Harvesting tobacco

[momshobbies]

Can anyone give me any info. on harvesting tobacco , when to cut , how to dry . Thanks in advance . I have had a hard time finding anything on this .Im about ready to go to Kentucky and stalk the farmers!Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[MississippiSlim]

I would also like some info on tobacco..I would love to try and grow some but I hae no idea what type or where to get it. I know folks used to grow tobacco in MS but noone does now.

[BrahmaMama]

I grew tobacco one year just to try it. The process however for me is a bit too much work (I'm impatient)
This was a while ago, from what I remember, you first have to dry it some where dark, then you have to bundle it, tight, tight, tight, like in a press in order for it to cure or age.. then comes the shredding part! I don't know how folks did this back in the good ol' days, but it seems impossible to me!!!
I'll go look to see where I found this info before and I'll check back in later.

[BrahmaMama]

Naturally of coarse I couldn't find it. Although I think I read about it in an old Almanac because I can still see the black and white pictures in my head.

Anyhow I bought my seeds from Richters here in Ontario.
Here is they're Website; www.Richters.com or Phone
1-905-640-6677

They carry 3 kinds -Regular, no description
Delgold, virginia type
Wild, originaly smoked by the Indians

[labrat]

I can't give you specifics on growing or harvesting tobacco; I can, however, tell you that if this is an endeavor to subsidize your income, you might want to look in another direction. Most growers ‘round here are diversifying or outright getting out of the business due to the low income provide by tobacco. If this is just to supply your habit, then it might be well worth the time. And I do mean time; it takes a lot of time and labor to raise tobacco.

[momshobbies]

I only intend to for personal use. It is a very neat looking plant. And has great pest repealant benifits. My husband refuses to quit smoking so I thought I would try something with less chemicals for him. And I could say I done it by- gollies! Thanks for everyones help. I already have seeds. May have some at a later time on the barter forum.

[sue currin]

there are 2 types of tobacco, 1 is flue crued,2 is burily, that is what I thank you have because the flue cured is primed at a rate of 3 to 4 leaves as it rippens from the bottom of the stalk. The burly type is cut before it turns brown to the tip. It is then speared on a stick, you should be able to get 10 stalks on one stick. it then stands in the field for a week up tp three weeks, then you hang the sticks of spreaded tobacco on rafters in a barn that has slats in the sides for air movement and dry until you have no swelled stems. Then you bundle it when it is in order, like on a rainy or foggy day when the tobbaco is not brittle.

[MELOC]

there are varieties of tobacco that can tolerate a temperate climate. i have heard of the pennsylvania dutch or maybe amish growing tobacco in pennsylvania.

[kenuchelover]

Originally Posted by momshobbies

Can anyone give me any info. on harvesting tobacco , when to cut , how to dry . Thanks in advance . I have had a hard time finding anything on this .Im about ready to go to Kentucky and stalk the farmers!Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Run a google seach on "home" "curing" tobacco" or some such combination of keywords.

I immediately got several websites with full instructions, such as http://www.victoryseeds.com/tobacco/...ltivation.html
http://www.coffinails.com/curing_tobacco.html
http://www.coffinails.com/

I recall from the past that MANY other websites exist, some also sell a WIDE range of old heirloom tobacco varieties

I've got several old books on tobacco, that detail the process as well, but it's likely simpler for you to get the information online.

I've got seeds of a wild "tree tobacco" if you'd like some, it gets up to 20' tall but stays sapling thin. As a tree, the leaves are small. As a sapling or regrowth, the leaves are up to 12" long.

This has a very high atropine content, it can be smoked, but is especially great for killing insects!

[Farmer Willy]

Here plants are started in a floating plug tray (bed dug into ground lined with plastic or boards on end to form a trough lined with plastice). The tray itself is made of polystyrene with an open bottom and float on several inches of water. Plants set out in field when about 6-8 inches tall and past frost. Seed heads topped when they develop. Plant is harvested when plant starts to tinge yellow. It's cut with a tobacco knife (looks like a little meat cleaver on a 2 foot handle--very sharp) about 3 inches from the ground. A tobacco stick (oak or hickory, about 4 foot long, tappered each end) is stuck into the ground. A spear (looks like a little funnel or socket with a sharpened spike on the end) is set on the end of the stick. The stalk is cut while holding the top of the plant. You hold the stalk in both hands and drive the stalk onto that spike about 5 inches up from the bottom of the stalk and push it down onto the stick. Leave a gap between stalks to allow air flow when it is hanging. Continue until stick is full and start another till all is cut. Also, if your not a smoker were a long sleaved shirt while your cutting or you'll be green to your gills from the nicotine exposure in tobacco cuts. It is allowed to sweat in the field to loose moisture for several days, pulling it in earlier is rain threatens. It is hung in the barn with vents on the barn open to allow air flow. It will dry, then brown and reabsorb moisture. Once it is in case, it is pulled down and stripped from the plant. Most around here will press it in bales for auction house, or should I say used to. Most now sell it by contract to the tobacco companies under contract (~ $1.57 this year).
It'll take a little getting used to for your husband since it is clean tobacco. I think it smokes best in a pipe where a good coal will keep it lit. Unlike store bought it won't burn as well if your not puffing on it. I remember old Don used to roll his smokes in old phone book paper, kept it stuck to his lip while he worked in the stripping shed. Grandad used to make his own twist, but can't remember how he did that, never cared much for chewing it anyway.

[momshobbies]

Thanks for all your responses! I will let you know how it turns out .