Lower leaves vs upper leaves??

[tpicking]

I've read on several tobacco growing websites that the lower leaves of tobacco plants produce a different final product than the upper leaves, but no one has really explained what the difference is. Does anyone here have any experience with that?? Any preferences or opinions??

 

[uberam3rica]

I can't help you on this subject, but I bet someone here can. I'm interested now too.

 

[cortezattic]

Mac Baren's website discusses some issues concerning leave position.

 

[lankfordjl]

I don't really know, but being a gardener and knowing plants... I'd guess most of the blends I smoke come from the mid to lower portion leaves of the plant. I often find hard pieces of stem in my English blends (like Frog Morton) that I have to remove. Hard stems would be found in mature leaves not young leaves.

 

[pstlpkr]

The only mention of the tops of tobacco plants I'm familiar with is concerned with the growing of tobacco for Perique. They top the plant and only allow it to grow a limited number of leaves.

Obviously the Perique process (where growing is concerned) is very labor intensive.

 

[blendtobac]

Although there might be a little difference in upper and lower leaves in tobaccos targeted for pipe use, this mostly applies to cigar leaf, which is harvested from the bottom up, a row at a time, which allows the nutrients to go to the upper leaves. The top leaves will usually be more potent anyway, as they're exposed to more sunlight. But since pipe tobacco plants are stalk-cut (the entire plant is cut away at the stalk), the leaves generally aren't sorted out.
Russ

 

[cortezattic]

A source that I refer to frequently is Milton M. Sherman's All About Tobacco. It is not an in depth treatment; and, having been published in 1970, it is a little dated. On this issue of leaf position, and only with respect to Virginia tobacco, he says:

Virginia tobacco is harvested by the "priming" method in which the leaves are hand-picked, two to four leaves at a time, when the tobacco is ripe. The process is repeated four to six times, until the stalk has been picked clean.

He goes on to say:

The finest grade is considered to be Virginia Bright and the top grades of Virginia Bright are determined by the position of the leaves on the stalk, and by the quality, color and body of the leaf. The large leaves at the center of the stalk are the finest. [my emphasis]

I cited these quotes only because I thought his last remark was particularly informative -- if not relevant in today's market. It would be reasonable to conclude that a lot has changed in agri-business in the 42 years since this was written. The Tobacconist University website states that priming is not in common use today.

 

[judcole]

From the MacBaren website:

The higher the leaf sits on the plant, the higher its nicotine content. In the top leaves, called Tips, the nicotine content is so strong that the leaves cannot be used for pipe tobacco. We use mainly the leaves from the groups called Leaf, Cutters and Lugs. The normal nicotine content in tobacco is 1% to 3%.

I have this site bookmarked, as it is full of useful info for pipe smokers, beyond info on their blends.

 

[chero]

I raised tobacco years ago and we were told when we were young that the lower leaves so far up were for cig's and next leaves so far up are for cigars and the top leaves up to the tip go for chewing tobacco.

thats is the way we went by when we graded it for market. each grade brought a different price per pound.