# tobbacco plants



## Growdude (Aug 27, 2009)

Looking around on the net this seems to gaining popularity.

Plenty of seedbanks out there with lots of cheap seeds.

From what I can tell it looks alot like growing MJ, small seeds that need germ, then transplanted, likes 70-80 f and moist soil.

Anyone doin this? and have any advice.


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## StoneyBud (Aug 27, 2009)

Growdude said:
			
		

> Looking around on the net this seems to gaining popularity.
> 
> Plenty of seed banks out there with lots of cheap seeds.
> 
> ...


 
It's got to be cheaper than buying it. The prices today are crazy!

Of course, *not* using it is the best advice, but if you're going to grow and use it, in my opinion, it's best to make a mound that is about a foot tall from the base of the irrigation trench on either side of it, with soil that will drain well, and use a drip hose to feed the trench on a 24/7 basis to moisten the mound via natural wicking.

In the old days, they did this with buckets, between rains. The mounds and trenches prevent the roots and lower stem from being in standing water and drowning.

Good luck man!

Please remember that what I've said is only my opinion. Others may have better advice for you and you should decide if you follow any advice given.


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## thedonofchronic (Aug 27, 2009)

just for the heck of it,
how much do you guys pay in your
area for your brand? i pay 9.50 a pack
my old brand cost me 10.50 a pack


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## ArtVandolay (Aug 27, 2009)

$9.50 a pack sounds like New York resident to me .  They were $6 a pack when I moved from CT in '05!

I quit smoking last April when they raised the taxes again (both a state and fed tax increase) to $5.10/pack (and that's at carton rates).  I refuse to fund the SCHIP program and FL's budget shortfall.  I have mixed feelings about quitting .  No, cancel that, I am a Non-Smoker!

FYI: The nicotine gum works like a charm, I may never quit chewing it.


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## 2Dog (Aug 27, 2009)

I dont smoke but you can get packs here for 4.95 for name brand


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## wmmeyer (Aug 28, 2009)

I looked into growing and processing my own tobacco briefly, for both cigarettes and dip.  When I got to calculationg how much tobacco I could get from one plant, and how many plants I would need for a year's supply, I quit looking.  Would take a LOT of ground space to grow enough, since they're huge plants.  

The thing that intrigued me was that there is no tax on seeds, plants, or unprocessed tobacco.  The only thing taxed is finished, cured, processed tobacco, or at least I think that's what I read.  I'm still wondering if I can buy some mature leaves from a grower for cheap, and process it myself?


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## Growdude (Aug 29, 2009)

wmmeyer said:
			
		

> I looked into growing and processing my own tobacco briefly, for both cigarettes and dip.  When I got to calculationg how much tobacco I could get from one plant, and how many plants I would need for a year's supply, I quit looking.  Would take a LOT of ground space to grow enough, since they're huge plants.
> 
> The thing that intrigued me was that there is no tax on seeds, plants, or unprocessed tobacco.  The only thing taxed is finished, cured, processed tobacco, or at least I think that's what I read.  I'm still wondering if I can buy some mature leaves from a grower for cheap, and process it myself?



Not a bad idea, let me know if you find a place to do that.


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## thedonofchronic (Aug 30, 2009)

is it illegal to grow tobacco in your home? :stoned:
i wouldnt grow it to smoke but i was thinking about just growing
one out for the heck of it, yknow?


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## OGKushman (Aug 30, 2009)

5.80 Marlboro Lights


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## Mutt (Aug 30, 2009)

Alien Bait has an older post around here somwhere with some pics of his tobacco plants


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## zipflip (Aug 30, 2009)

does ya length of growin season in ya are have anythin to do wit tobacco growin at all. liek maturity etc..  or can ya grow tobacco just bout anywhere and only size overall be hindered by the length of season if shorter   :confused2:


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## wmmeyer (Aug 30, 2009)

thedonofchronic said:
			
		

> is it illegal to grow tobacco in your home? :stoned:
> i wouldnt grow it to smoke but i was thinking about just growing
> one out for the heck of it, yknow?


 
From what little reading I've done, my understanding is it is perfectly legal to do anything ya want with tobacco.  Grow inside or out, harvest, process, produce seeds, etc.  The only thing under government control is the tax on the finished product.  So, if ya sold it ready to smoke, ya'd get involved in that.



> does ya length of growin season in ya are have anythin to do wit tobacco growin at all. liek maturity etc.. or can ya grow tobacco just bout anywhere and only size overall be hindered by the length of season if shorter


 
I'm sure length of season, climate, soil type, etc all have a profound effect on the finished product.  Like the majority of commercial tobacco is all grown in a kinda limited area.  But I think it will grow just about anywhere.  Problem I ran into was, the plants are huge and take up a lot of room.  I forget the calculations, but to support my half-pack a day habbit for a year, I figured I would need about 40 plants, and that's more than a backyard grow.


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## LEFTHAND (Aug 30, 2009)

> I'm sure length of season, climate, soil type, etc all have a profound effect on the finished product.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## zipflip (Aug 31, 2009)

hmmm  ya'll got me thinkin now. maybe throw just 1 or even 2 in the vegie garden next year just to try it an see wat happens first.
 im sure ya can find seeds alot cheaper than 25$ somewhere tho. idk.
 gonan have to have gander wit google.
 but i thought bout doin this for few years now. me and my old man both thought bout it. and still talk of it once in a while. but its just one them things ya always talk bout doin but never do ya know. LOL


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## iamgrowerman (Sep 19, 2009)

Growing tobacco is perfectly legal nearly everywhere (and absolutely everywhere in the US).

The reason most people don't do it has nothing to do with laws or taxes or anything silly like that, it's drying and curing and otherwise dealing with the post harvest production that is annoying.  Of course with cigarette prices going the way they are more and more people are deciding it's worthwhile to grow their own.

Do a little research online.  The drying/curing is handled differently than MJ so you'll want to make sure you understand the task at hand before you plant yourself crop of it.  Oh, and they're decently big plants, so plan for that too.


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## HippyInEngland (Sep 19, 2009)

A mature Tobacco plant at harvest.


hXXp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/virginia-gold-tobacco-seeds-100seeds_W0QQitemZ220480698807QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN?hash=item3355ac79b7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

100 seeds for £1

eace:


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## gurubomb (Sep 19, 2009)

are yields the same as marijuana plants or is it more or less?


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 3, 2009)

I grew a strain called "Indian Tobacco".
I ordered the seeds online for 10 bucks.
I sprinkled the seeds on soil-then misted them.
Some of the ones I had got up to 4 ft tall.
I had about 15 plants and probably enough leaf for a carton.
I could have had more if my garden had better soil.
There are strains of tobacco that are bred more for northern climates.
The plants have put out seed pods and I have alot more seeds than what I ordered.
I got mine at virtualseeds.com


Gb


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## dekgib (Oct 3, 2009)

6.50 a pac is what i am spending for newport shorts


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## meds4me (Oct 3, 2009)

Hahaha funny I have a neighbor who grows his own and theyare over 6' tall ! we lose him all the time cause his only 5'7"


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## 2Dog (Oct 4, 2009)

he should make a maze for halloween..charge for entrance


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## bob_kemp (Oct 7, 2009)

Hi -

I'm new to the forum and I'm glad I found this thread! 

I read all the posts in this thread and I certainly can understand the confusion. There's a deliberate mystery involved with growing, curing and processing tobacco and it isn't necessary. Of course, there's a similar mystery in making beer and wine or growing fine bud. 

I live in N. Central Texas, North of Dallas. Every year I grow from 250-300 tobacco plants. I harvest them, dry them and this year I built a kiln and fermented them fast for better smoke quicker then just air curing.

If you can grow tomatoes, you can grow tobacco. If ignorant peasants in the 16th Century could do it, you can do it too. 

The seeds are planted indoors 6-7 weeks before your first average frost. They are transplanted to larger pots as they gain in size and finally planted out into the field. 

During the growing season, they shoot up to 6-8 feet tall with leaves from 24-36 inches long (except some varieties like rustica which stays short and Turkish (oriental) that has many smaller leaves), then they flower. Typically, the flowers are topped off the plant. Then the plant puts out "suckers" (branches) which are removed to make the plant put more energy into making larger, thicker, heavier-textured leaves.

The harvest is different depending on the type of tobacco plant. Cigarette types (flue-cured and burley) are generally "primed", that is to say the leaves are removed from the bottom up as they yellow. Cigar, pipe, chew, etc. types are harvested by the whole stalk method.

Once the leaf/stalk is harvested, the leaves must "color cure", meaning change from green to yellow/brown, then they are dried crispy and then are ready for final curing.

Final curing can be as simple as packing in a box and waiting for up to a year or more - or as complex as building a kiln to maintain temperature and humidity to accellerate the fermentation process which makes the leaves smooth to smoke and not grassy or harsh tasting.

After this, there are a multitude of things you can do to it to make the leaves into the final product. It costs me about $3 a lbs to grow my own cig tobacco including processing and curing. It should be cheaper but I refuse to use any pesticides in my crop. 1 lbs of tobacco will make about 2-1/2 cartons of cigs. I also use no additives in my tobacco - I see no reason to put antifreeze in my smoke. (yes, the commercial cigs have that in them)

I hope that helps people here understand the basic overview of tobacco growing, harvesting, curing and processing.

I'll continue to watch this thread if anyone wants more info.

Bob

ps. don't get me started on complaining about the government's punitive taxation on cigs unless you have time for an ear full!......bk

pps. I tried to post a picture but it said I couldn't until I've posted 15 times here, so ask me lots of questions and then I'll post some....bk


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 7, 2009)

I did harvest some this year. 
I need to work on soil more, but have plenty of seeds for next year.
How do you plant?

Gb


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## HippyInEngland (Oct 8, 2009)

Hello again Bob 

Will tobacco grow in the UK or is the climate too wet?

There is no restrictions for posting pictures, there are restriction on posting links.

So if you save a picture to your comp, you can immediately post the picture on the forum 

eace:


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## bob_kemp (Oct 8, 2009)

Hi --

Hippy: I know many people in the UK who grow their own tobacco. You may want to make raised beds to keep the roots from being drowned. You may have to keep the transplants indoors a little longer before Spring so they have long enough to reach full size, maybe plant 7-9 weeks before last average frost. You may have to step up the plants from 4 inch pots to 6 inch pots because of the delay in planting out. If the roots get crowded in the pots, the plants will frequently bolt to flower early and be stunted.

GeezerBudd: I start the seeds in 72-cell trays using a sterile, Canadian peat-based potting soil screened through 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Thoroughly moisten the tray from the bottom first. Sprinkle as close to one seed on top as possible, cover with clear plastic with ventilation holes, put in a bright location without direct sun and mist gently twice daily until they germinate. Keep around 75F if possible. Once they germinate well, remove the plastic, move to about 50% shaded light and continue to mist and water from the bottom as the tray becomes light. If you have multiple plants per cell plug, you can tease them apart into separate cells in a new tray when the seedlings are large enough to handle by the leaves, or simply clip extra ones leaving only one per cell with scissors.

Geezer, be careful with seeds you made unless you covered them with a bag to stop cross-pollination. The hybrids you may have made could have unknown quality. If you want new seed, I do have several kinds available for sale cheaper than any of the online seed companies.

I'll try to post another pic, the reason it didn't let me was becuse I posted a link to my pic on photobucket, I guess.

Bob

Silk Leaf tobacco about 8 weeks from harvest.


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 8, 2009)

Thats about the same way I did mine.
I did'nt use any plastic covering, but I had them in my grow closet at the same time I started my other plants.
I have most of my seeds in plastic-some are still in the pods for a while.
Nice silk leaf. 

Gb


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## bob_kemp (Oct 9, 2009)

Hi --

  Thanks geezer, that's all we're smoking now. Iit's a very bland-flavored tobacco and I'm blending Black Sea Turkish Samsun into it for the flavor. Turns out that Havana isn't any good mixed with either SilkLeaf or Virginia Gold for cigs. Ends up tasting like a bad cigar!  I have seeds available for all those now.

Bob


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## HippyInEngland (Oct 9, 2009)

Bob.

No one is going to buy seeds from you, thanks for the offer, but who is going to give you an address to where they are growing an illegal plant that can put them in prison?

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/Site_Rules.html



> 9. The sale of marijuana or the discussion of sales is not allowed here. The purchase or sale of any items through this site is not allowed. To purchase or sell something, you must first let this total stranger know exactly who you are and where you live. That just isn't smart.



eace:


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## bob_kemp (Oct 9, 2009)

Hi --

  Hippie, I'm awfully sorry if you got the wrong impression. I don't sell pot seeds. I sell tobacco seeds and transplants in the spring. There's nothing illegal about selling tobacco seeds. Do a quick google search, there are many commercial companies who sell tobacco seeds. I just sell them cheaper and back up my sales with personal care to help peopel make a good crop.

I thought I read the forum rules and if offering tobacco seeds isn't allowed, then I will not mention it again.

Bob


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## HippyInEngland (Oct 9, 2009)

> 9. The sale of marijuana or the discussion of sales is not allowed here. The purchase or sale of *any* items through this site is not allowed. To purchase or sell something, you must first let this total stranger know exactly who you are and where you live. That just isn't smart.



Thats just the way it is Bob.

eace:


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 10, 2009)

The Indian Tobacco I grew was'nt that harsh, even before totally curing.
Reminded me of a Chesterfeild.

Gb


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## bob_kemp (Oct 11, 2009)

Hi --

  Indian Tobacco is usually Lobelia inflata, not in the nicotiana family. Of course, some people call N. Rustica 'indian tobacco'. Rustica has such a strong concentration of nicotine that smoking one cigarette of it can make a person pass out. Not recommended for use except in small amounts within a blend for flavor and to provide a kick. There is also a plant called mellein which is smoked or chewed or blended with tobacco and has been called indian tobacco.

I suppose you'd have to state the provenance of the seeds you got to know for sure.

Bob


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 11, 2009)

Well, I did'nt pass out-lol
I'm not sure if it's rustica or lobelia.
The others I have are Tennessee and Tennessee Red Leaf.


Gb


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## bob_kemp (Oct 12, 2009)

Hi --

  If you got the most popular tobacco of Tennessee varieties, it was TN 90, a burley prized for blending with Virginia types for cigarettes. Very heavy producing plants. And I've heard good things about the Tenn Red although I think it's usually Connecticutt Red? Did you make seeds from it? To stop cross breeding, you have to put a bag over the flowers otherwise you get unknown hybrids? If you did that and made seeds, I'd be glad to swap some seeds.

Bob


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## bob_kemp (Oct 14, 2009)

Hi,

  I reread the posts and I guess I should've posted a pic of my seedlings in the 72-cell trays so y'all could see it easier.

Here -- These are about a week off from transplanting to 4" pots...Silk Leaf....

Bob


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 15, 2009)

bob_kemp said:
			
		

> Hi --
> 
> If you got the most popular tobacco of Tennessee varieties, it was TN 90, a burley prized for blending with Virginia types for cigarettes. Very heavy producing plants. And I've heard good things about the Tenn Red although I think it's usually Connecticutt Red? Did you make seeds from it? To stop cross breeding, you have to put a bag over the flowers otherwise you get unknown hybrids? If you did that and made seeds, I'd be glad to swap some seeds.
> 
> Bob


 
Nope-I have'nt planted the Tenessee Red Leaf yet.The number is TA116
Then I have Tenessee TA30 and TN90 (Both numbers on the package)
The Indian tobacco is TA10.

Later.

Gb


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 15, 2009)

Nice starts!!
 :yay:



Gb


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## bob_kemp (Oct 19, 2009)

Hi --

  I finally took the time to look it up and found this --

TA10 Indian Tobacco ( Rustica ) A half hardy annual that grows to about 3 ft. and is cultivated worldwide for smoking and nicotine production...

That stuff should've blown your socks off with the nicotine content!

I'm just starting to work my fields this week. We have time before the first frost so I'm going to mow it, then mow again to mulch then plow it under if ti gets dry enough this week. Planting about 500 tobacco plants this comng season.

Bob Kemp
REMOVED


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## HippyInEngland (Oct 19, 2009)

I wish people would learn to not drop live links  

hXXp://community2.myfoxdfw.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12770468&as=78592

eace:


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## leafminer (Oct 19, 2009)

In the bad old days when I used to smoke tobacco I tried one of those water pipes in Saudi. I think it must have had that rustic tobacco because after only a few tokes I staggered into the street completely intoxicated and was nearly run over. It took hours to come off the nicotine high.


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## bob_kemp (Oct 19, 2009)

Hi --

  I have a couple of friends growing two strains of rustica tobacco that I should be able to get enough seeds to sell a few later this Winter.

Rustica is generally used to make a tea for organic insect controls and to beef up the nicotine in the modern cigarette tobacco varieties which are deliberately bred weak in nicotine. Some poeple also claim that adding 5% rustica to the cigarette blend adds a very nice taste to it.

I plan on growing at least 30 of them this coming season. They are very small plants and so have small yields as well, but are prolific with seeds capsules and apparently mature quickly.

Bob


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## GeezerBudd (Oct 19, 2009)

Bob,
First things first-You can post links to other sites in your sig, but they can't be live. Change the http to hxxp then post the link. That way other members can copy your link to their browser, change the hxxp back to http, and visit the link you posted.
If you want to post a link to a section of this site for reference or to help someone, that is totally allowed and encouraged.
It is a vital security measure.
ok-nuff said.

Yes TA10 is what it is. Like I said it reminded me of a chesterfield, but mine may not have matured properly cause of soil conditions, which I will be working on for next time.
I still have the Tennessee red leaf seeds so I may give it a go.
Thanx for confirmation.
Latah.
Gb


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## bob_kemp (Oct 19, 2009)

Hi --

  Thanks for the explanation!

I saw what you did and had the rule learned, but wasn't quite sure why....

Telling when leaves are ripe is a topic of great discussion among tobacco growers. The rule of thumb is that the leaves are ripe 3-4 weeks after the first bloom opens. Of course, that's pretty useless since most everyone tops the flowers in order to make the plant put more energy into making big, thick leaves. Also, some plants, particularly flue-cured varieties, are harvested as the bottom leaves start to yellow, then they are picked. Therefore you may start harvesting at any time and not complete it for weeks after. 

For flue-cured types, the ripeness of the leaves can be seen by comparing the bottom-most leaves (also known as dirt leaves or lugs) with the bigger ones up higher, called money leaves since that's all the buyers will purchase. The money leaves begin to get a very thick texture, a crinkly look almost like bubble wrap and yellow highlights. The dirt leaves will never get there. Of course, a burley tobacco will not normally get the yellow highlights but will get the heavy leaves (they aren't flue-cured, nevermind what flue-cured means for now). Burley will normally be harvested whole stalk, hung to color-cure a darker brown, then the leaves are removed, dried and are ready to smoke within a couple of months. Cigar and pipe tobacco is done by whole stalk too. 

To confuse matters even worse, oriental tobaccos, such as the Turkish, are sun-dried! And any or all of the above can be fire-cured! Tobacco was first seen used in Europe in about 1550 and since then, the methods of treating it have exploded! Don't get me talking about Perinque....

Bob


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## bob_kemp (Oct 26, 2009)

Hi --

  I thought I'd talk a little about how to grow the tobacco outside in a field now. I've already talked about starting the seeds indoors 6-7 weeks before your first average frost, but what do you need to do in the field to prepare to plant and what about during the growing season?

Picking the field - Tobacco requires full sunlight all day. The location of the field should give the maximum of direct sunlight without shade possible. At the very least, you must have 8 hours of full sunlight. Try to make sure the field isn't on a hillside with an extreme slope unless you are able to control flooding and runoff erosion. Make sure the field isn't in a place where flooding occurs and water is likely to stand. If so, you may need to consider using raised beds. Tobacco does not like to have its feet in standing water.

The first thing to be aware of is that the soil should be well-worked. If it is a new field, then a deep plowing is usually required. This should be done NOW NOW NOW! (early Fall) If you do not have access to a tractor and a plow and are growing a small crop of 150 plants or less, then you can use a heavy garden fork. Go down the row and put the fork as deep in the ground as you can, lever up the soil and turn it over and continue until it is done. After that, till the top 8 inches or so to prepare to put the transplants out in the spring.

Next, it makes good sense to amend the soil almost anywhere you are located with a good composted manure. If you can, get a soil test at your local ag extension and follow their directions for adding nutrients and adjusting the ph. Ideal ph for tobacco is about 6.8, just slightly acidic. If the ph is too low, you can add lime. If it is too high, you can add pelleted sulphur. These amendments are available at a reasonable price at a feed store.

Tobacco does not like highly fertile soil. In fact, the best tobacco quality comes from sandy soils poor in nutrients. You add what the plant needs, just enough for it and no more. Unlike tomatoes which are heavy feeders, tobacco should be fed just enough to grow the leaves you want then starved for nutrients so that it does not store up a lot of nitrogen compounds in the leaves and stems. In this manner, you make it easier to color cure after harvest (I will write a section on curing after harvest later).

Hardening the transplants - About a week before you put them in the field, place them outside during nice weather starting at a couple of hours of light a day and ending up with them in full sunlight. Beware of freezes. Beware of high winds. Beware of the pots completely drying out.
I typically put out the transplants and put about 1/2 cup of Miracle Grow (or other full-nutrient liquid fertilizer equivalent) on each plant. In the hole, before I plant them, I put 1 tsp of epsom salts and a handful of compost and mix it up. Be SURE to plant the transplants deep! You can remove the bottom 2 leaves or so if you like. If the transplant is 6 inches tall, plant at least half of the stem under the ground! Tobacco will root from the stem like tomatoes, and this will give it a much bigger root system faster. It will also reduce the problem of plants falling over in the field later.

One week later, I side dress the plants with a dry fertilizer. The type you will need will depend a lot on your soil test, but if you didn't get one your local feed store will advise you on what is best. Half of the nitrogen should be in a slow release form. You can take a hoe and make a 3-4 inch deep trench about 6 inches from the plants along the row on each side and spread the fertilizer according to the lbs per sq. ft. needed then cover it up.

Watering -- The new transplants will not have an established root system to support the full sunlight. Expect them to wilt during the heat of the day but don't panic! They will usually rehydrate overnight as long as you supply some water to the roots. Water in the morning and never during the full light of the day no matter how wilted they look.

About 6 weeks after you plant them out, side dress again with the same fertilizer. That's all the fertilizer you will need for the year.

Ok, that's a pretty good description of how to get the field ready, to plant and how to get them started. Next I will talk about pest, fungus and weed issues and how to control them. Let me know if you have any questions.

Bob Kemp


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## smokingjoe (Oct 26, 2009)

Smokes tend to run about 60c a pop in this part of the world.

Funny thing; If I was busted growing one tobacco plant I'd be in more strife than a moderate quantity of mj.


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## bob_kemp (Oct 26, 2009)

Hi --

smokingjoe, I couldn't see where you are from, but from the word "mate" in your profile I guess you are in Australia?

By 60 cents a pop you mean per cigarette? $12 a pack? Wow! 

You are right, it is illegal to grow tobacco in Australia. In fact, you seem to have the most extreme, tyrannical, irrational and abusive tobacco laws in any country I've seen so far. I heard of someone (ahem) who has smuggled tobacco seeds to 3 growers in Australia already. As a free American, I feel it is my duty to help countries throw off the chains of state dictatorships and help them become free, independent citizens.

This isn't anything new, really, in the history of tobacco. Countries have attacked tobacco users about every 50 years on average. What is funny is that Canada is now holding public debates on the effects of their punitive taxation on tobacco and how black market tobacco is so much cheaper than legal, taxed tobacco products that they are losing tax revenues. They are talking about lowering the taxes to increase revenues. 

See the History of Tobacco posts here:

hzzp : //tobaccotalk.myfastforum.org/forum8.php

Resist tyranny! Don't let the bastards grind you down!

Bob


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## Strawberry Cough (Oct 26, 2009)

smokingjoe said:
			
		

> Smokes tend to run about 60c a pop in this part of the world.
> 
> Funny thing; If I was busted growing one tobacco plant I'd be in more strife than a moderate quantity of mj.



Why?  It is not illegal to grow tobacco...or is it in your Tobacco-lobby-controlled state?


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## bob_kemp (Oct 26, 2009)

Hi --

Strawberry Cough, that's why I asked him if he was in Australia. It is perfectly legal to grow your own tobacco at home in all American states. I believe it is illegal in Australia and possibly New Zealand as well.

Bob


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## bob_kemp (Nov 1, 2009)

Hi --
  I suppose I should show y'all what it all ends up as after it's grown and dried. I've posted pics of various kinds of tobacco and a shameless plug to sell some here (sorry about the pun):

hxxp://tobaccotalk.myfastforum.org/about170.html

This is the 2009 crop, dried and ready to be used to make into cigarettes. 

I'm smoking some now as I just had a group of folks over to taste some and have some left over. It's Virginia Flue-Cured, sometimes called "Gold" in some varieties for cigs, a common air-cured burley for cigs and some dark fire-cured burley for making chew/snuff/dip.

Tomorrow I'm going to describe some curing methods for cigarette tobacco. I know, I should talk about harvesting first, but who says I'm that organized?

Bob


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## TexRx (Nov 2, 2009)

Tobacco leaves can be extra/extra harsh and almost toxic if not handled properly by a beginner. I'm glad to hear there are some people who can actually grow some decent home~made tobacco in teh USA.
I stopped smoking cigarettes but, good luck, Bob Kemp!
It's too expensive for me but I would buy some of your tobacco................

.


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## smokingjoe (Nov 2, 2009)

bob_kemp said:
			
		

> Hi --
> 
> smokingjoe, I couldn't see where you are from, but from the word "mate" in your profile I guess you are in Australia?
> 
> ...


 
G'day Bob,

You guessed it right.

A pack of Marlborough 20's hard pack is $11.  If you smoked heavily it would pay to travel internationally regularly.

One will spend a little time on the inside for duty evasion, or a lot of time, depending on the quantity of tobacco seized.


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## fort collins ak-47 (Nov 2, 2009)

tobacco grows like a weed! all of them.just throw some seed into some good common sense compost.the long thread above in bold is a very good example!thanks bob kemp for not having me to have to explain.you beat me to it.lol.good job bob.


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## fort collins ak-47 (Nov 2, 2009)

oh yeah.cig price.
 i get cigs at the reservation.they are equivalent to american spirits and are 21.00 usd per carton. (before tax law were 14.00 a carton).2.10 a pack.you can also find them online.p.m. me.peace.oh yeah,no additives and all cotton filters. i do not sale these ,just helping out the 11.00 usd per pack payers here.i make nothing in profit other than a smile for helping you find pure tobacco.cheers.


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## bob_kemp (Nov 20, 2009)

Hi -- 

I haven't been here for a while because I've been busy with many things lately. We knew a freeze was coming soon, so I had to winterize the greenhouse. Then sales on my new product "Decorative Whole Leaf Tobacco" ramped up. THEN Fox News affiliates across the country found my interview on growing tobacco at home and started running it in different markets which resulted in more tobacco seed orders. This is all good, but I really do want to maintain this thread, so here goes!

This is going to be a quick one. Harvesting tobacco isn't rocket science. There are basically two methods -- whole stalk harvesting and priming.

Whole stalk harvesting is typically done 3-4 weeks after a percentage of the plants in the field have broken buds. Almost all varieties of tobacco are harvested in this manner because it is the least labor intensive.

Whole stalk harvesting is just that - the whole plant is cut at the base of the stem. Then, it is either staked out upside down in the field in bunches on a sharpened stick to keep the leaves off the ground, or staked on a wagon specially made to haul the crop to the drying barn. To stake tobacco, the main stem is split near the base of the plant.

Priming is the harvest method which picks individual leaves off the plants as they yellow from the bottom-most leaves upwards to the top. This is the most labor-intensive method of harvesting tobacco and is generally used for high quality cigar tobacco for blending. Home growers of tobacco will frequently use this method as it makes it easier to color cure and they don't typically have quantities large enough that the labor expense is too excessive.

Priming, in commercial farming, is generally done one-third to one-fifth of the plant at a time. The bottom third, middle third and top third (for example) of the plant are picked in separate harvests. The leaves are picked by snapping them off at the base in a quick, downward motion although for some varieties of tobacco a special hatchet is traditionally used. They are then brought to the barn and tied or hung to begin the drying process. 

A typical tobacco plant has roughly 18 usable leaves that are spread among 5 primings. From bottom to top, these primings are referred to as Volado, Seco, Viso, Ligero and Corona. These defined areas of the plant have special significance to cigar makers as they are stronger or weaker in flavor and are used to blend the cigar filler, binder and used as wrappers.

That's the basics of harvesting tobacco and I hope that helps you all.

As usual, should you find anything I need to add, alter or remove in this, please comment and I'll react appropriately! And ask any questions you like. For some reason, I don't always get e-mail notices of new posts. I'm going to have to go through my spam folder and see if some are ending up there.

Bob

REMOVED


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## bob_kemp (Dec 4, 2009)

Hi --

This is a very large topic and I won't try to completely cover all the pests and diseases which can affect and harm tobacco crops. Tobacco breeders have come up with resistant varieties for many of the wilts, viruses, fungi and molds. Similarly, insects which attack tobacco are of such a large number that I will not be able to mention them all here. There are beneficial insects also. I will simply try to cover the more common diseases and insect pests which are seen in tobacco crops. There are many references online by universities and trade-groups which can be found with a simple search.

Tobacco Diseases

Tobacco is subject to many diseases which are in the general categories of viruses, bacteria and fungi/molds.

Tobacco mosaic virus is often stated as a destroyer of tobacco crops. This is the virus most referenced however isn't the only one. Viruses are generally spread by leaf hopping and sucking insects but can be spread by using tools, implements and even hands which have contact with an infected plant and are then used to touch a plant which is unaffected. While there are chemicals which can reduce or minimize the damage of a virus in your field, for the home grower the best thing to do when an infected plant is identified is to remove it quickly and dispose of the plant far away from the rest of the crop.

Bacterial wilts can also damage a plant badly. In some cases, bacterial diseases can be overcome by the plant. But again, for the home grower the best solution is to remove the affected plant and destroy it.

Fungal and mold are one of the largest groups of potential crop-damaging diseases. Blue Mold, various blights and fusarium wilt are the most common of this type. There are soil treatments that commercial farmers use to reduce the soil-borne fungal diseases, but the home grower can generally only use good crop management. Good drainage in the field will reduce the incidence of many of the soil fungi. Rotating crops to different fields and removing the debris from last year's crops from the field will also help. Watering directly into the soil or only wetting the leaves in the morning when they will have all day to dry out will help reduce fungal diseases.

Insect Pests

As you might imagine, a field of luscious, leafy and succulent tobacco plants is a nice target for a bug to live in, eat and reproduce. The commonly seen bugs that harm the plants are various caterpillers, aphids, leaf hoppers and nematodes in the soil.

The most common caterpiller pest is the tobacco or tomato hornworm Manduca sexta. These caterpillers grow to a very large size, 2-3 inches long and as big around as your thumb and result from eggs laid by the hummingbird moth (also known as the hawkmoth or sphinx moth). The moth usually lays the eggs on the underside of the leaves (then can vary in color from white to green) and when they hatch, the caterpillers take off eating! A hornworm can strip a leaf in a single day! Voracious! You can pick off the hornworms by hand when you see them or the damage they cause. You can also examine the undersides of the leaves for the eggs and remove them. There are several reports that hornworms can be seen flourescing at night under a black light (long wave UV), but I have not seen those confirmed as yet.

Other common caterpillers on tobacco crops are the army worm, cutworm and sometimes the cabbage looper, among others. Since caterpiller damage directly reduces the yield of your crop, strong measures are used to control them (see insect controls below).

Aphids are very tiny insects generally found on the underside of the leaf and may vary from white, through shades of green and even tan or brown. Aphids are sucking insects. There are mobile varieties which fly and ones which only move around on the plants. Damage from aphids ranges from making spots on the leaves to nearly killing the whole plant in extreme infestations. 

Leaf hoppers move from plant to plant laying eggs which hatch into larva and suck sap until they transform to adult form. These bugs are a vector which can spread diseases, viruses and fungus across a field fast.

Nematodes are an insect that lives in the soil and infests roots. "Galls" on roots are an indication that you have nematodes. The best way to control nematodes is to rotate the crop into different fields annually and to plant other crops in those fields which aren't susceptable. Commercial farmers will frequently fumigate a field with an insecticide to control them. There are tobacco varieties which have been bred to be resistant to nematode infestation.

Insect Controls

The most common control of caterpillers (and sucking insects like aphids and leaf hoppers) is the systemic insecticide called acephate, trade name Orthene. While some control of leaf-eating insects is gained by use of topical insecticides such as Sevin, the sucking insects aren't controlled nearly as well or at all.

Beneficial Insects and Other Organic Remedies

Lady bugs are the most common beneficial insects used to reduce the aphid populations. They can be bought at various stores and released in the field. The larva are very good at eating aphids. If you broadcast an insecticide on your crop, you will likely be removing the ladybugs which could reduce the aphid population, thus requiring the use of a systemic to control the aphids. 

bT (Bacillus thuringiensis) is an organically qualified bacteria which, when ingested by a young caterpiller, will disrupt it's feeding and kill it. bT requires reapplication after rains and since it is only useful on young caterpillers, must be applied before you see the larger ones. bT can be expensive to use. 

Insecticide Soaps (for example Safer Soap) are primarily used to control aphids and require frequent application.

Diatomacious Earth or DE is claimed to be a natural insect control and should be investigated as part of a complete organic pesticide control.

That's a general overview of the pests, diseases and other maladies that can affect your tobacco crop. 

Bob


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## chuckdee123 (Dec 18, 2009)

when marlboro's started to pass up the 6 dollar point i started buying hand rolling tobacco. peter stokkebye is real good, the "amsterdam shag" is what i smoke. 10.6 ounces for about 50 bucks, lasts me a couple months. 
i recommend it....


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## bob_kemp (Dec 19, 2009)

Hi --

  chuckdee123, since a carton is about 6 ounces, you have a very light smoking habit.

BTW folks, it's only about 7-8 weeks until it's time to plant your tobacco seeds indoors to get ready for Spring plantings.....get your seeds soon!

Bob


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## PsyJiM (Feb 12, 2010)

3euro per pack in here ;/


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## bob_kemp (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi --

  Wow, that's really expensive. I think my homegrown tobacco cigs are costing me about 30 cents (USD) a pack of 20. And most of that cost is in buying the filter tubes for my injector. I'd sure like to meet someone who could tell me how to make cigarette papers from the stems of the tobacco leaves, maybe, or even with other tobacco leaf and homemade filters. Sounds like a project I oughta look into!

Bob


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## panic in paradise (Feb 23, 2010)

haha cool, i came in this forum to mention some baccy plants my wife and i picked up recently, 2 aztec jasmine tabacco plants, i had no idea! they are glorious! they smell delicious, look amazing, and hopefully clone well...  i just put 4 in a jar of water lightly lit, with a little rooting hormone, and one other in my experimental bubble cloner.

the plant is very oily, the guy at the store said it was very strong to be careful, we dont really plan on smoking any, but they are a great plant!


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## bob_kemp (Feb 23, 2010)

Hi --

  Haha, is that the Aculpulco Gold tobacco you are talking about?

Well, I'm busy planting my tobacco crop. I already have 500 planted and another 500 to go of 15 kinds. The first 500 have already sprouted, but we've been getting so many snowstorms here N. of Dallas, it wrecks one's faith in global warming!

Y'all get your tobacco seeds planted soon!

Bob
[email protected]


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## bob_kemp (Feb 23, 2010)

Hi -- 

I just talked to someone in Kentucky who used to use this method for making seedlings and I thought I'd pass it on I'm going to try this method this year. In Kentucky, they plant the beds around the first of March. I'm planning on planting mine around the same time here in N. Central Texas. We rarely have really bad freezes after March 1. I'm hoping that this will give me transplants ready to plant out in the field by mid to late April. 

Preparing the bed -- The bed will be 100 x 9 feet = 900 square feet. This will be enough to plant an acre, will initially yield about 7000 transplants but more will come up later and can be used. I would use the highest ground you have to locate the beds on since cold air accumulates in low areas. 

Till the bed at least 5 inches deep. The old way of killing the grass seed is to use methyl bromide gas, but this is likely banned now. An even older way is to pile brush up on the bed and burn it. This provides ash fertilizer for the seedlings but will also make the bed more alkaline which is good if you have acid soils, not so good if you have alkaline soils like we have here in N. Central Texas. My plan is to till the bed early and wait for a killing freeze. Then till again, wait for another freeze and till again. 

Wet the bed with light sprinkling. You don't want the water to run off and you also don't want to compact the soil too much. It should just be moist. 

Sowing the seed -- Mix 1/6th ounce tobacco seed with 50 lbs of 4-16-4 fertilizer. We have high phosphate soils here so I'm going to try to use about half the middle number, or 4-8-4. WARNING - DO NOTH USE HIGH NITROGEN FERTILIZER, IT WILL BURN THE SEEDLINGS. Use fertilizer that is a powder form, not granulated. Do this in 2 batches, half the seed with 25 lbs of fertilizer. Working from the sides of the bed, spread 1/2 the fertilizer/seed mixture (25 lbs of fertilizer and 1/12th ounce of seed) across the whole bed. Then repeat with the other half. Do this on a day when it isn't windy. 

An alternate way of sowing the seed is to mix half of it with about 1 gallon of water and put it into a hand pump sprayer. Shaking the sprayer often, spray down the bed. Then repeat for the other half. I'm not too sure if you shouldn't also put liquid fertilizer into the sprayer at the same time at about the same strength. 

I've been told to "walk the bed down" after this to press the seed into the soil. Basically, this means what it sounds like - you start at one end and step on the ground, move over a step and do it again. I'm not sure if this is needed if you spray the seed on with water. 

Next, scatter 1 - 2 inches of straw on top of the bed. This straw should be weed seed free. A potential way to sterilize the straw is by steaming. The purpose of the straw is to hold moisture and protect the seedlings from the pressure of the cover cloth (next step). If you are going to put bottles around to hold up the cloth, do this before you spread the straw. 

Now you spread a cloth that "breathes" over the whole bed and stake it down around the edges. The "stakes" can be 9 gauge heavy wire. This will protect the seedlings from light freezes and still allow rain water to go through rather than accumulating in heavy pockets that will crush the seedlings. I'm going to use bed sheets and snip holes in it every foot or so. 

When the seedlings get 1-2 inches tall you can remove the cloth to the side of the bed and stake it down. Keep the cloth handy in case another freeze comes along. At this point you should thin the seedlings so that they are a minimum distance of 1 inch apart. This can be done by suspending a board across the bed and walking across it.

Removing the transplants -- The transplants (3-4 inches tall) are teased from the soil and should come out bare root. They can be stacked in a box and separated by moist paper for transport. 

As the remaining smaller transplants come to size, you can continue pulling them out and planting fields. The initial yield should be enough for 1 acre, but if you have a high germination rate, there is enough seed there to plant even more acres when more of them get to size. 

If anyone sees anything in this method that I need to modify or add to, please let me know.  I'll be glad to try to answer any questions

Bob 
[email protected]


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