparently it's caused mostly by fungi. Here's another pic of the Yellow Orinoco (on right), more than 2 weeks after germination, and the Rustica an entire month after germination. Not normal. Although at first tempted to toss them, I may keep them around as a comparison when I start another batch of seedlings with the correct soil and lighting. I bet these will still be the same size (or dead) when the new ones get going.

 

[johnny108]

Freezing in growth after the start?
Sounds like maybe a Ph problem, especially since plants with similar requirements have the same problem.

 

[GreenDragon]

If you are growing 'schrooms then your soil is too wet. Cut back on the watering, bottom water only when needed, and add a fan to circulate the air.

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

If you are growing 'schrooms then your soil is too wet. Cut back on the watering, bottom water only when needed, and add a fan to circulate the air.

The problem is they say the soil must remain "moist", it can't dry out or the seedlings will die. Which means, especially with the fan running, that you have to mist it several times per day, or the surface quickly dries out due to evaporation.

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

Freezing in growth after the start?
Sounds like maybe a Ph problem, especially since plants with similar requirements have the same problem.

Could be, I haven't measured. Maybe I need to get a kit of some kind.

 

[deluxestogie]

Always water from the bottom. For germination, cover the cells with a dome or plastic wrap. Once they have germinated, leave them open, continue to water only from the bottom when needed, and don't mist them.

Bob

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

Always water from the bottom. For germination, cover the cells with a dome or plastic wrap. Once they have germinated, leave them open, continue to water only from the bottom when needed, and don't mist them.

Bob

Oops, guess that was my mistake. Have been misting them whenever I see the soil drying out on the surface. How can you tell it's "needed"? Having to work during the day, I can't constantly monitor them, have been afraid that if I don't mist them well they will be dried out by the evening.

 

[wruk53]

Do yourself a favor and mix your own seedling soil next time. 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts perlite and one part vermiculite by volume. The MG perlite and peat moss both contain small amounts of fertilizer, no more fertilizer will be needed before transplanting to the field/containers. Ace hardware normally has all 3 items in stock where I live. This is a light and airy mix that will still maintain moisture pretty well. I've been using this mix exclusively for the past several grows with very good results.

 

[deluxestogie]

Both vermiculite and Perlite are "puffed" minerals. They are similar in that regard to puffed rice or puffed wheat cereals. They have opposite properties with regard to water absorption. Vermiculite absorbs and holds water, while Perlite does not. The sphagnum peat moss is kind of in between. So the Perlite helps prevent waterlogging, while keeping a lighter soil mixture. The vermiculite tends to act as a moisture reservoir between watering.

Bob

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

Thanks guys, you are all very helpful, I really appreciate the input. By the way I completely forgot about this other batch of Yellow Bud tobacco I'd planted 9 days ago-- different container, this time no plastic cover (except for plastic cling rap for only a day or two), but the SAME soil. And the same bad lighting of course, except that these at least got to sit on a sunny southward windowsill because the container is small enough. These sprouted on Day Two, which really excited me because I was thinking wow, maybe this batch will be different and will grow well. Nope, what you see here in this photo I just took are plants which are the SAME size as they were over a week ago when they sprouted. Once again, they have "frozen" in their growth, even though this is a different variety under different conditions, except for the soil and the bad lighting. So I agree with you guys, the bad soil is likely the culprit, exacerbated by bad lighting. For my next batch I'll use the soil mixture you guys recommend, and I will either toss or wash with hot water and soap any tools or implements that touched the bad soil.

 

[deluxestogie]

Keep up the sunshine on that pot in the last photo. Water from the bottom. Be patient.

Bob

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

This little fellow grew just in the space of a few hours this afternoon. can anyone tell what species it is? Maybe my true calling is a shroom grower! Pitiful Yellow Orinoco seedling in the rear, one of them as you can see is just a stalk with a "bean" of the seed on top, after 2 weeks since germination.

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

Some more evidence for what I think is the bad soil. Here is a batch of vegetables etc (luffa, chard, gherkin etc) I planted at the same time and with the same soil as the second batch of tobacco in the round container above. They shot up to this size on about day 2 or 3 (over a week ago) and have not changed in size or height or shape since. Have also been getting heavy mushroom growth coming out of these pots as well. And as you can see one pot did not yield any seedlings at all, and a couple pots only yielded one or two seedlings, even though I put 3 seeds in every pot. It's pretty interesting that whatever is causing this, it allows (some) seeds to germinate, usually badly, and then freezes or retards their progress. Even though the light is not good, they evidently aren't even able to try to "stretch" toward the light, as most plants do. The fungal infection must be massive. Will toss these too and anything that was in contact with them.

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

Made this unexpected observation while in the process of tossing the very first batch of tobacco seedlings. On Day 30, when these plants should be almost halfway on their way to being harvested, this is how tall they are-- a few millimeters, at best. However, underneath (hard to make out in the photo), I've found that their root systems are about 6 inches long, with some roots even invading the cells of their neighbor plants. So whatever this issue is, it allows plenty of root growth, but no growth above ground.

 

[Alpine]

Tobacco has a slow start, in the first weeks (say six to eight) most of the growth effort is put beneath the surface of the ground. If the root ball looks healthy I wouldn’t toss everything. Keep a handful of seedlings (separated from the new ones, of course) and see what you can come up with. Maybe things are not as bad as they seem.

pier

 

[deluxestogie]

And thin to one tobacco seedling per cell.

Bob

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

Tobacco has a slow start, in the first weeks (say six to eight) most of the growth effort is put beneath the surface of the ground. If the root ball looks healthy I wouldn’t toss everything. Keep a handful of seedlings (separated from the new ones, of course) and see what you can come up with. Maybe things are not as bad as they seem.

pier

Alas the roots looked really sickly, and now many of the plants had turned completely white. Which from what I've read is a symptom of either root rot or fungal infection. Thanks for the encouragement though.

 

[NewTobaccoGrower]

A new beginning: Tossed or put outside all previous plants. Cleaned/scrubbed/disinfected/washed all trays, tables, tools, objects that had been contact with the old pots/plants. Even washed the plastic watering can I'd been using. The only thing left in common is the water spray bottle, but I got that brand new, so I doubt it's the culprit. Also, from now on I ONLY use bottled/purified water on the plants (talk about spoiled pets)!
Used the "soil" mixture you guys suggested. One thing I immediately noticed is that it's MUCH less dense/heavy than the old soil I used. The only drawback is that it will be more difficult to spot germination compared to the dark brown/black soil from before. But only a very minor point.
Sowed 2 containers each of: Rustica, Virginia Brightleaf, Yellow Twist Bud, and Yellow Orinoco. The lone container with the Orinoco will be my "control" group, will grow it next to the sunny window; the rest, under grow light. If anything like before, I predict the Rustica, Brightleaf, and Bud will germinate in a couple of days, while the Orinoco will take 2 weeks. I hope Take Two goes better! If, on the other hand, the plants have the same issues, then the problem is more serious and has nothing to do with the variables I've changed for this try.