Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

Oldfellainspain 2024 Grow Log.

oldfellainspain

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
245
Points
93
Location
Javea, Spain.
I'm not sure after seeing the photo. Do you allow them to dry out between waterings or do you keep them moist all the time? They need to dry out between waterings to encourage the roots to go deep searching for moisture.
I haven't got into a routine yet, as I feel that the soil around the transplants has possibly never been moist enough, as the wicking has never seemed to go high enough. I'm thinking that one good water from the top and then let the bags drain would get me to the point where I can let them dry out before the next watering.
 

oldfellainspain

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
245
Points
93
Location
Javea, Spain.
I have been reading about wood chips mixed in with potting soil (soil amendment) as opposed to wood chips spread on top of soil (mulch)
According to the last paragraph in this article, wood chips mixed in with potting soil depletes the nitrogen in the soil.
The bottom leaves on my plants show symptoms of lack of nitrogen (I think).
I sieved a scoop of potting soil through a 1/4" screen and found 25% of the mix was quite large wood chips. So, a couple of questions......
1: Does anyone wish to comment on the nitrogen depletion?
2: Would this much wood in the mix make moisture wicking up more difficult?
 

Attachments

  • wood chips.JPG
    wood chips.JPG
    306.9 KB · Views: 8
  • nitrogen shortage.JPG
    nitrogen shortage.JPG
    189.9 KB · Views: 8

johnny108

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2023
Messages
748
Points
93
Location
Germany
Thanks for the link Knucklehead. Any thoughts about sieving the wood out of the topsoil? Does 25% seem excessive?
I grew a few Jaffna plants in orchid bark mix, with no sign of deficiency, because I watered them with a full strength triple-20 fertilizer at every other watering.
Maybe a soluble fertilizer could help with the deficiency?
 

Knucklehead

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
12,477
Points
113
Location
NE Alabama
Thanks for the link Knucklehead. Any thoughts about sieving the wood out of the topsoil? Does 25% seem excessive?
@wruk53 doesn't use soil at all in his bags, just cypress mulch. Perhaps increase your nitrogen or increase your fertilizer schedule. When I went from using pelletized slow release fertilizer in the ground (which lasted all season), to using water soluble fertilizer in grow bags, I was surprised at how quickly the plants ran out of nutrients. Read some of wruk53 grow blogs and determine if his fertilizer and schedule are right for you. I used Miracle Grow tomato fertilizer. It's hard to guess about availability and sources. You may end up trial and error like I did. Watch for signs, then fertilize. Figure out the timing, then fertilize before you see distress.
 

oldfellainspain

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
245
Points
93
Location
Javea, Spain.
Thanks for your comments and advice. Upping the liquid fertilizer seems to be the general advice. I do read Wruk53 grow blogs, but I thought with such a different growing medium, fertilizer quantity and timing would be totally different to what I'm doing. I'm going to read it through from start to finish, paying more attention to fertilizing this time.
 

WillQuantrill

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2022
Messages
203
Points
93
Location
Missouri
I have better luck allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. If there is always moisture the roots have no reason to spread further looking for moisture. There will be a small ball of roots at the top of the soil. By allowing the soil to dry out, it forces the roots to expand and go deep in search of moisture. Bigger stalks and leaves need a larger, stronger root system for support. Looking at your last photo reminds me of last year when we were getting alot of rain, the soil was saturated and the pool had 2" if water as a reservoir. My leaves looked like yours. I kept pumping the water out of the reservoir and they recovered. The same happens when my tiny seedlings are in the 1020 cells. If I keep the soil moist, I end up with a small root ball at the top of the soil. If I let them completely dry out between waterings, the roots expand searching for moisture and fill the cells at transplant time and the seedlings are larger, the roots hang out the drain hole, and easier to transplant.
The most pragmatic explanation of watering seedlings I have heard yet. Thank you.
 

WillQuantrill

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2022
Messages
203
Points
93
Location
Missouri
Yesterday evening I top watered all plants. This morning they all look great. Not one droopy leaf. Thanks everyone for help and advice.
My wife reckons there is a need for an online tobacco growers psychiatrist. I think she's right.
My grow trays are in a spare bedroom so my nightly ritual has me tending to them right before bed. Some nights my wife asks me what I was doing because she doesn't here me stirring around, truth be told I am just staring at the little bastards as if they will grow by telekinesis. Haha, overthinking cuts down on setbacks.
 

oldfellainspain

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
245
Points
93
Location
Javea, Spain.
I've got my wife to hide the watering can. It's the only way I can stop overwatering the plants. I ask her for it, she looks at my plants, and then generally says NO.
It's working. The plants haven't been watered for days and they're looking a lot better.
I've put sledges under the four trays and holes and corks in the trays. I can now drain off excess water into a shallow metal tray, so no more wasting water and fertilizer. I can also move the plants into the sunshine easier. I've also cut up a huge amount of cardboard to use as mulch, so when I start watering again it doesn't evaporate so quickly.
Raining hard at the moment so I've moved everything under cover as I don't want to undo all my wife's good work.
 

Attachments

  • cardboard mulch.JPG
    cardboard mulch.JPG
    224.7 KB · Views: 15
  • hole wth cork.JPG
    hole wth cork.JPG
    98.4 KB · Views: 15
  • out of the rain.JPG
    out of the rain.JPG
    183.8 KB · Views: 15
  • sled.JPG
    sled.JPG
    115.6 KB · Views: 15

oldfellainspain

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2023
Messages
245
Points
93
Location
Javea, Spain.
In general, everything's growing now. Some plants are little behind others but, newer leaves are greener and healthier on all plants. I've still got a couple of backups should I have any failures.
A friend has offered me the use of the corner of his garden for this summer. I've started a new batch of seeds with a tiny amount of soil on top of perlite. I'm really just experimenting at this stage. The perlite has been wetted with a quarter strength mix of liquid fertilizer. What I'm looking for is much better root growth before I transplant. Depending on how things pan out, I might even try potting up a size before I transplant. As usual, any comments and/or advice appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • growing.JPG
    growing.JPG
    183.9 KB · Views: 11
  • perlite.JPG
    perlite.JPG
    224.8 KB · Views: 11
Top