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green spots on tobacco leaves

larryccf

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i'm fairly new to shredding my own tobacco. Recently bought 5 lbs of the lemon virginia tobacco after buying one bag. Love the tobacco, makes a smooth mild smoke which is what i was looking for.
But in the 3 bags i've shredded so far, found a number of leaves with green mold spots, and i don't mean one or two spots on a leaf, but a fairly heavy concentration. On 2 of the bags it was maybe 10-20% of the leaves,
on the 3rd bag it was more.

So the question - what do you guys do with those leaves? do you wipe or spritz them with alcohol, or not use them?
I've set the ones i've found aside until i know how to proceed

thanks in advance
 
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Hasse SWE

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Not so funny to hear, I hope Bob or someone can help you better than me but I can give you this:

"There is a badly out-of-date publication from back in the 1960 or 70's that many have. It clearly indicates that experiments were conducted several years ago in cooperation with the University of Kentucky which demonstrated that mold could be removed to some extent from cured tobacco with a variety of alcohols. The alcohol compounds mentioned in that publication are exempt by EPA from residue tolerance requirements on tobacco, so they can be used in conjunction with otherwise good agricultural practices. HOWEVER, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT no company has come forward and labeled such use, so the liability associated with their use rests with those making the recommendation and those using them! Alcohols are highly flammable and thus pose a serious risk to persons and property from fire. Therefore, we specialists are not willing to recommend the use of alcohols for the removal of mold on cured tobacco. We mention the alcohols here, not as some type of hidden recommendation, but as point of clarification and because many have requested our position on this issue."Information comes from:http://www.uky.edu/Ag/kpn/kpn_00/pn000925.htm
 

larryccf

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

thanks - i probably should have been more specific when i mentioned alcohol. I'm not talking about using rubbing alcohol but something like vodka. I have some citric oil (lemon & orange) and i use the vodka as a "vehicle" to treat some tobaccos with those oils.
 

MarcL

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Can you post some good pictures? There is a good chance you may be mistaking it for a discoloration variant.
 

larryccf

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

i'll go thru the next bag later tonite, but this wasn't discoloration - the green spots were well defined and some had white fringes or edges, and it would be on all the leaves that were folded together, in contact with each other
 

BigBonner

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

It looks like mold to me . I would toss it .Fuzzy

I have seen green cure in flue leaf and is ok to use . It was because of being packed in the curing boxes . It is from slight bruising and is normal but fuzzy green is not good .
 

MarcL

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Thanks for doing that. So you set them "aside" in the trash? That does look like it's fuzzy mold.
Mold would be fuzzy where discoloration would not. Not really good pics but, good.
That does not look like Don's lemon though. It does look more like Virginia Bright Leaf.
If it's not Don's leaf, that would make cents in that, botl.org just ran a thread where that that other leaf supplier was sending leaf out with mold in it and they were said to be indifferent to it. "just wipe it off and it will be fine" that's not good advice..
If you say it is Don's leaf, I would have to see the bag it came in to believe it. maybe possible, Highly unlikely.
 

DIY Pete

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

"Wipe it off and it will be fine" is only an acceptable answer it it is a small spot of white mold. Any green mold and the tobacco is trash.

What you have there is not good. I wouldn't use any of the tobacco that was in the same bag with that leaf.

Pete
 

larryccf

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Thanks for doing that. So you set them "aside" in the trash? That does look like it's fuzzy mold.
Mold would be fuzzy where discoloration would not. Not really good pics but, good.
That does not look like Don's lemon though. It does look more like Virginia Bright Leaf.
If it's not Don's leaf, that would make cents in that, botl.org just ran a thread where that that other leaf supplier was sending leaf out with mold in it and they were said to be indifferent to it. "just wipe it off and it will be fine" that's not good advice..
If you say it is Don's leaf, I would have to see the bag it came in to believe it. maybe possible, Highly unlikely.

i had set them aside but the wife thought they were trash (and well, they were) and she tossed them. Had to dig out what wasn't covered in vegetable matter

and it did come from Don - strange part is, i had purch'd first one bag of the lemon va and it had mold in it, but figured it was a freak event, then bought 4 more bags of the lemon va + 1 bag of red, and 2 bags of it that i've shredded had mold, and then tonite shredded 1/2 of a bag of 1st priming virginia that just came in the other day (that's what's pictured) and it had the same mold

i already sent pix to don and within 15 minutes he responded not to smoke it, that he's replacing the order or reshipping the order. What worries me is that the leaves i did shred might have some of the spores on them, and i'll find the sealed tubs with mold growing in them when i go to use them. Hopefully the PG & honey spritzing i did will help contain any new growth.

but i'm talking over 3 orders, all had mold
 

MarcL

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Weird. well, that's good customer service. I have some lemon coming Friday. I have not had any mold like that come in ever on any of his stuff.
 

larryccf

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

to be frank, i don't know much about mold, and i was hesitant to complain to him as this stuff could very well have started to "blossom" after it was bagged
 

MarcL

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Yeah, I don't know. there's may more bad answers then bad questions. something like that.. I think I remember something was written recently how they wont bag for retail to much in advance for that reason. Most of it is left in bails at the warehouse. Besides, I think he wants to know quickly if there's something wrong.
 

FmGrowit

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Unfortunately, I have an extremely careless new person working. If anyone has any issues with mold, please send me an email (don@wholeleaftobacco.com) with your name and an order number and I'll reship your order immediately.

We've had a great track record for not shipping moldy tobacco, but these things happen. The only thing I can say is I'm sorry and the issue is being addressed as you read this.

Thanks,
Don
 

larryccf

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

actually i was impressed with how responsive you were to the issue - and for the record, the red leaf tobacco was fine, no mold on it, so don't bother replacing it
 

MarcL

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

No issues with my order and, a day early too. Thank you all.
 

burge

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

My leaves are the same I posted pics to Don and I think it is green due to green leaves not turning completely yellow. My thoughts if it is mold and Don graciously sends out more stuff we should cover the costs of the leaf.
 

riverstone

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Hi Y'all
I had a question for Don and he asked me to post it on the forum to get a general opinion. I store the leaf in the bags as it comes from Don and only open the bags to shred as I require it. Is it OK to store the leaf long term (12 mths) in these bags. I will be opening the bags I have received in the last couple of weeks to check for any mould and if OK I will reseal them. My own home grown leaf I just store in closed cardboard boxes in a spare bedroom and bring back to case the amount I am shredding each time. How do you guys store/process your WLT?
 

larryccf

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

burge - if you really want to know if your green spots are mold, take a closeup shot or picture of a pc of leaf with mold in a mason jar (or other airtight container), spritz a few drops of water in there to make sure it doesn't dry out, and in a week or so, compare the leaf with the picture you took - even take a 2nd shot - if that green spot grew in size, it's not discoloration. While i'm no mold expert, i think that would be definitive
 

deluxestogie

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Re: green mold spots on tobacco leaves

Riverstone,
Don's poly-Nylon bags are non-reactive, and vapor-proof. They are ideal for long term storage. BUT, the leaf must be in low case (or maybe a bit more moisture), to avoid mold. Without opening the bag, you can just feel how pliable the leaf feels. If it's flexible, but a little stiff, then it's fine. If it feels soft, especially the stems, then I would open it and examine it--and possibly leave it open until it dries to low case.

Bob
 
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