Hello from Western Australia

[pippo]

Hi FTT. My name is Neil. Been hanging round the forum for some time now and finally got my act together to introduce myself. I live in a country where tobacco taxes are nothing short of obscene. $1.30 per gram and rising.. I thought I would be proactive this year and grow my own for pipe, chew and snuff. Unfortunately the seeds are still on there way and the season is almost over this year so I’ll have to start next year. This is not all bad as it gives me more time to research and prepare.

Anyway thanks for having me. I find this forum informative and interesting. Regards Neil.

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. You might look at building a tobacco kiln before next season. It makes a world of difference with pipe tobacco varieties.

Bob

 

[pippo]

Thanks Bob. That sounds like a good start.

 

[Charly]

Welcome to FTT.
If you are not subject to freezing temperature, you can always try to grow some
It will help you understand how tobacco grows, so you will be more prepared for the right season.

 

[GreenDragon]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Alpine]

Welcome to FTT

pier

 

[MarcL]

Sound good. Welcome to Fair Trade Tobacco.

 

[pippo]

Thanks for the welcome everyone

Charly, do you mean that if I do not suffer frosts I might be able to gro a crop the winter months?

Neil

 

[Charly]

Thanks for the welcome everyone

Charly, do you mean that if I do not suffer frosts I might be able to gro a crop the winter months?

Neil

I may not be the best person to answer this question, since in my climate (France) we have frost
But what I can say is that my plants grow as long as the temperature is high enough (more than 10°C).
Most years, I have some strains that are not mature enough for harvesting before october or even november (for the top leaves)... (I start seedlings mid march and put in ground in end of may).

To steal DeluxeStogie's words :
"tobacco is a perennial, tropical plant, it's like the Energizer Bunny, until it freezes to death."

If your temperatures in winter are high enough, you can grow tobacco all year round.
In some countries, they grow two crops of tobacco per year.
Keep also in mind that depending on the weather, the quality of your tobacco can change dramatically.

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm not sure exactly where you live, but here is the temp curve for Perth:

If that seems similar to your climate, I would suggest starting seed indoors no earlier than the start of July, and plan to put into the ground two months later.

Bob

 

[pippo]

Thanks guys. Charles I never thought of baccy as a perennial . That’s a whole different ball game. It’s already getting interesting. Thanks.

Bob, I live about 400 klms south of Perth. On the coast so quiet mild. With Charlys advise coupled with yours I’m think i might be on a win here. Sowing in July. Would you put them in a heated propigater ?

Neil.

 

[pippo]

Ps Bob. Where did you get that graph?

Neil

 

[deluxestogie]

Just Google "Climate Perth, Australia". You may be able to find a site into which you can just enter your postal code, to get very specific data.

Bob

 

[Charly]

Even if tobacco is perennial, it seems that the quality of the leaves is the best in the first sets of leaves (before it flowers), so in general it is not left in the ground after harvesting.

 

[pippo]

Thanks Bob. I’ll try that.
Neil

 

[pippo]

Cheers Charly.
Neil