Growing Your Own

jfreedy

Do any of you grow your own tobaccos? I've been smoking a pipe for over 30 years now, and I've just now considered it. I realize that I'm probably too late to start anything this year. However, I'd love to hear other's experiences with growing, curing, cutting and smoking their own tobaccos. What kinds are easiest to grow? What's been your experience with curing your tobaccos? Is it even worth the hassle? 

Woodsman

My Friend in Pittsburg has just started growing this year, I await his results, I grow Deer Tongue in my backyard but only use a few leaves for flavoring some blends.

mfresa

Here's where you can buy seeds:
http://sustainableseedco.com/tobacco-seeds/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP%20-%20NonTM%20-%20Tobacco&utm_term=Tobacco%20Seeds&utm_content=Tobacco%20Seeds

jfreedy

@mfresa -- Thanks so much. I'll have to get some for next season.

mfresa

@jfreedy, I'm going to start a few this weekend, and just harvest them for seeds.

jfreedy

@mfresa -- Cool... what type of tobacco?

mfresa

@jfreedy, I got three kinds, all supposed to be for pipe tobacco: 1) Ohio Dutch, 2) Little Dutch, and 3) Organic Yellow Mammoth

jfreedy

@mfresa -- Do you know that actual types of tobacco those are (e.g. - burley, virginia, etc.)?

motie2

@jfreedy and @mfresa

An excellent resource is available at http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Tobacco

jfreedy

@motie2 -- I love it. I just forwarded this website to a fellow pipe-smoking buddy of mine who has some farmland. We may very well try to raise a small crop next spring. It sounds like growing it is the easy part. Curing and aging it so that it tastes good seems much more difficult.

mfresa

@jfreedy, yes, the types I got are Ohio Dutch, Little Dutch, and Organic Yellow Mammoth Tobacco.  All supposed to be pipe tobaccos.

Jdalen

@jfreedy Just bought The Heirloom Tobacco Garden (T.A. James). Haven't started reading it yet but going to give growing my own a try next spring. Also, some good YouTube videos by Larry Hall.  From starting from seed to curing.  I think he grows gold (bright?) Virginia.

jfreedy

I thought I’d resurrect this thread in light of the Virginia crisis. Anybody going to start growing their own this year?

@mfresa — how was your Fall harvest? 

mfresa

@jfreedy, I just missed the deadline for planting last year, so no harvest.  We are starting seeds here now and will have them in the ground soon. 

piperdave

My brother and I planted some of our own last year and harvested this past Fall (2 plants each). His cured faster than mine and he has already stemmed and shredded his (bought a shredder from eBay). I still have mine hanging since it has some green still in the leaves. I need to get mine back outside so it can come back into case and cure the rest of the way, waiting for some warmer humid temps to come around before taking it out of the garage. We bought ours from some Amish tobacco farmers here in south west Ohio, I think it is burley. It is fun to grow and take care of, it does take a lot of nitrogen in the soil so if you plan on planting make sure to prepare the soil now before planting. Best of luck.

motie2

REPOST FROM A MCCLELLAND DISCUSSION:

My first thought was to recommend http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/How_to_Grow_Tobacco.html

https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Tobacco
http://www.newhopeseed.com/tobacco_growing.html
http://www.thesurvivalgardener.com/why-you-should-grow-tobacco-and-how-to/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Growing-Tobacco/
https://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/crops/growing-tobacco-zm0z16ndztri

I especially like the last URL, from GRIT!!!!!!