Grow you own tobacco.

I'm on my fourth year of growing my own smokes. It seems to be kept secret for some reason . But you can buy seeds on ebay and other places easily, it's easy to grow and fun.

I wish I'd found out about this years ago. Me and hubby are both 50 a dayers, so it saves us thousands of pounds.

Those of you who smoke get ready to sart sowing in March next year!

Any questions ask away.

 

Hi oldhag,

is it an elaborate process to make the leaves into dry tobacco and is it easy to get it wrong?

 

It's all easy. Some folk like to complicate things but I don't know why.

You just pick the leaves as they ripen (yellowing from the bottom leaves upwards). Hang them to dry, you need a shed, garage, attic or somesuchwhere to do this. It takes about six weeks for them to turn brown. Store in sack or cardboard box. Job done.

They do improve with age, but are smokable once brown. I shred mine in a food mixer. Read the link if you doubt me.

Tobacco Growing and Curing at Home.

 

Do you think it will be too late to get a crop going this year? I have ordered some seeds, but would like to get them going as soon as they arrive. I have ordered 100 seeds so there will be plenty for next year. I shouldn't really encourage my son to continue to smoke but he is paying about £14 for a 2 oz tin of Golden Virginia. Wicked! I used to smoke 60 a day but packed up about 10 years ago.

 

Yes it's too late to grow seriously this year. The plants start very slowly, don't get going until there are a couple of months old.

You could start a few for fun. They will over-winter in a frost free place. They won't ever get huge though.

 

They didn't start slowly with me...

 

I do hope you are paying the nice man at HMRC the due taxes on your crop, otherwise growing it is a big no no.:D:D:D
http://www.freesmoking.co.uk/moreinfoUK.html

 

Ooo, theres some good points in there Dai

I like this one,

 

Also, do not grow potatoes and tomatoes if growing your own rollies. Oldhag, do you grow it in your own garden or on an allotment?

 

I find this the most interesting and relevant part -

''You may also find it useful to know that we apply a risk-based approach to compliance and law enforcement to protect all the individual taxes and duties for which we are responsible, including tobacco products duty. There is not a great deal of home-grown tobacco smoked in the UK and we will certainly not be targeting potential domestic tobacco producers. Nor do we wish to devote a disproportionate amount of resource to the control of hobby growers and manufacturers.

You may wish to point out to your customers that duty only becomes due once the tobacco can be smoked i.e. when the cured tobacco leaves have been shredded. There is no duty on tobacco seeds, which are quite legal to buy, or on the tobacco plants themselves.

[Plantation House] - This section must have taken Keith the longest to write. It is very fair and proves the day I spent showing him the whole process on tobacco growing was not wasted. To the non-grower thinking of taking this up as a hobby, and not understanding the technical jargon I will explain it as if one were making wine. If you had your wine maturing in a 40-gallon barrel, you would not stop the maturing process of the bulk, just to remove a glass of wine. Likewise tobacco constantly improves over the years, so only a small amount is removed at a time, to be shredded into a smokeable product, so your bulk is free of duty.Now as for the duty to be paid, this will have to be on a voluntary process. With millions of smokers in the UK smoking smuggled cigarettes from overseas, I doubt Customs will be rushing to set up a phone line for the home grower. All in all I think we growers have got off lightly due to the incredibly difficult task HM Customs & Excise would need to overcome to ensure the duty is paid.''

No problems really are there?

I grow, tomats, spuds, cabbs, caulies, beans, peas, beetroot, spinach, cucumbers, peppers, swedes, flowers, annual and perennial, shrubs, trees, weeds and grass. Probably forgotten a few there. I have a largish garden, but it's amazing what you can fit in when you want to!

 

Why should you not grow Toms and spuds if growing your own tobacco Dai?

 

Tobacco is a major source of Mosaic virus, and, being in the same family as potatoes and tomatoes, is a big threat to said crops.

 

I've had no problems with any virus or disease. Tobacco is usually a very healthy plant. Worth a darn site more than toms and pots anyway!

 

Thanks Oldhag, I might give it a try when the seeds arrive. I have nothing to lose and can certainly put them into frost protection as and when to carry them over to next spring if necessary! So what would the tax be on a couple of leaves of tobacco? I'll see if they are interested if I get that far!

 

actually nicotine is an efficient insect/bugs repellant...