Has anyone tried growing their own tobacco?

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fumo bro

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I came across a website that sells tobacco seeds:

http://www.seedman.com/Tobacco.htm

This website sells many varieties of tobacco seeds: burleys, virginias, Connecticut shade leaf, Havana leaf, Black Sea Samsun Turkish, etc. In the USA every property owner is entitled to grow 1/10th of an acre of tobacco. I am going to give it a try. Growing the tobacco seems easy enough, but I have no idea how the curing process works. Has anyone tried this before?

Fumo Bro
 
Thanks for the link Pistolero. That website has a lot of useful information there, especially for a novice like me.

Fumo Bro
 
I was reading up on it and decided to call and question my buddy whose family raised tobacco on their 100 acre farm in SC until the Govt. buy out. There is a lot of work involved and with Virginias even more as each leaf must be picked individually. Burley can be harvested whole by cutting the stalk. The hanging and curing is important too temps and humidity need to be right. Then the stemming and deveining.

Living in a mild climate helps and in the deep south where humidity is king it isn't much more trouble than building a shed and hanging the tobacco for several months. I was interested in pressing and curing mine in blocks. The rub is the topping. The tobacco must be topped before curing to help induce fermentation when it is pressed, but how much ? and of what? Too much and you will have a gooey mess, not enough and you might have wasted a lot of time and effort.

The press can be a simple untreated wood block where the tobacco is packed inside then a vice or hydraulic press applies the needed pressure. I have seen simple C-clamp models done too. Then leave it set for the fermentation to complete. Then cut into flake :geek:

I decided that I will leave it to the pros though. I enjoy the process very much and I do make my own beer, soap, grow veggies because I can. My mother says I have the blood of a homesteader in me as I try to be as self-sufficient as I can be. Maybe someother time though, right now I just do not have the spare time.

One other thing, it takes a whole lot of green tobacco to make enough to keep one in stock over a long period. Each plant only yields 2-3 oz at the most. :affraid:
 
I know guy that tried growing his own, (Kansas gold), he's got 2 years left to go in the state pen. :affraid:
 
I've considered it. The growing is easy enough, and I've got enough land. I'm also in the heart of American tobacco country here in NC. Still, the post-harvest steps are what have prevented me from trying it. It's enough for me to gather and chop up tomatoes and watermelons. To have to hang, top, press, etc.... more than I'm willing to do (for now). Let the taxes pile up a bit, though, and you might see me out there working my tobacco barn.

-Andrew
 
I have grown tobacco several times in the past. As for the processing, that was way beyond what I wanted to try!
However, I would encourage you to grow some, just for the fun of it. The plants are really awesome!! Tall, (some grow to 6 or7 ft.), luxurious looking, and have beautiful flowers. I promise that you'll get a kick out of it, and be the talk of the neighborhood.
:flower:
 
I just harvested my burley ,,a small crop this year,,, had many problems with last years planting, fungus and bugs, so I learned a lot and downscaled with better results,,,growing is the easy part,,,processing is a learning adventure,,,got a smokable product last year, but need more experience to get a good final result,,,makes you appreciate the expertise involved when you crack open a tin from the B&M,,,
 
I'm not assuming it will be easy. Keep in mind that you will need to age your crop also. So what I grow next summer won't really be good smoke until late 2012 or later. And I may not get much yield or do good 2011 and not 2012.

So I figure I'll get the best head start I can. Like adauria mentioned, I don't know what pipe tobacco is going to cost tomorrow much less a couple years down the road. I want to grow as much as I can before they outlaw or grossly overtax that too! If things don't change for the worse, well that's great, I'll be able to enjoy OTC's and what comes from my back yard too. Either way I'm ready to start experimenting.

I wish I had discovered this stuff in time to grow some this past summer. Like the rest of the ignorant masses I didn't know you could. Well I also had a job and paid for prepackaged cigarettes too. Now I have more time on my hands, and less funds.

Maybe I'm better off. I'll open up a B&M in town and sell pipes and baccy and RYO stuff when they outlaw shipping tobacco altogether.
 
mark":bisgt8h0 said:
I just harvested my burley ,,a small crop this year,,, had many problems with last years planting, fungus and bugs, so I learned a lot and downscaled with better results,,,growing is the easy part,,,processing is a learning adventure,,,got a smokable product last year, but need more experience to get a good final result,,,makes you appreciate the expertise involved when you crack open a tin from the B&M,,,
Click to expand...
Mark! That's quite the accomplishment!

What does your tobacco taste like?
 
I bought some seeds, but as others have said it's how to handle it after it's harvested thats the critical & time comsuming part, so I'll wait till I get caught up on other stuff before taking the plunge totally. A neighbor we buy alfalfa from also raises and sells tobacco, I'll probably get with him for some tutalage first. As a teen I did help an aunt who raised it, helped plant it, weed it, others cut and hung it, but I also helped in stripping and baling it for market, the best leaves we tied in "hands" which brought more money as I recall.
 
Falconer":9lbum8kq said:
I know guy that tried growing his own, (Kansas gold), he's got 2 years left to go in the state pen. :affraid:
Click to expand...
That happens a lot here in Kentucky Valky!
 
New Smoker":3sth9ajd said:
Falconer":3sth9ajd said:
I know guy that tried growing his own, (Kansas gold), he's got 2 years left to go in the state pen. :affraid:
Click to expand...
That happens a lot here in Kentucky Valky!
Click to expand...
I say let them grow it and let me smoke it. :cheers:
 
Falconer":gbj9xa1q said:
New Smoker":gbj9xa1q said:
Falconer":gbj9xa1q said:
I know guy that tried growing his own, (Kansas gold), he's got 2 years left to go in the state pen. :affraid:
Click to expand...
That happens a lot here in Kentucky Valky!
Click to expand...
I say let them grow it and let me smoke it. :cheers:
Click to expand...
Move to Kalifornia:
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_19,_the_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2010)
They vote on it in a month.
 
I believe I shall grow tobacco this year. I expect to fail but still score a moral victory against the nannies. As my email signature line reads: "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first"

This sounds like a good book. Has anybody read it?
The Cultivators Handbook
 
It seems that it would be best to do this backwards. The whole backwards planning routine. JMHO.
 
GCook":mxscr2qd said:
I believe I shall grow tobacco this year. I expect to fail but still score a moral victory against the nannies. As my email signature line reads: "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first"

This sounds like a good book. Has anybody read it?
The Cultivators Handbook
Click to expand...
I've planted some Rustica for making snuff. First year was a flop 'cause I started to late. Second year was much better and I've got some snuff maturing now. Not much but I can at least say I've done it.

This year I will start even earlier. Will also prepare the ground in advance and add a bit of Bounce Back - chicken droppings!
 
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