Small Scale Tobacco Growing

[Streeper541]

Next year I plan on incorporating tobacco into my homestead. This will be grown for personal use. I have the room in my barn to hang dry & sun cure the bundles. I can dedicate up to 1/4 acre for it in my rotations.

For those of you who grow your own, do you have any advice or tips you'd be able to share? Any good seeds or vendors you've worked with?

I'm in NE Ohio. I've got good soil with good drainage. I smoke mostly Burley blends. Thanks in advance.

 

[brooklynpiper]

Northwood seeds

 

[Pooh-Bah]

I got my seeds from Victory Seeds. This being my first year, the best advice I have is "Don't transplant until the plants are about four inches tall" - everything I transplanted before then died, after grew fine.
Supposedly a mix of 9:1 water to liquid smoke makes the plants grow well, but I haven't tried that.

 

[GatorElGato]

If you ever think of selling your homegrown to a fellow buckeye, let me know.

 

[supdog]

A lot of info here,

Fair Trade Tobacco - How to grow, cure and process tobacco.

How to grow tobacco, curing tobacco, processing tobacco, RYO tobacco, Cigar tobacco Cigarette tobacco

fairtradetobacco.com

 

[fireground_piper]

My second year, high level challenges for growing in zone 6a:

-Slugs are a bitch
-Seedlings are very delicate for a while, so your timing will be very important especially without the wider growing season of the south
-Severe weather sure can beat young plants up

For me, my most important focus has been making sure they get in the ground well beyond frost potential but soon enough to get them done before hurricane season really becomes a threat and then early frost. I'm guessing you don't have the hurricane/tropical storm worry, but similar frost. I've been growing various Virginia strains.

 

[Brendan]

I'm in NE Ohio. I've got good soil with good drainage. I smoke mostly Burley blends. Thanks in advance.

Calling @Ahi Ka
Calling @Ahi Ka

Come in @Ahi Ka

 

[chilllucky]

I can second fair trade tobacco for the best info on home growing and home curing, which is the taller hill to climb if you're trying to get close to a specific, commercial blend's flavor or quality.

Jitterbugdude is also in Ohio and is an amazing resource and very friendly guy. He sent me my first seeds and some samples of his finished product just for showing interest in growing my own.

There are limits on what one can grow for one's own consumption, like there are limits on how much home brew/distillation one can do. I believe a 1/4 acre would be fine, but you ought to look into it. You absolutely can not sell it (bartering is a grey area).