My window, balcony and garden: 2025

[johnny108]

Off to a good start.
There's always Shirazi for an oriental with higher nicotine. It doesn't really fit an oriental in my mind though. It's from Iran and has a nicotine content about like most tobacco (higher than traditional orientals), resembles regular tobaccos in growth habit, and is traditionally used for hookahs (shisha). It lacks the floral aroma of most orientals and is fairly neutral flavor wise while not being overly harsh if inhaled.
I had a little puro made from last years crop a few days ago and it was enjoyable as always. It doesn't stand out as exceptional by itself but it blends with about everything if your looking for something to mix with orientals to bump the nicotine content up, or cigs, or even a neutral filler for cigars. Also good for chewing tobacco and keeps the nicotine content up better than having a lot of traditional orientals in the blend. It's one I have found myself growing every year due to it being so neutral and growing well in my location. Kind of a middle of the road staple tobacco with good dependability - the Toyota Corolla of tobaccos...

I’ll have to give it a try. I tend to make dip out of straight dark air tobaccos and rusticas- kinda strong.
But it looks like it would be a good cigarette filler….

 

[johnny108]

9 Trabzon-2 transplanted to garden, and Yellow-109 is going to be the tobacco for the end of the patch! (Spaced at 30cm/1’)
Green house is finished- which means I gotta fill it with tomatoes, now…

 

[johnny108]

Herzegovina Flor: the small plant on the right is in a 10liter pot, but was put outside when the temps were above frost, but still very low, triggering flowering, without more growth. The large plant on the left was grown in the small 2 liter container, from the same batch of seedlings, but was grown inside, in my windowsill, with warm room temperatures- flowering about the same time, but with the warm indoor temp giving a bigger plant.

 

[johnny108]

Herzegovina Flor harvested and replaced with Black Sea Samsun

 

[johnny108]

Last 8 Trabzon-2 have been planted in the field!

 

[johnny108]

Yellow-109 patch has expanded.

 

[plantdude]

I’ll have to give it a try. I tend to make dip out of straight dark air tobaccos and rusticas- kinda strong.
But it looks like it would be a good cigarette filler….

My point with Shirazi is it a good middle of the road neutral tobacco - in the girl next door sort of way. Nicotine levels can always be adjusted with tweaking, a little alkalizer here a little a little concentrated tea extract there. Finding a flavor you like is the goal. You've got some good varities for flavor and aroma growing. Find what you like flavor wise and I'm sure you'll find a way to make nicotine levels suit your need. For instance, why go to the trouble of finding a high nicotine oriental when you can cut them with a rustica or increase nicotine levels with a little creativity - not that it ever hurts to keep searching for that perfect variety.

 

[johnny108]

I just use chewing tobacco, myself.

But, I grow a lot of cigarette varieties for friends and co-workers.
I have a few goals with those: make an all oriental Balkan Sobranie Light type of cigarette (no Latakia).
Make a “People’s Sobranie” using yellow rusticas and Oriental tobacco.
And make a classic, full flavored American cigarette akin to a Marlboro Red ca.1950.

Shirazi seems like a good choice for a “base filler” for an Oriental cigarette. I’ll have to see how it compares to Herzegovina Flor, which was said to be fairly neutral in taste, but sweet, by forum user Istanbulin (a resident authority on Oriental tobacco).

I have taken an interest in Hyang Cho due to seeing its chemical profile on the ars-grin website. It seems to have a massive amount of the flavor compounds common to Oriental tobacco, but a very high nicotine content. (Some of the cigarette smokers I make the occasional pack for, are 2 pack a day: the only thing they notice is a full rustica blend!).

Thank you for the recommendation- I will try to fit it into either next year, or an experimental late summer grow!

 

[johnny108]

2 more flowering Herzegovina Flor from garage wall were harvested, and stalk curing in the cellar, because I’m out of sunny locations to hang them.
They were replaced with 2 Black Sea Samsun, and a Sultan of Albania rustica (brown pot).
Bursa has been consolidated off the balcony, and is doing well.

 

[johnny108]

First Drosgi Black-Blue has been potted up, and placed against the garage wall.

 

[johnny108]

3 Herzegovina Flor harvested- 2 are stalk curing, one was primed and is being box yellowed, prior to sun curing.
Replaced with Black Sea Samsun.

 

[johnny108]

Last 2 Black Sea Samsun potted up and put outside.
I’m now completely out of larger
Pots! And soil, and coconut coir….
And I still have Drosgi Black Blue and Sultan Of Albania to plant out!
(I have enough smaller containers for the Canik, and Herzegovina Flor I’m hoping to plant out- hurray for sequential container planting!)

 

[johnny108]

Happiness: 1. the state of being happy.
2. Having a balcony full of Xanthi.

 

[johnny108]

Topped the 8 homeless miniature Hyang Cho in their containers.
And, I get the impression that I’m too late in transplanting the Drosgi Black-Blue, AGAIN!

 

[johnny108]

Bursa (right) might not be the best choice for windowsill growing…should I top it?
(Left is a Baffra Basma)

 

[deluxestogie]

Bursa:
Days to Maturity: 63-70
Spacing: 24-36 inches
Plant Height: 66 inches
Leaf Length: 16 inches
Leaf Width: 10-11 inches
Leaf Count: 30-34

Bob

 

[johnny108]

Sultan of Albania potted up and placed outside where I can find space.
The flowering Herzegovina Flor have gained a remarkable amount of mass since the bud first appeared. I’ve harvested the ones that had open flowers and showed maturity all the way up the stalk, but a few have darkened in color, grown in height and leaf size, and the buds still haven’t emerged.

 

[johnny108]

The Drosgi Black Blue (again!) was flowering in its small pots, and since I didn’t want to hand water them for a month for the minimal tobacco I would get, I found a sunny spot next to the compost bin that is sheltered from the winds I’m getting, and planted them in the ground. They can grow, flower, whatever they decide to do, and maybe I’ll get something without tripping over them in the greenhouse.

 

[johnny108]

My tobacco patch ran out of room. But I lost territory for a couple of berry bushes, so a negotiation resulted in 2 rows of the veggie patch being surrendered…Sultan of Albania, plus 2 Hyang Cho!

The purple pot Xanthi has been placed in the greenhouse, because I’m out of windowsills.

 

[johnny108]

Canik potted up, and hardening off in the windows. Will eventually be planted out into small 1-2L containers to give leaf similar to my balcony Xanthi.