viktor's grow blog 2026

[Wombat_smokes]

4°C is a bit low for tobacco. I had a week of 2°- 4° C overnight temperatures. 3 of those days were 2° - 3°C. Growth tips are dead, but stalks are still alive. Sucker crops are often considered "inferior" to origional stem, so I will replace with my extras. Night time temps 4°C or more are best. You WILL want to consider protection if you plant now.

 

[vktr]

OK thanks, I'll heed your advice and wait a week or two. Appreciate it! My impatience was running wild

 

[Wombat_smokes]

That's why I chanced planting mine. Glad I didn't put all of my eggs in one basket. Plants I had to throw away only.

 

[vktr]

Clearly I sowed my seeds two weeks too early. There's a +2C forecast next Mon/Tue night and much higher afterwords so I'll plant them all out in four-five days. Some of them have been living outside for a week anyway, mostly during the day (img 1). Those on img 2 were transplanted a week ago and braved the weather. And these on img 3 still live indoors.

 

[johnny108]

Clearly I sowed my seeds two weeks too early. There's a +2C forecast next Mon/Tue night and much higher afterwords so I'll plant them all out in four-five days. Some of them have been living outside for a week anyway, mostly during the day (img 1). Those on img 2 were transplanted a week ago and braved the weather. And these on img 3 still live indoors.

A cold frame made out of an upside down table and a clear plastic tarp could house the plants if they aren’t in the ground.
In ground plants could be covered by row cover cloth or a bell cloche made out of a plastic jug with the bottom cut off.

 

[vktr]

The wait is over, 56 plants are in four raised beds and are doing fine considering I transplanted them just 3-4 days ago. It was 10 plants per bed when I started with aztec three years ago, then 12 last year and 14 this time, hope they can cope with limited space, we'll see. On image 3 there are some damaged plants, that's because I was stupid enough to leave them in aluminium trays overnight during pouring rain. I'll remember not to do that again Anyway I salvaged most of them and have plenty of backups in case anything goes wrong.

Happy growing season everyone!

 

[vktr]

Bloody squirrels dig holes in the ground every day and night without damaging the plants tho. The cat used to treat the beds as his extended toilet but not so far since the plants are in, I talked to him and he seems to have understood.

 

[hayfield311]

The wait is over, 56 plants are in four raised beds and are doing fine considering I transplanted them just 3-4 days ago. It was 10 plants per bed when I started with aztec three years ago, then 12 last year and 14 this time, hope they can cope with limited space, we'll see. On image 3 there are some damaged plants, that's because I was stupid enough to leave them in aluminium trays overnight during pouring rain. I'll remember not to do that again Anyway I salvaged most of them and have plenty of backups in case anything goes wrong.

Happy growing season everyone!

Looks leggy. Happened to me once, my seedlings didn't devolved thick stems and deep roots because they didnt get full sun and wind and I kept feeding it Nitrogen.
Yours is not that bad but most of it will be thin and soft so watch out for wind.

Eekay has one the best seedling I'v seen recently. Thick leaves and roots and almost no stem.

 

[vktr]

And today the sun hit... From +1C 4 days ago to 29C today, I love Ontario, no spring, just winter and then summer. The newly transplanted plants hate direct sunlight. Most of the leaves wilted during the day but now they are back up. The lower ones are damaged but the dark green leaves on the top will make the plant in the next two months I hope. No, I know

 

[vktr]

Here is a refined schedule for two harvests of Aztec I came up with. Aztec matures 2-2.5 months after transplanting. I was two weeks late with the second crop last year and two weeks too early with the first one this year. This should put the things straight from now on. New seeds will go into the ground on May 23.

 

[vktr]

The second crop seeds have been sown! 120 cells and two pots. Added perlite to some of them to see if it makes a difference. Only took me under two hours, I'm getting good at this. A friend once said I should be working at a garden centre LOL.

 

[vktr]

After 30 hours of heavy rain and some strong wind the plants look a bit battered now but not too bad I think. There are broken leaves but not too many. As they say if it doesn't kill them it makes them stronger A calmer weather is coming so they can recuperate.