No, my blending up to this point has been limited to pipe tobacco. I've contemplated gyo for some time, and now that I'm in possession of a couple acres, there's no excuse!
I'm here getting as much education as possible before the coming season. Great resource, btw!
Oliver, this is my first year growing. I started growing because I wanted to blend my own pipe tobacco. I have found blending tobaccos, that are readily available on many online stores, are somewhat bland and do not yield quality pipe blends. I have ordered several different varieties of whole leaf from Whole Leaf Tobacco and discovered a huge difference in quality. The blends I have made using whole leaf (after fermenting of course) were much more fragrant and full flavored. This year I planted 13 different varieties and I am anxiously waiting until they are ready to smoke. I intend to blend my own cigarette tobacco and especially pipe tobacco.
With a few acres you can easily plant several varieties. What type of pipe tobaccos do you currently smoke, that is, English, Virginias, Virginia/Periques, Aromatics, Burleys, etc? Do you plan on growing for cigarette tobacco?
The nice thing about growing your own is that you can create unique high quality blends. Also, there are several "sub-varieties". For example, there are several types of Burley tobaccos and each variety produces it's own unique flavor. The possibilities are virtually endless and you can spend a lifetime coming up with new blends.
Good luck growing next year!