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ShiniKoroshi Grow Blog 2025

ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
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93
Location
Florida
Its been a busy month and have harvested the first and second plantings of mainly Little Yellow and Little Dutch. Coloring and curing are going fairly well though the Ahus and Orientals I stalk cut flash dried greenish-brown. Letting a sucker crop grow and we'll try it again.
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Tofta are looking nice....
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.....as are the rows I set on 6/2 (LY, LD, J8, Prilep)
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ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
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Location
Florida
Your plants appear to be doing very well. Great job! (y)
Thank you! This second group of LY/LD is curing out a lot easier than the first which Im pretty sure I over fed and they were bad starts to begin with. The third group (below) was fed once before transplant and that's all they will get. Im starting to believe that light intensity is why they are doing so well. The plants in the back are keeping up with the front (foreground) though they get half the hours of direct sun and often its overcast/raining in the afternoon. We have been seeing a UV index over 11 this week!

LY/LD on the left row behind the sucker crop. Japan8 and Prilep on the right except for the wayward Little Yellow.
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ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
Points
93
Location
Florida
I stalk cure all my tobacco plants now, I find it very convenient and time-saving. But I have different places to do it and can control humidity, ventilation and temperature
This is my first grow so Im learning both the curing characteristics of tobacco and the environment Im curing in. The fresh air ventilation in this shop (garage) is rather brisk. So im using cardboard to manage the conditions for curing. So far its working pretty well. The Ahus leaves ended up mostly brown and they are still curing. So Im thinking that had I left the hung stalks along it would have been fine.



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Knucklehead

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This is my first grow so Im learning both the curing characteristics of tobacco and the environment Im curing in. The fresh air ventilation in this shop (garage) is rather brisk. So im using cardboard to manage the conditions for curing. So far its working pretty well. The Ahus leaves ended up mostly brown and they are still curing. So Im thinking that had I left the hung stalks along it would have been fine.



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They are curing nicely. That's going to make a nice batch of leaves.
 

ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
Points
93
Location
Florida
These cured out ok, some green on the back that may come out in the kiln.
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Latest attempt at curing I made a small enclosure (5' x 6' x 3.5') covered in plastic. Added a couple fans for circulation and tied into the fresh-air vent for flow though the enclosure. This is working much better though I do have to drape a wet cloth inside during the middle of the day to keep humidity above 70%. The rest of the ripe leaf will be coming in a few days then this will be completely full.
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Meanwhile, Ive gotten the hang of sun-curing in Florida. Not for nothing but we were pushing close to 12 on the UV index a couple weeks ago.
Day 2
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Day 4
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Day 5
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Didn't get pictures yesterday before I pulled the leaves off to finishing curing in a net. Today should be the last of what will color-cure and that makes 7 days to sun-cure Prilep.
 

ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
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Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
Points
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Location
Florida
Down here I was burning a lot of leaf curing for the morning. What 'seems' to be working is 15 min per side around noontime. From that short exposure the color will change over the next 12 hours.
Once the stems dry Ill try it and see if it is a good cure. I have more to cure soon.
 

ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
Points
93
Location
Florida
This Little Yellow (sucker) has been the biggest in the garden, twice! About the same size as the LY behind it mistakenly planted with Japan 8.
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Sucker crop on the left (front half of the row) the whole row being LY and LD, Japan 8 and Prilep on the right.
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I harvested the ripe Japan 8 about a week ago and they are almost totally brown (air-cured). The next will get sun-cured maybe starting tomorrow.
 

Knucklehead

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Latest attempt at curing I made a small enclosure (5' x 6' x 3.5') covered in plastic. Added a couple fans for circulation and tied into the fresh-air vent for flow though the enclosure. This is working much better though I do have to drape a wet cloth inside during the middle of the day to keep humidity above 70%. The rest of the ripe leaf will be coming in a few days then this will be completely

If you suspend the lower part of the towel in a bucket the water will wick up the towel and you won't have to refill as often.
 

ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
Points
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Location
Florida
If you suspend the lower part of the towel in a bucket the water will wick up the towel and you won't have to refill as often.
I thought about that but since everything is suspended from the ceiling it gets precarious having a container in there. Also, I dont want the added moisture in the evening since humidity gets into the 90's. No doubt Ill have a complete redesign by next spring. Meanwhile these are curing very nicely.

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ShiniKoroshi

Dental Floss Tycoon
Joined
Nov 18, 2024
Messages
337
Points
93
Location
Florida
Nice technique. Those are very green leaves. What varietal? Will be interested to see your air cure results.
Japan 8 that I harvested before ripe. We were getting a lot of clouds/rain and a fungus took hold. After losing a lot of leaf with a week more of rain forecast I decided to cut my losses and harvest what remained.

Here is the cure about two weeks ago.....
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....and this is today with just a few leaf tops remaining greenish-yellow.
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Daytime curing conditions vs. nightime.
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This week Im lowering the humidity and will stop adding moisture in a few days to dry the stems.
 
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