When to Harvest Tobacco Leaves?

[snupy]

I decided in this past spring, after the new tobacco taxes and the possibility of PACT, to grow my own tobacco. I got a VERY late start and due to a hail storm, was not able to get my plants into the ground until 7/1/09. I thought I would need to trash these plants, because they would not make it to maturity with such a late planting. However, I checked on them this morning and they are setting out flower buds, which means they are at or near to maturity.

What do I do? Should I harvest the leaves now? As far as the Virginia Gold, I understood it was best to wait until the lower leaves yellowed and fell from the plant, from the bottom up, to harvest the leaves. However, it is so late in the season and is so cool overnight, I am not sure the leaves will fall from the plant.

How does one know when the leaves have reached maturity? The leaves are HUGE for sure. I also have some Turkish and do not know when it should be harvested either. I don't even remember which species of Turkish it is, although I believe it is either Basma or Bafra.

Any hints or clues as to know the time is right to harvest?

[RRK]

The prefered time to harvest Virginia and some other strains is when the leaves turn yellow after flowering begins and before frost. The leaves begin turning yellow at the base of the plant first.
Other strains may remain green after flowering has started. "An easy way to tell when your tobacco is ripe is to gently bend a leaf stem if it is not ready it will be flexible if it is ripe the stalks will become brittle & will snap like a stick of celery."
Break the leaves-off close to the main plant stalk leaving as much of the leaf stalk on the leaf as possible. You will tie to the leaf stalk later when hanging the leaves to dry and cure.
Harvest the leaves as they ripen unless you expect frost then harvest all the leaves at once because the frost can damage them. You can also cut the main stalk at the base of the plant and harvest the plant all at once.
If you have too short of growing season to get seeds to form and have a greenhouse you may want to dig some plants up after harvesting and put them in pots. Make sure to leave enough of main stem intact to allow some branches to develop. When the greenhouse warms in the spring the plants may flower and produce seed.

http://www.howtogrowtobacco.com/

[snupy]

Thanks so much. I had forgotten about that forum, even though I am a member. I haven't visited that site since I first planted in the spring. I am harvesting!

[JPono]

I'd love to see some pictures of your crop if you're open to it!

[RRK]

Sweet. Some of you guys that are growing should plant some extra plants next season and those that want to try to make there own on here could trade you some snus for your leaves.

[NorSnuser]

Re: When to Harvest Tobacco Leaves?

Any hints or clues as to know the time is right to harvest?

It's best to wait at least 2-3 weeks after flowering or topping to harvest. But your crop is pretty late so you may need to pick them as soon as possible before it gets too cold to cure them. This depends on where you live. You can tell when tobacco is ripening because the leaves will get noticeably thicker and heavier. On many varieties they will start to yellow from the bottom of the plant up. It's best to pick when the plant is at least 50-70% yellowed, but they can be picked green if necessary. The more green they are picked the longer it will take to cure them.

Unless you have a curing chamber (or ideal conditions) it is probably too late to prime (pick individually) leaves. If you have a sheltered area that will get proper temperature and humidity I would cut the entire plant, pierce the stem four to six inches from the bottom and hang. Use an awl to puncture the stem (be careful of splitting) and hang with zip ties (or wire, or whatever) from the rafters in your garage or a similar structure. They need an average of 60-70% humidity and 60-90 degrees over four to six weeks to air cure. If the humidity is too low and the temperature too high they will dry green. It is a fine balance and you might need to add humidity or heat.

[justintempler]

http://www.howtogrowtobacco.com/

and this one

http://www.coffinails.com/forums/

[Redbeard]

I've always harvested when the trichromes were mostly milky white.

Oh wait, wrong forum... :lol:

[snupy]

I'd love to see some pictures of your crop if you're open to it!

It's not really a crop per se. I just decided to get my feet wet and see how it would go. Pity I decided to do this so late in the year. Yet, how excellent as far as what I learned to NOT do when growing tobacco. The 2010 growing season will be very different from 2009, and far more successful I would imagine, given what I learned.

I do have pics, I just do not know how to post them. Why don't web forums allow me to upload the pics to this post? How simjple and easy it COULD be. One pic in particular you really need to see. It gives some perspective on leaf size, as compared to my size 12 shoe. Perhaps I could pm them instead.

[snupy]

Re: When to Harvest Tobacco Leaves?

Unless you have a curing chamber

That's not necessary, or even desirable, if one is to make snus.

If you have a sheltered area that will get proper temperature and humidity I would cut the entire plant, pierce the stem four to six inches from the bottom and hang.

I ended up hanging individual leaves, instead of the entire plants and this after washing the leaves.

They need an average of 60-70% humidity and 60-90 degrees over four to six weeks to air cure. If the humidity is too low and the temperature too high they will dry green.

This is an issue. There is no room for them to cure for the required 90 days except in the attic. Given we have already turned the heat on, I am sure it will be dry as the Sahara in the house and attic. I am not sure what to do, because there is nothing I can do, given the situation.

[lxskllr]

I do have pics, I just do not know how to post them.

Upload the pictures to this site...

http://imgur.com/

After you upload the pictures it'll give you various links, and one of them will have the [img] tags in place for you. copy that and paste it into your post.

[snupy]

I do have pics, I just do not know how to post them.

Upload the pictures to this site...

http://imgur.com/

I tried and the website claims my browser is not allowing cookies, except my browser does allow cookies, on a per site basis, according to my preferences. Imgur is not even OFFERING a damn cookie for me to accept. Additionally, I am going out tonight and do not have time to play with Imgur's not even offering a cookie to me silliness. I scrolled through the sites I have blocked in my browser, and the imgur site is not even listed, which means it can not possibly be blocked. Let me bypass squid and privoxy to see if I can get these damn pictures uploaded so everyone can see them.

As I said, things could be so damn simple if these damn web forums would just allow a damn picture upload in a post, but that's too easy. Far better to set it up so everyone must jump through impossible hoops that do not work.

[lxskllr]

If you're using NoScript, that site probably won't work. It uses Java for the scripting.

[snupy]

If you're using NoScript, that site probably won't work. It uses Java for the scripting.

I have Java turned on, but Privoxy may be stripping it.

[snupy]

Imgur does not even offer a cookie when Java is turned on and I bypass both squid and privoxy. Can I pm these pics to whoever wishes to see them? At least that might be simple and might actually work.

What is so horribly difficult about having the ability to upload the pics directly to the post on a web forum such as Snuson? Am I retarded, or would that be the absolute simplest and easiest way for other participants on the forums to see the pictures?


I have got to go. I have plans tonight.