Building a seed bank for decades more of pipe smoking

[Davo]

Hi everyone,

So as a newbie to these forums, I have observed two things; the overwhelming variety of choice and a tendency to be like a kid in a candy shop and go crazy by ordering everything.

I have been slowly reading through as many threads as I can before posting this list, and I have also ordered a variety of whole leaf to suffice as both blending components and the bulk of my weekly rotation until my homegrown crop is cured and aged.

I’m also conscious that different curing methods and processing (stoved, cavendish, perique style) can create many outcomes from a single plant.

Here is my proposed seed list. I would really appreciate some feedback/editing/culling and a heads up for anything else I might regret not adding.

cheers

bright:

Cherry Red
Frog Eye Orinoco
Virginia bright leaf
Costello
lemon bright
gold leaf 939

Dark:

stag horn
goose creek red

Burley:

Yellow Twist Bud
Harrow Velvet
tn90
tn 86

Oriental:

Prilep 66-9/7
Izmir (Was thinking Lebanese variety due to family heritage)

Cigar:
little Dutch
long red
coniticut broadleaf
Havana 322
corojo 99

Maryland 609

Something best suited for Perique or Semois Style

ps:
Here’s a pic of our harvest this year. Like most first times, it wasn’t the greatest, longest or biggest yield, but memorable nonetheless

 

[Knucklehead]

Excellent choices on all varieties.

 

[deluxestogie]

For a broader Oriental selection, I would suggest adding a variety from the Samsun family: Bafra, Samsun, Trabzon. If you will be seriously saving seed, do purchase some appropriate material from which to make bud bags, for maintaining genetic purity.

Bob

 

[Davo]

For a broader Oriental selection, I would suggest adding a variety from the Samsun family: Bafra, Samsun, Trabzon. If you will be seriously saving seed, do purchase some appropriate material from which to make bud bags, for maintaining genetic purity.

Bob

Yes I have some bud bags already from other seed saving/collecting we do. Ok, that is a good call re orientals. I think I will get the Black Sea Samsun

 

[Davo]

Can anyone recommend a dark burley variety?

 

[Jitterbugdude]

My suggestions/comments: If you grow Brightleaf you will have to flu cure it or sun cure it if you want to maintain the sugar content. Yellow Twist Bud is a very mild Burley . If you are looking for a kick, this is not going to give you one. Little Dutch definitely has a distinct flavor. It is nothing at all like you would expect a cigar to be (as in.. a Cuban/South American). It was used as a filler in the USA back around 1880 or. Most of my cigars use it because I like the unique flavor, and I like smoking a cigar that is similar to one's in the US 150 years ago. It also makes a nice pipe tobacco blend with some Viginia Brightleaf and Oriental added.

You mention something for Perique or Semsois style. I make all of my Perique from Semois. It is very tasty. Additionally, Semois is an excellent pipe tobacco all by itself.

good Luck!

 

[Davo]

@Jitterbugdude any idea where I can grab semois seed? Or does it have a technical name I am over looking?

all of the leaf will most probably be used for pipe tobacco blends, little dutch was included for this purpose. The other cigar varieties were to just keep my options open in case I fancied making some sticks in the future and seed is no longer available. I was also thinking of using some burley as a wrapper leaf, and then slicing into coins.

Burley is my favourite type of tobacco to smoke, and I enjoy it in all its renditions - mild and nutty through to a kick in the pants. Can you recommend some other burley varieties?

 

[Davo]

Also, does anyone know where I can purchase deer tongue seeds?

 

[deluxestogie]

Also, does anyone know where I can purchase deer tongue seeds?

The only source for Carphephorus odoratissimus seed that I found 6 years ago no longer offers it.

Bob

 

[Davo]

The only source for Carphephorus odoratissimus seed that I found 6 years ago no longer offers it.

Bob

What about a source for leaf? I would probably only need 4-8oz and I would be set for a few lifetimes

 

[deluxestogie]

You will have to search for it. Just be aware that Deer Tongue (sometimes spelled Deertongue, specifically Carphephorus odoratissimus) is not the same thing as Deer Tongue Grass. To complicate this, Carphephorus odoratissimus also goes by a half-dozen different Latin binomial names, which changed over the years.

Bob

 

[Davo]

This is all I have found so far:

Penn Herb Co. Ltd. -- deer tongue

www.pennherb.com

 

[deluxestogie]

Read this post for alternate names:

Deer's tongue

Deer's tongue is a type of grass used in some pipe tobacco blends. There is a small jar of it at my local tobacconist. They might add a pinch of it to a pound of a blend. It has a coumarin type flavor to it, like sweetgrass. I tried to emulate this by putting zubrowka in some tobacco. It turned...

fairtradetobacco.com

Bob

 

[Oldfella]

For a broader Oriental selection, I would suggest adding a variety from the Samsun family: Bafra, Samsun, Trabzon. If you will be seriously saving seed, do purchase some appropriate material from which to make bud bags, for maintaining genetic purity.

Bob

Try typing organza world NZ into Google. I can't remember the address but I got a heap from them and they work really good. I think they are in Hamilton. If I find their card I'll put the web address up for you. Good luck with your grow.
Cheers Oldfella

 

[Davo]

Try typing organza world NZ into Google. I can't remember the address but I got a heap from them and they work really good. I think they are in Hamilton. If I find their card I'll put the web address up for you. Good luck with your grow.
Cheers Oldfella

Cheers for the tip!