Harvesting Connecticut Broadleaf

[TigerTom]

I was doing a little online sleuthing to see what I could learn about CT Broadleaf and found a rather interesting document titled, Connecticut Broadleaf Cigar Wrapper Tobacco - General Production Guidelines.

The section titled "Harvest" reads, in part:

"In order to achieve the correct leaf body and thickness, protect leaf integrity of wrapper leaves, and prevent leaf damage from weather in the field, Connecticut Broadleaf needs to be harvested on the immature side, by about three weeks after topping. This type of tobacco will require field-wilting after cutting and before putting plants on sticks, but take precaution against sunburn by not cutting more than can be picked up quickly if sun becomes intense during field-wilting. Spike/spear as soon as tobacco is pliable enough to be put on sticks without breaking leaves."

Rather fascinating that the tobacco needs to be harvested somewhat immature to be good quality wrapper.

Anyone else find this to be the case?

Here is the paper, if anyone is interested in reading it.

http://darktobacco.ca.uky.edu/files/connecticut_broadleaf_cigar_wrapper_tobacco_fact_sheet_2019.pdf

 

[Charly]

The early harvest helps to have flat leaves, it gives a more homogenous color curing too.

 

[deluxestogie]

Probably the most common harvesting error of new growers is to harvest too early. Commercial growers who are accustomed to Dark Air-cured and burley, often harvest near the ripe stage. The cited document (Univ. Ky.) is aimed at commercial growers in Kentucky. Their emphasis on upper, smaller leaves as wrapper is likely due to specific market demands of specific buyers in Kentucky for the 2019 growing season.

Although I always find valuable pearls in their tobacco publications, and do suggest reading this document, if you plan to grow CT Broadleaf, I would ignore the bit about harvesting immature.

Bob

 

[TigerTom]

Probably the most common harvesting error of new growers is to harvest too early. Commercial growers who are accustomed to Dark Air-cured and burley, often harvest near the ripe stage. The cited document (Univ. Ky.) is aimed at commercial growers in Kentucky. Their emphasis on upper, smaller leaves as wrapper is likely due to specific market demands of specific buyers in Kentucky for the 2019 growing season.

Although I always find valuable pearls in their tobacco publications, and do suggest reading this document, if you plan to grow CT Broadleaf, I would ignore the bit about harvesting immature.

Bob

Ok, mature it is.

I've seen a lot of emphasis on the difference between mature and ripe in various threads. Since this is Kentucky we're talking about and they are known for burley, do you think, as far as this document goes, mature could be used sort of as a synonym for ripe, i.e., harvest the leaves before they are ripe?

Also, do you think the growers of dark air and burley varieties may be going for weight when harvesting at near ripe? That's something that was discussed in this thread:

Tobacco strain selection guide for minimal processing

Every once in a while I see a post where someone remarks that their tobacco was really good smoking after only a few weeks hanging, and i know when i talk about the subject most people are turned off by the aging or processing requirements to get a nice smooth smoke. If we compiled a list of...

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