Grow you own tobacco.

tobacco field

 

Looks like my back garden .........i wish

 

Some of mine are getting that big but they are not yellow YET!

 

Computer just ate my reply, worse than slugs on a nicotine seedling. Moyra, your plants are doing well. Mine are suffering from the weather and are still quite small.

The plants on the above picture will be one of the yellow burleys. They are, as the name suggests, yellow.

Rustica will be coming towards flowering now. These are much smaller than the tobacco plants but high in nicotine. There are various different rustica breeds, some bigger than others. I have some which can grow pretty big. It's a matter of opinion whether to nip off the flowers. Some say the plant will grow bigger leaves, but I've found that it causes loads of tiny side shoots with more flowers. I dry the flowers myself and add them to the mix.

The leaves of tobacco plants start to yellow from the bottom up. These have the most nicotine when they get sticky around the time that the flower buds start to mature.

I've got to go out now. Ask me anything I've missed. Back later.

 

Welcome back Oldhag

 

Thanks Oldhag, glad you came back to answer some of our questions, very difficult to know the first time around. The buds on mine are getting quite big. I will do as you have done dry the flowers and add them to the mix. What makes for the best drying area a dry shed or an airing cupboard?

 

Oh I meant to say Ziggy I have kept mine in a cold plastic covered greenhouse and just put the air on when days are bright and dry otherwise they have been tucked up in the warm and dry. Lovely day for them today!

 

That explains why yours are doing so well Moyra. I've got over 500 so they have to go outside.

The shed sounds the best drying area. They need to dry slowly, so humidity is needed. Don't think they are dry because they go crispy. They will supple again again when it rains. They need to hang for at least six weeks. The mid-rib will be brown all through and the colour should have darkened.

 

I've just been contacted by someone who is making a programme for the BBC about tobacco growing in Britain. They want me. At last I prove Andy Warhol right.

 

Was his Name Craig from Gardeners World?

 

No. It's a woman, and not to do with gardener's world.

 

Thats good, as Craig stopped getting back to us, must have bigger fish to fry.

 

Oldhag, I think I saw somewhere that Joolz mentioned a length of time of growing before culling them. I haven't seen that mentioned elsewhere. The blooms on some of mine are full out but the bottom leaves have still not turned yellow. Now that is those in the plastic greenhouse. The plants outside the bottom leaves are turning yellow but they are not blooming yet. Will it be right to cull the plants that have bloomed and hang to dry irrespective of the leaves yellowing or do I just wait until they do yellow? This is all so new to me. Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

yeah i was wondering if it was 90 days from germiation or planting out?? or just when they are ready mine arnt very big yet and rustica is starting to flower...we need some sunshine x

 

I read on a Grow your own Tobacco Forum that once the plant has flowered wait 3 weeks then harvest the whole plant and hang to dry for 6 weeks. I think all we can do is wait for old hag to come back and tell us what she does Joolz or we go along with this advice and see how they turn out.