My window, balcony and garden: 2026 @johnny108

[johnny108]

Finally: good news!
Culling the 3 plants showing tobacco mosaic viral infections seems to have halted the spread of the disease. No other plants are showing signs of infection.
(I determined it was tobacco mosaic from its transmission ease, and the vein necrosis it has as a symptom.)
The bed leaves from the remaining Virginia Gold reached 60-75% yellow, were sun cured on a hanger on my balcony (this took only 2 days). The fully yellowed leaves were then dried on my car dashboard over 2 days of the European heat wave that is making Europe rethink its stance on air conditioning.
This is the brightest Virginia I have managed to make, to date.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

That picture looks like my green dried Åhus. Pale brown/blonde color that darkened slightly while keeping them in low to medium case.

 

[johnny108]

The rest of the Virginia gold is maturing nicely, and the Aztec is actually looking to produce a full 8 leaves each!
(The color of my dry Virginia is a lot greener in the picture than in real life)

 

[johnny108]

The Aztec has started flowering, but has not gone through stem elongation, yet.
Wish this variety had more than 8 leaves…

 

[johnny108]

Aztec was topped today. September 14 is the 30 day point: minimum for harvesting a Rustica after topping. September 29 is the 45 day point- nicotine will be maxed out at this point. Hopefully they will have started to yellow by then, as October is always a bad month for heavy winds.

 

[johnny108]

Big pot Little Dutch, along with six smaller Little Dutch were harvested today.

 

[johnny108]

Virginia Gold is ripening nicely, and Aztec leaves are the size of dinner plates.

 

[johnny108]

Why watering should be limited after topping….notice the yellowing at the edge of the leaves, but the dark emerald green in the center. Heavy rains the last 2 weeks moved enough nitrogen into the roots that the plant “greened up”, even though it was ripening.
Nicotine will likely be high, but the quality of the smoke will definitely suffer, that is, if I can even get them to color cure.

 

[johnny108]

And I thought dinner plates was a good size for rustica leaves. Aztec in the garden are now just past 40cm x 40cm. (15.75”)

 

[Kushtaka]

Impressive! My largest this year was 10 inches. That leaf looks like its in great condition.

 

[johnny108]

Impressive! My largest this year was 10 inches. That leaf looks like its in great condition.

I’m surprised they are intact, too.
The winds have been nasty this week.

 

[johnny108]

The Aztec crop is doing well, and the Virginia Gold is sun curing in the greenhouse (some on the stalk, some primed and on wire coat hangers.)

 

[johnny108]

Aztec leaves are now passing 50cm/19.68”…
And suckers have slowed to a surprising degree: only 3 plants had any for the “Sunday suckering” visit.
Hopefully yellowing will start soon.

 

[johnny108]

Considering the leaf growth it has displayed, I wouldn’t be surprised if they are a different rustica strain- Amazon seed dealers aren’t as good as Northwood Seeds!
“Aztec” rustica were harvested 3 days short of the 45-day mark for rustica maturation, but this gives me a few more days of clear weather to help with curing.
Everything was stalk harvested, and is being stalk/sun cured.
Only one Little Dutch off the balcony, and a few Izmir tops are left to cut down (really want those Ootz leaves!)

 

[johnny108]

Balcony breeding program:
These are sold with the name “Baffra Basma”. (https://www.tabakanbau.de/de/shop.php?id=33677)
The finished leaves have a smell remarkably similar to Xanthi, but stronger.
Seed heads that have shown, have been bagged before flowers have opened.
I would love to get these plants grown by others in the forum who are familiar with Xanthi, to see what they think of the variety.

 

[deluxestogie]

Basma and Bafra are quite different varieties. Bafra, from the Bafra region of Turkey, is related to Samsun, grown near the Black Sea port of that name. Samsun, Bafra, Trabzon and Katerini varieties all have a generally heart-shaped leaf with a fringed petiole. Basma leaves are sessile (leaf lamina extend to the stalk). Samsun types are stronger and less floral than Basma types.

Bob

 

[johnny108]

There has been discussions before on the forum about the name, but nothing was settled.
I encountered the name in a book on the Bulgarian tobacco trade. One of the first delegations of western tobacco executives to arrive in Bulgaria at the end of the Cold War included a man who had been a purchasing agent for western tobacco companies in Eastern Europe, and when he was handed a hand of Bafra Basma, he said “we meet again, my old friend, after over 30 years…”
The man was, according to witnesses, moved almost to tears upon smelling the tobacco.
And, noting how much more intense (with caramel undertones) the smell is, compared to Xanthi, I can’t say I’m entirely surprised at his reaction.

 

[deluxestogie]

Perhaps, at some point, you could post a photo of a single leaf of Bafra Basma (preferably around the 10th leaf from the bottom). My best guess is that the total number of named tobacco varieties approaches about 10,000.

Constantinides book on Turkish Tobaccos was published in 1912. He missed a lot, and a lot has changed since then.

Bob