Wow!

[Alan]

I just got 15 more varieties in the mail the other day from a collector in KY who is getting a bit older in age and wanted to pass them on. The note says that they are all rather rare and proclaims that one variety has blue flowers (wow) and one red (double wow) unfortunately I don't know if I've got time or room to grow them this year so they may wait untill next year, or I could grow a plant or two in the winter greenhouses!!!

[brook]

Alan, I could grow one for you, just to assure fresh seed.

I'd like to see the blue flowered one. You got an info on size of plants, etc. ?

15 varieties is one more than those being offered in this year's SSE Yearbook. The only red-flower being offered is Zapotec Ceremonial. One grower describes it as red with white throats, another as pink & white. There's another variety, Havana, said to have pink, trumpet-shaped flowers. All the rest of those listed are, as to be expected, various yellows.

You might talk to Blueflint about getting some of them grown out, too. If he can't I bet he knows some people who can.

[johno]

They sound beautiful.

[Jim]

Sounds like some cool plants.

[Jim]

I just hooked up with some white burly...flippin sweet. Now I have to read up on how to grow it.....

[Alan]

Glad you enjoy the seeds. The best way to sow this is to take a flat with drainage holes, fill with seed starting mix, moisten well spread seeds on top of mix very sparingly water in and keep moist. Don't bury the seeds, just spread them on top of the mix and make sure they stay moist but not soaked. Once they come up and reach an inch or so, you can transplant them into a small pot until they are about the same size as tomatoes that are ready to set out.

The Robert Johnson White Burley I sent you is actually small enough you can even grow it in pots if you want, a five gallon nursery pot does really well if you are strapped for space.

[ohiorganic]

Is the Rob't Johnson named for the bluesman from Helena Arkansas?

[Alan]

Yep, that's exactly who it is named after. One of the parent plants came from the Mississipi delta.

[johno]

I have microscopic Robert Johnsons up and running!

How big do they get? 2' x 2'?

[Alan]

They will get about 4-5 feet tall probably, but not very wide if you don't sucker them, very narrow pinate leaves, large flower spikes.

I think you'll like them a lot!

[johno]

Good to know they get tall like the sylvestris tobacco.

[Alan]

How are they doing buddy? Good I hope. I didn't grow any of the Robert Johnsons this year so I could focus on my resessive gene mixture in developing further new varieties in the future. Mine are all in the ground (about 30 of them) and are doing terrifically.

[johno]

So far, so good. They are still tiny, but I think I can transplant them soon.