kimvyd
New Member
Hi: I live in western Massachusetts--the state that "runs" on cigarette taxes (which are going up another dollar a pack Wednesday, presumably to fund transportation funding for things like a train from the Berkshires to NYC, the implementation of which I'll be watching closely--except that the gov. lives in the Berkshires so the convenience to him will likely help it along).
I recently became fed up with the effects of cigarette additives (compulsion to chain smoke) so started trying things like Nat Shermans Naturals and Mints, American Spirit (menthol), and am now rolling a few of my own (and plan to start adding some herbs--the legal kind--very gradually, while reducing the tobacco content). It's been enlightening. I smoke much, much less and enjoy it much more.
I have a few acres available but want to start out small--in a 5 X 8 plot or so. I started experimenting with hugelkultur this spring for my herb beds. Has anyone used this for tobacco crops? (It's just layering pieces of wood, compost, etc. with dirt to make a raised, mostly self-irrigating bed). I'm really not a knowledgeable or dedicated gardener; I just think it's fun to experiment, and am very impressed when something grows and am overjoyed when it keeps growing. I usually stick to planting a few things at a time so I don't get overwhelmed, and I rely on online gardening forums for advice along the way.
Is it too late in the season to grow a few tobacco plants from seed, so I can learn from my mistakes for next spring? I would also like to be able to buy a few leaves (cigarette varieties--Virginia, Burley, and Turkish?) before I end up with a lot of tobacco that I can't smoke (she said optimistically).
I am mostly more hesitant about the curing than the growing process, as I have just a basement (unfinished but dry enough, with a humidifier) or a detached, uninsulated garage to use for that. Although our house is a loft-style two-story and I'm thinking I could also use the cathedral-ceiling beams somehow. How strong is the smell of curing leaves? (odor/fragrance would rise to the upstairs bedroom). Are they legal to sell? I plan to sell herbs, food items, and artwork at farmer's markets next summer. I wonder how tobacco would go over?
Am very glad to have found this site. Thanks to whoever posted growing instructions. I know how time-consuming this sort of thing can be.
I recently became fed up with the effects of cigarette additives (compulsion to chain smoke) so started trying things like Nat Shermans Naturals and Mints, American Spirit (menthol), and am now rolling a few of my own (and plan to start adding some herbs--the legal kind--very gradually, while reducing the tobacco content). It's been enlightening. I smoke much, much less and enjoy it much more.
I have a few acres available but want to start out small--in a 5 X 8 plot or so. I started experimenting with hugelkultur this spring for my herb beds. Has anyone used this for tobacco crops? (It's just layering pieces of wood, compost, etc. with dirt to make a raised, mostly self-irrigating bed). I'm really not a knowledgeable or dedicated gardener; I just think it's fun to experiment, and am very impressed when something grows and am overjoyed when it keeps growing. I usually stick to planting a few things at a time so I don't get overwhelmed, and I rely on online gardening forums for advice along the way.
Is it too late in the season to grow a few tobacco plants from seed, so I can learn from my mistakes for next spring? I would also like to be able to buy a few leaves (cigarette varieties--Virginia, Burley, and Turkish?) before I end up with a lot of tobacco that I can't smoke (she said optimistically).
I am mostly more hesitant about the curing than the growing process, as I have just a basement (unfinished but dry enough, with a humidifier) or a detached, uninsulated garage to use for that. Although our house is a loft-style two-story and I'm thinking I could also use the cathedral-ceiling beams somehow. How strong is the smell of curing leaves? (odor/fragrance would rise to the upstairs bedroom). Are they legal to sell? I plan to sell herbs, food items, and artwork at farmer's markets next summer. I wonder how tobacco would go over?
Am very glad to have found this site. Thanks to whoever posted growing instructions. I know how time-consuming this sort of thing can be.