The growing season is long since past here in Denmark and all tobacco sorts are either cured and stabilized or molded and tossed. Denmark is an exceptionally challenging environment in which to grow tobacco generally and the season is short. The climate here is typically cold and dry in the spring followed by variable cold/warm (never hot) and usually wet periodically in the summer. You need to plant late to avoid late frost in the spring and harvest early to avoid cold, wet conditions in the early fall ruining everything you are still trying to air cure. There is essentially no fall season here.
I grew some Samsun tobacco and 8 other sorts in 2025. The summer of 2025 on the island of Falster was pretty wet with a prolonged period of torrential rain that lasted 2-3 weeks. This resulted in rust infecting a large amount of plants which were not sprayed with any form of fungicide. Fungicide is almost necessary, I found out, if you grow tobacco in Denmark and the less improved the variety, the more susceptible to rust and fungus it becomes. Rustica is a fairly unimproved variety, resembling wild tobacco and it was hit very hard. Samsun was moderately susceptible to fungus and I had to high grade a bit of it and remove the affected leaves.
What I noticed most about Samsun is, just like all other plants, the climate and soil play an important role in what phenotype a sort will give. Do not expect oriental tobacco grown in a wet, cold, climate to resemble the light, mild, aromatic, small leaved phenotype grown by the sandy shores of the Black Sea i Turkey. In Denmark, this variety essentially is opposite. My tobacco was darker, larger leaved, stronger in nicotine and stronger in flavor but less aromatic in smell than it would be if it was grown in its country of origin. On the other hand, it was prolific and I harvested a lot of it. I have sorted out the smaller, lighter leaves that more closely resemble Turkish Samsun. It does not need to be fermented, which is a huge advantage.
Now, I am not as patient as some and just had to shred a bit and try smoking it out of my pipe. It has not aged and is strong in flavor. It is mildly aromatic. It has moderate amounts of nicotine. It is not what I would normally smoke as a pipe tobacco straight, but I like it anyways. I can only describe it as being like smoking a Lucky Strike cigarette tobacco out of a pipe, but stronger. I am not ashamed of it. I enjoy smoking it and for me, that is the milepost by which I judge my efforts. It is the first tobacco I have smoked that I have grown myself. The others sorts have a ways to go before fermentation is done and the products are smokable. I can only imagine that it will improve with age and be a fine, although stronger than anticipated, component in my tobacco blending. Please send any constructive criticism, pointers, ideas which you may have. Thank you for letting me join the forum and happy growing/smoking.
I grew some Samsun tobacco and 8 other sorts in 2025. The summer of 2025 on the island of Falster was pretty wet with a prolonged period of torrential rain that lasted 2-3 weeks. This resulted in rust infecting a large amount of plants which were not sprayed with any form of fungicide. Fungicide is almost necessary, I found out, if you grow tobacco in Denmark and the less improved the variety, the more susceptible to rust and fungus it becomes. Rustica is a fairly unimproved variety, resembling wild tobacco and it was hit very hard. Samsun was moderately susceptible to fungus and I had to high grade a bit of it and remove the affected leaves.
What I noticed most about Samsun is, just like all other plants, the climate and soil play an important role in what phenotype a sort will give. Do not expect oriental tobacco grown in a wet, cold, climate to resemble the light, mild, aromatic, small leaved phenotype grown by the sandy shores of the Black Sea i Turkey. In Denmark, this variety essentially is opposite. My tobacco was darker, larger leaved, stronger in nicotine and stronger in flavor but less aromatic in smell than it would be if it was grown in its country of origin. On the other hand, it was prolific and I harvested a lot of it. I have sorted out the smaller, lighter leaves that more closely resemble Turkish Samsun. It does not need to be fermented, which is a huge advantage.
Now, I am not as patient as some and just had to shred a bit and try smoking it out of my pipe. It has not aged and is strong in flavor. It is mildly aromatic. It has moderate amounts of nicotine. It is not what I would normally smoke as a pipe tobacco straight, but I like it anyways. I can only describe it as being like smoking a Lucky Strike cigarette tobacco out of a pipe, but stronger. I am not ashamed of it. I enjoy smoking it and for me, that is the milepost by which I judge my efforts. It is the first tobacco I have smoked that I have grown myself. The others sorts have a ways to go before fermentation is done and the products are smokable. I can only imagine that it will improve with age and be a fine, although stronger than anticipated, component in my tobacco blending. Please send any constructive criticism, pointers, ideas which you may have. Thank you for letting me join the forum and happy growing/smoking.
