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[OldDinosaurWesH]

Greetings to all of you tobacco growing enthusiasts out there! I'm going by OldDinosaurWesH. as we unrepentant smokers seem to be kind of a thing of the past.I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture from a Pac 10 (now Pac 12) University and fortunately for me, learned a lot about making things grow. I especially like growing things that are difficult to grow. After all, as my cousin used to say, "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!" Tobacco certainly qualifies in that regard. There's a whole 'lotta work involved if you want to be successful. I am a second year grower, and have been doing very well. Last year I grew six types totaling about 75 plants on about 500 sq. ft. I was sufficiently successful to produce enough to last me through to this year...I can't say that I'm a big fan of Virginia type bright leafs, but live and learn as they say... With some advice from a fellow I met online, this year I planted 13 types for a total of 270 plants on about 1,300 sq. ft. So far, so good. I 'gotta whole lot of vegetation out there! I just did my first picking, and put 825 leaves away to cure. My biggest limitation is available sunshine, as I have a bunch of large mature shade trees. It gets very hot around here in the summer, and I'm not about to cut my trees down. I like that natural air conditioning! So, I have to do a lot of planning on my tobacco plantings in order to maximize productivity. I'm two - thirds through the growing season, and my tallest types are starting to peek over the fence. That fence is about 7 feet high. It's fascinating to watch these things grow. You can see the change on a daily basis. Like corn in Iowa! Or, so I've heard, I've never actually been to Iowa. Enough for now. Keep on growing!

 

[Alpine]

Welcome to FTT

pier

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum.

The greatest issue with tree shade over tobacco is often not the shade so much as the tree roots sucking the water and nutrients out of the soil beneath the canopy--and somewhat beyond the canopy. I have seen that cause "Frenching" in tobacco--a form of malnutrition (mineral deficiency) that is otherwise the result of inappropriate soil pH.

Feel free to start a grow log for this season (in the Grow Blogs section), so we can enjoy the photos.

You state that you are not all that happy with Virginia bright tobacco. What is your preferred tobacco use? Also, are you air-curing or flue-curing your Virginia? What varieties are you currently growing? 270 plants is a heap of work.

Bob

 

[burge]

Welcome and wondering as well what you meant about your bright leaf comment? If you are having trouble just ask. I personally buy from Don. I live downtown in a apartment so I don't think I could actually grow inside my apartment. I think its best to buy your leaf if you are having trouble with a certain variety.

 

[Hasse SWE]

Very interesting presentation "OldDinosaur"! Just like Bob saying please let us know just a little more about what your tobacco use. My experience of tobacco growing is that they don't really like to grow in full sun (so in my head it looks like a excellent place to grow tobacco).The thing with Brightleaf tobacco is that alot of them have good yield and if you just let us know more about your tobacco use, we perhaps can help you to love your own tobacco more than the tobacco you can baying in the store!I think you can start with a little visit at "whole leaf tobacco" they have alot of different types of tobacco to blend in your home grown stuff. When you know more what you like you pretty easy can change your growing and put in some variants of Orients, Maryland,Burley and Dark types of tobacco, I am pretty sure that that (and the way you take care of the tobacco will help you).

 

[OldDinosaurWesH]

Greetings!I guess what I meant about Virginia Bright leaf types, was that I didn't care for the flavor of the two that I grew last year. Those were "Brown & Williamson low nicotine", and "Virginia Bright Leaf."I air cure my tobacco. I string & hang the leaves in a storage room in my basement where I can maintain a fairly constant temperature and humidity. This process works fairly well, but takes a lot of time. I also have a refrigerator sized machine called a "Proofer" used in commercial bakeries to make bread rise. My proofer can double as a kiln since it is temperature and humidity controlled. My "kiln" speeds the curing process considerably.I get my seed from Northwoodseeds in Mead Washington. I have visited this establishment, and met he and his wife. They are nice folks, and the man is very knowledgeable about tobacco. (Deliberately not using names here)As for varieties, here goes. My main types for cigarette production are Harrow Velvet (burley), Costello Negro (bright leaf), Gold Leaf 939 (bright leaf), and Ternopolskii 14 (Ostrolist/bright leaf). The first three were recommended by my seed guy. I grew Ternopolskii 7 last year and liked it very well, so I'm trying its close relative this year. These four types comprise about half of all my plantings. I have three cigar types, Kentucky 17, Bolivia Criollo Dark, and Connecticut Shade. I also have "Common Smoking Tobacco" (burley) Golden Burley, Burley 9, Ostrolist 6, Ismir Osbis (Turkish), and African Red. With one ornamental called "Jasmine" just for fun.I would be interested in learning more about "Frenching." I have a few plants off in one corner that are sitting on top of the roots of the neighbor's shade tree. These plants are not doing that well, and one variety keeps producing these wilted leaves. I thought it was the heat, but maybe there is more going on there than I know.

 

[deluxestogie]

For Frenching, have a look here: https://www.ipmimages.org/browse/subthumb.cfm?sub=6964&area=62

Their entire tobacco photo collection is here: https://www.ipmimages.org/browse/AreaSubs.cfm?area=62

Bob

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Welcome Old Dino.. Brown & Willaims sucks. I grew it once and still have some if you want me to send you some..
If you air-cured your Virginia Bright leaf it's going to be very bland. The slow curing process allows the microbes/enzymes to consume all the sugars. Virginia Bright leaf types need to be flue cured or as a minimum, sun cured.

 

[MarcL]

Welcome to Fair Trade Tobacco.​

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I've often wondered if you couldn't get around the flue cure process by spraying a 15% sugar solution onto air cured bright leaf. I never grow it except this year though. I'll try.

 

[ChinaVoodoo]

I've often wondered if you couldn't get around the flue cure process by spraying a 15% sugar solution onto air cured bright leaf. I never grow it except this year though. I'll try.

There's no harm in trying, but I don't think so. Flue curing halts the entire natural process of leaf senescence. There is a lot more than just sugar content which causes leaves to be brown instead of yellow.

 

[deluxestogie]

Building a kiln is a $100 weekend project that is very easy to build, once you purchase a $15 digital controller from Ebay. If it is insulated like:
Knucklehead's Exoskeletal Kiln: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/5688-Knuckleheads-Wooden-Box-Kiln-Build
or the Endoskeletal Kiln: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/5688-Knuckleheads-Wooden-Box-Kiln-Build
that is, insulated with 2" XPS foam, it works true wonders for cigar tobaccos. Only one month to get aged tobacco. But it can also be used as a flue-curing chamber simply by changing the settings on the controller.

A flue-cure chamber is just magical, when it comes to Virginia varieties and even some Orientals. You go from leaf in the field to beautiful, yellow, finished, smokable leaf in 5 days.

If you live with just air-curing, it's hard to imagine how wonderful your home-grown leaf really is. The one hazard of finally building a kiln/flue-cure chamber is the injury you may inflict upon yourself for not having built one sooner. It's so easy to build that even people with college degrees can do it.

Bob

 

[BarG]

Welcome OlddinaosaurWesH, Bob, Do you remember the cost avg. for your flue cure cozy can? I want to build one for next year. That prilep sample you sent was really sweet tasting a few years ago. I plan on doing a crop next year to refill the coffers, and that would be a good addition to what I already have. I am pretty sure I can locate the post on instructions for assembly.

Tim G.

 

[deluxestogie]

Tim,
The Endoskeletal kiln doesn't cost that much more than the Cozy Can to build, but has a much greater capacity, and is far easier to control (i.e. better results).

Key Forum Threads: http://fairtradetobacco.com/threads/3868-Key-threads-in-the-FTT-forum

Bob

 

[BarG]

Ok Thanks Bob, Sorry for intruding on your Thread OldDinosaurWesH, It's a very good link though. I book marked it.