Saving lost season (harvesting and drying late)

[Charly]

Thanks for reply, yes, blond and brun is sufficient, the others are possibly over-classifying it. For example I never understood why to divide tobacco plant into five different qualities of the leaf when Low, middle and top seem enough. Don't think I am a French tobacco fanatic, i am satisfied with any dark rolling tobacco. With me it is not problem of variety but of processing tobacco, If I learn how to do it well, I can make good rolling mixture with varieties I have (Adonis, Gooose Creek Red, Tabaco Negro, some fire cured and oriental to make the taste more interesting). Yesterday i mixed 10g of GCR low leafs, 20g of GCR mid Leafs, 10g of Adonis mid leafs, 20g of Balikesir top leafs and 10g of my fire cured, the result is smokable.
I see that you are from Italy, I was collecting lighters, Italian Saffa lighters from 30s were one of my favourites. I have three from this manufacturer, Classic lift arm, smaller version for ladies and Saffa Aksum with wind shield, nice work.

I think the "blond/brun" classification is too limited, when I begun learning more about tobacco, I didn't understand why in France we only talk about these two types...
The separation of leaves depending on their position on the stalk is mostly over detailed for commercial manufacturers. For us small growers, we don't need to have as many "stalk positions", it's all up to you
P.S. I am from France, @Alpine is in Italy, he might know better about the lighters

 

[Libor]

I think the "blond/brun" classification is too limited, when I begun learning more about tobacco, I didn't understand why in France we only talk about these two types...
The separation of leaves depending on their position on the stalk is mostly over detailed for commercial manufacturers. For us small growers, we don't need to have as many "stalk positions", it's all up to you
P.S. I am from France, @Alpine is in Italy, he might know better about the lighters

I was not meaning it 100% seriously, of course the classification is meaningful. Oh sorry, it seems that I answered to other person, I will not bother you with French petrol lighters, once I start to speak about French manufacturers I don't know when to stop.


Just to return to original theme: Yo were right the other Shirey that is still in the garden is affected by disease as well as all the Adonis plants. It seems that the disease consumes leafs faster than they are growing hence I will have to take what's left quickly,.

Thanks to you all for drying and piling ideas. Leafs of the few good plants that I harvested are slowly coming from yellow to brown colour. Hopefully I will have at least something..

 

[Libor]

It's not over 'till it's over.... three days ago I had to compost all line of moldy low leaves. I took everything from the barn to the house, then after few hours the fireplace room shown itself as too hot and dry, two small leafs dried green, I took everything back to barn late at night and when hanging it in dark, I destroyed some more leafs in process. Running back and forth like an idiot... After walking the house with hygrometer I finally chosen the bathroom (64 F / 64 Rh). It seems better now, some leaves are brown now with stems and veins still yellow, but I am still afraid of mold on leaf-stems.
We had the first frost here, so I harvested the rest of the plants in garden, some still non matured only starting to show flower buds, I will air dry good leaves and non matured will go to smokey chamber. - seems like the only way to make those small leaves go brown.






The mold visible on veins:

 

[Libor]

Do you think that those leaves a ready to be taken to drier room with fireplace for stem drying? I don't want no more mold on stems....

 

[Knucklehead]

Do you think that those leaves a ready to be taken to drier room with fireplace for stem drying? I don't want no more mold on stems....


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I think it would be okay to do that. When I was processing more leaves than space would allow, I would stack some on a seedling heat mat to finish stem drying and make room for more green leaves in my shop. I had to keep rotating the leaves within the stack but they turned out great. They were at about the stage yours are now.

 

[Charly]

I agree with Knucklehead, I think you can place them in a dryer place now if you fear for mold.

 

[Libor]

Thanks for your reactions. If I wasn't mulish and accepted that I have another chance next spring, I would have saved some money, time and energy.
Where are the times when I had not enough drying space in my attic....

 

[polygon55]

I regret my lack of interest for tobacco strains when I visited the tobacco museum in Bergerac some years ago... Dragon Vert! Can you imagine a more fascinating name for a tobacco plant? @GreenDragon should grow it...

I grown Dragon Vert B this season. This is a DAC type tobacco. Bush, flower and leaf are very similar to Geudertheimer.