tobacco growing

[Farmer_Gyles]

39 today and i've given up the smoking .....

[Matt.]

Looked into this following the thread and like the look of Plantation house as a seed source. Unfortunately it seems its too late to start now so maybe I'll wait until next year? Also have you looked into how you will cure the leaves? You need a heater, humidfier and fabricate a container! Also reading between the lines it suggests the leaves give off a bad smell as they cure which can take four weeks or so. That doesn't sound too good if its in the house. Sadly its not as straight forward as I first thought...

...But the chance to grow your own cigar does sound fab.

[lynda66]

i was reading you can do it in an old chest freezer .... with an oil filled radiator at one end, and a bucket of water, and some broom sticks across the top to tie the plants to i have the radiator, and im sure i will be able to pick up a non working freezer off freecycle or somewhere and put it outside my back door....... if not, theres always my shed ...... its supposed to take 12 weeks to grow, i'm sure that will be enough time .... even if they are a little small ...... i'm definitely having a go when i get home, if it doesn't work, i've only lost a few seeds

Lynda xx

[lynda66]

39 today and i've given up the smoking .....

happy birthday ...... and good luck with the giving up

[lynda66]

First customer comes in, gets his snuff and says to his mate " Can you smell dog sh*t?" His mate says no, takes a snort of snuff and says " Cripes I can now though! Damm good snuff that!"

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww yuk yuk *pukes*

[Farmer_Gyles]

Looked into this following the thread and like the look of Plantation house as a seed source. Unfortunately it seems its too late to start now so maybe I'll wait until next year?

no, it's not too late to start - you won't get 5 or 6ft tall plants with 2ft long leaves starting this late, but there is time for them to reach 2 or 3 ft tall with 1ft leaves - and for the cost, it's worth giving it a try

[Farmer_Gyles]

happy birthday ...... and good luck with the giving up

cheers lynda!

[Matt.]

no, it's not too late to start - you won't get 5 or 6ft tall plants with 2ft long leaves starting this late, but there is time for them to reach 2 or 3 ft tall with 1ft leaves - and for the cost, it's worth giving it a try

Ok great. I think I'll give it a try!

[Paulottie]

Yes back to the subject!... No moralising from me.

I have grown tobacco and it is really quite simple, Just sow the tiny seed on top of 3" pot of pre wetted compost (or at least water from the bottom) prick out and grow on etc to finish potting in 10 litre pots. water nearly daily as required and feed weekly. They are big plants so you are going to need a big green house/polytunnel to grow a reasonable supply. Unfortunately I can only help with growing or seeds....as I have never cured/dryed it and, as mentioned, that is the tricky bit. I understand it can be quite dangerous if not done properly. I think it is done in open lofts.... you'll certainly need to set up a fan for air current.

I used to grow it for a lady who bred bio control predator insects. It was used as host plants for the aphids- so I guess you'll be finding that a problem and will be needing to get hold of some predators to avoid spraying. And then of course there is mosaic virus...we were scrupulous at washing pots etc.

Even as a smoker then, I found the odour quite nauseatingly pungent...not sweet like garden nicotiana.

Good luck with it.

[indian]

Hi Lynda66
Well if i can get some pics from the tabbacco fields around us i will and ask some of the locals how they dry and cure it as it grows all over the place here in Bulgaria see what i can find out for you.Tony

[Cloud]

I'm moving to Bulgaria!!!!!!!

[lynda66]

me too

[indian]

Hi Lynda66 well i have some pics for you which i took today,but dont know if i can post them on here,sure someone will tell me. as regards growing 6 inches apart from seedlings when they are tall enough the leaves are picked threaded onto string through the stem and hung up in a open poly tunnel and left to dry. i was given some tab leaves but its the fine shredding was a problem.
Tuny

[Shortie]

If there's nothing wrong taking the pjhots, and they're legal plants (lol) then I can't see why not. Pop them up if you like

[Paulottie]

An old naval minesweeper crewman lives here. 91 and gave up smoking at 18 months ago! Anyhow during the war as a cheap way of buying it they used to get tight rolls of leaves and you had to you shred the end.