Planting Some Tobacco This Spring

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Ive decided to plant a few types of tobacco this spring. Any advice out there of when to plant? Any recommendation of types of tobacco that might grow well in my region? ( south Alabama ) I am planning to do some Rustica and a couple types of Burley. I welcome all advice and opinions.

 

[canucklehead]

I successfully grew a few burley and virginia plants in my backyard last year, and I live in north/central Alberta. I'm sure your climate can grow anything you want.??

 

[cshubhra]

All the best in your endeavor

 

[davek]

The tobacco will be pretty bad at first. It needs fermentation.
They ferment cigar tobacco in piles, people build fermentation chambers which can accomplish this, and fermentation happens slowly over time as long as the tobacco is not totally, crispy dry.
If you don't want to research this (it's easy), then just be sure to store the tobacco loose in boxes somewhere for at least a year, two is better.
I smoke whole leaf, when I started buying whole cigar leaf to smoke in a pipe, I also started growing and squirreling the tobacco away in the basement. I've been smoking my own homegrown for almost year now.
My homegrown was pretty rank at first. It got smokeable in about a year.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

The tobacco will be pretty bad at first. It needs fermentation.
They ferment cigar tobacco in piles, people build fermentation chambers which can accomplish this, and fermentation happens slowly over time as long as the tobacco is not totally, crispy dry.
If you don't want to research this (it's easy), then just be sure to store the tobacco loose in boxes somewhere for at least a year, two is better.
I smoke whole leaf, when I started buying whole cigar leaf to smoke in a pipe, I also started growing and squirreling the tobacco away in the basement. I've been smoking my own homegrown for almost year now.
My homegrown was pretty rank at first. It got smokeable in about a year.

I understand its quite a process. I figure I'll do a lot of research and still need a lot of trial and error time. First step is to grow some.

 

[davek]

I understand its quite a process. I figure I'll do a lot of research and still need a lot of trial and error time. First step is to grow some.

Exactly! Get it in the ground and get it grown.
Then, it can actually be simple if you look down the road a ways. Aging it is pretty easy.

 

[mikethompson]

Cosmic wrote that if you can grow tomatoes where you live, then you can grow tobacco.

There are a few growers on here who I'm sure will definitely answer your questions.

 

[gervais]

Good luck my friend! I tried a few plants for fun last summer and they didn't turn out, but I didn't pay much attention to them. I'm located in Ontario, Canada. You'll more than likely have a much better growing season than me. I am going to try again one of these years, for sure. My gardening skills are pretty good, so next time I try, I'll be diligently nurturing them

 

[karam]

I plan to do the same. Honestly I'm more worried about curing them and making them smokable than growing and harvesting. The typical curing way in my region is either sun cured or stacked into bales and covered with plastic to sweat. They need a couple of turns and then further drying. Then I plan to rehydrate and make plugs.

I live in Athens, Greece, it'd be safe to say that we won't get a frost after mid March or so, so I plan to sow them then indoors next weekend, and move them outside around Easter, then they'd get a couple of months of growing before it gets too hot.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just started my seeds. To answer the OP, start your seeds inside, because they take a long time to set a proper root system. Then transfer outside as soon all signs of frost have passed, and this is different for each area.

I keep the seedlings pinched back to encourage root development over leaves until they are ready for the ground.

Keep in mind that only about half the plant will be suitable for pipe tobacco. The top half is rather harsh on the throat, unless you plan to cavendish or heavily stove it.

I have to re-do my flue curing shed this year. uggg... it feels like a lot of work for a hobby, but everything becomes worth it when you touch flame to it in you favorite pipe, knowing that you did it all yourself.

Good Luck and post pictures.

 

[canucklehead]

I neglected them, overcrowded them, only watered them a couple times, never fertilized, and still got a couple small boxes of usable tobacco. I'm guessing almost a half pound worth if de-ribbed and cased, from a 6'×2' wooden box/raised bed in a shady corner of my backyard. It was fun, I'm starting seeds today to do it again.

 

[F4RM3R]

Start the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost date of your area. If you are a little(few weeks) late, it shouldn't be that much of a issue in your area. I suggest to do a few sowings(once per week) incase a tray doesn't germinate properly. Keep a lid on your tray in a warm and lit place and just mist the top of the soil with water until they germinate.

Burley is good cause it's easy to air dry the whole plant. Try a mild cigar type if you are into that, they can be nice for pipe too and will taste different if not fermented like a cigar . rustica is strong and I don't think you'll need to plant too many of those. Any type will grow fine in your region. If your plants are big then expect maybe 200g of smokable tobacco per plant. That number can vary quite a bit though and leaves vary in strength from bottom to top of plant too.

You could try oriental too if you like that. Easy to air dry whole plant. Virginia is a bit trickier and harvesting and hanging each leaf is better. Can be air dried but will obviously be different taste and sugars than flue cured.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I just started my seeds. To answer the OP, start your seeds inside, because they take a long time to set a proper root system. Then transfer outside as soon all signs of frost have passed, and this is different for each area.

I keep the seedlings pinched back to encourage root development over leaves until they are ready for the ground.

Keep in mind that only about half the plant will be suitable for pipe tobacco. The top half is rather harsh on the throat, unless you plan to cavendish or heavily stove it.

I have to re-do my flue curing shed this year. uggg... it feels like a lot of work for a hobby, but everything becomes worth it when you touch flame to it in you favorite pipe, knowing that you did it all yourself.

Good Luck and post pictures.

Damn, I need to get on the ball. It's been so much like winter around here lately I haven't gotten ready for crappie fishing or my garden. The sun broke out yesterday and I felt spring coming. I will definitely post pictures of my progress.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Start the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost date of your area. If you are a little(few weeks) late, it shouldn't be that much of a issue in your area. I suggest to do a few sowings(once per week) incase a tray doesn't germinate properly. Keep a lid on your tray in a warm and lit place and just mist the top of the soil with water until they germinate.

Burley is good cause it's easy to air dry the whole plant. Try a mild cigar type if you are into that, they can be nice for pipe too and will taste different if not fermented like a cigar . rustica is strong and I don't think you'll need to plant too many of those. Any type will grow fine in your region. If your plants are big then expect maybe 200g of smokable tobacco per plant. That number can vary quite a bit though and leaves vary in strength from bottom to top of plant too.

You could try oriental too if you like that. Easy to air dry whole plant. Virginia is a bit trickier and harvesting and hanging each leaf is better. Can be air dried but will obviously be different taste and sugars than flue cured.

I like cigarettes, a lot of burley OTC pipe tobacco blends and I also enjoy chew. I want to eventually be able to make some version of those things. I've added the rustica because I am kinda shooting to make something like a Cotton Boll Twist. I realize it may take a few years to materialize, but when I can I want to be able to make an all purpose rope with some good strength.

 

[magicpiper]

My friend and I once liberated about a dozen freshly planted burley tobacco plants from a field in S. Eastern N.C. We were 10 or 12 years old at the time. Planted them behind my Dad’s garage in full sun with a water hose nearby Incase Mother Nature didn’t do her thing. We probably had 6 healthy plants ready to be cut when August came around. We hung them up to dry as we had seen farmers do our whole lives. Our idea was to make our own “cigars”. The end result was some of of the most wicked stuff I’ve ever put a flame to.
We soon found out that it was much easier to just lie to the old man at the gas station down the road when we wanted cigars to smoke. “ Yes sir...these are for my Dad.” It usually worked but those were different times...the good ol’ days.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

View attachment 18751
View attachment 18752
I neglected them, overcrowded them, only watered them a couple times, never fertilized, and still got a couple small boxes of usable tobacco. I'm guessing almost a half pound worth if de-ribbed and cased, from a 6'×2' wooden box/raised bed in a shady corner of my backyard. It was fun, I'm starting seeds today to do it again.

Good looking plants. Im interested to see how your next crop turns out.

 

[BROBS]

Yeah.... sure.... tobacco.......
Be sure to use your hemp wick ?

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

My friend and I once liberated about a dozen freshly planted burley tobacco plants from a field in S. Eastern N.C. We were 10 or 12 years old at the time. Planted them behind my Dad’s garage in full sun with a water hose nearby Incase Mother Nature didn’t do her thing. We probably had 6 healthy plants ready to be cut when August came around. We hung them up to dry as we had seen farmers do our whole lives. Our idea was to make our own “cigars”. The end result was some of of the most wicked stuff I’ve ever put a flame to.
We soon found out that it was much easier to just lie to the old man at the gas station down the road when we wanted cigars to smoke. “ Yes sir...these are for my Dad.” It usually worked but those were different times...the good ol’ days.

Yes sir. There were different times. Luckily kids dont smoke anymore. When I was a kid there were always stores that didn't mind turning a blind eye.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Yeah.... sure.... tobacco.......
Be sure to use your hemp wick ?

Yea, I ordered this cool kit with lights and irrigation. It came with these cool vases that make bubbly sounds and a Swisher Sweet tee shirt.

No seriously, this time its all about the tobacco. I don't smoke the DRUGS!

 

[BROBS]

Besides ham.