Is it mold?

[Ersin]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the forum and I don't know if this is the right place to post this. I live in Turkey. I grow the traditional tobacco of the region in Canakkale/Yenice. I'm having trouble with the leaves I collected from the same seed as mine, but from a different farmer. Could you help me with a photo? Should I remove them from the system or continue drying them?

 

[Sergey Ukraine]

If I'm not mistaken, the second and third photos show that the leaves are wet. And judging by the photos, they are hanging tightly together. If I'm right, then it's mold...

 

[Ersin]

I wanted to keep it a little damp to yellow it. Should I throw it all away or throw away the moldy ones?

 

[Sergey Ukraine]

If there is mold, discard it. Spread the leaves apart so that air can circulate between them. They must be dry. In order for them to turn yellow, you need the right temperature and humidity, not moisture on the leaves.

 

[Ersin]

Thank you very much.

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum, @Ersin. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum. You may wish to scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads, linked in the menu bar.

Bob

 

[The Haroo ln]

Your leaves should never be wet when curing/drying them hence 'drying them' and keep them spaced so they can get airflow between them. Temp should be around 75-85f and humidity around 80-85% until they have yellowed. Once they start turning brown then temp can be imlncreased a little and humidty need to come down to around 50-65% percent

 

[Ersin]

Temperature fluctuations are high this season. I keep it on the enclosed balcony with the windows closed. I threw away all the dried tobacco. Do you think it would be appropriate to harvest in the evening?

 

[deluxestogie]

I understand, from the limited information that you have provided, that you are growing a Basma-type tobacco. This is traditionally sun-cured. Leaves are harvested individually, as they mature, strung onto twine, and sun-cured. The process is about color-curing, rather than "drying". The more mature the leaf at the moment it is harvested, the less likely it is to dry before it properly color-cures.

Bob

 

[Ersin]

Yes, I grow basma tobacco. I dried it in the sun during the summer. The rainy season has begun. My harvest was less than I expected. I started looking for other fields, but not many people are growing basma anymore. This is my first time growing it. Do you recommend collecting sucker leaves?

 

[deluxestogie]

Sucker leaves often have lower concentrations of alkaloids, compared to primary leaves. This renders sucker leaf less desirable for cigar tobaccos. But for many Oriental tobacco varieties, the sucker leaf may be similar in quality to primary leaf. The greatest difference is the average weather at the time of harvesting and color-curing.

Bob

 

[Ersin]

Is there a difference between picking in the morning or evening? I've picked the ones before in the morning, but now there's a lot of humidity in the morning. The leaves are wet.

 

[deluxestogie]

Pick the leaves when their surfaces are dry.

Bob

 

[Sergey Ukraine]

It is believed that harvesting in the evening is preferable, as it contains less moisture and more carbohydrates. I don't know how true this is, but that's what it says in the books. However, none of the books provide any data on the studies that have been conducted. I harvest before sunset, put it in cardboard boxes, and leave it until morning. In the morning, I string it on a thread and hang it up to dry.

 

[Ersin]

I hope I'm not bothering you with too many questions, but could you comment on the tobaccos in another line? Is this mold?

 

[Alpine]

If it is fluffy and can be easily wiped off with your finger… it is mold. If you prefer a more “scientific” approach, spray the affected leaves with hydrogen peroxide: if it’s mold, white foam will quickly appear on the surface.

pier