Pasi's Grow Log 2026

[Pasiasiainen]

I started wondering if it would be possible to sun-cure Samsun Maden with artificial light, or whether sunlight even plays a major role in sun curing, rather than simply acting as a source of heat.
I have no use for my flue-curing chamber this season, as I’m not growing any flue-cured varieties, so I started thinking about whether I could transform it into an artificial sun-curing chamber.

I have a few retired, fairly powerful T5 desert reptile lights, although they have lost some of their strength after about a year of use. (https://arcadiareptile.com/lighting/lamps/desert/). If I placed one or two of them inside the chamber, I would have good control over temperature, humidity, and airflow, while also adding UVB and UVA radiation.

With this setup I wouldn’t need to worry about rainy days or the leaves flash-drying.

Any thoughts — to try or not to try?

 

[Alpine]

Sun cure is the poor man’s flue cure. If you have a flue cure chamber then use it to cure your Samsun, the end result will be sweeter than Sun cured.

pier

 

[Wombat_smokes]

I would say give it a try. Flue cure a portion as a control group and "artificially" sun cure the other.

 

[Pasiasiainen]

Sun cure is the poor man’s flue cure. If you have a flue cure chamber then use it to cure your Samsun, the end result will be sweeter than Sun cured.

pier

Do you know what kind of flue-curing process should be used for orientals? As I understand it, I should be aiming for brown leaves, so I assume it can’t follow the same schedule, temperatures, and humidity levels as flue-curing Virginia tobacco.
Do I remember correctly that @deluxestogie has flue-cured orientals? How did you do it and what was the result like?

 

[Pasiasiainen]

I would say give it a try. Flue cure a portion as a control group and "artificially" sun cure the other.

Yep, this experiment is definitely starting to interest me. I could even do it so that I make one batch sun-cured, one flue-cured, and one flue-cured with UV lights added.
The only downside is that I don’t have very many plants to make proper test batches from...

 

[deluxestogie]

Do I remember correctly that @deluxestogie has flue-cured orientals? How did you do it and what was the result like?

Your memory is correct. I followed the same schedule as I would use for Virginia. The result was bright yellow leaf. It had the floral aroma of a cookie bakery. Other forum members who sampled it called it "tobacco candy." The result was lovely and interesting—and different from "traditional" Oriental sun-cured leaf.

With regard to heat vs. irradiation, I believe that there are significant photolysis reactions that occur during sun exposure. I have no way to quantify or even meaningfully qualify that.

Bob

 

[Pasiasiainen]

That sounds very interesting. Looks like this will be a flue-curing season after all. I think I’ll try traditional sun-curing and regular flue-curing, and think a bit more about that UV flue-curing idea.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

My abbreviated & paraphrased notes from how @deluxstogie flue cures:

Coloring Phase - hold between 95°F - 105°F (35°C - 40°C) until mostly yellow, but stem is still green

Wilt & Dry Leaf - raise temp & hold between 125°F - 130°F (50°C - 54°C)

Dry Stem - raise temp & hold at 165°F until stem is fully dried (74°C)

Bring back into low case for handling.

Increasing the time of the coloring or omitting the stem drying might give a more sun cured and less flue cured sugar levels. In other words, just kiln the leaves at 50°C after they colored to a good yellow until stems are dry. Add humidity if leaves dry before desired color is acheived.

 

[Pasiasiainen]

Yeah, that’s pretty much the same way as I did last year.
We’ll see how my Samsuns make it through the summer and what kind of harvest I’ll have available for curing.

 

[deluxestogie]

No paraphrasing. The yellowing temp should remain below 103°F.

Bob

 

[PvtPublic]

@deluxestogie
Did you flue cured your orientals on the stalk?

 

[deluxestogie]

Did you flue cured your orientals on the stalk?

I did not. The leaves were primed only as they showed initial signs of maturity (yellowish tip). All the leaves in a single batch were of similar maturation.

Aside from entire stalks not fitting within my chamber, the presence of the stalks would certainly complicate the flue-curing process.

Bob