G’s grow log 2023

[Kiwisaffer]

Does anyone know why some of my Costello leaves are flash drying green while sun-curing? Not all of them but certainly more than I’d like.
Have also had the odd Vuelta leaf do the same (garage colour curing). Temp/humidity in garage is 24degC at 71%

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Found some more flashing drying green in patches. Penn Red inside (not sun curing). Bit of a mystery for me.

 

[johnny108]

Found some more flashing drying green in patches. Penn Red inside (not sun curing). Bit of a mystery for me.

Treating incomplete color curing with sugar....

Metabolomic analysis reveals key metabolites alleviating green spots under exogenous sucrose spraying in air-curing cigar tobacco leaves https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-27968-8

fairtradetobacco.com

You could try treating the (not dried) leaves with a sugar solution.

 

[Alpine]

Does anyone know why some of my Costello leaves are flash drying green while sun-curing? Not all of them but certainly more than I’d like.
Have also had the odd Vuelta leaf do the same (garage colour curing). Temp/humidity in garage is 24degC at 71%

Were the leaves ripe or mature when harvested? Sun curing can be tricky if the conditions are not quite right. Are the leaves near or far from the ground? The lower they are positioned, the more humidity they get at night (I sometimes water the ground below the leaves in the evening, if the climate is too dry at night) the slower the process of curing.
For the leaves in the garage: is the place well illuminated? The temp and humidity are spot on for color curing but the slowly dying leaves need light (not direct sunlight) to break down chlorophyll and turn yellow.
After overwatering the seedlings, premature harvest is the most common mistake of home growers (been there, done that).

pier

 

[Knucklehead]

Does anyone know why some of my Costello leaves are flash drying green while sun-curing? Not all of them but certainly more than I’d like.
Have also had the odd Vuelta leaf do the same (garage colour curing). Temp/humidity in garage is 24degC at 71%

What is the humidity outside during the day where the leaves are curing? Can you check it several times a day? You may have to move them inside once the humidity climbs at mid day until the humidity comes back down again. My humidity swings up and down and I have to chase the humidity or cover with clear plastic to hold in moisture. You may have to open and close garage door to allow night time humidity inside then close door during day to keep that humidity trapped inside.

edit: you need to fix it now rather than later. I haven't had any luck fixing leaves that dried green.

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Were the leaves ripe or mature when harvested? Sun curing can be tricky if the conditions are not quite right. Are the leaves near or far from the ground? The lower they are positioned, the more humidity they get at night (I sometimes water the ground below the leaves in the evening, if the climate is too dry at night) the slower the process of curing.
For the leaves in the garage: is the place well illuminated? The temp and humidity are spot on for color curing but the slowly dying leaves need light (not direct sunlight) to break down chlorophyll and turn yellow.
After overwatering the seedlings, premature harvest is the most common mistake of home growers (been there, done that).

pier

I thought the leaves were mature, starting to go yellow on the end, a bit mottled etc…it’s just a few in this batch that are don’t it. Maybe they were a step up the plant than I should’ve picked. Leaves were hanging outside at waiste height. I can’t check on them during the day as I’m at work. Hey full sun from lunchtime all the way to 18h00 I’d say. No idea of the humidity. Temp could be mid 20’sDegC, humidity possibly low 70’s.

I did not know the garage needed to be illuminated to break down the chlorophyll. Can it be a light or natural light coming in through the windows?

 

[Kiwisaffer]

What is the humidity outside during the day where the leaves are curing? Can you check it several times a day? You may have to move them inside once the humidity climbs at mid day until the humidity comes back down again. My humidity swings up and down and I have to chase the humidity or cover with clear plastic to hold in moisture. You may have to open and close garage door to allow night time humidity inside then close door during day to keep that humidity trapped inside.

edit: you need to fix it now rather than later. I haven't had any luck fixing leaves that dried green.

So I won’t be able to fix it up in the kiln?

I have pulled the dehumidifier down to the garage to keep things at 75% during the evening as it cools. High 60’s to low 70’s during the day with a fan going (sometimes) if there is no breeze as sometimes there is no air moving.
I should get one of those govee things to measure temp and humidity accurately.

Only hang the leaves out during the day then bring them back inside in the evening.

Maybe I should just let them mature even more on the plant so that not long is needed to go yellow once removed from plant??

The irony, I’m worrying about mould on some leaves and others are flash dying green.

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Still have a few aphids that have come in with the leaves from outside. And also just seen some eggs from the whiteflies. They don’t just stick to my wife’s pumpkins it seems.

This shouldn’t be a problem should it? There should be nothing for the whiteflies to suck on once the leaf has turned yellow? They should just the fly off?

 

[deluxestogie]

Maybe I should just let them mature even more on the plant so that not long is needed to go yellow once removed from plant??

The more mature, the easier the cure.

Bob

 

[Kiwisaffer]

How do I know when the best time to take the bagged seed pods off from the plant to hang and dry?
Do I need to wait for all the pods to start look brown inside those green leaves or can it come off sooner and will continue to develop off the plant?

 

[deluxestogie]

Wait for most of them to appear brown.

Bob

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Started removing the roots from the planter bags. So interesting how they grew through the bottom of the bag and are pruned when reaching the sides.
Found a technique to get it out of the bag easily then shake the potting mix back out of the roots for reuse.
Roots balls were so consistent and filled the whole bag.

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Thanks have been a bit busy since my last post, but just an update on my grow blog as it stands

• Costello Negro has been maturing nicely on the plant - pic 1
• The nostrano del brenta seems to be taking for ever to mature however compared to all the rest - pic2
• Decided to do a small sucker crop on the Virginia Gold (nz) and its coming on nicely - pic3
• Had a few more seedlings that i decided to do a second grow for the season, will be sailing close to the wind for the frost window at the end, as well as it might be tricky to colour cure if i can get through the frosts unscathed, but not much to lose so thought I'd take the risk - pic 4
• Humidity has been very low in the garage (temp mid 20'sDegC and 40-50%), even with towels hanging out of a bucket below the leaves so have some green leaf, even on some of the stalk curing ones, but the stalk curing definitely held the moisture for longer - pic 5
• Think I'll get some usable leaf at the end so happy at the moment.

Have tested a few of the leaves that have colour cured and smell really good - but they still have a very vegetal taste to them. How long do they need to be aged before they start to lose this property?

 

[deluxestogie]

How long do they need to be aged before they start to lose this property?

1 to 3 years...or kiln them.

Bob

 

[Kiwisaffer]

Hey thanks bob, would you kiln them even for pipe tobacco options?

 

[deluxestogie]

Cooking tobacco into Cavendish eliminates any residual grassy taste. I really haven't paid attention to how prior kilning might alter or improve the taste or aroma of Cavendish, since I've used only kilned leaf or well-aged leaf to make my Cavendish. You get to experiment.

Bob

 

[Kiwisaffer]

I have finally managed to locate and purchase some imidacloprid. Does anyone know the withholding period of this if using this on the tobacco plants. My seedlings have been in their new homes (bags) for about 2-3 weeks already, and wondering if I’ve missed the opportunity to water the imidacloprid in.

 

[deluxestogie]

wondering if I’ve missed the opportunity to water the imidacloprid in

"Withholding period" is most applicable to vegetable harvest for consumption. My own observations suggest that the effectiveness of imidacloprid applied to the soil at transplant of tobacco, has lost its effectiveness after about 8 weeks, based on insect predation of the leaves appearing at about that time. In that scenario, imidacloprid concentration in the tobacco blossom nectar is nearly zero. [I would not use imidacloprid on food crops.]

I would suggest saving the imidacloprid for your next grow.

Bob

 

[Kiwi Smoker]

Thanks have been a bit busy since my last post, but just an update on my grow blog as it stands

• Costello Negro has been maturing nicely on the plant - pic 1
• The nostrano del brenta seems to be taking for ever to mature however compared to all the rest - pic2
• Decided to do a small sucker crop on the Virginia Gold (nz) and its coming on nicely - pic3
• Had a few more seedlings that i decided to do a second grow for the season, will be sailing close to the wind for the frost window at the end, as well as it might be tricky to colour cure if i can get through the frosts unscathed, but not much to lose so thought I'd take the risk - pic 4
• Humidity has been very low in the garage (temp mid 20'sDegC and 40-50%), even with towels hanging out of a bucket below the leaves so have some green leaf, even on some of the stalk curing ones, but the stalk curing definitely held the moisture for longer - pic 5
• Think I'll get some usable leaf at the end so happy at the moment.

Have tested a few of the leaves that have colour cured and smell really good - but they still have a very vegetal taste to them. How long do they need to be aged before they start to lose this property?

They look great, not so lucky here but I have a small collection of brown leaves from my first priming. Might put them in a jar in the oven as others have done to get a good taste. All very experimental.