Wombat's 2026 Grow Log

[Wombat_smokes]

After letting my Trabzon #2 rest over night, it is most leaves are in extra wet high case (almost like a wet sponge) to high case (leathery & stretchy). Only two leaves had small spots of white mold around the midrib at the center of the leaves. These 2 leaves and a few more didn't have the last 1/3 of the mid rib brown.


Some leaves have thin, translucent spots; but all have. Cured to a nice golden brown.

There was a fair bit of leaf damage from the wind knocking things about, but 4 small hands of "tangled" flue-cured tobacco is still good, smokable product. Each hand had ~9 - 10 leaves.

While the next step is to expirament with a solar kiln, I am unsure if I should remove the stems now or later. Midribs/stems mean excess moisture, therefore, mold. For mold safety, I want to dry down to low/medium case. Removing stems now is also convenient since their already in high case.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Well, I done did it. Hand thrashed my 1st batch of high case Brightleaf (Trabzon #2)


I swear shelling 5 gallons of green beans (white mountain half-runner) out of my Grandaddy's South Carolina garden was easier. There's a delicate balance between too moist and just right moisture for pulling stems.

I am tempted to save the stems to make my own reconstituted tobaco wrappers (paper), but that's a project for a different grow year.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

What a productive day. Yaladag is strung up to cure and my clear lid, water/dust resistant tote has the Trabzon #2 as a solar kiln.

I hope the Yayladag isn't too green to cure properly. Half of each plant was starting to lighten in color with yellowing base leaves.

The Trabzon #2 smelled wonderfully of raisons and dare I say, honey. We'll see if this 1st priming "kilns" well or if it molds. I admit it was still in high case, but I wanted some humidity left inside to aid the process and expect the sun to thoroughly warm the tote.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

I checked on the solar kiln yesterday afternoon with an instant read meat thermometer (analog). The thermometer is 5°-10°F too high (need to calibrate) and measured 140°F in the tote. Adjusting for the inaccuracy, the kiln is 130°-135°F. Hopefully, this did not have time to fully denature the oxidase enzymes. However, that should only cause the color to stay light golden brown/orange while peroxidase will still develop the flavors.

Also, the raisin smell did get stronger throughout the day.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Maltya is stripped and resting in my "bushel" bag.

Leaves are a bit tattered & bug nibbled, but they'll still be good smokes. Some leaves dried a bits of green, but I'm hoping the kiln will help fix that.

Bursa is now hung to cure.


Yayladag is coming along nicely.


Things not going so well.... my Frog Eye Orinoco is having trouble with ripening lower leaves. I see them maturing, but it feels like lower leaves are feeding suckers & flowers instead of yellowing. I keep picking suckers. Trabzon #2 seems to be doing the same thing.


Oh, and the Shargo is now mature. I'm topping and picking suckers while waiting for plants to be 50% yellow before I stalk harvest.