The leaf looks good. For your shed tent, you could try wetting the soil at the periphery.
Bob
Bob
dubhelix 2019 grow
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dubhelix
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Patience. That’s what I need more of. (And right away, if you please.)
Pretty sure an extra couple days of ripening has a beneficial effect on the yellowing patterns and eventual air-curing of the leaf, as so many others have observed.
It seems like “mature” leaf yellows in the box from the tip and edges, while slightly “ripe” leaf yellows from the center outwards. Though the top pictured leaf is slightly further along, I think the bottom leaf will cure more evenly, with less risk of either chlorophyll staining or composting in the box.
Maybe.
Pretty sure an extra couple days of ripening has a beneficial effect on the yellowing patterns and eventual air-curing of the leaf, as so many others have observed.
It seems like “mature” leaf yellows in the box from the tip and edges, while slightly “ripe” leaf yellows from the center outwards. Though the top pictured leaf is slightly further along, I think the bottom leaf will cure more evenly, with less risk of either chlorophyll staining or composting in the box.
Maybe.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
Hopefully it’s good enough to keep anything from drying green.
Each plant has six or seven top leaves remaining. I’m going to let them ripen as much as I dare.
I reckon I’ll end up with three grades: a string of volado for cigarettes, a bunch of seco for pipe fodder, and some sticky-strong ligero for blending, I guess.
Each plant has six or seven top leaves remaining. I’m going to let them ripen as much as I dare.
I reckon I’ll end up with three grades: a string of volado for cigarettes, a bunch of seco for pipe fodder, and some sticky-strong ligero for blending, I guess.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
After doing some reading at
... particularly this bit...
“Dark Tobacco
Similar to burley tobacco, dark tobacco that is allowed to ripen before harvest will cure much more easily and with a better color. Dark tobacco does not show distinctive yellowness in the field at maturity like burley and is therefore more difficult to estimate ripeness. Dark tobacco is ready for harvest when leaves begin to show a very faint spotty yellow cast. At this stage, the upper leaves will be thick and oily and will crack readily when doubled between the fingers.”
...I decided the rest of my leaf was ready to prime. It’s alligator-textured, thick, somewhat brittle, and ever-so-faintly yellow in spots. The top leaves are recurved and stiff.
A few days in the box and it’ll be ready to hang.
I’ve divided the curing tent into two sides, one more open and less humid than the other, so that browned leaf can dry out properly, while the fresher leaf can yellow slowly.
Looks like I should have decent humidity averages over the next week, so hopefully everything will cure well. This half-cured leaf is from the fourth priming, probably half-way up the plant. It’s been nestled in the middle of a 20 leaf string for a while. It’ll be ready to push over to the “dry side” by the end of the week.
... particularly this bit...
“Dark Tobacco
Similar to burley tobacco, dark tobacco that is allowed to ripen before harvest will cure much more easily and with a better color. Dark tobacco does not show distinctive yellowness in the field at maturity like burley and is therefore more difficult to estimate ripeness. Dark tobacco is ready for harvest when leaves begin to show a very faint spotty yellow cast. At this stage, the upper leaves will be thick and oily and will crack readily when doubled between the fingers.”
...I decided the rest of my leaf was ready to prime. It’s alligator-textured, thick, somewhat brittle, and ever-so-faintly yellow in spots. The top leaves are recurved and stiff.
A few days in the box and it’ll be ready to hang.
I’ve divided the curing tent into two sides, one more open and less humid than the other, so that browned leaf can dry out properly, while the fresher leaf can yellow slowly.
Looks like I should have decent humidity averages over the next week, so hopefully everything will cure well. This half-cured leaf is from the fourth priming, probably half-way up the plant. It’s been nestled in the middle of a 20 leaf string for a while. It’ll be ready to push over to the “dry side” by the end of the week.
You have found a good workflow to dry your leaves nicely. I do about the same as you :
1. Harvest when ripe
2. Put them in a cardboard box for a few days to help yellowing
3. String to air in a «humid» place to begin browning
4. Move the strings to a dryer place to finish the drying and avoid mold.
1. Harvest when ripe
2. Put them in a cardboard box for a few days to help yellowing
3. String to air in a «humid» place to begin browning
4. Move the strings to a dryer place to finish the drying and avoid mold.
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
Stemming and storing some Rot Front leaf “seco”, I guess. Fourth priming of eight.
I’ve decided to de-stem almost all of the leaf, and store the half-leaves in medium-low case, in “books” of 20 to age.
I’ve decided to de-stem almost all of the leaf, and store the half-leaves in medium-low case, in “books” of 20 to age.
GreenDragon
Moderator
Those look great!
dubhelix
Well-Known Member
The last strings of top leaf have been dried down for a few weeks, brought back into case, and are ready to be stemmed and stored. The fronts of the leaves are redder than the photo shows, though I don’t think that’s the origin of the variety’s name.
If I hold the leaves up to bright light, I can see faint traces of green/chlorophyll. Hopefully several months of aging will remove it and the slight but detectable vegetal taste along with it?
I guess we’ll see.
The rest of the crop has been de-stemmed and stored in sealed bags (with some air) and stacked in a plastic tote. Each week I open one and restack it, checking for mold, allowing gas exchange, and letting the leaf get slightly drier in the process.
If I hold the leaves up to bright light, I can see faint traces of green/chlorophyll. Hopefully several months of aging will remove it and the slight but detectable vegetal taste along with it?
I guess we’ll see.
The rest of the crop has been de-stemmed and stored in sealed bags (with some air) and stacked in a plastic tote. Each week I open one and restack it, checking for mold, allowing gas exchange, and letting the leaf get slightly drier in the process.
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