Any tobacco growers?

Discussion in 'The Green Patch' started by enough, Jun 7, 2009.


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  1. enough

    enough Monkey++

    Just curious if there are any tobacco growers here. I have not yet tried it, as I am not much of a smoker, but thought it would be a fun project, and could be a GREAT barter item in the future.

    I'm quite late starting this spring, so I will likely try it in containers that I can bring in, or do a full indoor grow. The strain is called "Russian Red" from here ....
    Red Russian Tobacco Seeds from Victory Seeds®

    It may be a stretch to get it grown and cured here in MI, but its worth a try. I'll only shoot for ten plants or so. I have plenty of seed for next season though.
     
  2. The Expendable

    The Expendable Bread and Circus Master

    I know nothing about growing tobacco, but don't you also need to cure it before it's usable? It would be a good barter item. Heck have you seen cigarette prices? It's already worth it's weight in gold... well, maybe silver. :)

    Don't forget to stock up on rolling papers!
     
  3. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    I've never grown it, but my ex BIL did and still does. The seeds are tiny enough that you'll want a glass to see them. In MI, you will want to start them in a hothouse, sometime in early to mid May and transplant after the last possible date for frost. Watch for tobacco worms, a large and destructive caterpillar looking thing, like a very big tomato cutworm. In MI, the climate is such that growth will be slow, even tho' on the same latitude as BIL's operation in MA. You can air cure them in non-freezing conditions, which takes a month or so, or hasten it a bit in a heated barn. Either way, air or heated, "taking down" will be in November on into December, depending on how well cured. Watch the heat, you can over-cure or actually burn the leaf. (Tobacco cure barns are famous for fast, hot burning and total loss.) When the cure is about right, the leaf comes down and is processed in various ways, you'll have to figure that out, I'm unfamiliar with any of that part. (BIL's operation shipped all leaf to the Dominican Republic for the sweat, re-cure, and processing, then to England for final fabrication by de-veining and rolling if cigars, chopping, shredding or plugging for pipe filling, or grinding up as cigarette fillers.) Cheaper cigars use what is euphemistically (sometimes realisitically) called "sweepings" for fillers, the better quality uses actual rolled or chopped leaf. For chopped filler, they often do not de-vein before chopping.

    This year's production will go to market sometime in 2010. The cure barns smell wonderful.
     
  4. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    I am located in North Central Florida. I have a friend who asked me to see what I could find about tobbacco seeds and growing info, etc. Here is what I found ....

    http://www.seedman.com/Tobacco.htm se usa source plus growing info

    http://www.organicaseedco.com/tobaccoseeds.html

    http://www.thetobaccoseed.com/

    http://www.newhopeseed.com/tobacco/ tenn, usa

    http://www.coffinails.com/ uk source

    http://www.victoryseeds.com/tobacco/index.html oregon, usa

    http://userwebs.batnet.com/rwc-seed/tobacco.html ca, usa

    http://www.eonseed.com/ davie, fl. ph (954) 382-8281

    http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/Nicotiana.htm ca, usa

    I did a quick google search of "tobbacco seeds" turned up 1,190,000 hits. This list above was gleaned from the first page of 10 entres. This ain't rocket science. Please peruse each site above. Alot of good info here.
     
  5. The Expendable

    The Expendable Bread and Circus Master

    If you want some good advice on growing tobacco, maybe you could get some information on Al Gore's website. After all, he said, "I want you to know that with my own hands, all of my life, I put [tobacco] in the plant beds and transferred it. I've hoed it, I've dug in it, I've sprayed it, I've chopped it, I've shredded it, spiked it, put it in the barn, and stripped it and sold it".

    He sounds like the man to go to for answers.
     
  6. Cephus

    Cephus Monkey+++ Founding Member

    It's my first year trying ,I have them inside to start and am waiting for them to get big enough to transplant .
    If I knew who to use the camera and get the pics on here I would but I'm not that smart .I just hope I don't kill these things before they get big enough .

    Curing isn't that hard all ya really need is warm dry place ,my family in Tenn. has grown tobacco for generations and all they ever used was a tobacco barn for drying or curing if ya will.

    I wish ya all the luck with your plants .
     
  7. enough

    enough Monkey++

    Thanks for all the feedback, I was surprised to see so much this morning. I'd like to address a couple comments .... :)

    Papers? Nope. Corn cob pipes! That is what started the thought today. I was cleaning out the garage and there were a couple cobs in the corner and it got me thinking. After the garage was done, I grabbed a cob, and carved out the pith to see if the bowl would be big enough. Then I started looking around the lot for a good dry stem, with a pithy center. Found some old dry grass stalk, and stuck a drill bit through it. Then I hand drilled the cob and voila!

    Nice little mini pipe. However, I was left wanting after I realized I had nothing to smoke! So, I cut up an old cigar that was still in a glass tube, packed the bowl and enjoyed a smoke or four in the garden. That is what got me thinking about the tobacco seeds again. I had forgotten that I even bought them ... ;)

    Although MI has a decent summer growing season, I think I'm just too late for this year. I may try a couple plants, but I have the ability to crank up some early growth next spring.

    It looks like the curing info here is correct. Some folks build simple sweat boxes that can be used to cure out the tobacco. Basically a small heater, a humidity source, a fan, and come insulating panels.

    I'm going to go read up on those links now. Thanks!
     
  8. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Breaking in a corn cob pipe is an experience best left to someone else. My G-pa (a life long pipe smoker preferring corncobs) told a story, which I sorta believe about that. During the depression, hobos abounded along the railroads especially. His place was not too far off the local rail lines, so it was pretty common for a knock on the door by a guy looking for a meal or work. The meal he got, and a fresh corn cob with a can of Prince Albert, and a promise of $5 if he brought it back broken in. Usually one or two came back in a year or so letting G-pa to change the stem and enjoy a new pipe.
     
  9. B540glenn

    B540glenn Should Be Working Founding Member

    Don't get discouraged about growing it in Michigan. Back in the late 1800's Detroit did good business with tobacco products. The tobacco for those products was grown in and around Michigan (though mostly Ontario). Though it wasn't the major crop in Michigan at the time, they certainly grew it here.

    Good luck and keep us updated.
     
  10. enough

    enough Monkey++

    Well, just for fun, I threw some Russian Red seeds into some of my starter pots with a heavy peat mix. I have four seeds per pot, and six pots. Supposedly, they have a really long germination time, so it'll be a while. I'll post some pics when they start to pop, and see how much I can get with such a short season. I can indoor grow with lower watt grow lights, but I'll try to push for a natural harvest.
     
  11. jim2

    jim2 Monkey+++

    I wonder how long before growing tobak gets outlawed?
    jim
     
  12. peacefulfields

    peacefulfields Monkey++

  13. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    Just as soon as Comrade Obama finally manages to kick the habit, he has plans to outlaw all tobacco production and possession including seeds...[stirpot] Hale Obama!!! our great leader for life!!! Seig Heil!!!
    .
    It's all about a healthier kinder Amerika
     
  14. SLugomist

    SLugomist Monkey++

    interesting enough, german scientists in the 30's found the link of tobacco smoking and cancer and other health issues. Smoking was out lawed in Nazi Germany, as the master race shouldn't pollute itself.

    They won't outlaw tobacco, as the tax revenue is propping up every states economy. In fact expect to see ganja legal so they can tax that.
     
  15. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    Hey thasts great advice after all isn't he the one that invented tobacco? [ROFL][ROFL][ROFL]

    OGM
     
  16. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    ,
    ,
    actually I think Al Gore under the tutoring of the Clintons was the inventor of the "BIG LIE !!!"
     
  17. peacefulfields

    peacefulfields Monkey++

    Here is some Medical & History information of Tobacco uses:


    The remarkable stimulant properties of tobacco were utilized by early American Indians in curing wounds, swellings, coughs, tooth-ache, rheumatism, and stomach disorders. Tobacco was administered to patients in several forms, and was used in emergency treatment for snake and insect bites. In small doses was able to stimulate as well as depress hunger and thirst, and in large doses to produce visions and trances.

    Even back in the US ‘Olde’ West, the traveling medicine show picked up this bit of medical trivia and sold tobacco suppositories to cure indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation. Analgesic to alleviate pain, to treat parasitic worms, anticonvulsive, diaphoretic, diuretic, poultice for boils and insect bites, as an emetic, for various dermatological conditions like rashes, to treat colic, for kidney problems, to treat apoplexy, snakebite, toothaches, dizziness, fainting, as an antidote against other type of poisonings, to curb insanity and it was even used to try to cure tuberculosis. Also Smokers are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

    Although no one really knows where the first Tobacco plant originated. It really depends on what you believe about the evolution of Tobacco. My personal opinion is that each continent such as North/South America, Asia, Europe, & even Australia have there own wild native plant. It has been documented that it is over 5,000 years old in most places around the world. Tobacco was Originally intended for medical, religious, & recreational use NOT ABUSE!

    In the last 50 or so years Man or Big Tobacco has found a way to add chemicals to freebase it like cocaine. To make it way more profitable & highly addictive which is why it is now demonized and abused by society. Only 50% of Commercial Tobacco is real Tobacco!!! True Natural Tobacco is not what you get when you buy Commercial Tobacco.

    Here is a great video on what is in Commercial Tobacco. Gotta Love that Recon, floor sweepings, stems & reclaim.

    Enjoy........

    <!-- m -->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBAuM1fLKRk&NR=1
     
  18. dragonfly

    dragonfly Monkey+++

    Well Al sure has blown a lot of smoke.....!(not goin' there!)
    Ya know what they say:
    Where there's smoke, Al's a Liar!
    (snort)
     
  19. dragonfly

    dragonfly Monkey+++

    Growing Tobacco where I'm at may be hard, but it would be well worth the effort!
    A 1 lb bag of cigarrete cut tobacco was $19.99, then the tax hikes drove it to $40.00 a lb! It would be a good barter/trade source that is as renewable as weeds....
    (he says tongue in cheek!)
    I'll have to look into this!
    Dang near as good as gas!
     
  20. tellydoug

    tellydoug Who is John Galt?

    [​IMG]
     
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