Robncars Growing in ND

[Knucklehead]

All those lowest bottom leaves are called mud lugs. They always turn brown and die first. They are usually very thin, tattered, dirty, low in nicotine, and low in flavor. I usually recommend first time growers experiment with curing them to gain a little experience in the curing process before the real leaf is ready so you will be a little more confident in curing and can make mistakes with leaf that’s not much good. After that first season, most guys just toss them because they’re hardly worth the effort. It is pretty cool to roll up a stogie in the patch from a mud lug that has fully cured on the plant. It feels pretty special to sit in your patch smoking your leaf you just plucked off your own tobacco plant.

 

[Robncars]

All those lowest bottom leaves are called mud lugs. They always turn brown and die first. They are usually very thin, tattered, dirty, low in nicotine, and low in flavor. I usually recommend first time growers experiment with curing them to gain a little experience in the curing process before the real leaf is ready so you will be a little more confident in curing and can make mistakes with leaf that’s not much good. After that first season, most guys just toss them because they’re hardly worth the effort. It is pretty cool to roll up a stogie in the patch from a mud lug that has fully cured on the plant. It feels pretty special to sit in your patch smoking your leaf you just plucked off your own tobacco plant.

See without you guys I'd worry over nothing.

 

[deluxestogie]

See without you guys I'd worry over nothing.

Only for the first season. Next year's grow will be much less stressful.

Bob

 

[plantdude]

This one was the most concerning.
View attachment 32224

These are similar

View attachment 32224View attachment 32225View attachment 32226View attachment 32227View attachment 32228View attachment 32229

And then I think this is heat damage

View attachment 32230View attachment 32231

Just my thoughts and I'm not a professional - I've noticed it's not uncommon for the bottom most leaves to yellow and die as the plant matures, they calll these the sand lugs. In a few of your pics that looks like what may be happening. For the first picture of the single leaf that you are calling heat damage that may also be from physical contact with an object. I notice if my leaves come into contact with a fence, the ground, or other object for any length of time they start dying where they touch. I think the constant agitation from the wind does it. A few of your other pics I'm not so sure about.

Sorry for the repeat of info, for some reasons knuckleheads last post about the mud lugs wasn't showing up.

 

[Knucklehead]

Just my thoughts and I'm not a professional - I've noticed it's not uncommon for the bottom most leaves to yellow and die as the plant matures, they calll these the sand lugs. In a few of your pics that looks like what may be happening. For the first picture of the single leaf that you are calling heat damage that may also be from physical contact with an object. I notice if my leaves come into contact with a fence, the ground, or other object for any length of time they start dying where they touch. I think the constant agitation from the wind does it. A few of your other pics I'm not so sure about.

Sorry for the repeat of info, for some reasons knuckleheads last post about the mud lugs wasn't showing up.

I’ve noticed that also, especially on black pots more so than the reddish colored pots, and more with plastic than the heavy real clay pots. I could touch the black pots that were in the sun and just about burn my fingers.

 

[deluxestogie]

Sand lugs? Mud lugs? Depends on your dirt. Different growing regions call various stalk levels of tobacco leaf different names. And they divide the leaf into 3, 4 and even up to 7 categories.

For a different perspective on mud lugs, other names are "cutters", "fliers and trash", "dirt leaves", etc. The generic term, "lugs", can include that very bottom leaf, or may refer to the leaf above that, up to about the half-way point of the stalk. Different tobacco varieties of leaf are expected to be categorized by the expectations of the major industrial purchasers of the particular variety in question. For me, there are:

• mud lugs (trash for cigars)
• lugs (seco for cigars)
• middle leaf (viso for cigars)
• upper leaf (ligero for cigars)
• tip leaf (corona for cigars)

But I'm old, and set in my ways.

The usual fate of mud lugs is why I don't mind clipping the leaves of seedlings. They just become trash regardless.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

Only for the first season. Next year's grow will be much less stressful.

Bob

That will be nice. Tough when you start most things with an idea and run wild with it. Im after knowledge mostly. Self sufficiency is second. I've got a leg up from most of my generation as I grew up in the middle of nowhere and I'm not far from it now

 

[Robncars]

And another curve ball



Anyone see this happen.
I watered pretty heavy last night. But only these 3 show this stress

 

[deluxestogie]

If you're worried about the leaf inverting over the plant, that sometimes happens from the increased stem turgor that can result from suddenly over-moist soil. Not a problem.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

If you're worried about the leaf inverting over the plant, that sometimes happens from the increased stem turgor that can result from suddenly over-moist soil. Not a problem.

Bob

Ok I was afraid it was due to almost frost. Seems to have gotten pretty close last night which is worrisome by itself

 

[deluxestogie]

Go to the Weather Underground website:

Local Weather Forecast, News and Conditions | Weather Underground

Weather Underground provides local & long-range weather forecasts, weather reports, maps & tropical weather conditions for locations worldwide

www.wunderground.com

and plug in your Zipcode. Then click on the 10-day link. This will show a graph that can (customize) show a curve of the predicted temp lows for your spot in North Dakota. If you then bookmark that page, you can check it daily for the risk of upcoming frost. I use <35°F as a frost indicator, because of my microclimate variance from the nearest weather station (~1 mile away).

Bob's 10-day weather graph. Note Customize button for adding and removing various measures.

Bob

 

[plantdude]

And another curve ball

View attachment 32247View attachment 32248

Anyone see this happen.
I watered pretty heavy last night. But only these 3 show this stress

All three were in good year tires, maybe there is a pattern. Good years stock is down right now which is a shame since they are one of the two American tire companies left in the US - maybe the plants are sad about that Ok Bob's answer was better

 

[Oldfella]

I’ve noticed that also, especially on black pots more so than the reddish colored pots, and more with plastic than the heavy real clay pots. I could touch the black pots that were in the sun and just about burn my fingers.

I'm using a black weedmat as weed control, (cause I'm lazy,) I've found that on a hot summers day it's impossible to walk on in bare feet. In fact I reckon you could fry up a feed of bacon and eggs on it.
Enjoy your breakfast
Oldfella

 

[Robncars]

I ran out of the blue orchid food and I'm going to be waiting for more. (Now for a confession- I have been feeding my Tobaccy every morning 4 tbsp with 4 gal. with that backpack sprayer). I found this stuff locally


I can't find urea listed or in specs for it. Its light on nutrients at 1-3-1.
1 nitrogen
3 phosphate
1 potash
For 4 gallons I would need 16 "squirts" of this. I don't think it would touch the feeding program I use now. But it does have quite a bit of helpful microbes.

 

[Knucklehead]

I ran out of the blue orchid food and I'm going to be waiting for more. (Now for a confession- I have been feeding my Tobaccy every morning 4 tbsp with 4 gal. with that backpack sprayer). I found this stuff locally
View attachment 32271View attachment 32272

I can't find urea listed or in specs for it. Its light on nutrients at 1-3-1.
1 nitrogen
3 phosphate
1 potash
For 4 gallons I would need 16 "squirts" of this. I don't think it would touch the feeding program I use now. But it does have quite a bit of helpful microbes.

Larger, established plants in the patch can withstand urea but seedlings can’t handle it. I use regular 10-10-10 pelletized garden fertilizer once they are established. I would caution against fertilizing later in the season as it can have an adverse effect on the burn quality.

 

[Robncars]

Larger, established plants in the patch can withstand urea but seedlings can’t handle it. I use regular 10-10-10 pelletized garden fertilizer once they are established. I would caution against fertilizing later in the season as it can have an adverse effect on the burn quality.

As I understand when nitrogen gets depleted it will trigger the flower response in tobacco

 

[Knucklehead]

I haven’t seen that about nitrogen and early budding. Some of my varieties can bud early while varieties next to them didn’t with no rhyme or reason. The pelletized fertilizer is a time release formulation. I usually fertilize about half a week or so after transplant and the other half maybe a month or so later. I got a soil test the first couple seasons and specified tobacco in the request form, then I just winged it afterwards based on the soil test findings from the earlier seasons. Here are links to some professional recommendations from the University of Kentucky. I come close but didn’t follow them exactly. I used 10-10-10 for the expedient reason that I was tossing it on the yard and the drip line around the fruit and plum trees and it was handy.

https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1179&context=pss_views

AGR-49 LIMING AND FERTILIZING BURLEY TOBACCO

www2.ca.uky.edu

 

[Knucklehead]

As I understand when nitrogen gets depleted it will trigger the flower response in tobacco

I should add that your tobacco looks great and I don’t see any reason for you to change what your doing. The links talk about the effect fertilizer can have on the curing and the burn quality of the leaf. Some leaf can be basically fireproof with the wrong fertilizer later in the season.

 

[deluxestogie]

Too much nitrogen late in the season will sometimes cause leaf to be very slow to mature and ripen, even though it looks gorgeous. Most extension services suggest no fertilizer during the month prior to harvest.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

I've been feeding them so they will grow. Being late they need all the help they can get. I've got maybe 6 weeks left so maybe cutting to a smaller nitrogen level will help