Prime leaves or Cut the whole stalk?

[Byronodmon]

So I have this blue star 100 plant. I'm pretty sure all the leaves are ripe enough to pick individually (I think that's called priming? I tend to forget) I live in a dry area so sometimes it gets hard to cure single leaves but this tobacco has been pretty easy so far inside my mini greenhouse. I don't want things to get over ripe if that's a thing and I want to harvest what I can before the wind COMPLETELY destroys this plant. It's already thrashed it pretty good.

So. . . Should I stalk cut this whole thing? Or are the leaves all ripe enough to just pick all the leaves off?
Or do I let it go longer and suffer longer? Lol

 

[deluxestogie]

The leaf at the very top looks well matured. If you have room to hang the whole stalk, that would be the least work, and the safest way to color-cure in a dry climate. Other than cigar wrapper leaf, the major reason for harvesting before it's all fully yellow is to avoid environmental damage (wind, bugs). If sufficiently mature, leaf is always safer inside a shed.

Bob

 

[Byronodmon]

The leaf at the very top looks well matured. If you have room to hang the whole stalk, that would be the least work, and the safest way to color-cure in a dry climate. Other than cigar wrapper leaf, the major reason for harvesting before it's all fully yellow is to avoid environmental damage (wind, bugs). If sufficiently mature, leaf is always safer inside a shed.

Bob

Awesome, my thoughts exactly but this is really my first successful year growing and second in total. Thanks for the help Bob!

 

[baccy]

Other than cigar wrapper leaf, the major reason for harvesting before it's all fully yellow is to avoid environmental damage (wind, bugs).

What are the conditions/settings to color cure a not fully yellow leaf or even green ones?

 

[deluxestogie]

If the 3-day average of humidity stays between about 60% and 75%, and the temperatures between 50°F and about 85°F, most primed leaf will color-cure in the shed within 3 to 8 weeks. If the shed conditions are not quite as humid, or the temperature remains high, then stalk-curing will buffer moisture loss, and improve chances of a proper color-cure. Stalk-curing usually takes longer.

Curiously, when color-curing occurs at higher humidity, the leaf colors to a darker shade. But it has to be moved into drier conditions as soon as it has colored, to avoid mold. If the humidity is persistently too high during color-curing, the leaf rots.

Bob

 

[baccy]

Thanks a lot ! So it isn't very easy. Here is either very humid when it rains or very dry when sunny. I might try with few leafs for the experiment. And why the cigar leafs are not waited to yellow?

 

[deluxestogie]

Here is either very humid when it rains or very dry when sunny.

Average over about 72 hours.

For cigar wrapper, minimal physical damage to the leaf may make it unsuitable to use as a wrapper. Also, priming at the first sign of maturity yields leaf that is less rugose, and somewhat thinner.

Bob

 

[baccy]

What about putting them in nylon bag or stack them?

 

[deluxestogie]

I have never done that.

 

[Byronodmon]

What about putting them in nylon bag or stack them?

I tried that last year and if you don't check on them a lot the mold takes over. Parts of the leaf will yellow and dry and the moisture is too high so it molds. I've seen people stack them under towels and have it work but they also have to open them up and get some air on them to prevent mold. This is what's been working for me this year with blue star 100 which is supposed to be very easy to color cure.

 

[Byronodmon]

Oh by the way the humidity will get up to about 90% when I freshly wet the towels you see on the ground and hanging at the back. The temperature in the shade has been between 65f at night and 90f in the day. Outside humidity has been about 20% in the day.
After a few hours the humidity in this mini-greenhouse goes from 90% to 45% as the towels dry so I have to wet them a couple times a day. I have another hygrometer down by the ground and it usually reads about 15-20 points higher in humidity as it's sitting directly above a wet towel.
So far I haven't had any issues with mold and I'm assuming the volume of this greenhouse and the opening and cracks let in enough airflow. I've been keeping some of the completely cured leaves in there as well to see if it helps with aging but who knows. Hopefully this long post helps someone else because I tried tons of stuff before this and this has been the best. The greenhouse thing probably cost $20 in materials from Lowes. It works great for seedlings in spring too. And it's portable.

 

[deluxestogie]

I've been keeping some of the completely cured leaves in there as well

I would suggest you remove leaf as soon as it has colored. Otherwise, you increase the risk of mold.

Bob

 

[baccy]

@Byronodmon This is clever thing you build. I'm considering to harvest now, cause more and more leafs are getting punctured by grasshopers.

 

[Byronodmon]

I would suggest you remove leaf as soon as it has colored. Otherwise, you increase the risk of mold.

Bob

So any leaves that have a totally dry stem I've got hanging in a regular shed. But the humidity is very low at like 30%.
I have some in this greenhouse that still have moist stems but the leaves are dry.
I've read that for aging you want like 50% humidity so I've been experimenting with leaving some in as long as I can. So far so good but I am a bit worried.
Am I correct in thinking you want 50% humidity for aging? Or does that not matter too much?
I haven't built a kiln yet so as of now aging is all I can do.
I assume aging in low humidity will take longer but don't know if it has negative effects on the quality of the tobacco.
Thanks so much for all your help and engagement Bob, it's very appreciated by us noobs!

 

[Byronodmon]

@Byronodmon This is clever thing you build. I'm considering to harvest now, cause more and more leafs are getting punctured by grasshopers.

Yes grasshoppers are the worst!
This little greenhouse was pretty easy to put together. If you have a drill and something to cut wood with. I just used two layers of construction plastic that is used to cover things while painting houses and things. And the wood was just 3/4"x1 1/2" as cheap as I could find.

 

[deluxestogie]

Am I correct in thinking you want 50% humidity for aging? Or does that not matter too much?
I haven't built a kiln yet so as of now aging is all I can do.

If you keep dry lamina within an overly humid environment, they will mold. If it's just the stem, then that's perfect for exposing to your low humidity. Your leaf will still be aging along gracefully, when you finally build your kiln. [CAUTION: Do not kick yourself when you have finally built your kiln, and realize you should have built it sooner.] A kiln takes a weekend to put together.

The aging (fermentation) process is described by an equation that includes temperature and humidity. Without the kiln, it's on the slow boat.

Bob