Has anyone harvested from the top down?

[roland7707]

I dont know all of the technical terms, but what would it be like if you harvested the top leaves first, or middle leaves first, or bottom last?
As they harvest the bottom first more nutrients are moved to the ones above, I am just curious as to what would happen if you went "out of order."

 

[Knucklehead]

Re: Has anyone done this?

The bottom leaves are oldest and therefore mature first. However, important data on the method you describe could very easily have been misplaced down through the centuries of tobacco production. Please harvest from the top down and post your results here. We are always interested in new experiments.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Re: Has anyone done this?

To be honest, This year it looked like my Virginia's ripened at the top before the bottom.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

It's kind of like that for burley and dark air. When BigB tops it is the whole top of the plant leaving the biggest leaves to get all the nutrients. There is a video of him walking down a line topping and from memory it must be the crows foot and top 4 leaves or so. But I could be mis-remembering.

 

[Knucklehead]

It's kind of like that for burley and dark air. When BigB tops it is the whole top of the plant leaving the biggest leaves to get all the nutrients. There is a video of him walking down a line topping and from memory it must be the crows foot and top 4 leaves or so. But I could be mis-remembering.

Those tops are thrown on the ground, not harvested. His Burley Red Tips are the remaining small leaf left after topping, those are harvested last.

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKyJc9ywMFM

 

[CT Tobaccoman]

I dont know all of the technical terms, but what would it be like if you harvested the top leaves first, or middle leaves first, or bottom last?
"

What would happen is that the immature leaves would not cure properly. You wouldn't be able to get rid of the ammonia and other things. It would end up greenish and probably pretty harsh, even un-smokable, a waste of good tobacco.

 

[Chicken]

inmature leaves mean no nicotene in the leaf... and thats what we desire in the leaf. to be a sticky. nicotene ladened leaf,