Transparent leaf?

[Bramleyjordan]

Hey all,
I am currently curing my tobacco leaves and have noticed that they are slightly transparent when they are yellow. Once they go brown, they are not transparent - Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? Bad leaf quality?
Thanks

 

[Knucklehead]

Pretty normal. I think all the leaf is kind of transparent when yellow but maybe more so if the leaf was harvested a little immature. At what stage of maturity was the leaf harvested?

Edit: the lower leaf may be slightly more transparent than mid leaf position. I wouldn’t worry.

 

[GreenDragon]

This is because as the leaf dies the cell membranes break down and the cellular fluid oozes between the cells "wetting" the cell walls and creating that transparent effect. This is more noticeable in leaves that are thin and have low lignin content like Tobacco.

 

[Bramleyjordan]

Pretty normal. I think all the leaf is kind of transparent when yellow but maybe more so if the leaf was harvested a little immature. At what stage of maturity was the leaf harvested?

Edit: the lower leaf may be slightly more transparent than mid leaf position. I wouldn’t worry.

So the plants have been growing indoors since 31/08/2020 - I have changed the light hours from 16 hours on to 12 hours on around a month ago. The plant hasnt begun to flower yet but the bottom leaves were yellowing. I have today, changed the light to 10 hours on to hope for flowing as it seems like they should be maturing by now.

 

[Bramleyjordan]

This is because as the leaf dies the cell membranes break down and the cellular fluid oozes between the cells "wetting" the cell walls and creating that transparent effect. This is more noticeable in leaves that are thin and have low lignin content like Tobacco.

Great! Thank you for that info!

 

[deluxestogie]

Indoor grown leaf never seems to achieve the thickness of sun-grown leaf.

Bob

 

[Bramleyjordan]

Indoor grown leaf never seems to achieve the thickness of sun-grown leaf.

Bob

That makes sense. This year, ill be trying both indoor and outdoor so will hopefully see the benefits sun-grown provides.

 

[Knucklehead]

benefits sun-grown provides.

Sun grown? I thought you were in England.

 

[Bramleyjordan]

Sun grown? I thought you were in England.

View attachment 34843

"England version" of sun-grown!!

 

[Yultanman]

So the plants have been growing indoors since 31/08/2020 - I have changed the light hours from 16 hours on to 12 hours on around a month ago. The plant hasnt begun to flower yet but the bottom leaves were yellowing. I have today, changed the light to 10 hours on to hope for flowing as it seems like they should be maturing by now.

As far as i know, no leaves should be harvested until after first flowers except maybe some mud thumpers. I could be wrong though.
Also your light schedule sounds like you are trying to grow flowers. Having only grown outdoors i have not read up much on the photoperiod effects on tobacco growth but since you are growing leaves and not flowers i cant see how big drops in light period being helpful. By the time light was naturally outdoors at 12/12 my tobacco was all harvested. If you have no flowers yet, the tobacco thinks its julyish in northern hemisphere or earlier. That should be 18 hours.
im leaving lots of room for me to be wrong here. This is just my observations from a single year grow. Maybe someone with a more detailed understanding will chime in