Greetings from the High Desert of Colorado: @SpyridonSmyrna

[SpyridonSmyrna]

Hello all,


I’m Erik, checking in from the high valley desert of Western Colorado. I’m a long-time pipe smoker and a first-time grower—just started some Smyrna seeds this season. I work as an elementary ELL teacher by day, bake sourdough by sunrise, and study Orthodox Christianity in the quiet hours. Tobacco and the pipe have become more than a hobby for me—they’re part of a larger rhythm of prayer, discipline, and reflection.


I recently added a few blends from The Country Squire to the cellar (Shepherd’s Pie, Cowboy Breakfast, and their 50th Anniversary blend) and continue to enjoy the likes of Hal O' the Wynd, Presbyterian Mixture, and a few good Latakia-heavy smokes.


I’m especially curious about the challenges and best practices for growing and curing tobacco in a high, arid climate like ours. Daytime temps get hot under the sun, and humidity is practically nonexistent. Any advice on curing methods that work in a dry climate, or tips on fermentation without mold?


Looking forward to learning from you all and eventually offering something back in return.


Cheers from the high altitude desert,
Erik

 

[GreenDragon]

If you can grow tomatoes you can grow tobacco. I think your biggest challenges will be keeping your seedlings from drying out the first few weeks after transplanting and then preventing flash drying when curing your picked leaf. I grew in Central Texas for years and those were my issues. Daily watering and lots of mulch will help with the seedlings. To prevent flash drying I cured my leaf in my garage. To raise humidity I would spray the floor with water. Also I tried to stalk harvest / cure whenever possible which also slows the drying process. Good luck and have fun!

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. Be sure to read the New Growers' FAQ, linked in the menu bar. You may wish to scan through the topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads, also linked in the menu bar.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Welcome. Thank you for joining us.

 

[johnny108]

For color curing, you are going to need higher humidity- start thinking greenhouses, and other areas you can seal up to trap moisture (plastic drop cloths over a pvc pipe frame for a collapsible area, for example).
When is your last frost date?
How long till the next frost date?
You’ve got some seed shopping to do.
About how much space/how many plants were you thinking?

 

[SpyridonSmyrna]

If you can grow tomatoes you can grow tobacco. I think your biggest challenges will be keeping your seedlings from drying out the first few weeks after transplanting and then preventing flash drying when curing your picked leaf. I grew in Central Texas for years and those were my issues. Daily watering and lots of mulch will help with the seedlings. To prevent flash drying I cured my leaf in my garage. To raise humidity I would spray the floor with water. Also I tried to stalk harvest / cure whenever possible which also slows the drying process. Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for the reply—really helpful stuff.


That early seedling stage is already testing me. Even with daily misting and some dome time, I’ve had a few wilt under the high sun and dry wind here. I’ll start mulching sooner rather than later and look into a more consistent watering setup. I appreciate the reminder that tobacco can be done like tomatoes—just with more patience.


Your garage curing method sounds like a clever workaround. Flash drying is a concern here. Humidity in my area can hover around 10–15% in the afternoons. I hadn’t considered wetting the floor, but that makes sense. Do you have any tips for how to tell when the humidity is “high enough” during garage curing without overdoing it?


Also, for stalk curing, did you hang the whole plant upside down and let it wilt before cutting leaves? I’m reading mixed things about timing that part.


Thanks again for the encouragement. Looking forward to the learning curve!


— Erik

 

[SpyridonSmyrna]

For color curing, you are going to need higher humidity- start thinking greenhouses, and other areas you can seal up to trap moisture (plastic drop cloths over a pvc pipe frame for a collapsible area, for example).
When is your last frost date?
How long till the next frost date?
You’ve got some seed shopping to do.
About how much space/how many plants were you thinking?

Thanks for the insight. Yeah, I’m already realizing just how brutal the dryness is out here. Your suggestion for a collapsible greenhouse setup with drop cloths over PVC is a game-changer. I originally planned to cure on a covered patio area with some fans, but I think I’ll rig up something like the one you suggest to trap more humidity and better control the environment.


To answer your questions:

• Last frost: Around mid-May - but this is Colorado, we can have frosts in the middle of July !!
• First frost: Usually hits by mid-to-late October, though sometimes a little earlier at elevation.
• That gives me a growing window of about 120 to 140 days, depending on how the season swings.
• Space-wise, I’m starting small—just 4-6 plants this first season to learn the ropes and not overload myself.

I’m growing Smyrna this year (little Smyrna babies are already peeking through in my indoor seed bed , but I am curious about what might do well in a high-elevation, high-UV, low-humidity setup like mine.


Thanks again—this is precisely the advice I hoped to find here.


— Erik

 

[GreenDragon]

For humidity monitoring just buy an inexpensive weather station that tells you the indoor temp and humidity. Shoot for 60-65 percent with air movement and monitor for mold. If you need to prime leaves stack them on raw untreated wood boards. I like cedar fence panels as they are cheap and naturally rot resistant.

Stalk harvesting: I let the leaves fully cure on an upside down hung stalk. They are ready when the leaves are completely brown with no green and can then be removed from the stalk.

 

[johnny108]

For a fast growing pipe variety, I would recommend Little Dutch.

 

[Alpine]

Welcome to FTT

pier