MWaller 2018 Grow Blog
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mwaller
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Well, I'm finally back home after a 1 1/2 week trip to visit family in Finland. During that time, we witnessed some of the very hottest summer weather both in the Seattle area and abroad. Temperatures regularly reached into the high 80's and low 90's! I was admittedly nervous about leaving our yard in the care of a neighbor, but everything seems to have survived. She clearly followed my advice to water the tobacco "sparingly," because they were looking pretty droopy upon my return. However, most plants seem quite refreshed after a good watering last night.
I topped the Criollo 98 "Prieto" and Piloto Cubano PR except for one example of each that will be saved for seed. The Criollo 98 from NWTseeds (smaller plants on the right) have not yet bloomed:
The raised bed in the back yard has made steady progress, especially the tall CT Shade plant. The (intentional) lack of nutrients and inadequate sunshine have clearly stunted the orientals:
Leaf "auricles" seem to be of particular interest to certain members of the forum. So, I thought I'd post a comparison of my 3 Duzce varieties:
Duzce "Istanbulin"
Duzce "Spicy Acres"
Duzce PI 494152
With regard to growth habit and general appearance, there is not much difference among the three. The Duzce "Istanbulin" grew more rapidly than the other two, and is already in full bloom. The other two seem more sluggish and are just starting to develop flower heads.
I topped the Criollo 98 "Prieto" and Piloto Cubano PR except for one example of each that will be saved for seed. The Criollo 98 from NWTseeds (smaller plants on the right) have not yet bloomed:
The raised bed in the back yard has made steady progress, especially the tall CT Shade plant. The (intentional) lack of nutrients and inadequate sunshine have clearly stunted the orientals:
Leaf "auricles" seem to be of particular interest to certain members of the forum. So, I thought I'd post a comparison of my 3 Duzce varieties:
Duzce "Istanbulin"
Duzce "Spicy Acres"
Duzce PI 494152
With regard to growth habit and general appearance, there is not much difference among the three. The Duzce "Istanbulin" grew more rapidly than the other two, and is already in full bloom. The other two seem more sluggish and are just starting to develop flower heads.
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
Glad you had a good trip and KUDOS to your neighbor for watching the babies! 
Thanks for the auricle photos. It does seem like silliness. Their only value, in my estimation, is in differentiating very similar varieties from one another. If the majority of each of your three Duzce lines exhibit 3 distinctive auricle conformations, then they are indeed distinct populations of the same, named variety. While there is frequently variation in the auricle shape from one plant to the next, and sometimes one leaf to the next, they generally display a recognizable pattern.
As a side note, one year, after priming all but the tippy top leaf of all my plants, I noticed that the auricle tags that remained on the nearly bare stalks had begun to color-cure themselves. I went through the garden with a pair of scissors, and clipped off enough auricle tags to fill a 1 gallon Ziplock bag. After curing and kilning, it came to about 2 ounces of reasonably okay pipe tobacco, pre-blended. My verdict is that the end product is not worth the amount of work required to harvest, cure and kiln it. Too much handling of tiny pieces of tobacco.
Bob
As a side note, one year, after priming all but the tippy top leaf of all my plants, I noticed that the auricle tags that remained on the nearly bare stalks had begun to color-cure themselves. I went through the garden with a pair of scissors, and clipped off enough auricle tags to fill a 1 gallon Ziplock bag. After curing and kilning, it came to about 2 ounces of reasonably okay pipe tobacco, pre-blended. My verdict is that the end product is not worth the amount of work required to harvest, cure and kiln it. Too much handling of tiny pieces of tobacco.
Bob
mwaller
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I'm taking my first crack at sun curing some of the Duzce leaves. I'm not yet sure whether they will dry green or continue to brown...
mwaller
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