starving plants for flavor

[Juxtaposer]

It's my understanding that tobacco plants that have tough lives yield more flavorful tobacco. Does any one grow their crops under this theory? I can see if you are growing to sell you would care more about crop consistency and harvest yields but a lot of you guys are growing for yourselves so I would like to hear some opinions on this matter if you could please. Cheers!

 

[istanbulin]

Although this is a good theory, it didn't work on my soils with American tobaccos. Dense plantation and natural irrigation (rains) made them milder but not flavorful. This theory really works with oriental tobaccos but there's a very narrow line between starvation and sufficiency while growing orientals.

 

[leverhead]

I want to go in that direction this year. I don't think I want starvation, but I want to at least limit the nitrogen.

 

[Chicken]

i believe the plant dont really need to be starved at all. it doesnt make sense,


a plant needs all the nutrition it can get<

true, at certain stages of growth it will need, different element's,

but as it grows and progresses, on the n-p-k- scale, i would assume, it needs that element or trace element, atthat time of it's growth,

to starve it, would make it less of a plant, and make it's nicotene and weight less than it would be if the plant hadnt been starved,

just my opinion,<

 

[Knucklehead]

I forget where I got this, but I think nitrogen is supposed to be reduced near the end of the season for some reason. Taste? Somebody help me out here.

 

[Chicken]

I forget where I got this, but I think nitrogen is supposed to be reduced near the end of the season for some reason. Taste? Somebody help me out here. View attachment 2849

your correct, the nitrogen is good for any plant whenin it'sg growing stage,

as it progresses in growth, it will venture to the right side, of the n-p-k- scale,

but it's the trace elements you gotta pay close attention to,

if you want your bacca leaves to be sticky with resin at the time of picking, you gotta dial it in,

 

[Knucklehead]

You need to do a tutorial on fertilizer.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Increasing Nitrogen will also increase the nicotine content. This is significant because if you grow a tobacco and really like it, then next year increase your Nitrogen level you might find your "favorite" tobacco is too strong (nicotine wise). I suggest everyone get a soil analysis done and use that in the future as a baseline. I prefer my soil to have about 40#/acre of Nitrogen which is considerably less that what AG people recommend. Keep in mind though that the AG recommendations are for tobacco growers- they sell their tobacco by weight, not flavor!

 

[PlantTeacher]

So if anyone smokes tobacco for the nicotene and desires a very high level as it is a neural stimulant then fertilizer high in nitrogen is good. I feel strangely . . . stimulated.

 

[Knucklehead]

Am I wrong or does high nitrogen decrease the burning qualities of the leaf?

 

[DGBAMA]

nitrogen promotes dark green growth (chlorophyl sp?), which is what we are trying to eliminate from the leaves during the curing/yellowing stage, so too much nitrogen too late in the growing season makes the tobacco harder to cure without it drying green.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Am I wrong or does high nitrogen decrease the burning qualities of the leaf?

High Nitrogen will make it difficult to cure your leaves.
High Chlorine will make your leaves non combustible.

 

[Boboro]

In the past few years I havent added enuff N. Can I just add Ammoniun Nitrate.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Yes you can but it's best to add fertilizer based on a soil analysis. Ammonium Nitrate is the best fertilizer to use if you are low in ammoniacal nitrogen as well as total nitrogen. If you are adequate in ammonia then you'd probably want to add something like ammonium sulfate... but then again if you have adequate sulfer stores then maybe use something else.... simple aint it??...

 

[Boboro]

NO.

 

[Boboro]

Its the one thing that Im dammed if I do and dammed if I dont

 

[DGBAMA]

Hey guys, I know this is just my first year, but seems silly to forget that tobacco is a "weed". Unless you are after the perfect plant with the perfect leaf, with the perfect nicotine content, with the perfect yield; Seems like a simpler aproach is just fine for us home growers where a 10% loss in yield doesnt mean a loss of millions of dollars. I have a couple "donated planting areas" where I plan to just "set and forget" any surplus seedlilngs. If we have decent soil, it seems overanalyzing fertilizers is unnecessary. Just avoid chlorine and urea; and don't give too much nitrogen late in the season to make color curing easier.

Guess I will find out.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Hey guys, I know this is just my first year, but seems silly to forget that tobacco is a "weed".

Agree with you 100%. Fertilizer has its place but I think most people over do it with fertilizer when it comes to tobacco. I do believe everyone should get a soil test done though. It gives you a baseline to work with.

 

[Knucklehead]

Sent my soil test off and waiting on results. It's not only the best way, it's the least expensive way. Slinging out fertilizer until it "feels right" can get expensive when the soil doesn't need what you're slinging out.

 

[PlantTeacher]

So part of the equation would be how quickly the plant absorbs the nitrogen. But if one were to purchase a furtilizer, say, like feather meal which releases its nitrogen very slowly (between 6 and 9 months), would this still cause problems?