Growing Virginia

[new boy]

Hi all I grew some Virginia last year some is smooth but some hits your throat like fire does anybody know why this may be cheers Gordon

 

[deluxestogie]

How was your Virginia cured?

Bob

 

[new boy]

Hi Bob.Thanks for your reply It was my first year so some was just air cured and some I boxed to start with to get it to yellow then air cured in the dark some I air cured in a Polly tunnel. I then put it in those bags you can use to store bedding in at a leathery moisture level and put high up near our wood burner 52c to ferment very new to all this !

 

[deluxestogie]

What most of us think of as "Virginia" is flue-cured tobacco. When it is air-cured, it takes on a different quality from what you might expect. The differences you noticed may be due to differences in the stalk level from which the leaves were harvested. Lower leaf is thinner, lighter in color, and lower in nicotine. Upper leaf is thicker, darker and stronger.

If you plan on growing a Virginia again, and don't plan on building a flue-curing chamber, then you might consider sun-curing it. The results are not as bright as flue-cured, but brighter than air-cured.

Bob

 

[new boy]

Many thanks Bob. So maybe the leaf I cured in the Polly tunnel is less harsh !

 

[MarcL]

Welcome to Fair Trade Tobacco.