Bex
Well-Known Member
I'm having a debate with a fellow 'curer'....both of us attempting our flue curing with varying results. He removes the midrib prior to doing his flue cure, as he advises they are garbage, unnecessary, etc. I disagree. Not only can I not find any commercial (or 'private') grower that does this, I also assume that this knocks off the temperature schedule, relative humidity, timing, etc., of a flue cure run, so that the schedule that I attempt to go by, becomes somewhat meaningless. Without the midrib, he is able to 'dry' his leaf before he even hits 120F, which to me, would still be in wilting.
I can't find any scientific information about what the midrib actually does during the flue cure process (although I imagine it keeps the leaf alive, feeds it, etc., while the flue curing process is initially started)....I'm hoping that someone can direct me to some scientific link that proves (or disproves) my point - being that commercial curers would not spend all the additional time, energy, cost, etc., to maintain the midrib during curing, if it wasn't necessary....Thanks!!
I can't find any scientific information about what the midrib actually does during the flue cure process (although I imagine it keeps the leaf alive, feeds it, etc., while the flue curing process is initially started)....I'm hoping that someone can direct me to some scientific link that proves (or disproves) my point - being that commercial curers would not spend all the additional time, energy, cost, etc., to maintain the midrib during curing, if it wasn't necessary....Thanks!!