whats the lowest temperature a tobacco plant will survive

[Smokin Harley]

Ok, I need to ask the experienced (supply)growers this question. I'm looking at a window of one to two weeks before I set my ready plants out in the field. What is the lowest temperature a tobacco plant will survive or at least revive and not be stunted or set back. I've already been and will be working some overtime for probably a month or better so if I get a day when I can get them in the ground the better. Right now I have May 19th off in the morning for a dr appt and I think I may take the rest of the day off to transplant. Nightly lows look to be about 50 about that time. According to the 2015 Old Farmers Almanac for my area(southwest Chicagoland area)this looks like a wet June that temps will be above normal. The rest of the summer (aka tobacco growing season ) looks to be nice and above normal temp . So, I'm hoping with that info my first grow and color curing will be successful.
Thank you

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Low 40's are perfectly fine. If you are expecting about 50 for a low you have nothing to worry about.

 

[deluxestogie]

To check weather model data forecasting for your area, go to http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/

Enter your Zipcode. ENTER

On the right, select Model Data
For its options, select GFS model, and select map type as 2mAG (This will show temp projections at 2 meters above ground.)

Click Forecast, and allow it to run. You can pause and rewind to study it.

This will look ahead about 2 weeks.

Bob

 

[Smokin Harley]

thanks guys...Bob, I use weather underground all the time. Most accurate. I'll try what you said , wasn't aware of that.

 

[deluxestogie]

As you may know, "official" temperatures (what the TV weather man says) are measured at 2 meters above ground (2mAG). Your tobacco seedlings, however, may be less that 10 cm above ground, where it could be several degrees colder than at 2mAG. Cold air is more dense than warmer air, and flows like water, i.e. downhill, and gets trapped in low areas. This is especially true when there is little wind to agitate the air.

So interpretation of low temperature predictions needs to be viewed in light of the micro-climates in your own field or garden. Though not always true, the lowest temperature for any 24 hour period tends to occur at the moment the sun rises (just before it has a chance to warm anything). On worrisome nights with borderline frost predictions, I have occasionally been able to awaken before dawn, and cover plants just in time to protect them. By cover, I mean drape the bed with a sheet of floating row cover (Agribon-AG15), which provides a couple of degrees of protection. An unexpected frost right after transplanting really sucks.

Bob

 

[DonH]

I've had plants survive just fine temps of around 35F. But a lot depends on if you get frost. Sometimes it will go down to 33 and if it's dry enough it won't frost. But frost would damage small seedlings, I would think.

Also, this time of year in your part of the country, even when the temps get low at night they usually go up in the day. I think stunting would only happen if you had a week where the lows were in the high thirties and the highs didn't get above 50. Which sometimes happens in May where I live. So I usually play it safe and wait until Memorial Day.

 

[deluxestogie]

"Stunting" suggest a permanent reduction in the ultimate size of a plant. My impression is that seedlings subjected to very cool conditions simply pause their growth. When the temps rise, growth resumes.

Bob

 

[Smokin Harley]

well, I wasn't sure . Looks like I'm going to wait until the 19th so the garden can dry out a bit. Wifes aunt gave us home grown tomato plants and I put them out this afternoon. Soil wasn't nearly as mucky as expected but we're supposed to get a good drenching tomorrow . Don't want to drown the little fellas.

 

[USHOG]

Can't wait to watch your grow. You should have a lot of fun

 

[Smokin Harley]

USHOG, I've had a bit of a disappointment . Both Ct Broadleaf and Shade don't look like they will be producing much and a few others arent doing so well. I'm not sure why. The ones I replanted in new soil took off and did very well, so after the others sat idle I did the same and for a few days they took off too. But now some of those later replants aren't looking very good .Some did suffer some higher temps than they should for the simple fact I left the heat mats on on a day that got up to 85*. My theory of planting 9 of each to get 6 good ones is panning out for most part, some arent even doing that well. BUT, so far the varieties I wanted most are in fact doing well. Criollo 98 , Vuelta ,Little Dutch , Madole and Va Gold seem to be the stars of the show .

 

[koceff]

Ok, so I am planing to sow some seeds. I will be growing them in buckets inside BUT i don't have enough space that is heated up so I'll have to put them in a colder places. The seedlings will be inside in a warm room until i have to transplant them in the buckets. My question is at what stage can i put the plants at a colder temp. around 40-50f?

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum. Tobacco plants will survive at 40°F, but will grow very little. I suggest that you wait until 2 months before your average last frost date to germinate seed, then wait until after the last frost date to put them outdoors. Be sure to read the New Growers' FAQ, and scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads. Both are linked in the menu bar.

Bob

 

[koceff]

Tnx for the reply Bob.
It is my first time planting tobacco but i'm planing on planting about 1000 plants (very optimistic )
Just measured the temperature and in one of the rooms is 50f and the other is above 60f but there is very little sunlight coming in. I only plan to plant about 20 this time, just to see how it goes.
So non of the plants will be outside in the ground. I was planing on germinate them the seedlings in a small pots and keep them for about two months at over 70f and after that transplant them in large buckets and put them in a cooler room (60f),till the end, because I don't have other place to put them now. Will I be able to harvest some leaves this way or am i wasting my time?
I have, PA Red, CT Shade, CT Broadleaf, Habano 2000, Bolivian criolo and Corojo (don't know what type).

 

[Knucklehead]

Ok, so I am planing to sow some seeds. I will be growing them in buckets inside BUT i don't have enough space that is heated up so I'll have to put them in a colder places. The seedlings will be inside in a warm room until i have to transplant them in the buckets. My question is at what stage can i put the plants at a colder temp. around 40-50f?

Can you grow them on a balcony with sunlight?

 

[koceff]

Can you grow them on a balcony with sunlight?

My wife stroongly dissagries with me growing tobacco at home . It's winter here (North Macedonia) and it is below 30f and not much sunlight.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

There's two separate issues here. When you're talking about mature plants, all you need is survival. Seedlings, you need growing conditions. I've had seedlings survive outside on the average late May low of around 45-50° F. However, they would not grow if there was no daytime high, and if the soil was as cold as the nighttime air. Soil temperature needs to be at least 60° F if you wish to have any hope of growth. 70-75°F if you actually want them to do well.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

Also, ambient light in a window isn't sufficient for a full sized plant. Some people, (Bob), have big, south facing windows that are good enough for seedlings, or little oriental varieties, but healthy full sized plants that would be anything like what you would grow outside require expensive grow light setups, greenhouses, or the outdoors.

 

[Knucklehead]

My wife stroongly dissagries with me growing tobacco at home . It's winter here (North Macedonia) and it is below 30f and not much sunlight.

Did you show her the beautiful tobacco flowers?

 

[Iowalez]

Well, she might feel differently if it weren't winter and knowing it isn't the right time of year to grow tobacco! In spring it might be just fine.

 

[plantdude]

I grow quite a bit indoors in the winter mostly for the love of growing and doing a small seed increase. Your plants will be smaller with leaves that are a little thinner and probably lower in nicotine content but still usable - just not quite the same quality as outdoor grown pants. Indoor growing is more for fun than actual yield in my opinion though.
My house runs between 55 to 65 F most of the winter. Many of the new plant grow LED lights are very energy efficient and affordable. I think the 75 watt LED light I bought last year cost about $15 and fits in a regular lamp socket. Hanging that a few feet above the plants plus a few smaller 15 watt LED lights around the base of the plants would be sufficient for about 5 to 6 plants in 3 gallon pots. The LED lights are very intense and also emit UV so you will want to use them in a room you don't plan on spending much time in. Florescent lights kept close to the plants are also another inexpensive energy efficient option.
If I remember correctly prilep is an oriental variety that was developed in Macedonia. It is a very beautiful variety with excellent sweeter aromatic leaves that are usable without a long aging time. It also can be grown in smaller pots since it's an oriental. I currently have some growing in small pots that I brought in from my late summer grow and they have been doing well in indoor growing conditions so far. It would be a fun one to try and your wife will even have to admit that it is a pretty looking plant.