Seedlings or just go for it?

[DaleB]

So… with a bunch of stuff going on, I find myself in the middle of April with no seeds started. I have some starter cells, a seed mat, plenty of seeds… the plan for this year was some Yellow Twist Bud, some seeds that claim to be Yenidje, and maybe a few stalks of Perique.

We’re well past the danger of frost and it’s warming up here in Omaha. I think there’s probably time to get some plants grown and harvested before the frost, usually late October. Should I start the seeds indoors in the seed starter cells, or just sow them in the planter where they’ll grow and maybe cover with plastic for a couple weeks to hold in moisture and fend off the night time low temps? What say ye more experienced growers?

 

[deluxestogie]

It will be a squeaker. By sowing directly, you will eliminate a week+ of transplant shock. You may or may not have time to produce seed, if you had intended to save seed.

Good luck with your grow.

Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

The question is what are your soil temps? 65 or less and you are not going to get good germination for a few more weeks. If so will still be better to start indoors and transplant.

 

[deluxestogie]

Soil Temperature Maps by Depth

Bob

 

[Wombat_smokes]

On paper, if you start from seeds indoors this weekend (April 18), you have time to harvest around the 1st week of October.

The longest maturing strain is 65 days after transplant. 7 weeks (49 days) before transplant + 65 days to maturity + 21 days for ripening = 135 days
April 18 + 135 days = Aug. 31

Your forecast is similar to mine - hard freeze over the weekend with a warming trend. As long as the soil surface stays above 65°F, there will be a minimal delay. I favor an experiment: some seeds outdoors ( maybe 1 pot each); most seeds indoors.

 

[DaleB]

Soil temps are fine outdoors, but I decided to start some seeds in cells for now. I still have some cleanup and work I want to do in the outdoor beds before planting. I started some Chilean, Perique, and MD yesterday and will probably start another type or two today. There’s a strip of dirt and grass between the side of my garage and a sidewalk to the back yard that I want to fill up and use for tobacco plants. It’s probably 2 x 20’ and gets full sun until mid afternoon. My other locations are a 3 x 8 planter and a couple of spots in a corner flower bed that get full sun all day long.