Journal about my first outdoor grow.
Quick facts:
-1st outdoor grow, had some experience on indoor growing
-Allotment lot with bad soil on public grounds
-Far north location, latitude c. 63 north, central Finland
-Minimal budget
-6 or 7 seed variety from Ebay and local sellers, Rustica, Virginias, Burley, Kentucky, possibly Rot Front (can't remember anymore)
-Bad summer weathers, late frosts, almost record dry June, followed by almost record wet July
Started a bit too early, in late March, by putting seeds in large balcony flower container on a south-facing windowstill, transplanted seedlings to individual seedling pots when they were few centimeters tall, and then tried to keep them from overgrowing when summer just woudn't come and there were still bitter frosts in early June. The seedlings were 20-30cm tall and lanky by then, with zero outdoor hardening because my apartment lacks any balcony. Nothing unusual about seedling period otherwise, I have done few indoor grows on the said windowstill earlier.
Propagation sometime in May:
The lot is a leased allotment garden lot from city public grounds, kinda like Victory Garden equivalents, most people are growing supplementary food, very rudimentary and renters change a lot. It has bad soil, almost full clay with maybe a bit of very fine sand mixed into it, nothing cultivated for the last 10 years at least so it was like concrete, not even many weeds. I had to start the tilling by shovel because the motorized tiller would not touch the ground that hard. Took a few days of manual tilling, then finished it with a motorized tiller and banked the earth to 7 banks about a meter apart. No better soil hauled from elsewhere, because I had decided this would be a minimum-budget approach and to see if anything grows in such conditions.
I base-fertilized the soil between tills with chicken manure, about 50kg per the 100m2/1000sqf area. I assumed the ground is rather acidic and has close to zero existing nutrients, although have not tested. The manure had about 2 weeks to settle. I know it should be tilled and fertilized last autumn and let settle over winter, but I did not have the lease to the lot before this spring.
Finally planted the seedlings on June 8th. June 10th is said to be sort of foolproof date for no more spring frosts after that, in old folks' tales here in central Finland but this year was exceptionally cold in the spring. Planting went okay, about 130 transplants on 10x10m rented lot. Cloudy day, about 15 degrees C/ 60 F. Lots of watering. Covered them with very thin white fabric. There were few nights very close to freezing, and that combined with the unacclimatized seedlings and direct sunlight at day, the transplants went bad. All turned completely white on the leaves, the stalks wilted to the ground and I was almost ready to call it quits at that point. But given about a week, about half of the seedlings started to grow sucker-like small leaves and eventually survived. I buried the obviously dead ones and started watering the survivors every day, for it was very dry, not a drop of rain for many weeks.
1 or 2 days after the transplant. Perkele.
Sometime at the beginning of July the plants that survived (about 60-70) finally started looking like they could hold their own against weeds at least, for there were a lot of weeds and I only cleared the root areas of the plants, not everything. It would have been hopeless, because the lot had not been properly de-weeded over winter (I don't know the correct term but the process where you just de-weed it for the first summer several times and let the winter kill the rest of the weed roots, and only start planting on the second summer).
By the time in early July they looked like this, still rather smol. The rusticas in the very back row are so smol they don't even show from all the weeds growing taller than them.
Then came the July which has been very close to record rainfall and humidity here, very low readings in barometer and rather cool, 20C tops. Nothing like in more southern Europe where they have had the super heat waves. The plants got into rapid growth stage and by the end of the July looked like this. Almost no watering needed, just given them about 5 kilograms of about 4:1:5 NPK fertilizer that is given in water solution, because that was the estimate given in Virginia Uni publications for Burley and Virginia tobacco, for this area (100m2, about 1000 square feet) and I have no better knowledge yet.
End of July, the first finnish Virginias in front row already topped, german Virginias in the back not even budding yet:
And then the bad weather July ended with really bad weather weekend storm, which caused the largest Virginia and Burley bushes to fall and snap at the root of the stalk. There are few stalks that seemed to survive so that the plant is still alive 5 days later but the stalk snapped partially and generated those grain-like textures in the injured part that I don't have a picture of, but it looks like lots of sesame seeds that you see on hamburger buns, clustered to the injured part of the stalk. About 5 largest bushes snapped completely and I had to take them to try stalk drying, although it is probably way too early, they were under 2 months from transplant when they fell. I propped the partially injured plants with wooden supports and some of them seem to stay alive when propped, so the water intake is not totally cut off and part of the stalk survives.
After the storm, propped semi-snapped plants:
I was seriously pissed, this has been propbably the worst weather combination imaginable for growing (late frost, draught in June, Noah's Ark conditions in July, but that storm was just an insult to injury. And there is a new storm forecast in few days, I'm about to make simple wooden poles to prop the biggest plants against, and tie them to those with large zip-ties, loosely, so that they don't injure themselves against the ties, but also preventing the whole stalk falling under its own weight in the next storm and snapping at the root.
Overall I am hopeful, for the conditions are so low-end and the weather has been hostile, to say it nicely, that anything grows and hopefully matures a bit before the first autumn frosts. I have also noticed that there are huge differences between the different seeds for normal Virginia (bought locally, and bought from german ebay seller). The local "traditional" seeds produced very early flowering plants, I had to top them about a week ago just before the storm, barely 1,5 month from transplant. Some of the seeds are from store stock and some from indoor-grown plants from the same seeds, but 2nd generation. No noticeable difference between those, maybe the store-bought ones were a bit fore fertile and quicker to start, but no big difference. The seeds bought from some german ebay seller are plain Virginia too, but produce much later-developing and heavier plants. Bit taller, but about 2 times heavier on the leaves, and flowering much later, they have only started to form buds and I assume it will be 2 weeks to topping, at least. Almost a month later than the finnish Virginias. Maybe the finnish ones have been bred to bloom and mature as early as possible because of the short summer (about June 10th the last frost, and early to mid September first frost so only 3 months of sure growing period).
Some notices I have made this far:
- I wonder if the stalks are really that prone to snapping at the ground level normally during strong winds, or is it this very damp weather that has softened them so that they can't stand strong winds normally? At least I will have to prop them pre-emptively next year when they get heavy enough and bad weather is forecast.
- I should order more seeds from that german seller, they seem to be the best growing, the only problem with them is do they manage to ripen before the frosts or am I forced to harvest too early. The finnish ones have much lower yields but probably will ripen in time.
- I assume there is no real benefit to harvest own seeds, they don't seem to be any better performing that the store bought ones although they were taken from the best plants in previous harvests
- I should find an allotment lot with better soil. There are a few besides this one around the town, I will have to keep looking what sort of natural soil they have, and probably take my operation elsewhere next year, for that clay soil is just nasty.
- Fertilizing, I don't know. Some of the Burleys and Kentuckys especially have had yellow bottom leaves early on and the top leaves are mosaic-colored on most anything (pics related), I don't know if this is an indicator of some nutrient deficiency or even toxicity? I have not tested the soil pH.
Older image but the yellowy tint on Burleys in mid-July is best visible here, it has not changed since:
Pretty much all the top leaves except Rusticas look like this now, mosaic-y:
This is how the whole lot looks today, prepping for the second storm is underway. Also visible the fertilizer used for about 5kgs (Kekkilä watering fertilizer).
Thanks for reading, any input is greatly appreciated!
Quick facts:
-1st outdoor grow, had some experience on indoor growing
-Allotment lot with bad soil on public grounds
-Far north location, latitude c. 63 north, central Finland
-Minimal budget
-6 or 7 seed variety from Ebay and local sellers, Rustica, Virginias, Burley, Kentucky, possibly Rot Front (can't remember anymore)
-Bad summer weathers, late frosts, almost record dry June, followed by almost record wet July
Started a bit too early, in late March, by putting seeds in large balcony flower container on a south-facing windowstill, transplanted seedlings to individual seedling pots when they were few centimeters tall, and then tried to keep them from overgrowing when summer just woudn't come and there were still bitter frosts in early June. The seedlings were 20-30cm tall and lanky by then, with zero outdoor hardening because my apartment lacks any balcony. Nothing unusual about seedling period otherwise, I have done few indoor grows on the said windowstill earlier.
Propagation sometime in May:
The lot is a leased allotment garden lot from city public grounds, kinda like Victory Garden equivalents, most people are growing supplementary food, very rudimentary and renters change a lot. It has bad soil, almost full clay with maybe a bit of very fine sand mixed into it, nothing cultivated for the last 10 years at least so it was like concrete, not even many weeds. I had to start the tilling by shovel because the motorized tiller would not touch the ground that hard. Took a few days of manual tilling, then finished it with a motorized tiller and banked the earth to 7 banks about a meter apart. No better soil hauled from elsewhere, because I had decided this would be a minimum-budget approach and to see if anything grows in such conditions.
I base-fertilized the soil between tills with chicken manure, about 50kg per the 100m2/1000sqf area. I assumed the ground is rather acidic and has close to zero existing nutrients, although have not tested. The manure had about 2 weeks to settle. I know it should be tilled and fertilized last autumn and let settle over winter, but I did not have the lease to the lot before this spring.
Finally planted the seedlings on June 8th. June 10th is said to be sort of foolproof date for no more spring frosts after that, in old folks' tales here in central Finland but this year was exceptionally cold in the spring. Planting went okay, about 130 transplants on 10x10m rented lot. Cloudy day, about 15 degrees C/ 60 F. Lots of watering. Covered them with very thin white fabric. There were few nights very close to freezing, and that combined with the unacclimatized seedlings and direct sunlight at day, the transplants went bad. All turned completely white on the leaves, the stalks wilted to the ground and I was almost ready to call it quits at that point. But given about a week, about half of the seedlings started to grow sucker-like small leaves and eventually survived. I buried the obviously dead ones and started watering the survivors every day, for it was very dry, not a drop of rain for many weeks.
1 or 2 days after the transplant. Perkele.
Sometime at the beginning of July the plants that survived (about 60-70) finally started looking like they could hold their own against weeds at least, for there were a lot of weeds and I only cleared the root areas of the plants, not everything. It would have been hopeless, because the lot had not been properly de-weeded over winter (I don't know the correct term but the process where you just de-weed it for the first summer several times and let the winter kill the rest of the weed roots, and only start planting on the second summer).
By the time in early July they looked like this, still rather smol. The rusticas in the very back row are so smol they don't even show from all the weeds growing taller than them.
Then came the July which has been very close to record rainfall and humidity here, very low readings in barometer and rather cool, 20C tops. Nothing like in more southern Europe where they have had the super heat waves. The plants got into rapid growth stage and by the end of the July looked like this. Almost no watering needed, just given them about 5 kilograms of about 4:1:5 NPK fertilizer that is given in water solution, because that was the estimate given in Virginia Uni publications for Burley and Virginia tobacco, for this area (100m2, about 1000 square feet) and I have no better knowledge yet.
End of July, the first finnish Virginias in front row already topped, german Virginias in the back not even budding yet:
And then the bad weather July ended with really bad weather weekend storm, which caused the largest Virginia and Burley bushes to fall and snap at the root of the stalk. There are few stalks that seemed to survive so that the plant is still alive 5 days later but the stalk snapped partially and generated those grain-like textures in the injured part that I don't have a picture of, but it looks like lots of sesame seeds that you see on hamburger buns, clustered to the injured part of the stalk. About 5 largest bushes snapped completely and I had to take them to try stalk drying, although it is probably way too early, they were under 2 months from transplant when they fell. I propped the partially injured plants with wooden supports and some of them seem to stay alive when propped, so the water intake is not totally cut off and part of the stalk survives.
After the storm, propped semi-snapped plants:
I was seriously pissed, this has been propbably the worst weather combination imaginable for growing (late frost, draught in June, Noah's Ark conditions in July, but that storm was just an insult to injury. And there is a new storm forecast in few days, I'm about to make simple wooden poles to prop the biggest plants against, and tie them to those with large zip-ties, loosely, so that they don't injure themselves against the ties, but also preventing the whole stalk falling under its own weight in the next storm and snapping at the root.
Overall I am hopeful, for the conditions are so low-end and the weather has been hostile, to say it nicely, that anything grows and hopefully matures a bit before the first autumn frosts. I have also noticed that there are huge differences between the different seeds for normal Virginia (bought locally, and bought from german ebay seller). The local "traditional" seeds produced very early flowering plants, I had to top them about a week ago just before the storm, barely 1,5 month from transplant. Some of the seeds are from store stock and some from indoor-grown plants from the same seeds, but 2nd generation. No noticeable difference between those, maybe the store-bought ones were a bit fore fertile and quicker to start, but no big difference. The seeds bought from some german ebay seller are plain Virginia too, but produce much later-developing and heavier plants. Bit taller, but about 2 times heavier on the leaves, and flowering much later, they have only started to form buds and I assume it will be 2 weeks to topping, at least. Almost a month later than the finnish Virginias. Maybe the finnish ones have been bred to bloom and mature as early as possible because of the short summer (about June 10th the last frost, and early to mid September first frost so only 3 months of sure growing period).
Some notices I have made this far:
- I wonder if the stalks are really that prone to snapping at the ground level normally during strong winds, or is it this very damp weather that has softened them so that they can't stand strong winds normally? At least I will have to prop them pre-emptively next year when they get heavy enough and bad weather is forecast.
- I should order more seeds from that german seller, they seem to be the best growing, the only problem with them is do they manage to ripen before the frosts or am I forced to harvest too early. The finnish ones have much lower yields but probably will ripen in time.
- I assume there is no real benefit to harvest own seeds, they don't seem to be any better performing that the store bought ones although they were taken from the best plants in previous harvests
- I should find an allotment lot with better soil. There are a few besides this one around the town, I will have to keep looking what sort of natural soil they have, and probably take my operation elsewhere next year, for that clay soil is just nasty.
- Fertilizing, I don't know. Some of the Burleys and Kentuckys especially have had yellow bottom leaves early on and the top leaves are mosaic-colored on most anything (pics related), I don't know if this is an indicator of some nutrient deficiency or even toxicity? I have not tested the soil pH.
Older image but the yellowy tint on Burleys in mid-July is best visible here, it has not changed since:
Pretty much all the top leaves except Rusticas look like this now, mosaic-y:
This is how the whole lot looks today, prepping for the second storm is underway. Also visible the fertilizer used for about 5kgs (Kekkilä watering fertilizer).
Thanks for reading, any input is greatly appreciated!
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