Killed my babies

[Ginsinjones]

Hey everyone
Guess I made a rookie mistake over the weekend.
I recieved all my tobacco seeds and started them a week ago yesterday. I had them in a dark, spare bedroom at the inlaws. It's warm in that room so I figured it would be perfect.
Checked on them Saturday and many of the seeds were just starting to swell, no white tails starting yet.
I missed checking on them Sunday, went back yesterday in the afternoon and many of them had started grew about 1/4" and leaves were all shriveled up.
I never figured they could do that in 1.5 days.

 

[deluxestogie]

Either too wet or too dry. Once they germinate (any green showing), then they need light, preferably gentle at first. You get a do-over.

Bob

Unlike, say nice fat bean seeds, tobacco seeds have nearly no reserve nutrition. Those tiny cotyledon leaves need to perform photosynthesis to keep the seedling alive.

 

[Ginsinjones]

Ya a do over indeed
I started some seeds a friend gave me about 3 weeks ago as well. Those I started on a windowsill at my place. My place has larger temperature swings and the starts are still tiny. I have no idea what strain they are. One says Cuban one says Kentucky brown and one says dark haha.
The seeds I got from northwest are the ones that I killed unfortunately
At least I have time to start another batch. I think I'll start them at my place haha

 

[Oldfella]

Ya a do over indeed
I started some seeds a friend gave me about 3 weeks ago as well. Those I started on a windowsill at my place. My place has larger temperature swings and the starts are still tiny. I have no idea what strain they are. One says Cuban one says Kentucky brown and one says dark haha.
The seeds I got from northwest are the ones that I killed unfortunately
At least I have time to start another batch. I think I'll start them at my place haha

Great idea, warm room, bad idea, dark room, garenteed to turn to Better luck with your new lot, I'm sure it's going to be OK.
cheers Oldfella

 

[Ginsinjones]

I killed my babies again!!!
I re-seeded a few weeks ago, had a ton that germinated and were on the second set of leaves. I moved them to my in-laws greenhouse and they had a thermostat failure yesterday. Vent fan didn't turn on and 90% of my seedlings died.
All my melons, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers survived only my tobacco died.
I started more seeds this morning and hopefully I can still pull off a crop this year.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I killed my babies again!!!
I re-seeded a few weeks ago, had a ton that germinated and were on the second set of leaves. I moved them to my in-laws greenhouse and they had a thermostat failure yesterday. Vent fan didn't turn on and 90% of my seedlings died.
All my melons, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers survived only my tobacco died.
I started more seeds this morning and hopefully I can still pull off a crop this year.

 

[Oldfella]

I killed my babies again!!!
I re-seeded a few weeks ago, had a ton that germinated and were on the second set of leaves. I moved them to my in-laws greenhouse and they had a thermostat failure yesterday. Vent fan didn't turn on and 90% of my seedlings died.
All my melons, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers survived only my tobacco died.
I started more seeds this morning and hopefully I can still pull off a crop this year.

If you are careful with your 10% that survived you may still have a crop. With Tobacco you have to nurture them until they are big enough to look after themselves, like children Good luck with them.
Oldfella

 

[skychaser]

You still have plenty of time left. I just seeded all my tobaccos yesterday for planting out around May 25th.
Good thing you bought your seed from someone who gives you enough seed to start over if you need too. And to plant again next year.

 

[Ginsinjones]

Haha yes there was an abundance of seeds in those packages, I thank you!
Planted yesterday and already some are starting to swell so I'm sure I will have enough time to finish them off.
The one I am worried about is the prilep, if I remember correctly it needs a longer time to mature.
Do you guys suggest potting them up as they sprout or letting them get a few sets of leaves before transplanting?

 

[skychaser]

Prilep doesn't take any longer than any other tobacco. Get it in the ground by June 1st and it should be ripening up good by mid to late August. It's easy to cure and dry too.

I start all my tobaccos in 6 packs in 10/20 trays where they stay until planting day. I find it to be the most efficient use of my time and space. I have set tobaccos out into the field in every way from 162 hole plug trays to 4 inch pots. The only real difference in the end is the size of the plant you are setting out on planting day. By mid July you can't tell any difference between them. Plug trays are a pain to keep watered for 7-8 weeks with a plant like tobacco, and they give you smaller starts which are more vulnerable to pests and weather. Big pots get you bigger more resilient starts, but take much more time, space and money to get them to planting day. 6 packs or 4 packs hit a good balance point and give you good healthy starts.

And I never clip my plants. Tried it too and I've seen no benefit in the results for us smaller scale growers. If I were growing 10's of thousands of plants and machine planting them I would clip them. You need the uniformity and clipping helps strengthen the stalk before planting.

This is how I do it. http://www.northwoodseeds.com/tips.htm Pict 2 is at 2 weeks. Pict 3 is at 4 weeks. Pict 4 & 5 are at 7-8 weeks are ready to plant out.

 

[Ginsinjones]

Thanks a bunch
I have been starting all mine in 72 cell starter trays like I start all my veggies. I put 3 or 4 seeds in each and was planning on thinning down to the healthiest start in each cell. My friend gave me some tiny starts at the beginning of March and I transplanted those into 4" pots they are big and healthy. Problem is they are an unknown Virginia variety haha.
Unfortunately I have encountered 2 fits of bad luck and poor attention to the good seeds you gave me.
I'm hoping 3rd times a charm
Yesterday morning I just got a small clear tote, made dividers and sprinkled seeds in there.
I will have to transplant from there at some point because the seeds are sort of crowded in there.
I'm hoping for 7 or 10 plants of each variety. I have a pretty big plot to plant in. One of our old horse pastures. Soft fertile soil
I'll start showing off my progress when I finally get something worth showing haha.
Cheers

 

[Knucklehead]

Thanks a bunch
I have been starting all mine in 72 cell starter trays like I start all my veggies. I put 3 or 4 seeds in each and was planning on thinning down to the healthiest start in each cell. My friend gave me some tiny starts at the beginning of March and I transplanted those into 4" pots they are big and healthy. Problem is they are an unknown Virginia variety haha.
Unfortunately I have encountered 2 fits of bad luck and poor attention to the good seeds you gave me.
I'm hoping 3rd times a charm
Yesterday morning I just got a small clear tote, made dividers and sprinkled seeds in there.
I will have to transplant from there at some point because the seeds are sort of crowded in there.
I'm hoping for 7 or 10 plants of each variety. I have a pretty big plot to plant in. One of our old horse pastures. Soft fertile soil
I'll start showing off my progress when I finally get something worth showing haha.
Cheers

Hang in there and keep updating your grow blog. It’s a great diary for the following year. You’ll be surprised how much you can forget in a year (at least for me). Dates, successes, failures, reminders. I used to always reread mine right before starting time and always had those “oh, yeah” moments.

 

[Ginsinjones]

These are the ones that were given to me as seedlings about a month ago. Unknown Virginia

 

[Oldfella]

These are the ones that were given to me as seedlings about a month ago. Unknown VirginiaView attachment 35895View attachment 35896

Very nice looking plants. They need go in the ground.
Oldfella

 

[Ginsinjones]

Still a while before risk of frost is over. In fact we got some snow this morning.
I'm going to put them in bigger pots and they will have to hang out in the greenhouse for a while longer. At least if all else fails I'll have these to harvest.
The other seeds I started last Tuesday some of these seeds are putting out tails already.
The brightleaf Virginia started Thursday
The prilep and Harrow velvet are showing tails this morning. The others won't be far behind they have a white spot on the end of the seed.