Help! Harvested too early!!

[Whanna]

First time grower, longtime idiot. Did not do enough research. Somehow thought I needed to harvest around time flowers came up.

Harvested all the tobacco today while leaves were still green! Was really excited to make dip/chew tobacco.

Did I totally screw the pooch this year? Can I still dry the green leaves and make dip?

Any help is appreciated

 

[Knucklehead]

What variety?

 

[deluxestogie]

Welcome to the forum. Feel free to introduce yourself in the Introduce Yourself forum. The growing basics are in the New Growers' FAQ, linked in the menu bar. Also, you can find relevant topics in our Index of Key Forum Threads.

From the image, all of the leaves appear relatively mature, so I think your pooch is still virginal. The job now is not to "dry" the leaves, but to color-cure them. I would string them, and hang them out of the sun, with good ventilation. Your humidity will need to be maintained between 60 and 80% averaged over 3 days. Expect at least a few weeks, possibly a month or more, to complete the color-cure, from green to yellow to brown.

Bob

EDIT: I just noticed that the leaves have a petiole (leaf stem free of lamina). I had assumed this was Nicotiana tabacum. If it is a variety of Nicotiana rustica, then perhaps other members can advise you on how to increase the probability of its color-curing, before it flash-dries green.

 

[Whanna]

This is the variety: Sacred Wyandot

Tobacco Seeds - Sacred Wyandot | Mountain Valley Seed Co. Premium Herb

Sacred Wyandot is a small, early maturing Rustica. Dark green leaves, very high nicotine content. The dense, bright yellow flowers attract bees, hummingbirds. Get Free Shipping & Handling.

sustainableseedco.com

 

[Whanna]

Thanks @deluxestogie
You’ve given me hope! I’ll hang it in my barn. How can I measure or maintain the humidity in a barn?

 

[deluxestogie]

Since it is indeed N. rustica, rather than hang it now, I would stack it inside a cardboard box, and rotate the leaves every day, until they yellow. Then you can hang it. I have never used that method, but others can provide tips.

Bob

 

[Oldfella]

Welcome from me in NZ. I often use the cardboard box system as I grow through Winter. It's easy enough to do. Stack the leaves in a layer and of, leaf, sheet of newspaper, leaf,newspaper. Check daily and change the newspaper. You can dry the paper and reuse. When the desired yellow color is achieved hang out in the sun or undercover until the stems are dry and crisp. Read through the forums posts.and see what others do,this is my way and it works for me. Good luck with it I'm sure it'll be good.
Oldfella

 

[Whanna]

Thanks! Do I leave the box in the sun during the day?

Welcome from me in NZ. I often use the cardboard box system as I grow through Winter. It's easy enough to do. Stack the leaves in a layer and of, leaf, sheet of newspaper, leaf,newspaper. Check daily and change the newspaper. You can dry the paper and reuse. When the desired yellow color is achieved hang out in the sun or undercover until the stems are dry and crisp. Read through the forums posts.and see what others do,this is my way and it works for me. Good luck with it I'm sure it'll be good.
Oldfella

 

[Oldfella]

Thanks! Do I leave the box in the sun during the day?

No need to. The idea is to try and keep them in the dark. All you need is a warm place. Not to hot say around 20°c - 68°f or a bit more, its not critical. Sorry I'm a bit late replying. Busy day.
Oldfella

 

[Oldfella]

Here's a couple of pics of my cardboard box yellowing arrangement. Daughter is doing the packing.
The box is too big, but she had fun and it all worked. I use smaller ones, easier to handle.
Oldfella

 

[Robncars]

First time grower, longtime idiot. Did not do enough research. Somehow thought I needed to harvest around time flowers came up.

Harvested all the tobacco today while leaves were still green! Was really excited to make dip/chew tobacco.

Did I totally screw the pooch this year? Can I still dry the green leaves and make dip?

Any help is appreciated

2 Notes- this is only my 2nd grow & first rustica grow. However I read on here and online a lot. Several guys on here have broadened my knowledge astronomically.
I grow for chewing tobacco and last year I had some pretty green leaves. ( I named them dragon leaves.) They were a burley of some sort but I didn't know which by harvest. Once floured and mixed you couldn't see the green. Then once cooked into dip it was all uniform. I still harvest green. I use a flue chamber I built to yellow then cure them. Check out my threads. Quite a bit of trials there. And a good laugh or 2.

And Rustica tends not to yellow in the field from what I can tell. And I havent got any to yellow in the flue either lol

I do have a concern. Are you growing only N. Rustica? I mix mine 50/50 Rustica and a variety of others. Sometimes I get a pocket of what seems like straight rustica in my dip. - I had been chewing a can a day of copenhagen snuff from age 17-36! Then I started to grow my own tobacco last year, please listen when I say straight Rustica is a bad idea. Every once in a while I will put a dip in that gives me an (almost) nicotine overdose almost immediately.
Ill probably think of a couple other things to say and I'll post them as I can.

 

[Whanna]

Nice, I’ll check those threads out.

Geez I hadn’t thought about the strength of it… is there something I can mix it with to dilute it? Like mint leaves?

Otherwise could I just use less of it when I put a dip in?

What do you think I should do?

Thanks

2 Notes- this is only my 2nd grow & first rustica grow. However I read on here and online a lot. Several guys on here have broadened my knowledge astronomically.
I grow for chewing tobacco and last year I had some pretty green leaves. ( I named them dragon leaves.) They were a burley of some sort but I didn't know which by harvest. Once floured and mixed you couldn't see the green. Then once cooked into dip it was all uniform. I still harvest green. I use a flue chamber I built to yellow then cure them. Check out my threads. Quite a bit of trials there. And a good laugh or 2.

And Rustica tends not to yellow in the field from what I can tell. And I havent got any to yellow in the flue either lol

I do have a concern. Are you growing only N. Rustica? I mix mine 50/50 Rustica and a variety of others. Sometimes I get a pocket of what seems like straight rustica in my dip. - I had been chewing a can a day of copenhagen snuff from age 17-36! Then I started to grow my own tobacco last year, please listen when I say straight Rustica is a bad idea. Every once in a while I will put a dip in that gives me an (almost) nicotine overdose almost immediately.
Ill probably think of a couple other things to say and I'll post them as I can.

 

[deluxestogie]

What do you think I should do?

Purchase a few pounds of leaf from WLT. Just click the banner at the top of the page, and have a look.

Bob

 

[Robncars]

Nice, I’ll check those threads out.

Geez I hadn’t thought about the strength of it… is there something I can mix it with to dilute it? Like mint leaves?

Otherwise could I just use less of it when I put a dip in?

What do you think I should do?

Thanks

I dont know about mint. Maybe order some whole leaf of another variety. As far as less it might work. I went from a good pinch of snuff. Maybe size of a dime as a sphere to a dime flat. Im not positive a tiny pinch will work. I think the nic hit will still be too high. And DO NOT use ANY sodium bicarbonate in your dip when using Rustica. Some recipes call for it but I would be willing to bet you would be in a hospital when you woke up from that nic hit.

 

[Robncars]

Welcome to FTT by the way. @Oldfella & @deluxestogie (and many more) seem to be pretty patient with me asking 1001 questions. They LOVE pictures. I've found 2 things about tobacco. Im fiercely proud when I can display a quality leaf from NW ND. And I cant yell at my tobacco or they die. (And N. Rustica are drama queens)

 

[Robncars]

Here is my N. Rustica pile.

Notice mine are still green but they have a distinct "alligator skin" look to them.

In N. Tobacum that is an indication of maturity. In N. Rustica that is the best indicator your going to get. They simply do not show ripe.


These are mature Small Stalk Black Mammoth in my flue curing chamber.

 

[Whanna]

Here’s after a few days in newspaper+box. Is this yellow enough to hang now?

 

[deluxestogie]

The yellow ones are yellow enough. I see at least 1 green leaf. The yellow leaves are emitting ethylene gas, so if you leave them all together for another day or three, they will accelerate the ripening of the ones that are still green.

Bob

 

[Oldfella]

Bob is right. A day or three more won't hurt, but you will need to check them daily. The bottom leaf on the left in the second picture is, in my opinion, starting to show signs of what may be rot. I would make sure that it is on the top of the pile. I'd guess it was caused by the leafes being so green and full of moisture, otherwise looking good.
Oldfella

 

[dev96]

2 Notes- this is only my 2nd grow & first rustica grow. However I read on here and online a lot. Several guys on here have broadened my knowledge astronomically.
I grow for chewing tobacco and last year I had some pretty green leaves. ( I named them dragon leaves.) They were a burley of some sort but I didn't know which by harvest. Once floured and mixed you couldn't see the green. Then once cooked into dip it was all uniform. I still harvest green. I use a flue chamber I built to yellow then cure them. Check out my threads. Quite a bit of trials there. And a good laugh or 2.

And Rustica tends not to yellow in the field from what I can tell. And I havent got any to yellow in the flue either lol

I do have a concern. Are you growing only N. Rustica? I mix mine 50/50 Rustica and a variety of others. Sometimes I get a pocket of what seems like straight rustica in my dip. - I had been chewing a can a day of copenhagen snuff from age 17-36! Then I started to grow my own tobacco last year, please listen when I say straight Rustica is a bad idea. Every once in a while I will put a dip in that gives me an (almost) nicotine overdose almost immediately.
Ill probably think of a couple other things to say and I'll post them as I can.

Ditto on this, we grow N Rustica kinda as a novelty with Virgina and now Sobo 33. The Rustica (to us) is like a spice to add into other tobaccos (sparingly) to boost nicotine content. It even smells like spice more so than tabacum does when it's dry. I like the taste when aged and can smoke it straight but the kicker as Robncars has stated is the nicotine content which is why most people grow it, at least (and often only) once. It tends to run 3-5 times that of common tabacum types and I can affirm It will punch you in the face! It is after all the stuff indians use to trip off of.

We air cure the whole plant on stalks under fans because it's so small, it NEVER yellows and usually drys green to brownish green with all sorts of funky spots and weird colors in it before it's done. Afterwards we pick the leaves and toss the stalks. Once it hits the fermenter, then it changes nicely.



This picture was taken just now. This particular lot is about two weeks into the fermenter at 125 degrees and 75% humidity and it's slowly loosing color, you can
see one or two leaves still hanging on to the green.

We've found laundry sacks to be about the best means of handling this stuff in bulk after it's been stripped, it's just tiny compared to everything else and to be honest I don't wanna accidentally mix even a few leaves up and not know it.

On your next grow try Yellow Twist Bud or Adonis rather than Rustica (it's tiny). You'll get a good chewing/dip tobacco with a MUCH higher yeild per plant.