Philadelphia, so I assume 7b? And as far as my research, if don’t properly indoors within two months they should be nearly 6-8inches tall? Also at what point do I transfer them to solo cups indoors.
Thanks Bob, as I said though the top picture we sowed 1.5 months ago, and my biggest plant is only about 2inches tall, should they not be close to 6inches tall at this point?
The plants are putting their energy toward putting down roots to support the growth spurt you are about to experience. They usually stall again after transplant when given room to spread.
Does your seedling mix have any plant food in it? Are you adding any when you water? As far as 6" in 6 weeks, that has not been my experience. If I up-pot seedlings at 4 weeks at 6 they might be 3" but mine live 8 weeks before transplant and I trim pretty aggressively. At this stage I wouldn't worry about height yet. The important part is growing a thick root ball that will sustain the plant through transplant. I included a picture of some starts I transplanted last year in the same size tray you are using so you can visualize what is happening under the surface.
Awesome info. When you say you trim pretty aggressively can you clarify what you mean?
Awesome thanks, I’m actually leaving about half inch of water at the bottom of tray as well. I know some people like to leave the water and some like to only water from the bottom once a week or so, does it matter that much?
I am 5b and already have them in the garden. I am all for starting things inside to get ahead of climate, but at some point conditions outside are more productive than forcing a process that might have made more sense 8 weeks ago.
While still in starter trays I clip about 2/3 of each leaf that is starting to impede light to the other cells. And when the second row of leaves appear I cut the bottom leaves off completely. The bottom row usually ends of getting buried or rest on the ground anyway when I transplant. Your trays may be salvaged if you put a fan close on Low pointed towards the cells and don't add any water for 5 days. I water once every 3 to 4 days. When I add water I watch the level come up about 1/3 of the way up one empty cell and I stop. When the soil is close to dry you would be surprised how quickly it absorbs upwards overnight. Honestly I only water when I can pick up the tray and feel how light it is and that tends to take a few days.
Gotcha, so you would cut off the leaf I’m pointing to on the bottom? Also it’s been nearly 3 weeks since these seeds have sprouted snd
I realise this is now over a year later but my plants behaved exactly as yours did and I figured out what it was. Absolutely nutrientless potting soil. I pulled 6 seedlings out, gently washed the soil off the roots then repotted them into expensive branded potting soil. They suddenly took off! I did the same to the rest and they did the same. So the coco fibre based medium I used to germinate them must have been lacking some essential element.
Coco coir and peat are both just filler material. They are used in potting soils to provide bulk. For starter mix I use 50/50 chicken yard compost and biochar screened through 1/4 inch. If you are using bagged compost a little sand will help with drainage. The mix should squeeze into a ball that breaks apart when pinched. More biochar if it doesn't break apart, more compost if it doesn't hold together. The biochar works like a water and nutrient battery and is very light. As long as this mix is kept moist it will be alive.
I'd say we could both draw the same conclusion. It was an interesting discovery for me as I have germinated and brought-on hundreds if not thousands of seeds, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, all sorts of vegetables, in the coconut medium and never encountered such a stark halt in development, which is why it took me a couple of weeks to try the expensive potting medium. I can only guess tobacco needs some particular trace element which the other plants don't and which is simply not present in bare coconut medium.
This is from 2012. The cells on the left were filled with coconut coir. Those on the right with MiracleGro Sphagnum Peat.
Bob
Very interesting to read, thank you. My soil here in central Italy is medium-clay and hold a high mineral/trace element content that does not easily flush away. I am in the upper Tiber valley, although up on a hillside, about 200m above the broad valley bottom. Tobacco has been grown here commercially non stop for about 200 years and does very well. For my 96 criollo plants this past season, I ploughed the patch - which has been fallow for at least 15 years to my knowledge- and covered it generously with 3 Yr old horse manure, then left it for a month. Then I cultivated it and let the first flush of weeds come through, applied another manure dressing and cultivated it again. Left it for 3 weeks then cultivated the 2nd flush of weeds back in, then planted my seedlings and installed drip irrigation. I had very strong growth all season with minimal weeding needed and minimal insect attack. Harvested the last ligero priming about 10 days ago now and averaged 20 leaves per plant. Most interestingly for me, despite their extremely slow, delayed development in the coconut medium, I didn't lose one single plant from germination through potting on through planting out. Had 96 seeds germinate and harvested 96 mature plants. Tobacco is a very robust, tough plant in my experience.
