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azrancher

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Hi, newbie here from Arizona.

Started growing 2 years ago, bought one of those selections off of ebay, you know 10 different varieties, that probably weren't what they say they are...

First year...
Planted "Virginia Gold" and "Havana Gold" started em inside, transplanted, didn't know what I was doing, just picked some leaves, hung some in the garage, probably in the fall sometime, humidity...20-30%, they dried green.
Dried some on a screen I made, hung in the garage, they all blew somewhere.
The dried green leaves are brown now.

Second year, had some volunteers in both garden plots, didn't do anything with them.

Third year, more volunteers in the "Havana Gold" garden plot, probably 500' from the garden that the "Virginia Gold" was planted, they are probably crossed.
I transplanted the vols into rolls, 12" apart, yeah I know that is too close, some of the bottom leaves are yellowing (under the tomatoes that got out of hand), should I pick them, or what.

Can I dry them in WalMart totes, the plastic tubs, with paper in between the layers (paper=newspaper end rolls), I am not going to have a place to keep humid, it will never happen here in AZ.

I want cigar tobacco, should I concentrate on Burley, or... what.

Rancher
 

mwaller

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Welcome! You found the right place to ask your questions! I'm still figuring out how to cure leaves, so I'm no help there. But if you're looking for cigar tobacco seeds, be sure to check out nwtseeds.com. The site is run by a member of this forum, and he has the largest selection if seeds I've ever seen. Good luck!
 

BarG

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Hi, newbie here from Arizona.

Started growing 2 years ago, bought one of those selections off of ebay, you know 10 different varieties, that probably weren't what they say they are...

First year...
Planted "Virginia Gold" and "Havana Gold" started em inside, transplanted, didn't know what I was doing, just picked some leaves, hung some in the garage, probably in the fall sometime, humidity...20-30%, they dried green.
Dried some on a screen I made, hung in the garage, they all blew somewhere.
The dried green leaves are brown now.

Second year, had some volunteers in both garden plots, didn't do anything with them.

Third year, more volunteers in the "Havana Gold" garden plot, probably 500' from the garden that the "Virginia Gold" was planted, they are probably crossed.
I transplanted the vols into rolls, 12" apart, yeah I know that is too close, some of the bottom leaves are yellowing (under the tomatoes that got out of hand), should I pick them, or what.

Can I dry them in WalMart totes, the plastic tubs, with paper in between the layers (paper=newspaper end rolls), I am not going to have a place to keep humid, it will never happen here in AZ.

I want cigar tobacco, should I concentrate on Burley, or... what.

Rancher

No, hang the leaves or stalks and air dry. dont use walmart tote boxes and towels
 

Hasse SWE

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Welcome to FTT you have for shore found that best place to get answer on all of your questions.If I would grow Cigar tobacco I would start with growing some of the plant under Shade.The next step would be check those plant at least two times every day (snails and larvae eating really fast).Next step would be to not harvest the leaf's until they are ready to harvest (start with the leaf's that growing from the bottom of the plant).I would not stalk harvest the hole plant, priming the plant or at least the first leaf's because you don't want the leaf's to over maturity. But that part can some of the Cigar boy's tell you more about..Good luck in the future
 

BarG

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Arizona is hard to grow tobacco , good luck. Of course It can be done, with a little perseverence.
 

deluxestogie

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Welcome to the forum.

That's a dry, dry place there. Do wait for the leaves to show some yellow, before priming them. That will help to minimize drying green. Since you won't be setting up a humidity-controlled area for curing, the non-sealing totes may do the job--but only if you watch the leaves in there carefully. Once they begin to brown, they will mold quickly. So just use the totes for yellowing. Yellow leaf can not dry green. There's not much point in buying even a cheap hygrometer to throw into the tote, since your likely aim is to keep the humidity as high as possible. [A 3-day average of 70-75% RH is a happy place for most curing sheds.] Then hang the leaf to dry (and die) and turn brown.

For cigarette leaf, you can leave it on the plant in the field until it is completely yellow, if it's not too windy. A dry, dead leaf will be ripped to shreds in a moderate wind. Cigar leaf should come in when there is any yellowing. If you have leaves that are already yellow, it's fine to bring them in. Keep in mind that those seemingly beautiful leaves at the bottom of the plant usually have minimal flavor and aroma, though they always burn very well.

For cigar leaf, have a look at Northwood Seeds: http://northwoodseeds.com/Seed List2.htm A reasonable place to start for a cigar garden would be:
  • Cuban Criollo 98
  • Long Red
  • Little Dutch
  • Vuelta Abajo
  • Florida Sumatra (sun-grown for wrapper)
The Long Red and Little Dutch have a leaf shape (long and narrow) that is not ideal for wrappers, but you can use any variety for wrapper, binder or filler.
There are, of course dozens and dozens of excellent cigar varieties. Don't overdo the varieties for your first cigar grow. Try a couple of new ones each subsequent year. You can estimate (in a wildly crude guess) about 1 box of cigars for every 3 or 4 plants.

Look through the Index of Key Forum Threads (Youn's second link) for curing chamber designs, and consider building one (or converting an old refrigerator) during the winter. I'm rather partial to my endoskeletal kiln: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads...oskeletal-Wood-Tobacco-Kiln-Flue-cure-chamber --at least as a general concept for kiln building. A kiln makes a world of difference in the satisfaction you will find with your home-grown cigar leaf.

Good luck. [In 1984, I had to leave a Bronco II parked at an Arizona airport for two weeks. It had a thermometer mounted on the driver's side window post. When I retrieved the scorching car, and went to check the thermometer, its mount had melted, and the thermometer was on the floor.]

Bob
 

azrancher

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Arizona is hard to grow tobacco , good luck. Of course It can be done, with a little perseverance.
Easy to grow, comes up wherever the seeds have blown, drying and curing is what I don't have. I don't have a barn, well OK the wife has a barn, but it's not humidity controlled, and it smells like horses, so wait till the leaves yellow and hang em in the garage?

Rancher
 

deluxestogie

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...the wife has a barn, but it's not humidity controlled, and it smells like horses, so wait till the leaves yellow and hang em in the garage?
Yes. Allow them to yellow, then hang them in the garage. OR...you could then hang them in the wife's barn, and call it Perique.

Bob
 

Alpine

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Welcome Rancher, the "riper" (is it a correct term???) the leaf, the easier the cure. If left on the plant long enough, leaves begin naturally to turn yellow. Once yellowing begins, it's possible to cure the leaves with very simple arrangements, like a plastic sheet wrapped loosely around a hand of baccy. This didn't work for me, our autumns are so humid that when I tried to cure tied hands of leaves they all ended rotted. In your dry environment, it should work.

Pier
 

Hasse SWE

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Easy to grow, comes up wherever the seeds have blown, drying and curing is what I don't have. I don't have a barn, well OK the wife has a barn, but it's not humidity controlled, and it smells like horses, so wait till the leaves yellow and hang em in the garage?Rancher
A fan may be good to circulate the air..I know that we don't have the same climate but I have problems with the air in my garage..
 

Charly

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Welcome azrancher.
Some good advices has already been given : waiting for the leaves to become yellow on the plant is the saffest way to help the leaves to air cure easily.
Good luck with your crop ;)
 
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