Who's growing this year?

[WerkIt]

Nice pics my friend!!

Thanks!

Starting to wonder how convenient(and difficult)it would be to make a Menthol snuff with that?(menthol crystals added to the mix?)

I don't even know how to make snuff. I only have recipes for snus.

 

[TWISTED VICTOR]

Well, this server at work won't let me see the pictures, so I'll check 'em out at home.

 

[WerkIt]

I treated the Turkish in the same manner as the Virginia, then ground them both finer in a coffee grinder:

This stuff is like dust or talcum powder and ends with 2 ounces of finely ground tobacco.

 

[The Wiz]

I treated the Turkish in the same manner as the Virginia, then ground them both finer in a coffee grinder:

This stuff is like dust or talcum powder and ends with 2 ounces of finely ground tobacco.

WerkIt....Looks like snuff material to me!(Lovely color) Alot us US snuffs are a fine powdery like grind! I'm sure it would work in a pinch(No pun intended)!!

The Wiz!

 

[four2109]

Thanks WerkIt. I checked and I have about 25 seeds left so something ought to sprout. I do the same with vegetable seeds. I never need a whole pack for my small garden and hate the price they want for starts.
Thanks for the tip on the 2L greenhouse! I googled and that sound easier to work with than trays. Do you leave the cap on or remove it so there is some ventilation? I gotta get some dirt tomorrow and get started. I don't plant outdoors until around mother's day. That's when my dog tends to blow his coat and he knows more about the weather than I do.
Last spring, I started vaping and quit smoking April 21st. Knowing nothing about WTA's I remember looking at my garden plot and saying "I just don't care". I didn't recognize the source of my depression then. I helped my roommate put some stuff out but I spent months not making the connection. I'm still not right but, I'm gonna start tobacco first! We'll see how it goes this year.
Thanks again.

 

[four2109]

Oh, and this thread is going to have to evolve into it's own "Home Grown" section so we can add threads for harvesting, curing, etc. Maybe Dvap can give us some input on TSNA's... See what you started!

 

[Vaporer]

Very nice WerkIt.

I'm gonna try my hand at it for making some snuff. I have plenty of room, but after long thought I better start out small.
I bought 4 diff seeds and I figure if I get 10 of each,,,,,well....

Did some reading about drying in full sun for a blond leaf.
Also found this link that should get me started.
Pop Bottle Greenhouse

 

[WerkIt]

Do you leave the cap on or remove it so there is some ventilation?

Here's my method:

1. Remove the label from the soda bottle, clean the bottle, then slice the bottle in half with a razor

2. Take the bottom half of the bottle, and slice drainage holes in it with a razor

3. Put dirt in the bottom half of the bottle

4. Place a label for the plant species on the bottom half of the bottle. I place the label where the white paper is already located on the bottle. Then tape the bottom and top half of the bottle back together, being sure the tape covers your label

5. Place the bottle(s) in a plastic tray filled with water, so that the dirt absorbs the water from the bottom. Place the tray in the light. You should see condensation on the inside of the bottle(s) fairly quickly.

Just remember, the point of the greenhouse is to create humidity. The point of the humidity is for germination. Once the seeds have germinated, humidity is no longer necessary. As a matter of fact, after germination, humidity can kill the seedlings due to damp off. So once the seeds have sprouted, slice the top of the bottle back off, so the sprouts do not die from the humidity.

And no, you don't put the caps back on the soda bottles.

 

[Vaporer]

I like your method better than what I saw on the link I posted. Egg shells.......
I've noticed reading that humidity is essential to germinate, not burying the seeds and as soon as they start, water only from the bottom as your pic shows.

I'm figuring 6 seeds per bottle. 1 in the middle and 5 on the perimeter.
Then I can just remove the soil as plugs for transplanting.

Sound reasonable?

 

[The Wiz]

OK....I have to know now! Where do you get the seeds? Was only good a growing one thing years and years ago....Willing to try my hand at some tobacco!

The Wiz!

 

[WerkIt]

I like your method better than what I saw on the link I posted. Egg shells.......

It's not really my method. I misrepresented that inadvertently. This is one of the methods for wintersowing (stolen from the Gardenweb forums), where you put the seeds in a container, then put the containers outdoors in December or January. The purpose is to expose the seeds to cold, just as they would be exposed in nature. I haven't wintersown myself. I just stole the method that someone posted.

I've noticed reading that humidity is essential to germinate,

Yes, but don't put these bottles in strong sunlight or heat. Although the seeds do need light, it is possible to bake the seeds in such a container. Beginning this early in spring, however, should prevent baked seeds, since the sunlight isn't that strong yet and it's not yet hot enough to bake the seeds, except maybe for those deep in the south.

not burying the seeds

I never bury tobacco seeds, but only scatter on the surface of the soil.

water only from the bottom as your pic shows.

That's from the seeds being so tiny, like specks of dust. Watering from the top isn't recommended for that reason, or at least, that's what I understand.

I'm figuring 6 seeds per bottle. 1 in the middle and 5 on the perimeter.
Then I can just remove the soil as plugs for transplanting.

Sound reasonable?

That will work. I did 10 seeds for Turkish per bottle and 20 seeds for Virgina, Rustica, Perique and Yellow Orinoco per bottle. How many seeds you plant per bottle is dependent on how soon you plan to transplant them out of the bottle. If you do 6 per bottle, you can wait quite awhile to transplant them out of the bottle. Last year, I transplanted not long after sprouting. Tobacco seedlings are like tomatos, so don't put down roots early. I used a 1/8 teaspoon (like for herbs and spices) as a 'shovel' and transplanted my seedlings into styrofoam cups very soon after sprouting last year.

 

[WerkIt]

Where do you get the seeds?

I very highly recommend seedman and I will tell you why.

Fiist of all, seedman clearly categorizes various tobacco species, according to use, whether you be growing to make snuff, chew, cigars, cigarettes or for pipes, which you can see here.

Second of all, seedman stands behind their product. Last year, three of us who ordered Black Sea Samsun from seedman, had zero germination rates. Seedman replaced those seeds for all three of us, with no questions asked. Oh, remember that photo I posted of the Virginia gold leaf, which was three times the size of my size 12 shoe? Those grew from seedman's Virginia Gold seeds.

However, you can also check out Newhopeseeds (this year's selection is much thinner than last year - they have no Maryland seeds this year) who sells tobacco seed, as well as tobacco plants. Some also like to order from virtualseeds.

 

[The Wiz]

I very highly recommend seedman and I will tell you why.

Fiist of all, seedman clearly categorizes various tobacco species, according to use, whether you be growing to make snuff, chew, cigars, cigarettes or for pipes, which you can see here.

Second of all, seedman stands behind their product. Last year, three of us who ordered Black Sea Samsun from seedman, had zero germination rates. Seedman replaced those seeds for all three of us, with no questions asked. Oh, remember that photo I posted of the Virginia gold leaf, which was three times the size of my size 12 shoe? Those grew from seedman's Virginia Gold seeds.

However, you can also check out Newhopeseeds who sells tobacco seed, as well as tobacco plants. Some also like to order from virtualseeds.

Thanks WerkIt......Might have see if I still have a "Green Thumb"

The Wiz!

 

[Vaporer]

Thanks WerkIt for the info. I may do more than 6 if the rooting is that slow.
I'm in Ohio so I cant plant till May 15th.

I have a 4' dual flouresent light. 1 warm and 1 cool bulb. That simulates sunlight very well.

I got mine from highly recommended sellers off ebay. I have maybe $12 in 4 strains and abt 2000 seeds. All included nice growing instructions. I got Rustica, Cuban, Cuban Hiltonia and Virginia. Read that they can polinate up to 1 mile. At least they say to not plant diff strains closer than that if seeds are to be harvested. Staggering blooming tims should work.
We'll see. I'm a noob all the way here except from what I've read.

 

[WerkIt]

Thanks WerkIt......Might have see if I still have a "Green Thumb"

You will be fine. Tobacco grows all over the planet practically, even in the nastiest of soils. The major problem people seem to have is getting from sprout stage to transplant stage, but that is easily solved by stopping humidity after germination.

 

[5cardstud]

How much would you have to grow to get enough nicotine for the year? Do you need a certain climate? Where would you get seeds if the prior worked out and I guess I'll have to do some studying on this. I think It's a grfeat idea, It never even entered my little pea sized brain.

 

[WerkIt]

I have a 4' dual flouresent light. 1 warm and 1 cool bulb. That simulates sunlight very well.

That's the best possible setup, from what I heard. I have a 150 watt CFL (which is only drawing 50 watts) over one tub of sprouts presently. I have got to get another one for the second tub. I am using photography light fixtures, so can't get the lights as close to the seeds as you can.

I have maybe $12 in 4 strains and abt 2000 seeds.

Holy friggin jebus! 2000 seeds is enough to last a life time!

I got Rustica, Cuban, Cuban Hiltonia and Virginia.

Rustica has a very short growing season. It reaches maturity and flowers quickly, although you won't get as much leaf as with other varieties. (Not that you need huge leaf production with rustica. Mix rustica in very small quantities of your blends, no more than 5% to start, due to the extremely high nicotine content.) What the short growing season for rustica means is, you might be able to get two crops out of one growing season. After harvesting the first crop, have seedlings ready to replace them.

Read that they can polinate up to 1 mile.

Yes, which is why I will plant the majority of my plants on my friend's land and top those(top=cut off the flowers as soon as they appear to prevent seed production and force energy into leaf production), but keep maybe two of each variety here and allow those to make seed.

We'll see. I'm a noob all the way here except from what I've read.

I am still a noob in this too. I only decided to get my feet wet last year because of the tax increases in April '09 and the threat of PACT, which is quickly becoming reality. For me, the point is to produce my own snus, such that it no longer matters what insanity the government comes up with down the road.

 

[WerkIt]

How much would you have to grow to get enough nicotine for the year?

That depends on how you consume it. A cigarette is roughly one gram of tobacco. One ounce of tobacco contains 28 grams. One plant of Virginia Gold provided me with 1.5 ounces of tobacco. You can work out the mathematics from there. For a consumer of snus mini-portions who uses 4 portions per day, they would be consuming 1 gram of tobacco per day (snus is 50% water). You can work out the mathematics from there as well.

Do you need a certain climate?

Sunlight and plenty of moisture (although not too much moisture). There are strains that do particularly well in northern climates.

Where would you get seeds if the prior worked out

Read post #32 above.

 

[Vaporer]

I plan to start my 1st seeds this week, that gives me 8 weeks before I can think abt putting them outside. We can be good till Oct 15th before frost.
I read that rustica is abt 3-4' tall. Virginia can be 6'.
I hoped that staging time between plantings will give me time to work them consecutivly.

I have some rustica snuff(homemade). Talk abt a nic hit. Rustica is normally the highest nic content tobacco from what I've read. The Toque bullets dont have much volume per hit and loaded with rustica(100%), it will abt take your head off, nic rush not burning. I love the flavor, but you cant do it like regular snuff. Its just to strong and a guarenteed headache if done to close together. Even using with snus or vaping can be enough nic added in to tell you are reaching your limit.

Speaking of soils, TV had found something interesting abt Asian tobacco and lower TSNA's. Depriving the soil of something may keep them lower than normal. It would seem the case anyway. Something to look at for future reference.

"There are strains that do particularly well in northern climates."
The strain of Virginia I bought supposedly is an award winner and can be grown in Alaska.

No one close to me grows tobacco so if I can get a decent return the 1st year I should have enough left over that I can start rotating strains by year. I can too know more after my 1st try to stagger the blooming times to a safe limit allowing 2 diff strains in the same year. If nothing else, its a starter plan! lol

Seems a good log will be very helpful!

 

[TWISTED VICTOR]

WerkIt, you're a wealth of knowledge for me.....I'll sit back and absorb the rays .

V, ya got me wondering.....does it make a difference to rotate the different species or would all 'baccy species use up the same nutrients? Something I wouldn't have considered since I figured 'baccy was 'baccy. Donno .