Any tips on curing Rustica leaves?

[squeezyjohn]

I've included this in my grow blog - but it is probably more appropriate here.

The Rustica variety I'm growing has very thick and rubbery leaves that show no sign of yellowing and wilting the way that N.Tabacum varieties do when they're ripe. So I've been topping fairly early as you need to do with Rustica and then let the leaves thicken up over the next 3-4 weeks. The thing is that the consistency of these leaves are totally different to everything else I've ever grown tobacco-wise and it seems to need far more humidity to stop it curing green than regular tobacco - especially the lower few leaves. When they do colour cure - they go straight to dark brown with no yellow and properly cured - the thick leaves create an interesting texture.

Are there any tricks I'm missing with this type of wild tobacco that I haven't got the hang of yet. I've been stalk curing, but would they benefit from pile curing for a bit off the stalk before hanging? Anyone who has any experience of Rustica - I'd be grateful for any pointers.

 

[DonH]

Have you tried piling them for a few days? That works for other hard to yellow varieties. I have a couple of Rusticas but haven't picked the leaves yet.

 

[squeezyjohn]

I think i'll try that with the sucker crops - a bit late with what I have already tried to stalk cure - I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[DonH]

I think i'll try that with the sucker crops - a bit late with what I have already tried to stalk cure - I'll let you know how I get on.

I'd try it now but I'll be away from home for the next couple of weeks. It usually takes three days to yellow leaves by piling. Just make sure to restack them once a day so they won't compost.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

I stalk cured my Sacred Cornplanter this year and now that you mentioned it I do not think they went through a noticeable yellowing phase. They did dry to a nice medium brown color (colour....) though. 3 more weeks in the kiln and I'll be smoking it. They color cured in 3 weeks hanging in my barn.

 

[AmaxB]

Huuum
I'll do it with my Samsun PHYB tobacco. I'll pick them to day and stack for 3 days in my garage than put them in my chamber with other leaves..
Is not Rustica but could give feed back the leaves are very thick..

 

[squeezyjohn]

The ones stalk curing are probably going to be OK - it's just the lugs and first few leaves that are staying green and going to a crisp during the day. But they are definitely going in and out of case too - and browning is still happening if slower than with regular tobacco. I think Rustica really reacts differently to moisture due to the constitution of the rubbery leaves. And it looks like a consensus is going towards pile curing at the beginning is a sensible option.

I will try that with the (very large) sucker crop that will be ready for harvesting in the next 2-3 weeks and let you know how the stalk curing is going with the first crop.

 

[AmaxB]

Huuum
I'll do it with my Samsun PHYB tobacco. I'll pick them to day and stack for 3 days in my garage than put them in my chamber with other leaves..
Is not Rustica but could give feed back the leaves are very thick..

3 days
.

 

[DonH]

I've had success with Rustica by curing them on the plant. Kind of like sun curing. I just let them yellow and dry brown or gold on the plant. The leaves are too tiny to stack. It tastes pretty good that way although it needs aging. I grew Isleta Pueblo. I found it impossible to top or control suckers so I ended up with tons of flowers and seed pods and tiny leaves.

I was thinking of not bothering with it next year but I ended up really liking the taste. The problem is the production is minimal compared to growing a Tabacum variety in the same place.

 

[deluxestogie]

If you faithfully remove all the suckers from N. rustica on a near daily basis, you will get larger leaf. It's tedious, but it can be done. Doing so with my Sacred Cornplanter (in 2012) produced dinner plate sized leaves. Too bad I don't care for the taste.

Bob

 

[DonH]

If you faithfully remove all the suckers from N. rustica on a near daily basis, you will get larger leaf. It's tedious, but it can be done. Doing so with my Sacred Cornplanter (in 2012) produced dinner plate sized leaves. Too bad I don't care for the taste.

Bob

Good to know. Problem is I'm not around every day. I go on a five day trip and when I come back it's suckers and flowers everywhere.

 

[Brown Thumb]

If you faithfully remove all the suckers from N. rustica on a near daily basis, you will get larger leaf. It's tedious, but it can be done. Doing so with my Sacred Cornplanter (in 2012) produced dinner plate sized leaves. Too bad I don't care for the taste.Bob

My experience is when you get done suckering them you turn around and start again.Makes a pretty looking, But smelly bush. Strong Chit, Too much work for me. Last years rustica shredded....

 

[deluxestogie]

Last years rustica shredded....

I notice that the jar is still full.

Bob

 

[Brown Thumb]

I notice that the jar is still full.
Bob

It is still curing, But I have rolled a few out of it for a few folks fresh out of Rehab.
Fixed them right up.

 

[skychaser]

I've always found Rusticas a bit difficult to cure. Rusticas aren't like tobaccums. Topping is a waste of time in my opinion. It just makes them angry and makes more suckers grow. I've gotten very rubbery feeling leaves from Isleta and Cornplanter, but the rubbery feel goes away as they get older and ripen. I've tried pile curing with moderate success. It does work but you must be very attentive or all you have is a compost pile very quickly.

I let them stay on the plant as long as possible and until they start to yellow a little. Rustica is very frost tolerant and lights frosts wont even phase it, so you don't need to rush to harvest. Cornplanter and Mohawk have produced the biggest leaves for me. I've gotten leaves the size of dinner plates too an I don't top or sucker them. Next comes Aztec, which I think is the most overall productive. Wyandot and Punche have the smallest leaves but mature the earliest.

The first 3 are worth the time to string. To cure Wayandot and Punche (and sometimes Aztec) I put them into a paper bag and stir them up every couple days to keep them "fluffed up" in the bag. I've had good luck curing small leaves this way. Unless they already have some yellow on them at picking, or piling them first, Rusticas always seam to go from green to brown when curing. I often get leaves that are brown with some greyish green left in them after curing and drying. Letting them hang for a few months where they can go in and out of case browns them up nicely. Hanging them where the sun can hit them for a week or two works too. Dunno what kilning might do. Never tried it.

 

[garryricketson]

I've had success with Rustica by curing them on the plant. Kind of like sun curing. I just let them yellow and dry brown or gold on the plant. The leaves are too tiny to stack. It tastes pretty good that way although it needs aging. I grew Isleta Pueblo. I found it impossible to top or control suckers so I ended up with tons of flowers and seed pods and tiny leaves.

I was thinking of not bothering with it next year but I ended up really liking the taste. The problem is the production is minimal compared to growing a Tabacum variety in the same place.

Someone else had mentioned this in another thread, but I can not find the thread, now, but anyway this is the same subject,
I have a question about this "letting them cure on the plant,"...ok I like how that sounds, sounds like a easy way to do it, but am wondering, is this dependent on it also getting cold enough, that the plants starts to die ? Or will it occur even in a warmer climate, and if anyone knows at what age , in other words, How long does a Rustica live ? and ok, ones that have flowered, and have seed pods, when the seed pods are ready, then I imagine the plant will start to turn color,and die.....or will it keep producing more flowers, more seed pods, until the starts getting colder ? Days shorter, etc,...and if the tops have been cut, so the leaves get bigger,etc,..well no flowers,seedpods,etc,..what determines when the plant will start to change, ?
My thoughts , for me, here it will be December, or January of next year before,it gets cold, and all though usually it does freeze a little, once or twice, sometimes it doesn't,... I have seen some other plants here, that are supposedly annual , live 2 or 3 years, only if it gets real cold, or they dry out real bad...
I am still experimenting, trying to get some buds,(toppings),and suckers that I picked off to cure, they seem to stay green forever,...however some have turned from green to a very dark, almost black, and are starting to look hopefull, for complete drying....it just seems to be a waste to pick all the suckers and tops, just to throw them away, it would be nice if I can use them.

 

[ArizonaDave]

I always wondered about Rustica, so I'm going to keep listening to this post.

 

[garryricketson]

I found this, on a seed selling site, I hope I am not breaking any copy right laws or something,..also I have not tried it, all though I did hang one plant, and am waiting to see how it turns out, 3 months is a long time.

There are many different methods of curing tobacco, but the easiest is to pick the leaves when they get a tinge of yellow on them, then hang them in an open shed or under the eaves. You can string them on a piece of bailing wire or strong string. Set it up so that the leaves dry out during the day and pick up moisture at night. This is how they cure. Once the leaves have lost all green and are a golden brown (which takes a month or two), you wait until they are flexible some cloudy day or evening or early morning and lay them out on your knee (while you're sitting down of course) alternating stem to tip for 7 leaves. Then you tightly roll them together like a big Cigar and then gently twist the cigar, each end in an opposite direction, which gives you the typical "twisty" or "plug." This you hang to dry in the warm shade with positive airflow. It will take a few days to dry completely. Don't store the plug in plastic or glass until it is very dry or it will mold. If you cut through the plug with a razor blade, shaving off a little at a time, you make the typical crinkly product known as tobacco, which can be smoked in a pipe or rolled (and has no chemicals). Mighty smooth.

Copied from https://www.horizonherbs.com/product.asp?specific=2763 I do not know anything about them , it came up when I did a google search using keywords "how do they cure rustica tobacco".

 

[chillardbee]

A quick question...rustica is a primitive plant, would everything you guys are saying about rustica apply for all primitive varieties? I've got aztec growing and this thread has answered most my questions but I also have TI 751 and TI 712 which are also a primitive variety.

 

[deluxestogie]

Tobacco classed as "Primitive" is Nicotiana tabacum, and cures like any tobacco. Nicotiana rustica is a different species. I don't think the class, "Primitive," applies to N. rustica.

Bob

EDIT: I posted photos of Chichicaste 712 in my grow log this evening. As you can see, it looks like a typical tobacco plant.