Wombat's 2026 Grow Log

[Wombat_smokes]

Today, I sorted and thrashed most of my loose Åhus leaves. One more batch to go. I also still have 4 stalk cured plants to process. I am sorting the Åhus as wrapper/binder, filler & snus (stems and leaves not worth smoking).

My first priming of One Sucker has cured to a light brown. The late season crop is doing very well.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Today, I stalk cut the Düzce, Trabzon, and Yellow Pryor. All are hung to sun cure on the stalk.
Düzce

Trabzon


I also primed the Frog Eye Orinoco; removing all leaves below the crow's foot of suckers. Those are the last of the "original" stalk's leaves. Only the suckers remain, and I will harvest them when ripened.

My late season One Sucker and Small Stalk Black Mammoth are growing well.

One Sucker

Small Stalk Black Mammoth


The bad news: I'm finding black goo on the edge and tips of some leaves. Have any of you noticed this on your plants?

I'm hoping its oxidized oils/resins (like pine sap) or insect frass.

Otherwise, everything is good. The Semois, original One Sucker, Little Dutch, & original Small Stalk Black Mammoth are showing signs of rugose upper leaves. Stalk harvesting is near; however, I might need to prime some of them due to space.

 

[deluxestogie]

black goo on the edge and tips of some leaves

Might they have inadvertently brushed against a barbeque grill?

Bob

 

[Wombat_smokes]

No. My tobacco patch is almost 150 ft from a grill. I've seen small, black droplets of this on my Orinoco. Thinking it was mold, I pinched it of and moved on. Now I'm seeing long lines on leaf edges with moderate sun exposure.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Here are a few more photos of samples I found while stacking my Frog Eye Orinoco this morning. I encountered these in the inner lamina as small circles, streaks, and dew drops.



The two most "harmless" theories are vascular pest feeding and excess water in the plant.

Pest Theory: Vascular pests feed on tissues that transport nutrients rich "sap/water" through the plant. Such pests include aphids. The black substance is a) oxidised honeydew, or b) sap excreted from the puncture made by insects.

Excess Water Theory: tomato fruits often split when they receive excess water after the fruit has ended its growth stage. Much like humans and stretch marks (scaring of the skin from cutaneous fat deposits formed faster than the skin can stretch). In this case, the sap leaks out of the small, capillary like structures when they rupture. This may have happened from our recent monsoon rains and/or leaving the extra watering to help my plants cope with the 100 degree summer weather. Temps have since begun to drop and I've reduced the water to bare minimum.

Why is it black? Oxidation. When we make Cavendish, snus, or perique; the nicotine, resins, and oils oxidise to a black color.

The worst possible theory: early fungal rot. The sap from the aforementioned theories provides a tasty soup for fungi to grow. Also, insect frass (poop) can mix with rain water or humidity trapped between leaves and cause the rot.

Given the presence of the black substance on leaf tips and edges that receive full sun, I am in favor of the excess water theory. However, out of caution, I removed most of the affected lamina.

Here is my pilon of Frog Eye Orinoco

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Another batch of Åhus sorted and threshed (stems removed)

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Last week Sunday, I primed a bit of Shargo. The leaves stacked tall and have colored nicely. I've been hanging mostly yellowed leaves on my new stringer system. I'm using 14 gauge galvanized utility wire. The wire is easily bent by hand, but despite the 75 pound working load; it is easily bent by the weight of the leaves.

Last time, I strung the Shargo tight - leaves touching leaves - to retain moisture and prevent drying green. This time, I'm leaving 0.5 inch spaces to let the excess moisture out. So far, my leaves are continuing to color nicely. In the background are the Frog Eye Orinoco.

I also stripped my stalk cut, sun curing plants - Yellow Pryor, Düzce and Trabzon - Last Sunday. The rains we had that weekend gave me free water to handle high case leaves. I put these in my brown paper grocery bags. Some leaves were still in need of stem drying, but I chose to let them air dry in the bags. A quick check shows they have not grown mold and are now bone dry.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

Last week, I harvested all of my Little Dutch and another bushel of Frog Eye Orinoco. Cool weather is on the way - upper 60's; low40's - so I'm eager to get all plants harvested before a killing frost gets here.
Frog Eye Orinoco

Little Dutch

The Little Dutch is not as mature as I thought, and is taking longer than my Brightleaf to color. I turn the pile every morning and had to toss 2 tiny leaves that were drying green. I've made 1 new stringer and have a stringer of my 1st priming. If I get only these leaves, I will be content to I have a successful sampler.

My 2nd priming of Shargo has turned out better. The high temps (90°F - 95°F) and humidity (30% - 40%) in my shed combined with no air space between the leaves REALLY led to serious barn rot. Lower temps (70°F - 78°F) with the same humidity (30% - 35%) and 1/4 - 1/2 inch of space has allowed good curing.

Two 24 inch stringers of Frog Eye Orinoco

I am disappointed that temperatures are no longer conducive for sun curing, but I am glad I won't loose leaf mass to wind.

Nearly all of the sun cured Düzce and Yellow Pryor have been stripped from their stalks. Some of the Yellow Pryor was showing signs of mold on the stems, so I frog-legged the leaves as I stripped them from the stalk. Trabzon is all stripped. My late season One Sucker and Small Stalk Black Mammoth are growing well. I bagged 2 One Sucker flower heads.

Small Stalk Black Mammoth & Izmir-Ege sucker

We'll see how well things mature with the drop in temps. I expect my remaining plants to all mature quickly as day light is now less than 12 hours.

 

[Wombat_smokes]

My pile of Frog Eye Orinoco is 66% yellowed and 33% of my Little Dutch is hanging. I am, however, out of space to dry my tobacco... so I made some room somewhere else!



This is my chicken feed storage shed - attached, but separated from my chicken coop. Because this is shed has NO ventilation, I only put " bone dry" leaf in. Frog Eye Orinoco, Shargo, and Little Dutch filled the three hangers I installed (48 inches long and spaced so leaves barely touch between rows).