Frelono's 1st grow

[Frelono]

Hi everybody.

This Is almost my first ever tobacco growing attempt. I had a few plants last year in a greenhouse. I got some small-isj plants that I had little knowledge on how to make into a finished usable product. The end result was some barely smokeable leaf that tasted like a mix between cigar and green grass. Not great, not all that terrible. it made me want to try again. with more knowledge this time.

So this year I have planted seeds from 3 kinds of tobacco. Ytb burley, big gem and golden virginia.

The Goal of the season is to make a tobacco fit for hand rolling and cigarettes.

 

[Rednekf350]

Good luck with your season. There is a lot to learn and this is the place to learn it!

 

[Oldfella]

Hi @Frelono, it looks like you can't wait to get going. May I suggest that you clearly label each pot of your seeds. There is nothing worse than a mix up at harvest time. You will produce a great blend that you really like and be unable to reproduce it. I see in your pic that you have Big Gem and Virginia on same label. A lot of us on the forum use iced lolly sticks, these can be found in most craft stores and are not very expensive which Virginia are you growing most Virginia's sun cure nicely and can be smoked straight away, if a bit harsh just add a little Burley. My favorite is Virginia Gold, a little Yellow Twist Bud and a touch of Izmir Ozbas. Yummy
Oldfella

 

[Frelono]

Hi @Frelono, it looks like you can't wait to get going. May I suggest that you clearly label each pot of your seeds. There is nothing worse than a mix up at harvest time. You will produce a great blend that you really like and be unable to reproduce it. I see in your pic that you have Big Gem and Virginia on same label. A lot of us on the forum use iced lolly sticks, these can be found in most craft stores and are not very expensive which Virginia are you growing most Virginia's sun cure nicely and can be smoked straight away, if a bit harsh just add a little Burley. My favorite is Virginia Gold, a little Yellow Twist Bud and a touch of Izmir Ozbas. Yummy
Oldfella

It was my impression that big gem was a virginia, therfore the "big gem virginia" label. great tip on the sticks, I'm gonna do that later on when I'm moving them to the greenhouse where they will spend some time before going outside for real.
I expect the gf have some laying around in her ever growing hobby stash.

This Year I am growing big gem virginia gold and yellow twist bud. As it is my impression that these will be to my taste and somewhat easy to get cured right. Planning to build a kiln of some sort of my old fridge.

 

[Oldfella]

It was my impression that big gem was a virginia, therfore the "big gem virginia" label. great tip on the sticks, I'm gonna do that later on when I'm moving them to the greenhouse where they will spend some time before going outside for real.
I expect the gf have some laying around in her ever growing hobby stash.

This Year I am growing big gem virginia gold and yellow twist bud. As it is my impression that these will be to my taste and somewhat easy to get cured right. Planning to build a kiln of some sort of my old fridge.

Sorry, missed that. I thought you had different varieties of Virginia. They do have different tastes. Your varieties look good and I think that you'll enjoy them. Try smoking them both sun cured and kilned for comparison. As for the kiln you can find all the information on the construction of them here.
Oldfella

 

[Frelono]

Sorry, missed that. I thought you had different varieties of Virginia. They do have different tastes. Your varieties look good and I think that you'll enjoy them. Try smoking them both sun cured and kilned for comparison. As for the kiln you can find all the information on the construction of them here.
Oldfella

I'm looking forward to the whole process. And the building of the cure chamber I'm really excited for. As I live in Norway I don't have access to the same equipment as many of the guys in her have but now I atleast got a means of getting the know how to do it.

Frelono

 

[deluxestogie]

Big Gem is an interesting case. The US Dept of Agriculture ARS-GRIN database lists it in the market class of "flue-cured", and the leaf shape resembles a flue-cured type of Virginia.

PI 552343 GRIN-Global

npgsweb.ars-grin.gov

But older sources suggest that it was derived from burley. My own experience with Big Gem (10 years ago) suggests a somewhat more robust aroma than the other flue-cured varieties that I've grown and flue-cured.

Bob

 

[Frelono]

Big Gem is an interesting case. The US Dept of Agriculture ARS-GRIN database lists it in the market class of "flue-cured", and the leaf shape resembles a flue-cured type of Virginia.

PI 552343 GRIN-Global

npgsweb.ars-grin.gov

But older sources suggest that it was derived from burley. My own experience with Big Gem (10 years ago) suggests a somewhat more robust aroma than the other flue-cured varieties that I've grown and flue-cured.

Bob

That's really interesting. The place I bought the seeds had them labeld as "big gem virginia".
But there is not much tobacco growing in Norway so not much knowledge about it either.

 

[Frelono]

First sign of life.

 

[Knucklehead]

Best of luck with your season!

 

[Frelono]

I got som seeds of staghorn also. I was wondering if i should plant some of those as well.
Anyone got some info in staghorn? Taste of finished product?

 

[deluxestogie]

You can find information on Staghorn and many other varieties at Northwood Seeds.

Bob

 

[Frelono]

You can find information on Staghorn and many other varieties at Northwood Seeds.

Bob

Thanks

 

[Rednekf350]

I got som seeds of staghorn also. I was wondering if i should plant some of those as well.
Anyone got some info in staghorn? Taste of finished product?

I grew Stag Horn last year for chewing tobacco. It air cured to a beautiful dark golden brown. Using it within a month of curing last fall was disappointing. Very grassy. I have some stored in a ziplock and I am going to try again.

 

[Frelono]

Big gem

 

[Frelono]

My tobacco inside the "cat fence" one of the cats tought it was a great place for break dancing or something.

 

[deluxestogie]

Cats always gravitate toward resting inside a perceived box—even just a square pattern on a carpet.

Why Cats Love to Sit in BoxesâEven Fake Ones, According to Science

Scientists tested what the Internet has long known to be true: Our feline friends have an "if I fits, I sits" approach to picking the coziest spot

www.smithsonianmag.com

Bob

 

[Frelono]

Cats always gravitate toward resting inside a perceived box—even just a square pattern on a carpet.

Why Cats Love to Sit in BoxesâEven Fake Ones, According to Science

Scientists tested what the Internet has long known to be true: Our feline friends have an "if I fits, I sits" approach to picking the coziest spot

www.smithsonianmag.com

Bob

I whish my poor little tobacco baby's weren't perceived as a place for that evil cat to do anything at all. She's been stumping on them again this night. I have to move them to a safer place. But that will be in a room with a north facing window. Is that fine or do I need to supplement with some light?

 

[deluxestogie]

Suggestion. Move the cat into a room with a north facing window.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

I whish my poor little tobacco baby's weren't perceived as a place for that evil cat to do anything at all. She's been stumping on them again this night. I have to move them to a safer place. But that will be in a room with a north facing window. Is that fine or do I need to supplement with some light?

If the stems become elongated and leggy as though they are searching for light (it's a good sign they are) you will need to add supplemental lighting. Depending on the temps in your room, a propagation heat mat could also give them a boost by raising temp approximately 10F over ambient. My guess is that you should go ahead and look into lights. I don't use grow lights or bulbs but get by with 2' undercabinet fluorescent light fixtures that are prewired with an outlet plug. They were cheap when I bought them ten years ago, but I imagine all building materials have skyrocketed. If money is tight, you could watch for the plants to become leggy and then get lights or do something different.