Bonsai Xanthi

[johnny108]

In my Window, balcony and garden grow blog, I mentioned the balcony Xanthi I am growing shows larger leaves, probably larger than what would be desired, as it seems the plant only produces a small amount of the flavoring compounds, and the larger the leaf, the more dilute the flavor will be. Since I am hoping for a very strong flavored leaf for a cigarette blend, I decided to try and use the smallest pot I can, in order to get the smallest leaf.
Seeds sprouted on May 9. Kept under lights until today, and were moved to 3”x3”x3.5” square black pots.
I used my standard semi- soil-less mix of
10L coconut coir hydrated with full strength triple-20 fertilizer.
5L perlite
5L vermiculite
5L purchased potting soil.
Watered in with full strength triple-20.
I’m planning to only give them water from now on.

Edit: for comparison purposes, I intend to replicate this planting, using only a good potting soil lightened with perlite/vermiculite, and no fertilizer, to see if this has any effect on yield, and leaf quality.

 

[johnny108]

On page 5 of this interesting document, the authors indicate the standard practice of planting out Oriental varieties in Turkey when the seedlings are 12-15cm tall (4.72-5.9”), with 4-6 leaves.
I’ve always just had to plant them out once they get too crowded in the seedling tray, usually about the 4-5 leaf.

“Yield and quality properties of some Oriental tobacco hybrids”

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmet-Kinay/publication/343741458_Yield_and_quality_properties_of_some_oriental_tobacco_Nicotiana_tabacum_L_hybrids/links/5f3fe715299bf13404db75d6/Yield-and-quality-properties-of-some-oriental-tobacco-Nicotiana-tabacum-L-hybrids.pdf?origin=publication_detail&_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uRG93bmxvYWQiLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiJ9fQ

 

[furryfreek]

it seems the plant only produces a small amount of the flavoring compounds

That could be partly due to the soil-less medium as well as container size. I experimented with some Prilep in coco coir a couple of years ago to try and control the size of my plants (I tried narrow spacing in ground but they still got too tall and wanted to flop over on one another.) Restricting the roots did solve the size/stability problem but the cured leaf came out oddly pale and lacked flavour. I don't know what minerals and such tobacco needs to develop a decent flavour but Miracle Gro and seaweed extract are definitely missing something important. I'm experimenting with containers again this year but this time using garden soil and compost. So far, so good.

 

[johnny108]

That could be partly due to the soil-less medium as well as container size. I experimented with some Prilep in coco coir a couple of years ago to try and control the size of my plants (I tried narrow spacing in ground but they still got too tall and wanted to flop over on one another.) Restricting the roots did solve the size/stability problem but the cured leaf came out oddly pale and lacked flavour. I don't know what minerals and such tobacco needs to develop a decent flavour but Miracle Gro and seaweed extract are definitely missing something important. I'm experimenting with containers again this year but this time using garden soil and compost. So far, so good.

Strange.
I grew a Xanthi plant last year (?) by starting it in soil, then transferring it to perlite/vermiculite and watering with whatever fertilizer I was using on everything else, and the flavor was surprisingly good.
The plant was maybe 2’ tall.
My soilless mix still has some potting mix in it (20% by volume), but my hydroponic test plant tasted fine…
Like I said- I’ll try it both ways.
The above article shows that Turkish soil is less than ideal for tobacco, but they still get good results.
It seems the flavor compounds might be similar to those found in basil plants- a secondary metabolite. Hydroponic basil tastes like water when made into a pesto sauce.
Perhaps a mineral addition like azomite would help, but I believe it has a high chloride content.

 

[johnny108]

12 Xanthi seedlings transferred to the square pots, using a plain potting soil, and only normal water.
I should have enough seedlings to try for another tray of slightly larger pots, but they aren’t big enough, yet.

 

[johnny108]

First overnight outside for the bonsai Xanthi.
They are kind of “floppy” and some fresh air and wind in a semi-sheltered window ledge should help toughen up the stems.

 

[johnny108]

Other plant bonsai: Hyang Cho I haven’t found a place for has started flowering. I’ll get maybe 5 leaves per plant in the same sized container as the Xanthi.

 

[johnny108]

Next step for bonsai Xanthi:
A slightly larger container, using my semi-soilless mix. They will get a single dose of triple-20 with Epsom salt, and then water from then on.
I would like to replicate this batch with the same sized containers using plain potting soil and no fertilizer, but I’m sadly out of windowsills. I may have to move these to the greenhouse, as it is.

 

[johnny108]

Another complication:
Some plants are growing larger leaves, which then completely cover a neighboring main growing shoot, stopping its growth.
I’ve been able to tuck the offending leaves out of the way a few times, but the wind is bad this week, and manual moving of the plant doesn’t work, so the plants have been reorganized into single rows, and spread to different windows.
All but one tray may need to move to the greenhouse, which could make watering a problem (small pots dry out fast with a big plant in it). I’ll have to see how they doin their respective windows.

 

[johnny108]

Purple pot Bonsai Xanthi is doing great in the greenhouse. Just taking them out to (bottom) water them, here.

 

[johnny108]

Temperatures spiked in northern Germany today. The greenhouse got to 50+C!
The purple pot Xanthi lost 2 leaves, and maybe 2 more got damaged, but they recovered quickly and have been returned to the balcony where the sunlight isn’t as good, but temps are more stable.

 

[johnny108]

Two damaged leaves in the purple pots, but otherwise fine.

 

[johnny108]

The square pot Xanthi is doing well, despite the heat and high winds.
Every pot requires water, every day.

 

[johnny108]

Today: semi soilless mix

 

[johnny108]

Today: potting soil

 

[johnny108]

3 of the 6 purple pot Bonsai fell over in the wind (on the walled in balcony), so they were propped up with stakes in the hopes of avoiding curved stalks and suckering problems.
The smaller, square black pots have required no staking up, and lower leaves are starting to yellow…will check tomorrow to see if they are flowering.

 

[johnny108]

Yellowing is more pronounced in the potting soil containers. No sign of flowers.

 

[johnny108]

The semi-soilless mix shows more advanced growth and less yellowing. No flowers.

 

[johnny108]

Semi soilless mix is the first to flower!

 

[johnny108]

Yellowing is very noticeable in all cases, but is worse in the regular potting soil.
I remember Istanbulin saying that leaves cured in the plant prior to flowering will lack varietal flavor/character. Hopefully not, as that would count for 1/4th of the semi-soilless plants, and up to half of the potting soil!