Sad day for my tobacco
- Thread starter Bika
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leverhead
Well-Known Member
Re: Sad day for tobacco
It's hard to look at! An earlier start next year and it'll only be suckers this time of year.
It's hard to look at! An earlier start next year and it'll only be suckers this time of year.
BarG
Founding Member
Re: Sad day for tobacco
That sure looks like freeze damage.
That sure looks like freeze damage.
BarG
Founding Member
Re: Sad day for tobacco
The freeze damage makes it a dark wet looking green like boiled spinach and comepletely ruins it.
The freeze damage makes it a dark wet looking green like boiled spinach and comepletely ruins it.
Re: Sad day for tobacco
I have a whole shed of tobacco that looks like that. Primed my 2nd crop in October, just before the first frost, hung to air-cure. With the cooler, drier weather, it never cured properly, eventually after a couple months, it dried an ugly greenish brown. There might be a few leaves worth salvaging, but am waiting until spring to mess with it.
No more trying to get a 2nd crop for me - too difficult to cure in late fall.
I have a whole shed of tobacco that looks like that. Primed my 2nd crop in October, just before the first frost, hung to air-cure. With the cooler, drier weather, it never cured properly, eventually after a couple months, it dried an ugly greenish brown. There might be a few leaves worth salvaging, but am waiting until spring to mess with it.
No more trying to get a 2nd crop for me - too difficult to cure in late fall.
I always worried about transfer of virus or disease, if I compost, it goes to a different section of my yard than the tobacco patch. If I burn it in the Weber, the ashes go to the patch.
SmokeStack
Well-Known Member
I had a similar bad experience this fall. Because of a new job, I did not have enough time to harvest most of my crop. I thought it was a complete loss. A couple of weeks later I went to my plants and notice that the leaves have cured to a beautiful brown color. I sampled them (mostly Yellow Orinoco) and I was completely surprised at how fragrant and pleasant the smoke was. So I picked them and placed them in garbage bags.
A few days later I went to sort out my tobacco. When I stuck my hand in the bags, I noticed that the tobacco was very hot - the tobacco began to ferment in the bag. So I let it ferment a few more days thinking that I could by-pass kilning the tobacco. However after another week or so, when I went to pullout the tobacco, it was still hot but loaded with mold - white and yellow. I discovered that even though the leaf was dry when I place them in the garbage bag, the leaf stems were not dry and it was the stems that caused the problems with fermenting and molding. A lot of hard work down the drain, but it was my first year growing and I have learned my lesson.
A few days later I went to sort out my tobacco. When I stuck my hand in the bags, I noticed that the tobacco was very hot - the tobacco began to ferment in the bag. So I let it ferment a few more days thinking that I could by-pass kilning the tobacco. However after another week or so, when I went to pullout the tobacco, it was still hot but loaded with mold - white and yellow. I discovered that even though the leaf was dry when I place them in the garbage bag, the leaf stems were not dry and it was the stems that caused the problems with fermenting and molding. A lot of hard work down the drain, but it was my first year growing and I have learned my lesson.
Green tobacco will heat when it is piled up .Cured tobacco will heat up to if it is in high case .It will smell like green grass , peaches of fruity.
I load 20' wagon loads of tobacco ( 11 loads ) each night at harvest time and it has to be placed in the rails in my barn before lunch the next day or it will heat up and turn a curfed green .
I load 20' wagon loads of tobacco ( 11 loads ) each night at harvest time and it has to be placed in the rails in my barn before lunch the next day or it will heat up and turn a curfed green .
wazzappenning
Well-Known Member
some of my tobacco looked like that too, but that was after i went through the effort of hanging it. i waited too long so it froze/thawed a few times. the stuff in the shed left a smell in there almost like a pumpkin the day after halloween after having a candle in it. the stuff not fully enclosed did better. it cured a little faster, stayed drier. i brought it all in the house when i figured it would stay frozen out there. the result, most (at least 3/4 of my crop) dried green with white areas stemming from the midrib.
i had noticed, and still believe the midrib is at fault for the mold since it dries out much slower than the thin leaf. since it is not needed anyways, i wonder if it would be possible to hang just from poking through the thin leaf with the midrib removed? i think rolling it to make a thicker section would end up causing the same issue.
some of the stuff that got dark green like yours did manage to brown, but its darker and kind of transparent. it also had a white trace of something on it. since i dont know if its minerals leaching out or white mold, i didnt smoke it.
i had noticed, and still believe the midrib is at fault for the mold since it dries out much slower than the thin leaf. since it is not needed anyways, i wonder if it would be possible to hang just from poking through the thin leaf with the midrib removed? i think rolling it to make a thicker section would end up causing the same issue.
some of the stuff that got dark green like yours did manage to brown, but its darker and kind of transparent. it also had a white trace of something on it. since i dont know if its minerals leaching out or white mold, i didnt smoke it.
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