My first grow

[BigCasino]

Also I wanted to ask, after you pick the leaf do you clean them with anything? like I noticed mine had some debris, like dead grass shich got flung onto them during mowing, probably some bug debris... aphids... I sprayed them all down to knock all of that off first, before I hung them... is that a good idea? or is there another way?

 

[Knucklehead]

I do brush off the loose grass from mowing as it can turn the leaf a black color where it makes contact if left on there. The dirt just seems to fall of as the leaf dries and you handle it for packaging. (bringing back into case, smoothing the leaf flat, etc) I've hung some that had dead aphids on them and after curing, I could find no signs of the aphids, I was going to at least brush off the carcasses but I couldn't find them after drying, I guess they fell off too.

 

[BigCasino]

Ok stupid question number 13950436638980 after I hang my leaves I know when they are dry cause the mid rib is brittle? at this point the leaves are really dry and easy to crinkle and break? what should I be doing here? I know the pipe tobacco and the tobacco I used to roll cigs with where never that dry

 

[Knucklehead]

Wait until night or morning when the humidity is high and the leaf should be pliable enough to handle. In arid locations you may have to wait for a rainy day or mist the leaf with a spray bottle to bring it back into case. If you get it too moist to store, you may have to lay it out and wait for it to dry until it's just right. You kind of have to play with it sometimes. Once you get it bagged, it's easier to do, you can just mist some water on the inside of the bag and close the bag. The moisture will migrate evenly through the tobacco.

 

[BigCasino]

Thanks Knuck, thats kind of what I figured I just wanted to make sure, I also have some weird colors showing up during this hanging/drying, I am going to take a picture and post it, I don't think it is mold or mildew but I aint sure

 

[Knucklehead]

I should add that the stems will rehydrate when you bring the leaf into case, but it won't be the problem that green stems will be in regard to mold.

 

[DGBAMA]

Thanks Knuck, thats kind of what I figured I just wanted to make sure, I also have some weird colors showing up during this hanging/drying, I am going to take a picture and post it, I don't think it is mold or mildew but I aint sure

Is it on both sides of the leaf? I am stalk curing my havannah and they look all sorts of irregular but you can only see the underside of the leaf as they hang. When i check the face/top side of the leaf, they are beautiful.

 

[workhorse_01]

You can also use a clothes steamer to rehydrate. It works very well on mine. I use it while my wife is gone to pick up the children from school. Haha

 

[chillardbee]

Work horse, And I bet you get'er done asap and put the steamer back and remove all evidence before she gets back so she doesn't know you've been using her clothes steamer...I know, I know...I've been there. Funny how out of all the things we guys buy to get a job done that we still relyn the wifes appliances for wich us guys can get a lot more use out of, shhhh, don't tell the wife.

 

[Brown Thumb]

Work horse, And I bet you get'er done asap and put the steamer back and remove all evidence before she gets back so she doesn't know you've been using her clothes steamer...I know, I know...I've been there. Funny how out of all the things we guys buy to get a job done that we still relyn the wifes appliances for wich us guys can get a lot more use out of, shhhh, don't tell the wife.

I don't dare touch my wife's scag mower I got her.

 

[workhorse_01]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8105U1WY9ro&feature=player_detailpage

 

[DGBAMA]

If a Scag showed up at my house i would gladly cut the lawn EVERY week.

 

[BigCasino]

The term Scag doesnt sound delightful, one time I was with this girl, she gave me scags.... I think I'll pass even if she will do the lawn

 

[BigCasino]

So any how despite all the fun talk time to get to the serious bidnes of hanging leaf, out and about through the great interwebs I have noticed I see people hanging leafs singularly, or bundled in hands when I hung the few leafs the other weeks I hung them in sets of two with rubber bands holding them together one with three leaves, and everything seem to be fine except for the weird coloring I got on a few which I think might be normal it isn't fuzzy like mold or mildew would be.

So how do youinz do it? bundle singles? how many to a bundle?

and here are the pics of the discoloration I have goin down



So whatcha think?

Thanks in advance

 

[Knucklehead]

I get a little of that scattered here and there. Some of the Maryland I got from BigBonner had it too, so I don't worry about it.

The number of leaves you put in a bundle depends on your humidity. Higher humidity, fewer leaves to a bundle and more spread out. The leaves will share moisture while drying. If your humidity is low, you want more leaves to a bundle. The number of leaves per bundle can change through the curing season as the weather changes. I've had to make adjustments as the humidity or temps go up or down. You can usually tell from how the last batch is doing which way you need to go with stringing the next priming.

 

[BigCasino]

Thanks Knuck the one thing I noticed about thnose green spots is they are near a damaged spot in the leaf, I was wondering if because it was damaged there it dried quicker not allowing it to "color" with the rest of the leaf?

we picked (primed?) most of the burley plants to day all but about the top 4 rows, now with the VA and the Maryland, we should just pick the leaves that look ready and then pick the higher ones one thery are ready? or can they all be picked at the same time

 

[Knucklehead]

For cigarettes, you prime when they are ripe. http://wholeleaftobaccollc.com/forum/showthread.php?174-Ripe-tobacco-leaf

 

[BigCasino]

No cigarettes here mostly pipe tobacco and gonna try and roll some cigars, the growing was easy, I knew this was going to be the part I worry myself to death over!

 

[Knucklehead]

Pipe tobacco will probably be primed sooner. The riper it is the stronger it tastes and the higher in nicotine. This may be a good year to experiment and find your sweet spot. Prime some more and less yellow and compare.

 

[BigCasino]

Ok thanks, most of the leaves we primed today looked like the ones in the picture on the thread you posted