3 varieties for cigars and snus to grow in Scandinavia

[ackebooa]

Yohoo
Im looking for three fitting varieties to do both cigars and snus. The most important measure is that im growing in Sweden and they should have a short maturing time.
Ive been growing Åhus so far and i really like this strain and want to continue with it since its also been grown here in Sweden for long.

I like the taste of vuelta abajo in a cigar and they grew ok last year but this year it was a disaster. They didnt grow up properly, got wrinkly little leafs and brown spots, getting yellow even though they werent mature.. At the same time my Åhus looked great few rows down. Ive been growing on a lot among other growers with all kinds of different plats, and not all of them so well attended.. Maybe the spread diseases to my plants i dont know.

I was thinking Åhus, Comstock spanish and maybe Ct broadleaf could be something.. Short maturing time, filler binder wrapper qualities. And the american varieties are grown in the north of US.

One thing im a little worried about is that they dont have enought nicotine power for the snus.

Grateful for tips!
ackebooa

 

[SmokesAhoy]

From what those of us living in cold places are finding out we can grow nearly every single variety, we just suffer from lack of natural pests and diseases

Curing is the issue, start reading those posts now, your grow will be just fine. My vuelta had some with those spots you mentioned, most without. Some that grew small, I think I missed a big rock under those ones because all the places where I'm sure I dug deep enough grew big healthy plants.

 

[Ben Brand]

Dont forget Little Dutch, very easy plant to grow, nice sweetish taste, great plant.

 

[Cigar]

Man I have to grow Little Dutch next year if only that one alone..that type gets so much praise here more than any other tobacco plant but yet have tried it out so far {shame on me}


Cigar

 

[Tanko]

Hello.

I live in a more tropical ground (new caledonia), but I wonder the same question ^^

Local folks grew some tobacco here, mostly polynesian people, and chewing tobacco. (they smoke it somewhat too, but it's a traditional chewing variety)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCfZ83OoGVI

http://laeila-adjovi.com/?p=44

I only have a small balconny (like, 3*2 meters of soil ground ^^), and 2 young cocotnuts are already grewing here. (well... they have 4 meter leaves now! They make some shade.) I think I can at least make a first test.

So, I ended up with:
Little Dutch
Little Cuba
Paris Wrapper

Because I like the names, and look of the plants ^^. I remember a man I talk in France, Jura one day: It was making cheese with swiss cows. When I asked "why swiss cows?" It say to me " because I like the eyes color of theses cows". Maybe you should try to find some tobacco plant that "look cool" or mean something to you. It certainly add a connection to the act of grewing something.

On top of that, Little dutch seem to have good reviews here, and to be smokeable with only air curing, so, it certainly worth a try.

 

[ackebooa]

Ahh, i might have been too careless with the soil preparations rather than it being the wrong strain.. How many times is it ok to grow baccy in the same spot? 3 years? Gonna get a good read
in the growing section

So far the curing has been going quite well! A little too moist sometimes, i get white mold where i cut up the stem but now ive put a heater in the garage to keep over 18 c and dry it up a little.

Little dutch, i will look into! thanks!

Tanko your island in the pacific looks like paradise! I guess you can grow all year round I agree with you on that, another reason why i want to continue with Åhus, its a really beautiful plant. The flowers are kinda big and round, tightly growing leaves and they have lot of "beard" growing on to the stem and goes into parying positing in the evening.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

. How many times is it ok to grow baccy in the same spot? 3 years? Gonna get a good read
in the growing section
.

It depends somewhat on your soil. The reason for rotating your crops are (1) to prevent the build up of pests and diseases and (2) to prevent excessive loss of nutrients. I typically will plant in the same place for 5 years or more. I grow organically and I get my soil tested every few years. I've never had any serious problems with this method but I use organic methods such as cover crops, organic pesticides and non salt based fertilizers such as rock dusts and chicken manure (from my chickens). The Amish around here though never plant tobacco in the same place 2 years in a row. They usually follow it with corn. Then again most Amish do not farm organically.

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I have not been growing tobacco so long that I can say that "I do x" but so far I grew tobacco in the same plot for 3 (maybe 4i can't recall right now) years, took a year off and back in again this year, with plans to grow there again next year. If anything the patch is just getting better, i.e. more organic matter being worked in, more rocks being removed etc. Weed pressure in the area is very low. All I do is go out with my hoe for a little while every couple weeks. The patch is tiny though, 25 plants tops. Rotation probably becomes very important when dealing with some of the other members acres or fields of tobacco.

 

[deluxestogie]

JBD has summarized it. Diseases and soil nutrients.

A year off from tobacco will reduce the (tobacco specific) pest burden in the soil. Three years off will dramatically reduce it. If you have minimal pests (insects, bacteria, fungi, viruses), then this is not much of an issue until one appears.

If you replace the soil nutrients that are consumed each year, then rotation is not necessary. Since many "organic" or self-invented soil nutrient replacements are inadequate (though some are spectacularly successful), an inexpensive soil analysis is a good idea every few years. Nitrogen is the most rapidly consumed major nutrient, so nitrogen-fixing cover crops (e.g. legumes) in off years will naturally increase the nitrogen.

Rotating tobacco with other members of solanaceae (eggplant, tomato, peppers, potato) is not of much benefit, since most tobacco specific pests can also thrive on these alternatives as well.

Bob