Wruk53 2023 grow log

[johnny108]

The only time you need to box leaves is when the average relative humidity is low. It just allows the leaf to die and change color before it dries. If your RH is predicted to remain at or above 70% for a week or so, boxing is not necessary, just hang them as usual. All boxing does is maintain humidity until the leaf color changes to yellow or brown.
You'll need a box that is large enough so the leaves will fit into it without bending or folding. Line the bottom with paper or cloth, stack your leaf inside then cover with more paper or cloth, close the box and shuffle the leaves daily removing the ones that have colored and hang them to dry as usual. In short, it's just a way to maintain proper humidity until the leaf changes color.
Note that it's very important to check the piles of leaf daily or you may end up with a pile of rotten leaf. Piles of wet leaf can heat up quite a bit and start decomposing in just a few days, hence the importance of shuffling them daily. If your leaf was at least beginning to yellow on the plant before harvesting, all of the leaf should color nicely within 3 to 7 days. If it takes longer than that, then you probably harvested too early or maybe the temperature was too low.

I don't keep track of the final weight of leaf, but I estimate that I end up with about 2 ounces of destemmed leaf per LD plant, judging by the bulk.

Keep in mind that I live in an area that is generally very warm, if you're attempting this in a cold, dank cellar, you may not get the desired results. There is no 'one size fits all' solution to producing quality tobacco. You have to learn by experience what works best in your environment.

Good luck!

“Cold, dank cellar” sums up German weather, perfectly.
I’m expecting to have trouble with maintaining humidity after I harvest. Looks like containers and boxes might be what I need…

 

[wruk53]

I stalk harvested the One Sucker on the 12th, it's coloring pretty rapidly. The Ainaro and Thompson are ready to harvest also, but I'm running out of room to hang them. I'll just hang the Ainaro in the sun and maybe stalk harvest the Thompson and crowd it in on the left chain.

 

[wruk53]

Color curing is coming along okay for One Sucker.

Stalk harvested all of the Thompson today.

Ainaro hanging in the sun. I'll probably stalk harvest the rest within 2 weeks. I have some Ainaro leaf in a box coloring now.

Decided to try for a sucker crop with the OS. I sprinkled a half teaspoon of Osmocote Plus in each container.

Little Dutch is doing well. At least I think it's Little Dutch, it might be Shirazi.

 

[deluxestogie]

Whenever I grew Shirazi, regardless of the specific bed, the top leaves of all of them showed "cupping."

While this is sometimes diagnostic of calcium deficiency (or unsuitable soil pH), I saw nothing similar in other varieties grown side-by-side.

Bob

 

[cincydave]

I like your clothes hanger idea for curing the leaves. Finally A use for all those wire hangers.

 

[johnny108]

Wruk53- do you use fertilizer with every watering?

 

[wruk53]

I like your clothes hanger idea for curing the leaves. Finally A use for all those wire hangers.

I believe that Knucklehead was the originator of the wire hanger idea, at least that's where I first saw them in use.

 

[wruk53]

Wruk53- do you use fertilizer with every watering?

Yes, but only mixed at about half strength or less. I normally stop the fertilizer shortly after topping and just use fresh water from there on out.

 

[wruk53]

And yet another color curing series. One Sucker.

 

[deluxestogie]

A trail camera could do a frame per day, time-lapse video of the leaf coloring.

Bob

 

[wruk53]

Ainaro is about ready to stalk harvest.

My sucker crop of One Sucker.

And my mystery seedlings.

Rainy season is here, we've had about 1.5 inches in the last few days.

 

[MadFarmer]

And yet another color curing series. One Sucker.

@wruk53 what can you tell about One Sucker? What's it good for? How does it taste?

 

[wruk53]

@wruk53 what can you tell about One Sucker? What's it good for? How does it taste?

I'm a Snus user, so I'm hoping it will make a full flavored, high nicotine Snus. It's too soon to tell how it will taste, I've just now got some of the lower leaf dry and it still needs some time to age. I will post my thoughts on it after aging/kilning.
As far as growing, it is a nice plant that had no problems as far as disease or pests. The leaves are long, narrow and very thick.
I've done a little research, trying to figure out how it came to be named "One Sucker". It turns out that there are several dark varieties that are called One Sucker. Some people mistakenly think it's because it produces few suckers. This is not the case, it suckers at every internode after topping, just like most varieties. I believe the name refers to the procedure of topping the plants, removing the first suckers a few weeks later, then harvesting the plants a few weeks after that. Basically, meaning that the plant is only suckered once before harvest.

 

[deluxestogie]

Download the page on One Sucker as pdf

Bob

 

[johnny108]

Wruk53- you use half strength MG tomato fertilizer (got a label picture?).
Doesn’t it have urea? I can see by your pictures that it causes no problems (gorgeous plants and harvest, by the way)
Is urea only bad at the seedling stage?

 

[wruk53]

If my seed starting mix does not already contain fertilizer, I will use the MG at about 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water for new seedlings. I've not had any problems; this is a very weak mix and should not cause any harm to the plants. New seedlings require very little nutrients to thrive.

 

[wruk53]

More pics.

 

[johnny108]

More pics.

Nice! I’ve managed to find a triple-20 fertilizer in Germany! (Online), and it has less urea nitrogen than MG, so it should be ok! Thanks!
The fertilizer:

https://amzn.eu/d/20S4jW2

 

[wruk53]

Nice! I’ve managed to find a triple-20 fertilizer in Germany! (Online), and it has less urea nitrogen than MG, so it should be ok! Thanks!
The fertilizer:

https://amzn.eu/d/20S4jW2

Johnny, I routinely mix in some epsom salts with the MG to provide extra magnesium. 4 parts Miricle grow to one-part Epsom salts. Magnesium falls in between a major and minor element needed by plants, so always add a little to be sure they are getting enough.

 

[wruk53]

Found this in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary.​

​

one-sucker​

noun​

: a tobacco produced in western Kentucky and north central Tennessee and suckered only once or topped only just before cutting and used in the manufacture of chewing tobacco.