Howdy yall

[Junglesteader]

Now im one post closer to gettin some seeds eh. Well I got into growing thru tryin to quit I guess,im a long time smoker and long time gardner so it just makes sense . Used to smo.kin amercan spirit organic rolies ,pretty potent stuff and very aromatic I wanna make a blend similar to that. I thinkgrowing baccy wont be to hard but curing it and aging it will be the tricky part . I plan to air cure and maybe sun cure,i dont have much room for hanging though and live in a tropical rain forest so mold mihgt be a problem, gonna start with some burley maybe YTB and some rustica I like stong relaxing smoke . I wonder most what varieties are the most smokable the quikest atleast for my first couple seasons iveheard of tobbacco you can pick some l dry leaves off and smoke ?any truth to that ? I dont wanna wait months or a year to smoke ,i have a year round growing seasonin hawaii averages 60 to 80 degrees 120 inches rain per year and a lot of cloudy overcast days .thanks for any advice awsome forum

 

[SmokesAhoy]

Most mud lugs can be smoked right off the plant but that's just because it already started curing on the plant before you picked it. Otherwise it's a myth, while you could pick it, dry out and smoke it technically, you wouldn't ever do it again.

It's like anything else, the first batch of hooch has you salivating waiting for it to finish, once you have some going you keep making more so you are using the stuff that is ready while keeping a supply going so more will always be ready. And like most booze, older is better, but there are some tricks in tobacco to get father time to cooperate.
Welcome, read the faq for a good intro to this stuff

 

[Randy]

Howdy Jungle welcome great bunch here and really helpful..stick-around and injoy the ride

Randy

 

[leverhead]

I think you've guessed your situation pretty well. Growing tobacco will probably be the easy part. You might need plastic bags to keep the moisture out, that would be a twist for the rest of us. If you can grow year round, it won't be hard to grow way more than you need, so the aging problem will go away on it's own. Growing and curing tobacco is mostly about problem solving, once you solve enough problems, you'll be a happy smoker. Join in, I'd like to hear how you do it!

 

[johnlee1933]

You probably have dehumidifiers galore. An enclosure maybe 4 x 8 x 8, fairly moisture tight and a dehumidifier might work for you. Plastic sheeting on a frame or a tent would make a useable temporary enclosure. You already have the warm temps required. Remembered an awlful lot of tobacco is grown in the Caribbean where conditions are similar to yours. -·- J

 

[FmGrowit]

Welcome to the site.

I've read that article you're talking about. It was written by someone who had no clue as to how to grow, cure and process tobacco. If I remember correctly, his article included three easy steps to making your own cigarettes. It was just a ridiculous article written only to increase the number of posts on one of those "just ask" (or something like that) sites.

1. Grow your tobacco
2. Dry it
3. Make cigarettes or cigars out of it and smoke it.

Like Smokes said...some of the lugs can be smoked right off the stalk, but if you're looking for instant gratification from growing your own tobacco, you're in for some disappointment.

If on the other hand...you're looking for information on how to grow, cure and process the best tobacco you can smoke...you're in the right place.

 

[Knucklehead]

To answer one question:
http://fairtradetobacco.com/showthr...strain-selection-guide-for-minimal-processing

 

[Junglesteader]

What are lugs ?

 

[johnlee1933]

What are lugs ?

The lowest leaves on a maturing plant. Sometimes called "mud lugs" or "sand lugs" because of their proximity to the gound. Usually the mildest leaf off the plant. -·- John

 

[deluxestogie]

The categorical names of leaf from different levels on the stalk tend to be unique to the tobacco type or use. It also tends to be confusing, and commercially is often determined by the preferences of the buyer.

From bottom to top:

Cigar leaf:

• volado
• seco
• viso
• ligero
• corona

Burley leaf:

• mud lugs
• lugs
• leaf
• tips

general:

• fliers and trash
• bottom leaf
• upper leaf
• tops

Turkish leaf is divided into many more levels, all with Turkish names.

I use the following proportions, which naturally differ from everyone else

• mud lugs: the bottom 4 leaves
• lugs: from mud lugs to the half-way point of the stalk
• leaf: from the half-way to the tips
• tips: the top 3 or 4 small leaves below the crow-foot

The reality is that each individual leaf, from bottom of the stalk to the top, is slightly different from the leaves above and below it.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Another great post Bob. Thanks.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I use a rather sophisticated method to label my leaves. It took me awhile to develop this system but it works for me. I call the bottom leaves "Bottom leaves", the middle leaves "Middle leaves" and the top leaves "Top leaves"... works for me..

 

[marksctm]

I use a rather sophisticated method to label my leaves. It took me awhile to develop this system but it works for me. I call the bottom leaves "Bottom leaves", the middle leaves "Middle leaves" and the top leaves "Top leaves"... works for me..

Hold on, I got to wright this stuff down.

 

[Knucklehead]

What do you call the mid-upper bottom leaves?

 

[johnlee1933]

What do you call the mid-upper bottom leaves?

Tobacco

 

[Knucklehead]

Yeah, well, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

[Aaron]

Yeah, well, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

If you insist.

 

[BarG]

I use a rather sophisticated method to label my leaves. It took me awhile to develop this system but it works for me. I call the bottom leaves "Bottom leaves", the middle leaves "Middle leaves" and the top leaves "Top leaves"... works for me..

That made sense to me ,so thats how I labled mine last year for most varietys. [With the exception of a few mud lugs.]

 

[ChuckP]

Now im one post closer to gettin some seeds eh. ... I dont wanna wait months or a year to smoke ,i have a year round growing seasonin hawaii averages 60 to 80 degrees 120 inches rain per year and a lot of cloudy overcast days .thanks for any advice awsome forum

Howdy & Welcome JungleSteader!

I think it'd be a waste of some really great homegrown baccy to quit. I think you'll love the taste and you'll be enjoying pure tobacco without all the chemicals infused. I don't know how tobacco will hold up in a 120" inches of rain, lets s know how things go. Chuck.

JDB - Does that complex system of yours come as a computer program? Sounds a little too complex for me! I use color coded cable ties.

 

[andrewislord]

I organized mine terribly last summer. I did lugs, then seco, which I divided into lower, middle, and upper, and then ligero, just the top 3-6 leaves. It got confusing so on the sucker plants I did 1,2,3,4, just 3 or 4 leaves of each plant each priming. I'll try to figure out what I'm going to do before I start this coming grow so I don't get so confused later.