ShiniKoroshi Grow Blog 2025

[ShiniKoroshi]

I just ordered 8 varieties of Tobacco and some Deer's Tongue seed. Ill play with germination once they arrive and hopefully I can get a jump on 2025. Its expected to be a mild winter here so Im starting with a couple Swedish types and with any luck should have a successful but small winter crop. We will see!

Though its been a long time I was pretty good at growing tropicals and orchids. If I can find the right medium Ill try tobacco in semi-hydroponics (old school way) but for now Ill just stick them in the ground.

 

[johnny108]

A semi soilless mix works very well for me, when I plant in containers.
What I use is:
10 volumes coconut coir (hydrated with full strength triple-20 fertilizer and 2.5ml of Epsom salts per 5 liters)
5 volumes perlite
5 volumes vermiculite
5 volumes store bought Potting soil

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

That does sound good, thank you.
I keep giving container growing a second thought.

 

[johnny108]

10 liter containers are the minimum for non-oriental/turkish strains.
A 26-30 liter container will give you a full sized plant.
However, yields from the 10L containers are about 2/3 of a full sized plant, so, 2 plants in 10L containers is more tobacco (weight) than a single plant in a 20+L container.
You have to start more seedlings, but you will get more tobacco in 20L of potting mix, in 2 containers, than in one.
This does not take into account cigar leaf, which needs to be big. I don’t grow for cigars, so it’s not a problem for me, but, for full sized leaf for cigars, larger containers will get you the larger leaf that is needed.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

My plan for container growing is using 5 gal buckets filled with freshwater diatomaceous earth rocks* (1/2"-3/4"). So Im looking at a bulk shipment to do that economically, if I can find a source. For now I think it will be easier to start with growing in the ground. This first year will be more about learning than results. However, I have a tendency to strive for perfection and with that bringing out a plant's maximum potential.

*The diatomaceous earth rocks are part of old school semi-hydroponics as the expanded clay pellets can cause root problems on species that must have constant exposure to oxygen at the roots (orchids).

 

[Knucklehead]

If dry weather is a problem in your area you try this or a combination of this with your other ideas

Knucklehead's 2023 Grow Blog

I plan to start seed 1 Feb for a planting date of 1st week of April. I will have 48 cells of Reams 158 flue cure variety. Four will be backups. My seedling mix is several years old and dry so I went down earlier and dumped a gallon of water in the bag to help premoisten the soil. I struggled...

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Ill have to read through that, thank you.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

I have sprouts of Deer's Tongue! Just checking to see if my green thumb is still green. Now I can plant a few tobacco seeds.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Now I have tobacco sprouts and Im surprised by how fast they sprouted (planted last Saturday evening).

I snip a couple holes in the bottom of these 3oz disposable cups that are sitting in disposable food trays and filled with potting soil. I leaved them covered with plastic wrap until they sprout, then water from the bottom. They get some sunlight during the day sitting outside my front door. From the looks of the Deer's Tongue (background) Im thinking they need more light. Ill put them under the trees tomorrow and see how they do.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

A bit of Swedish history regarding Ahus (Alida).
Mor Alida's last crop.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

I should have put this in the first post.
Seeds I have (from Northwest) and plan to grow throughout this year...

Ahus
Tofta
Little Dutch
Ege
Canik
Japan 8
Little Yellow
Prilep

First 4 are kinda short and will live in the front yard and the taller ones out back. Wading into this gradually as Im sure the learning curve is steep.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Its been three weeks and its looking like we need a little fertilizer and better seed mix for the next batch. Ha, I may even spring for a proper seed tray.


Now I have Bob's handy book and another tobacco growing guide from yesteryear. Not as impressed with Bradley's book as I was Lock's.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Some struggle in January but I seem to have it together now. Too much humidity here to leave the seeding cells in water. These dry out in about 5 days then I manually water from the bottom. Fairly easy since each cup is set in a cup which is hot-glued to a board. I started more seeds Feb 1st, just put them out and they are doing extremely well except for Prilep which were sprouted about 1/4" then fell over. A few have recovered since moving from the covered tray to this one. Meanwhile I have started backups along with Ege and Canik.

Vacillating between pots vs ground I have decided to plant in the ground. Currently working on 3 plots 5'x18' clearing the existing grass and weeds. Afterwards ill turn the soil over then rake until its a fine tilth.


Started Feb1: 8 each of Little Dutch, Little Yellow, Japan 8 and Prilep.


Tofta, Ahus and Deer' Tongue finally doing well.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Figured it was time to make a plan since Tofta & Ahus look like they will be ready for transplant in a week. Its also a good time to stop starting seed as I have 70+ in various stages of growth.

Inked outline of the growing plots (5ft x 18ft) is to scale, 1cm = 1ft (on paper). The path in the middle is not to scale.

Plot on the right has two rows spaced 30 inches apart. Plant spacing along the row is 18 inches. The numbers along the line are the location in inches from the top down. More on this later.
Intended plants are...
3 Ahus
3 Tofta
8 Little Dutch
8 Little Yellow

Plot on the left has three rows spaced 15 inches apart. Spacing between plants is 7.5 inches and 12 inches for tobacco. The tight grid on the bottom is for Deer's Tongue which will be there for 8 or so months. Rows are spaced 12 inches apart and 12 inches between plants.
Intended tobacco are....
12 Ege
12 Canik
12 Prilep
8 Japan8

To save myself a lot of work and headache I used up a pile of plywood and made walkways in front of and in between the rows. The walkways are 2 feet wide and the distance between sets of rows is 4.5 feet. Just finished laying the last of it tonight and ended up with 4 and a half plots (my daughter already claimed the half plot, lol). Ill post a pic once Ahus and Tofta are planted.

I plan to mark the plant locations on the walkways for reference later if needed. It will help me stay organized while planting too. This is my first grow on terra firma.

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

I am my own worst enemy.

The fallen Prilep last month was an indication of trouble that I unfortunately missed. The cause I believe was a pathogen in some wet seedling mix that was left over from something some time back and was mixed with new because Im a hopeless miser. This was made worse by a week of cold & damp. Lesson learned but only after a big setback of plant growth and seedling loss. What remained is doing well and replacements have already sprouted. Its still early in the season so at least I did good by starting early. Next year Ill start seed inside!

Ahus and Tofta will be set tomorrow night and Im supposed to get light rain for the next two days. Yaa me!

My daughter now has as many seedlings going as I do and is out here turning over soil. One of these years will have been our last grow together.

Life is good!

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Ahus and Tofta were set in raised rows on the 2nd. It was a good warm week but after 10 days I pulled up one plant to see why there was no growth. There was moisture below the rows but not in them so I reset all plants, sans the rows, on the 13th. Ahus on the left, Tofta on the right.


They look much better today!


Seeds started first week of Feb are doing better with the warmer temperatures. These all get direct morning sunlight until noon, dappled sunlight until 4pm.
Little Dutch and Little Yellow are in the foreground rows followed by Japan 8 and Prilep. In the back are Ege, Canik and 4 Deer's Tongue in the back left corner.


This is how I keep the leaves and acorns out.


This is the all fresh tray I started 2/23 and they are doing very well! It gets about half the light as the spot above. I cut vents in the cover (not pictured) and use it to keep humidity up and the leaves out. Its been unusually dry here (19% RH today) and my plants and I don't like it. No sir, don't like it at all!

From the left in columns....
Peppermint (not sprouted)
Catnip
Mullein
DeersTongue
Little Dutch
Little Yellow
Japan 8
Ege
Canik
Prilep
Ahus
Tofta

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

"If you plant them they will come." Sure enough they did!

Hawk type moth spotted at dusk, a Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa). Anything nightshade is a host plant for its larva. About 3" across and in great shape (young) but too big to be eaten by the local bats. Its good to see healthy bugs once again and Ill start looking for eggs tomorrow evening.


I wasn't fast enough with the camera so a stock photo is all you get.

 

[TigerTom]

Nice moth. The only sphinx moths I've seen here in CA are White-Lined Sphinx and Carolina Sphinx, but I haven't seen a White-Lined Sphinx in about 10 years.

Where did you find the deer tongue seeds?

 

[ShiniKoroshi]

Where did you find the deer tongue seeds?

Vanilla Plant - Carphephorus ordoratissimus Fair warning- though it says "5.50 per pack of seed shipped" you will still pay $10 in shipping. Germination rate is 8 out of 10 and you get a lot of seed.

Vanilla Plant - Carphephorus ordoratissimus 4" Pot These are sold out but Im sure there will be more sooner than later.

 

[TigerTom]

Great, thanks! Last time I looked around online nobody had it.