Squeezyjohn's 2014 Grow Blog

[Markw]

Looking good Squeezy. those solvers are nice looking plants I do love them.

 

[squeezyjohn]

With the threat of storms and rain (which happened last night) I primed the very lower leaves from the Silver River ... some of them were starting to cure brown at the tips on the plant and I wanted to be able to brush the majority of mud, pollen and bugs off as I'm aiming for mouth tobacco here. So I primed while the leaves were still robust enough to take a cleaning.

They're strung up in the greenhouse now to wilt ... although with last nights rain - I swear they've got fatter than they were when I picked the damn things!


Strung up!


One of the greener leaves


A traffic light leaf (red/amber/green) ... I had a better one but couldn't find it.

These are going to be processed while still not fully colour cured - just dried out enough - into an attempt at that Brazilian rope stuff.

 

[squeezyjohn]

Man ... Green Rustica stinks like a dirty, mangy, wet dog!

Horrible!

 

[grgfinney]

I thought it smelled more like cat pee, but it smells good after it's color cured

 

[squeezyjohn]

It's certainly a lot better once it's cured ... I will say that! But something of the aroma still hangs about for ages.

I can see why N.Tabacum is the main tobacco! However ... rustica is so much better suited to our climate in the UK - and I can make some great twist out of it with a little application!

 

[squeezyjohn]

So all rustica is hung up (whole plants to start with) in the shed ... it stinks in there now!



That's the early primings and lugs from my normal tobacco in the foreground.

I took the wilted first priming of the Silver River for an experiment in making something like the tobaco do corda - the video of which is in another thread. Basically making a rope from green(ish) tobacco. I also attempted to make a wet green tobacco version of a carotte. I don't know what this will yield - but it is only an experiment ... I'll be interested to see how green tobacco cures if it's crushed up first - will the chlorophyll degrade as in normally cured tobacco ... what will it taste like ... it will be interesting to see.

Here's my "rope"

 

[Brown Thumb]

Nice harvest and I like the rope, I hope it turns out well for you.
That silver river can be a pita to cure.

 

[squeezyjohn]

That silver river can be a pita to cure.

Really? I've heard nothing but great reports of it being a breeze to cure! I hope it's not that hard.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Sorry, I bad. I confused One Sucker with Silver River. Your OK.

 

[squeezyjohn]

Phew!

 

[leverhead]

It will be interesting to see if tobacco rope and carrot give a similar product and if it's smoking qualities are worth the bother.

 

[cotillion]

Carrotte will apparently make a nice course snuff when grated and was popular long ago. I'm not sure if it would be suitable for smoking or not, I've only heard of it used for snuff. It's one of the things I'd like to try to make soon.

 

[squeezyjohn]

I tend to use all my baccy for chewing or making into snus ... If this technique makes a nice end product I can use and accelerates the curing process then it definitely be worth the bother as I struggle for good curing weather here - and I'd like to be able to ripen my leaves longer if possible.

 

[POGreen]

Great news for Squeezyjohn !
Today I moisted the snus you sent me , I used 4-5 ml of water and boy that snus fits just a glove !

Think I could sence some sort of cocao in it , is that right John ?

 

[squeezyjohn]

Hi PO - no cocoa in that recipe ... Only tobacco, salt, water and lye water ... It is 50% carrotte home made tobacco and 50% dons bright leaf. I think the carrotte tobacco gives a kind of chocolatey taste.

Glad as you enjoyed it!

 

[squeezyjohn]

Had a great day on the allotment after being away with work for a couple of weeks!

The lower leaves of the Silver River and Yellow Twist Bud that I had strung up about 4 weeks ago were completely done and for the most part the midribs were completely dried out too ... fantastic quick curing varieties (which was what I was hoping for!)

The second priming I did of the silver river before I went away were almost completely yellowed and I moved them out in to the wind (under the eaves of my shed) to finish drying with more airflow.

I did another priming of the SR along with harvesting of very ripe leaves from the YTB, African Red and Oxford 207 ... my shed is now approaching very full indeed!

But the crowning glory was the rusticas I sowed very late and then tried to copy POGreen's success by planting out on top of holes filled with manure and then fertilised by Calcium Nitrate and chicken poo. I now have some pretty massive leaves on my hands! The suckers these plants are trying to throw up are bigger than some of the plants I grew earlier in the season! I will try and get some pictures up in the next day or so but for now I am very proud of these plants sown in June - they are huge!

 

[squeezyjohn]

After fantastic growing weather through June and July - we've had a fairly cold and wet August that hasn't helped with the ripening of the leaves ... but there is now talk of us getting a nice Indian Summer through September so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[deluxestogie]

Congratulations on the massive rustica. You get one squeeze from me, squeezy.

I'm curious. In the UK, does Indian summer refer to Native Americans or to the Raj?

Bob

 

[Markw]

That's good news Squeezy I am glad it has gone well for you this year, the SR and the YTB do like it over here and the drying is much easier. Trying to get Burley finished over here late in the season is a complete headache.

 

[POGreen]

Great stuff John , seems to me you had a successful grow and cure this year.
Would very much like to see a pic of those Rusticaleaves......
Guess you got a taste for this way of planting/growing now what variety of Rustica did you plant /grow ?