Ripe-O-Meter: mature vs ripe

[deluxestogie]

Immature Nicotiana tabacum leaf tends to be uniformly green, thin and flat. As it matures, the color slowly becomes mottled, and the very tip of the leaf begins to show a bit of yellow. Progressing from "mature" to ripe, the yellowing spreads, mottling increases, and the leaf texture becomes more rugose (bumpy) and brittle. A fully ripe leaf is entirely yellow. The main benefit of priming leaf at the earliest sign of maturation is for cigar wrapper and binder, in order to avoid leaf damage in the field.

Most varieties can be stalk-harvested, and stalk-hung for air curing. Orientals can usually be stalk-harvested and stalk-hung for sun-curing. Flue-curing requires priming leaf of similar maturity for each separate batch or for sun-curing.

Bob

 

[UmbriaFarmer]

Hi there, newbie here, I'm in central Italy and my 86 sun-grown Havana dunkelrot plants (dunkelrot means dark red in German- I have a vague idea this might get some sort of criollo but I'd love to hear from anybody who know anything about it) are getting up to about 5ft high now and on many plants the lower leaf tips are just starting to show some yellow. What difference does it make to the finished cigar if I either start priming soon or leave them on the plant until fully yellow? I planted every plant 3ft apart and 3ft between rows so there is little danger of physical damage if I leave them on the plant (so long as we don't get a hailstorm!). Any advice much appreciated

 

[deluxestogie]

little danger of physical damage if I leave them on the plant

My impression is that priming at earliest signs of maturity, then air-curing in a shed, will increase your yield of wrapper and binder grade leaf. A curing shed has the potential to better control temperature and humidity.

Allowing it to fully yellow in the field may reduce the nicotine content if it is exposed to rain. Also, as leaf yellows in the field, it becomes more fragile whenever it fully dries. So wind gusts can begin to tatter the leaf, and can blow away a leaf that is yellowed to the point where the leaf stem is fully dry.

Bob

 

[UmbriaFarmer]

My impression is that priming at earliest signs of maturity, then air-curing in a shed, will increase your yield of wrapper and binder grade leaf. A curing shed has the potential to better control temperature and humidity.

Allowing it to fully yellow in the field may reduce the nicotine content if it is exposed to rain. Also, as leaf yellows in the field, it becomes more fragile whenever it fully dries. So wind gusts can begin to tatter the leaf, and can blow away a leaf that is yellowed to the point where the leaf stem is fully dry.

Bob

Thank you Bob. I shall get priming...