Bonsai Xanthi

[johnny108]

Purple pot Xanthi have received regular fertilization, and the leaves are notably larger and greener.

 

[johnny108]

Semi-soilless mix Xanthi is almost ready to stalk harvested and sun cure.

 

[johnny108]

Bonsai Xanthi that received no further fertilizer had quite a few leaves yellow on the plant before flowering.
Purple pot Xanthi looks much healthier, and likely to yield more, and it has not flowered, yet. But, quality is the final test for this method…

 

[johnny108]

Stalk-sun curing of the bonsai Xanthi has begun on the plants that were in full flower.
This is a mix of the soil and semi-soilless mix plants. The stalks have been marked to indicate which is which.

 

[johnny108]

It would seem that the majority of the soil-only plants lacked the nutrients needed to bring the Xanthi to full flower.
I have resisted the temptation to fertilize these plants, and their growth seems to have stalled out.
The few lower leaves I have primed, color cured and dried have absolutely NO smell.
This confirms what Istanbulin once posted, that leaves primed before flowering will lack varietal character.
So far, the fertilized plants flowered normally , and were primed, and the tips stalk-sun cured. These leaves all smell wonderful!
So Bonsai Xanthi does work to produce traditional flavored leaf, but, fertilizer is needed at the start, in order to supply enough nutrients for flowering to finish, and flavor to develop in the leaf.

 

[StoneCarver]

That's really interesting how you grew those xanthi in 4x4 pots. I might try that with Hopi N. rustica. They were really small plants to begin with.
and I have piles of 4x4 pots.