The second harvest, maybe

[vktr]

Hope this is the right forum to post this in. It's not really off topic.

Here in Southern Ontario I have from mid May to mid October (+15 days each term if lucky) to grow tobacco. ChatGPT (don't discard it, it led me to this forum, haha) told me that Aztec Wild matures in 60-75 days. And seemingly it was right: leaves although light green snap off the stock quite easily (transplanted starting May 2). On 6th of June I planted new seeds, they are now up to two inch tall and I started replacing the former generation with the new one. Looks like they grow a month faster than the ones planted in February. Will they make good plants in two and half month? I'll certainly tell you then but now I want to know if this effort is in vein.

 

[vktr]

To demonstrate the dilemma, here is a picture of old and new plants. Should I harvest the older leaves and plant new ones in their place or just leave them alone to ripen? Some older plants have just 3-5 leaves left.

 

[vktr]

I guess this is my "second harvest in Canada" blog New plants seem to be doing OK, they hate the heat though.



I have some more to go into the second bed, and that will be it. We'll see who matures before the frost. The cat doubts they make it.

 

[vktr]

An update: the good news is than the plants are growing well, the bad one is that this one wants to flower, others to follow. Saving the tall one for the seeds, mid season Monte Calme Brun on the left looks nice to the eye. I know I need to mow the grass and weeds but not when it's 35C outside

Should I add any fertilizer for the new plants? Not if they look OK I guess but your advice will be appreciated. The soil was mixed with compost at the end of the last season.

 

[deluxestogie]

Should I add any fertilizer for the new plants?

I can't offer much advice on N. rustica. Now seems like it's fairly late in the growing season to add fertilizer to plants that will need to mature their leaves prior to first frost.

Bob

 

[The Haroo ln]

I'll second bob on that. Fertilize now and you plants will take longer to mature plus colour curing will be almost impossible considering how late it is in the season.

 

[vktr]

My first harvest



and the second one is catching up (it's windy today)



Cheers!

 

[vktr]

The flower buds are beginning to open and I've started topping the plants this week. Will a month from now be enough for the leaves to mature? I know it depends but what to expect? Thanks as always for the info.

 

[deluxestogie]

Will a month from now be enough for the leaves to mature?

Maybe.

Bob

 

[vktr]

Maybe.

Bob

Thanks for the encouragement LOL.

 

[deluxestogie]

You might also limit any watering. Make them suffer!

Bob

 

[vktr]

You might also limit any watering. Make them suffer!

Bob

OK, that's easy.

 

[vktr]

Haven't watered 'em in days, is this the consequence or something I should worry about? Yellow patches started appearing on several plants' leaves, three or four so far.

 

[vktr]

The same shot as two weeks ago, they keep growing and the leaves are getting sticky. Still plenty of time left. I have 44 new plants, assuming eight good sized leaves per plant on average I'll have 350 more leaves, wow.

 

[vktr]

Two weeks on, free compost and the cat in the window pane

 

[vktr]

Another two weeks. We've been having a summer-like weather which will continue for at least 10 more days, and five days of rain. The leaves are still dark green but look fully grown. Stems are thick as well (in the first photo the plant with seeds on the top is from the first harvest).

 

[vktr]

Who said Aztec Wild don't grow big leaves? Still growing. The second picture is for comparison with plants grown in cloth bags, the same seeds, the same conditions... Why have I been growing in bags? Too much work and result is dismal. I will be adding a couple of beds and ditching the bags altogether next year. Growing tobacco gets easier and easier.

 

[vktr]

That's all I've got from the pots and bags, 22 plants, the second harvest. I wonder how people manage to grow big plants in those.

 

[Tuco The Ugly]

Damn those are monster Aztecs.
My Aztec didn’t want to yellow at all for me. Definitely didn’t get that big. What do you plan to do with it?

 

[vktr]

Damn those are monster Aztecs.
My Aztec didn’t want to yellow at all for me. Definitely didn’t get that big. What do you plan to do with it?

Stock cure them (from my trials looks like the leaves will yellow on the stock), ferment the leaves and smoke them of course The "monster" leaves you mentioned grew in a flower bed, so I think the space for the roots is crucial.

The photos are a depiction of a frost scare last night. They got all sweaty under the film.