What Makes A Bigger Difference? Where It Is Grown or How It Is Cured?

[cosmicfolklore]

I live in Alberta (Beaumont) and have successfully grown Virginias and burleys last year, and just burleys this year (my cat destroyed my Virginia seedlings). The burleys planted in raised beds and pots with loose sandy soil mixes
in warm spots along my fences grow great, 3-6' tall. The couple I put in my back flower bed straight in the cold clay-based Alberta dirt were less than 1/3rd the size. I didn't measure soil temps but the ones in black pots along the sunny fence side obviously had much warmer soil conditions, so that sounds plausible.

My main problem is hard frost happening before maturity, some leaves are just too green to colour cure properly before the season changes.

I grew at least 3× as much last year, this year I had a problem with some kind of curly top virus that messed up most of my tobacco, tomatoes, and potatoes. It came from a couple hothouse tomato seedlings my sister brought over.

I asked Jitter about harvesting for the air cured leaf, and he suggested that as soon as the first set of flowers develop, just chop the stalk and hang it. I did that with my semois, but I got a bad case of mold, mostly because it was ready to be processed before I could set aside the proper amount of time. It was my bad, but what I did get to try, turned out very well.

 

[canucklehead]

I asked Jitter about harvesting for the air cured leaf, and he suggested that as soon as the first set of flowers develop, just chop the stalk and hang it. I did that with my semois, but I got a bad case of mold, mostly because it was ready to be processed before I could set aside the proper amount of time. It was my bad, but what I did get to try, turned out very well.

I tried hanging a couple smaller plants last year but they stayed green and juicy until they froze overnight then they went squishy and moldy. I should try hanging them indoors. I wonder how mad my wife would be to find tobacco hanging in the laundry room? ?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I tried hanging a couple smaller plants last year but they stayed green and juicy until they froze overnight then they went squishy and moldy. I should try hanging them indoors. I wonder how mad my wife would be to find tobacco hanging in the laundry room? ?

Hey , my kitchen table and the whole canning room gets overrun with stacks of tobaccos. I haven't had any complaints yet. Not like when I rebuilt a master brake cylinder for my daughter's car on it a few years ago. But, she is used to my antics.

 

[rajangan]

Oh wow, I must be getting my memory all jumbled. I do remember when you first joined. I was really excited about another tobacco grower being on here. If not mistaken, you had posted an awesome video about rolling your own cigar. But, for some reason I got it in my head that Jitter was the moderator. I know that he was involved in one or other of those forums. Maybe he mods another?
Heck, I may have asked you some questions on a grow forum.

I had no idea that burley was hard to grow. Down here, we are labelled zone 8, but I have grown limes and I still do grow a lot of ginger (a new venture). But, we actually get zone 9 environmental conditions. I get six rotations of Virginia from February to November, and some years I can push the season into December. And, two rotations of burley, but I usually don't, making room for more Rustica and cigar leaf.

Edmonton is on the edge of zones 3&4.

Jitterbugdude and I are mods on the same forum. He has been so, and growing tobacco, significantly longer than I have. He's still the authority!

 

[rajangan]

I tried hanging a couple smaller plants last year but they stayed green and juicy until they froze overnight then they went squishy and moldy. I should try hanging them indoors. I wonder how mad my wife would be to find tobacco hanging in the laundry room? ?

I have moved so I no longer have my big shed. I built a 5'x8'x8' insulated shed that was heated and humidified, and could cure tobacco for months after first frost. It was way too expensive to build and I'm not going to do that again.

This year is working out great. We're lucky. I think I will be able to prime the entire crop.

 

[canucklehead]

Edmonton is on the edge of zones 3&4.

Where I live in Beaumont it is about 300ft higher in elevation and we are Zone 2-3☹.

My uncle's garden in south Edmonton is still going strong, but we had a some 2°C nights here a week or two back that took out my tomatoes and zucchinis.

It's nice this week though! ??