Seed Pods

[mountbaldy]

I let two of my plants go to flower. They have flowered out and are starting to turn brown on most of the plant. I have been looking for a good thread on seed saving and seed pods and I've found a little bit of info but not much.

This year I'm letting nature take it's course. I did not bag my CT Broadleaf or my One Sucker. If they cross so be it. I have more CT seed that's separate. The One Sucker flowers came on later than the CT Broadleaf. Anyhow, next year I'm bagging my seed plants.

I have a few questions...

What am I looking for in pod formation?

At what point do you cut the pods off and let them dry?

How big do the pods get?

Does anyone have any pics of pods?

Can you smoke the dried flowers?

Thanks!!

Cheers,

Joe

 

[Knucklehead]

. I did not bag my CT Broadleaf or my One Sucker. If they cross so be it.
Cheers,

Joe

Why save crossed seed or even risk letting them cross? Chunk 'em in the mulch pile if you can't bag them. We'll get some good seed to you.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Exactly what Knuck said. Letting two varieties cross pollinate at will ,will not result in anything desirable . For future reference of planting/growing for seed. there are plenty of posts and threads on how to do it. Basically you wait until the flower bud comes up from the center of the plant, go to the paint section of a home improvement store and get 5 gallon paint strainer bags ,usually two or three to a package and less than $4 for the package. They are a white mesh with elastic on the open end. Place this over the flower bud before a single flower opens .You may need to remove a few top leaves to get the bag onto the stalk without any voids where an insect can crawl in. Bunch and secure the elastic around the stalk with a twistie or as I have used , a small velcro strap and label it with a permanent marker . Once the flower bud opens ,it will expand the bag so you may need to readjust the bag around the stalk . Tobacco is self pollinating . Once the flowers are dried up and fall off , soon you will notice the pods form(swelling directly below where the flowers were). Once these are mature and most have turned brown , you then cut the pod bunch from the stalk and place it upside down in a dry protected area. The seeds will shake within the pods like a maraca when the pod head is ready to separate seed.

 

[deluxestogie]

Little Dutch seed pods.

I have collected the dried blossoms of many varieties, kilned them and smoked them in various ways. They are floral in aroma, depending on the variety. They burn extremely well. However, for all the fuss, there is nothing particularly special about them, and probably not worth the time to collect, kiln and store.

Bob

 

[mountbaldy]

Alright, well I suppose I'll be cutting my flower heads if their isn't much use in crossing. I just thought maybe I might get one good plant out of a cross worth saving seed from. But it sounds like the fuss isn't worth the risk. I'm confident I'm the only person in county growing any form of tobacco. I can see keeping things kosher if in more populated areas. I'll probably top these. I'm upset I didn't bag my CT Broadleaf because it is a gem. This year's crop was for cigars. I think next year I'll be adding at least one rustica for special occasions. So seed will be needed.

 

[mountbaldy]

Bob thanks for the pic!! That's helpful.

 

[Knucklehead]

Interesting read on intentional crossing. http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/1084-How-to-Intentionally-Cross-Tobacco-Varieties

 

[DGBAMA]

Alright, well I suppose I'll be cutting my flower heads if their isn't much use in crossing. I just thought maybe I might get one good plant out of a cross worth saving seed from.

A cross could very well be a good thing. The problem is with open pollination and not knowing. Each plant can have 100 seed pods, within those, 1000 seed each. In the event of cross pollination, did the insect pollinate 1 flower or 50? And which flower/seed pod was crossed? if you take all of the seed from all the flowers of one plant, mixed together, your precious crossed seed is now a needle in a haystack.

 

[Knucklehead]

The biggest problem with open pollination crossing is when the person spreads the seed around to other people. We try really hard to keep the varieties pure and separate. With the commercial growers' varieties being dictated to them by Big Tobacco, very few of the old varieties are being grown. The only folks that can save the old varieties from extinction are GRIN and the hobby growers. I know one guy that claims cross pollination is not possible. I'll send him seed, but I won't take any from him. It takes up to seven years of crossing and selfing and record keeping to come up with a new stable variety that will reproduce in a predicable manner. Whether that new, stable variety is good for anything is another question. Until then, you have alphabet soup that changes from year to year.

 

[Smokin Harley]

Alright, well I suppose I'll be cutting my flower heads if their isn't much use in crossing. I just thought maybe I might get one good plant out of a cross worth saving seed from. But it sounds like the fuss isn't worth the risk. I'm confident I'm the only person in county growing any form of tobacco. I can see keeping things kosher if in more populated areas. I'll probably top these. I'm upset I didn't bag my CT Broadleaf because it is a gem. This year's crop was for cigars. I think next year I'll be adding at least one rustica for special occasions. So seed will be needed.

How much growing space do you have ?

 

[mountbaldy]

Currently, not enough! I have about 100 square ft but that'll be changing. We have alot lot we are hoping to build on next year. I should have enough space for a tobacco patch that's as big as I want. I haven't planned out my garden spaces yet at our new place. Gotta get our house plans outlined first. We have an acre and a half to play with though. If we are still at our current location I'll probably add more plants in a few other spots. I have about 20 plants this year.

 

[mountbaldy]

Thanks for all the input! I have crossed other plants in the past and have a background in plant science. I've used q-tips for crossing and only crossed a few select flowers for limited seed production. In the case of tobacco it sounds like you must label individual flowers you cross since the plants self pollinate.

Next year I'll be bagging for sure! And keeping things labeled well!

Cheers,

Joe

 

[Smokin Harley]

Joe, I have an Associates in Horticulture but majored in turfgrass management /minored in landscape but the classes were pretty much all related, still plant ID,soils and fertilizers ,greenhouse practical and the whole shebang. Its been 30 years since I took those courses and I did well but I'll tell you one thing . I couldn't have learned then what I have learned in here. Books are good but experience and talking to people with differing experience is better. Ya gotta get dirty !

 

[deluxestogie]

FTT should offer a PhD.

Bob

 

[Smokin Harley]

Make it happen Bob !! You're the professor ! and we're all here every day paying close attention. I'm all for field trips too...

 

[deluxestogie]

Hmmm.

• 90 semester hours of mandatory courses
• required tobacco projects
• required readings
• required exams
• independent research
• writing and defending a thesis

How inviting is that?

Bob

 

[Smokin Harley]

I got 796 posts for proof of course credit ...

 

[Knucklehead]

Hmmm.

• 90 semester hours of mandatory courses
• required tobacco projects
• required readings
• required exams
• independent research
• writing and defending a thesis

How inviting is that?

Bob

I suppose you'll want to smoke our homework?

 

[mountbaldy]

Re: Seed Pods

Joe, I have an Associates in Horticulture but majored in turfgrass management /minored in landscape but the classes were pretty much all related, still plant ID,soils and fertilizers ,greenhouse practical and the whole shebang. Its been 30 years since I took those courses and I did well but I'll tell you one thing . I couldn't have learned then what I have learned in here. Books are good but experience and talking to people with differing experience is better. Ya gotta get dirty !​

​

I hear ya Smokin the feet on the ground experience is priceless. I've been at it now growing stuff for 20 years now myself. This forum is a wealth of information and the experience from other growers is priceless.

Hmmm.

• 90 semester hours of mandatory courses
• required tobacco projects
• required readings
• required exams
• independent research
• writing and defending a thesis

How inviting is that?

Bob

Sounds good to me!

 

[deluxestogie]

I suppose you'll want to smoke our homework?

In lieu of tuition?

Bob