Henrybowman47
Active Member
I have just harvested a bunch of Connecticut broad leaf wrapper seeds and Havana 608 filler seeds if anyone is in the st Augustine fl area you are welcome to some for free or trade for other seeds.
Free seeds
- Thread starter Henrybowman47
- Start date
I don't see any bags on the seed heads. How did you maintain their genetic purity?
Bob
Bob
Henrybowman47
Active Member
I guess I didn’t. Just let them do their thing. First time planting
Henrybowman47
Active Member
Does that mean my seeds are no good?
They will grow tobacco just fine. But they may no longer be like the varieties you initially planted, since they may have cross-pollinated each other. There is no harm in your growing it, but it should no longer be identified as specific varietal seed.
See the New Growers' FAQ and the relevant topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads. If you order fresh seed from Northwood Seeds, and grow them, just be sure to bag the seed heads as described in the above resources. That will assure genetic purity in the future.
Bob
See the New Growers' FAQ and the relevant topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads. If you order fresh seed from Northwood Seeds, and grow them, just be sure to bag the seed heads as described in the above resources. That will assure genetic purity in the future.
Bob
skychaser
Well-Known Member
Who did you get them from? Just curious. Most companies don't give you anywhere near 1500 seeds.
Looks like Mountain Valley Seed Co, in Salt Lake City, UT.
Henrybowman47
Active Member
Thanks bob. Your the man. They are growing very close to each other so I’m assuming they definitely crossed. I just topped them. Hoping the 608 starts turning soon so I can harvest leaves.
Tobacco doesn't wind pollinate like corn. They are self pollinated and can be pollinated by insects going from one flower to another. The bags are to prevent insects from cross pollinating the varieties. Insects can cross pollinate up to I think 1/4 mile or so. I use 5 gal. paint strainers and removeable cable ties in case I need to adjust the bag as the seed head expands. Bag the seed head before flowering or remove any flowers and the associated seed pods prior to bagging.
skychaser
Well-Known Member
Ahh, They are part of True Leaf Market. They buy wholesale from me, so those are my seeds. Those seeds are some of last years crop.
That is their bulk pack of 1500 seeds. 100 seeds are $2.99, which is about what you get from most companies. They also bought Sustainable Seed Company a few years ago. True Leaf Market is a big company who's been in business since 1974. Good company too. The girl I deal with there is great to work with. Everything they buy has to be germ tested by a certified lab before they buy it, and they retest everything they have in stock once a year. Not just tobaccos. but everything! That's a lot of tests! And a lot of time and money to do it. I thought I did a lot of tests. But it's nothing compared to what they do. I sent in 24 more strains to a lab for retesting last week. That's my 3rd round this year. But if you want to assure top quality, that's what you do.
Krausen89
Well-Known Member
if your willing to mail i would love to try some of those possibly crossed seeds. are those the only 2 varieties you grew that season?
Tobaccofieldsforever
Well-Known Member
Same here. Have you noticed your paint strainer bags deteriorating after a couple years use? I was washing and reusing mine every year but this year a couple of them got extremely brittle and would fall apart when lightly touched. I didn’t know if I had left them out too long in the sun or what. Luckily they held their integrity until all flowers were dead and gone. I will have to be more observant of the strainer bags I am using in the future. Hummingbirds are a HUGE fan of tobacco plant flowers (at least in my area) and I have observed them trying to get to the flowers underneath the strainer bags. Also birds seem to frequent them as perches too so the bag must be up to par in terms of tensile strength.
I tried reusing the strainers and noticed the same thing you did. I've never had one deterioriate after one season so I just use new ones each year. It was expensive during the 75 variety seed grow out extravaganza but not so bad during a normal year. Just see it as the cost of doing business and keeping pure seed. We're still saving huge $$$ over commercial products.
I don't think washing is the problem. I think the material is not UV stable and the sunshine deteriorates the material over time. PVC plumbing pipe is made for underground only and is not UV stable. It will become brittle and break easily after being in the sun a few season. I used to make homemade lawn sprinklers using pvc pipe and they would get brittle and break after a few season in the sun. I think that is what happens with the mesh, but they seem to be fine for a season and maybe two but I decided not to push the envelope. I've had some huge seed heads that looked like they could burst at the seams but the mesh held up fine.
Similar threads
