ciennepi
Well-Known Member
I ad also thought that, perhaps, would be better buy the seed from a PRO like skychaser (Northwood seed).
I could not resist to write my n. 100 post.
I could not resist to write my n. 100 post.
Ciennepi 2018 Grow Blog
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Congratulations for your 100th post Ciennepi !
I am growing TN90 this year, and I can confirm : it has no sign of the pvy disease (yet), so I am quite happy
I will wait for the end of the harvest to give my full conclusions, but for now TN90 is a very good strain (nice big leaves, very homogeneous, and no PVY signs )
I am growing TN90 this year, and I can confirm : it has no sign of the pvy disease (yet), so I am quite happy
I will wait for the end of the harvest to give my full conclusions, but for now TN90 is a very good strain (nice big leaves, very homogeneous, and no PVY signs
)
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
In about a week or two I will begin to harvest the lower leafs (the so called volado) of cigar variety Vuelta Abajo and Nostrano del Brenta. They will be air dryed until completely brown and dry and then kilned for one month. And so on for the middle leafs (seco) and the upper leafs (ligero).
I know that leafs for cigar production must be harvested when they are mature, with adeguate texture and the tip slightly yellow.
Can I ask if you, expert growers, keep separated the three types of leafs (tagged hands an separated box/bag for conservation) or if you put it all together and than you distinguish from different color and thikness when you roll the cigar?
Thanks.
I know that leafs for cigar production must be harvested when they are mature, with adeguate texture and the tip slightly yellow.
Can I ask if you, expert growers, keep separated the three types of leafs (tagged hands an separated box/bag for conservation) or if you put it all together and than you distinguish from different color and thikness when you roll the cigar?
Thanks.
For many years, I separately strung and tagged specific leaf primings. This was educational. I reached a point where I could easily identify the approximate priming level of any particular leaf, regardless of tagging. (Sometimes I'm surprised, like the thick and leathery, nearly black, finished oscuro leaf from Nostrano del Brenta seco.)
For primed varieties, I still tag them separately, since one long string makes one well-filled poly-nylon bag of finished leaf. It's just easy that way. For my stalk-harvested leaf, including some cigar varieties, it's all mixed stalk levels, and ends up kilned and stored in that mixed state--either tied into hands or just placed into a storage bag.
If the harvest will be marketed, then it needs to be separated. Since it will be for personal use, it comes down to your own personal convenience.
Bob
For primed varieties, I still tag them separately, since one long string makes one well-filled poly-nylon bag of finished leaf. It's just easy that way. For my stalk-harvested leaf, including some cigar varieties, it's all mixed stalk levels, and ends up kilned and stored in that mixed state--either tied into hands or just placed into a storage bag.
If the harvest will be marketed, then it needs to be separated. Since it will be for personal use, it comes down to your own personal convenience.
Bob
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
Hi, sad news from Italy
Yesterday all my field coltivation was beaten by a big hailstorm.
I remain with only my pot coltivation, a total of 10 plants.
May be I can save the bright leaf variety even if the leafs are full of holes, but the cigar strain are lost.
Things that happen to the life people.
Yesterday all my field coltivation was beaten by a big hailstorm.
I remain with only my pot coltivation, a total of 10 plants.
May be I can save the bright leaf variety even if the leafs are full of holes, but the cigar strain are lost.
Things that happen to the life people.
That is sad to see. Although you won't get wrappers from it, leaf with holes makes perfectly good cigar filler.
Bob
Bob
Sad... but don't worry, as Bob said, they will be good to smoke even with some holes
We did not have such weather (yet), but I did the same to my Bahia leaves the other day by myself : on evening, I watered them with a hose, but I did not ajust it correctly... so I threw water with too much power and it made some holes in my bottom leaves
Here is a pic :
I am sure your leaves will be good maybe a little bit harder to cure, but good nonetheless
We did not have such weather (yet), but I did the same to my Bahia leaves the other day by myself
: on evening, I watered them with a hose, but I did not ajust it correctly... so I threw water with too much power and it made some holes in my bottom leaves Here is a pic :
I am sure your leaves will be good
maybe a little bit harder to cure, but good nonetheless
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
I don't know if I have to try a new coltivation. I have ready plants 5-7 cm high that I had sow one month ago. If I transplant at half july they have 2,5 months to grow until the end of september. If the summer will be warm it would be possible to harvest some nice leafs.
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
This is my new kiln box.
It is 90 cm high and the base is 50 x 50 cm. Pretty small but enough for my need.
I made with SPS of 5 cm thikness glued directly together without any wood skeleton.
On the left side you can see the fan with a duct that take the air on the top of the kiln and put it on the botton, and on the left side there is an incandescent light bulb of 57W and 50W resistor affixed on an alluminium pad that serves for heat dissipation and to put water inside the kiln for raise the humidity.
Dangling in the middle the are the temperature and humidity probe.
I have test it and can easily hold 55° C (and perhaps more too).
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
This is the side with on the right the thermostat and on the left the humidity and temperature indicator.
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
The past year I have also a kiln ..... a cardboard box insulated with xps with the incandescent light. Despite the simplicity I'm very pleased from the results.
In fact a kiln is only a box that can hold steady 50° C.
In fact a kiln is only a box that can hold steady 50° C.
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
Yesterday I harvest the leafs Volado of my Nostrano del Brenta (about 30 leafs).
The tips are slightly yellowing and the lamina tip cracked when I fold it.
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
This is one of the bigger leafs. It is long 49 cm (19 ").
The seco leafs of the next harvest are considerably longer
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
Because of my dry climate that bring easily to flash green cured leafs, I put half of the leafs in my kiln set to 30-32 °C an with a relative humidity of 80%. They will stay there for a few days until they are yellowed, and then hang up to brown and air cure in my shed.
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
The other half of leafs are put in a closed cardboard box to pile cure until yellowed.
I will see and learn if there is some difference with the two ways.
CobGuy
Well-Known Member
I'll be curious to see which method works best for you!
Yes, good idea to compare the two methods !
I think that the leaves in the kiln at 30°C will yellow faster.
Take really care of the leaves in the cardboard box, some leaves show dry (brown) pieces, these spots will mold or rot fast !
I think that the leaves in the kiln at 30°C will yellow faster.
Take really care of the leaves in the cardboard box, some leaves show dry (brown) pieces, these spots will mold or rot fast !
ciennepi
Well-Known Member
The experiment after 5 days is ended.
This are some leafs that were in the kiln (30-32 °C with a relative humidity of 80-90%)
They turned yellow well and are quite uniform. I'ts surely a good process to avoid flash green dry.
This are some leafs that were in the box for pile curing (20 - 26 °C ).
Some leafs turned entirely yellow but some remain mottled with green.
I mixed all the leafs in their position once a day.
All the yellow leafs were hanged for air curing and the green one returned in the box.
This system isn't so efficient like the kiln but it's definitely usable if you don't have a kiln or if you need to cure a lot of leafs (cardboard box are cheap ).
This are some leafs that were in the kiln (30-32 °C with a relative humidity of 80-90%)
They turned yellow well and are quite uniform. I'ts surely a good process to avoid flash green dry.
This are some leafs that were in the box for pile curing (20 - 26 °C ).
Some leafs turned entirely yellow but some remain mottled with green.
I mixed all the leafs in their position once a day.
All the yellow leafs were hanged for air curing and the green one returned in the box.
This system isn't so efficient like the kiln but it's definitely usable if you don't have a kiln or if you need to cure a lot of leafs (cardboard box are cheap
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