DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
Given the obvious climate and soil differences that exist between the UK and more traditional cigar tobacco growing locations, has anyone here grown or heard of species which particularly benefit from UK conditions?
Growing in the UK
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Ben Brand
Well-Known Member
There are a few UK growers on the forum. If they can grow grapes in the UK, I`m sure you`ll be able to grow tobacco.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
I've got a friend growing some at the moment and it seems to be taking very well and I'm hoping he'll throw me a bit when its harvested. Thing is that I dont want to grow something that will be substandard to what I could just buy as whole leaf. I look at Tabac Manil pipe tobacco for example. Virginia, I assume, would grow quite well in Belgium as would a bog standard Burley. But Tabac Manil found not just a burley, but a burley that thrived in their soil and took on a rich uniqueness which couldnt be found elsewhere.
Hence the question if there is anything that grows especially well?
Hence the question if there is anything that grows especially well?
Gavroche
Well-Known Member
Yes but Manil does not put that of the semois, it adds other tobaccos it lost its soul set of Martin, Lux3 or Couvert la vallée du mont d'or
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
I'm outraged! I'd always been led to believe they grew it all themselves.
Gavroche
Well-Known Member
only Martin, Couvert and Didot...The only real producers of semois pure, what does not mean that Manil is not good ...
Squeezyjohn has been growing in the UK, said he has issues with bright leaf but dark leaf grew well.
Markw
Well-Known Member
It is the drying and curing that is the problem in the UK, thick rib Burley's such as TN90 are a problem, If you can grow tomatoes you can grow tobacco in the UK.
I have been growing for a few years now and have found some to be more suited to the Uk climate and there is very little problems to the finishing process.
It would be to late to start seed now, I start mine in the middle of March. my plants have been in the ground for a week now.
I have been growing for a few years now and have found some to be more suited to the Uk climate and there is very little problems to the finishing process.
It would be to late to start seed now, I start mine in the middle of March. my plants have been in the ground for a week now.
squeezyjohn
Well-Known Member
Exactly as Markw says ... I find that tobacco grows really well over our summer but depending on where you are you need to wait until late May, early June to get the plants in the ground to avoid frost. That means starting the seeds in March or even earlier and that requires doing it indoors. If you can get some varieties which are ready to harvest more quickly then that's a bonus and it means you can get curing while it's still nice and warm at the end of August. Tobacco will keep growing well in to October but you'd need some kind of artificial curing chamber to get it to cure without going mouldy.
I personally have trouble getting bright-leaf types to work but I think others in the UK have better results so it may just be my soil or microclimate which causes the problems.
Where are you in the UK jhand45? I only put mine in the ground last week too and I have some spare plants of Bolivian Criollo Black and Silver River which do really well for me if you are anywhere near Oxford.
I personally have trouble getting bright-leaf types to work but I think others in the UK have better results so it may just be my soil or microclimate which causes the problems.
Where are you in the UK jhand45? I only put mine in the ground last week too and I have some spare plants of Bolivian Criollo Black and Silver River which do really well for me if you are anywhere near Oxford.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
That's a really kind offer squeezyjohn. We're actually moving to near Cambridge in a few weeks which is why I've not been able to plant anything this year. If the new place has a garden the friend I mentioned is going to give me a few of his seedlings but if they do well maybe we could exchange a few leaves?
Smokin Harley
Well-Known Member
Might I suggest trying to grow Little Dutch...short plant but excellent hardy grower,takes cooler weather well, it color cures in just a few days. makes pipe or cigar tobacco, chew as well if you like to.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
I've heard good things about Little Dutch. Definitely on the short list for next year.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
A related question - has anyone tried growing on common land?
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
There's a thread for that. http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/5448-Stealth-Growing/page4?highlight=Public
chekun
Member
Salut,
I try this year in the north of France, and near my location there are lot of tobacco fields (burley & virginia) for industrials.
I try this year in the north of France, and near my location there are lot of tobacco fields (burley & virginia) for industrials.
Tutu
Well-Known Member
The variety that was grown in the Netherlands during WWII would probably grow quite well in the UK. Seeds can be obtained from the tabaksteeltmuseum in Amerongen, in the Utrecht province of the Netherlands.
Welcome to the forum, AEdeVries. Thanks for the information on the tabaksteeltmuseum.
The http://www.tabaksteeltmuseum.nl/ site is interesting, and contains many historical photos. My Google Chrome browser offered to automatically translate it. I did not see tobacco seed for sale.
Bob
The http://www.tabaksteeltmuseum.nl/ site is interesting, and contains many historical photos. My Google Chrome browser offered to automatically translate it. I did not see tobacco seed for sale.
Bob
Tutu
Well-Known Member
Indeed not listed on their website but they sell zip lock bags enough for about one hectare, for €2,50. The museum itself is very well kept, as are some of the old tobacco barns in the area. Well worth a visit if you are in the Netherlands. I would be very willing to help sending them to anyone interested. The limitation would be that I am only in the Netherlands for about as much as two weeks each year. I have discussed the variety of these seeds with the owners more than once.
DistillingJim
Well-Known Member
Any idea what sort of varietal it is AEdeVries?
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I've searched ars-grin, grin-ca, and the imperial tobacco Nicotiana collection and found nothing.
The only clue is that de vries appears to be a Dutch name. It happens to be the name of a fellow who works for the British American Tobacco Company, as well as the name of someone involved in smoking cessation research, but more importantly, a botanist Hugo de Vries who lived from 1848 to 1935. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_de_Vries
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