Armadillo kiln

[Armadillo]

The terminology can be confusing at first. This thread by Bob is very enightening.

Curing, Fermentation, Aging, Kilning? Basic Definitions

Curing Tobacco When you begin with leaf from the field (primed or stalk-cut), and then allow it to convert from a living leaf to a dead leaf (of yellow or brown), you have cured the leaf. Often in this forum, we refer to this as "color-curing". There are a number of methods for color-curing...

fairtradetobacco.com

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that green leaves are used for hot air drying. At least, that's what I've read.

Could you tell me if this stage is still far from maturity? That's the particular point I'm having trouble defining.

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Knucklehead]

Are you growing Virginia for cigarettes?
Have those plants been topped?
When were they transplanted to the pots?
For cigarettes, I go beyond mature and harvest at the ripe stage. The more ripe, the stronger the flavor and the easier they are to cure.

Ripe tobacco leaf

Probably the best available example of a "Ripe" tobacco leaf. This picture is all over the internet and I can't find who to give credit to. This is a Bright Leaf plant which is a Flue cured type. The leaf is allowed to get what I call "ripe ripe" due to the manner in which it is cured. For...

fairtradetobacco.com

For cigar filler, I harvest at the mature stage. A green leaf that does not show some mottling or at least a yellow tip will be more mild but will be much harder to cure.



This is a mature cigar leaf

This is a mature to ripe leaf

Ripe-ripe Virginia

 

[Knucklehead]

For Virginia, flue curing will yield the sweetest leaf. Flue curing is in the link I gave you earlier that startes with green leaf and follows the flue cure chart. Sun curing will yield the second sweetest Virgnia flavor, I usually sun cure mine. Air curing will yield the least sweet Virginia flavor. I don't use this method if I can sun cure. I didn't care for the flavor.

 

[Knucklehead]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that green leaves are used for hot air drying. At least, that's what I've read.

Could you tell me if this stage is still far from maturity? That's the particular point I'm having trouble defining.

Thank you in advance for your help.

If you are growing for cigarettes, based on the photo, I am don't think the leaves are ready to be picked. They lacks the yellow mottling and the rugose alligator texture of a mature leaf, much less a ripe leaf. If you wait for the color and texture of a ripe leaf the curing process will be much, much easier. For cigars, harvest at mature stage.

 

[Armadillo]

Are you growing Virginia for cigarettes?
Have those plants been topped?
When were they transplanted to the pots?
For cigarettes, I go beyond mature and harvest at the ripe stage. The more ripe, the stronger the flavor and the easier they are to cure.

Ripe tobacco leaf

Probably the best available example of a "Ripe" tobacco leaf. This picture is all over the internet and I can't find who to give credit to. This is a Bright Leaf plant which is a Flue cured type. The leaf is allowed to get what I call "ripe ripe" due to the manner in which it is cured. For...

fairtradetobacco.com

For cigar filler, I harvest at the mature stage. A green leaf that does not show some mottling or at least a yellow tip will be more mild but will be much harder to cure.

View attachment 58094

This is a mature cigar leaf
View attachment 58095
This is a mature to ripe leaf
View attachment 58097
Ripe-ripe Virginia
View attachment 58098

Thank you so much for this information and photos.

Yes, I'm growing them for cigarettes.
They were topped almost a month ago.
They were repotted two months ago with the addition of organic fertilizer.
Do you think that despite the falling temperatures and lack of sun (it's constantly raining or overcast), the plants will still be able to mature?
I started this crop very late in response to the administrative measures against unprocessed tobacco leaves.
It's actually a trial run for next year.

 

[TigerTom]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that green leaves are used for hot air drying. At least, that's what I've read.

Could you tell me if this stage is still far from maturity? That's the particular point I'm having trouble defining.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Nice looking leaves. What variety is that?

 

[Armadillo]

Nice looking leaves. What variety is that?

The package says "Virginia blonde," which isn't very precise.

 

[Knucklehead]

Thank you so much for this information and photos.

Yes, I'm growing them for cigarettes.
They were topped almost a month ago.
They were repotted two months ago with the addition of organic fertilizer.
Do you think that despite the falling temperatures and lack of sun (it's constantly raining or overcast), the plants will still be able to mature?
I started this crop very late in response to the administrative measures against unprocessed tobacco leaves.
It's actually a trial run for next year.

When is your expected first frost?

 

[Armadillo]

When is your expected first frost?

The first frosts are expected in early December.
Here's the weather forecast for October in Abbeville (80100), Somme, France. It's in the north; in the south, it's still 20°C right now.

 

[Knucklehead]

The first frosts are expected in early December.
Here's the weather forecast for October in Abbeville (80100), Somme, France. It's in the north; in the south, it's still 20°C right now.

You have time. Curing will be much easier if you wait until the leaf is more mature. You can flue cure or sun cure. To sun cure leave the leaf out in the sun and bring it inside during inclement weather such as rain, frost, or freeze.

Yearly & Monthly weather - Abbeville, France

Abbeville, France - Climate and weather forecast by month. Detailed climate information with charts - average monthly weather with temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind, daylight, sunshine, visibility, and UV index data. The month with the least rainfall in Abbeville, France, is...

www.weather-atlas.com

edit: you live in a very nice climate.

 

[Armadillo]

You have time. Curing will be much easier if you wait until the leaf is more mature. You can flue cure or sun cure. To sun cure leave the leaf out in the sun and bring it inside during inclement weather such as rain, frost, or freeze.

Yearly & Monthly weather - Abbeville, France

Abbeville, France - Climate and weather forecast by month. Detailed climate information with charts - average monthly weather with temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, wind, daylight, sunshine, visibility, and UV index data. The month with the least rainfall in Abbeville, France, is...

www.weather-atlas.com

edit: you live in a very nice climate.

I'm going to be patient and wait for it to reach proper maturity. I think I've grasped what the leaf should look like.
It's very pleasant indeed; we have a temperate climate. The only slight problem with growing tobacco at this time of year is the wind. On windy days, I have to move the plants across the house to shelter them, and the doors aren't wide enough anymore.
The ones I couldn't move (the 100-liter bin) were badly damaged and knocked over by the last gust of wind.