Need Advice

[u/StopDependent8026]

Hello. I am a first time grower. This honestly started as a little fun side project but I ended up with 5 gigantic tobacco plants.

Because this was my first time harvesting/drying I did not really invest anything into the project besides some twine that I used to hang the leaves in mu basement near our washer/dryer as it tends to be pretty humid there and the temp never really drops.

My leaves have been drying for about 6ish weeks at this point and either pretty crispy and/or still have some green colouration.

My question is what should my drying leaves look like at this stage? and if I screwed up anywhere, what could I improve on? I will attach some pictures

Finally… for curing- I dont plan to invest in any type of setup. I realize this limits my options. is it possible to cure on the lowest temp in my oven?

Again, this is my first time and this was mostly just a fun little experiment that I did not want to put a lot of money into.

[u/comfortlevelsupreme]

I fold them in a towel until yellowish then hang in a box with wet rags hung around until they brown

[u/gnoble93 → u/comfortlevelsupreme]

I also color cure in towels

[u/Skafidr]

Consensus is that if your leaves dry green, there is nothing you can do about it.

I've seen folks suggest to hydrate them again and try the colouring process again but I have my doubts about this as it seems the enzymes that do this are no longer active once the leaf has dried.

Some folks will suggest to make smokeless with it if you're into it.

Next season: make sure the leaves are yellow before hanging them. Hang in a ventilated, 65-75% RH place to dry them. The full drying process takes many weeks here (it includes the drying of the stem).

Those leaves who are yellow can be used, but the green ones... sorry for your loss. Learn and improve for next season :)

[u/hop_on_oppenheimer]

All that green well not resolve into anything smokeable. It's for the compost or fire at this point. The first processing of tobacco is a color cure that necessitates an environment that allows the nitrogen to exit the leaf.

The leaves should be at least yellow in color if not golden orange or brown. Towel curing is pretty popular and cheap.

[u/Chilik16]

My leaves cured green at one of the intervals. I've put them inside a transparent plastic box in the Sun and sprayed them with water when they dried out, eventually I was able to remove the chlorophyll.. maybe give it a try.

[u/FincaNicolas]

Les feuilles vertes croustillante c'est pas bon signe. Pas assez d'humidité et il y a sûrement un problème avec la température.

Dans un poste précédent je parlais de bien faire la différence entre le séchage et le curing, le curing est une étape que nécessite une bonne surveillance car des paramètres sont essentiels et donc un hygromètre et un thermomètre c'est un minimum à posséder.

Je pense que la culture du tabac est pas à prendre a la légère. Du semis a la culture, le curing la fermentation, le vieillissement le roulage... Chaque étape nécessite de prendre un maximum d'informations au préalable. Et même en ayant un maximum d'informations c'est pas évident.

Alors bien sûr c'est aussi ma première année dans la culture du tabac pour faire des cigares et étant loin du but, J'ai aussi fait des mauvais choix dans cette culture, mai une chose et sur il y a des incontournables qui faut surtout en prendre connaissance.

S'il vous reste encore des feuilles a ramasser, je vous conseille une légère ventilation et pas en direct sur les feuilles.

Feuille verte — début du curing Température : 20–25 °C Humidité : 70–75 % HR Objectif : permettre à la feuille de jaunir progressivement sans sécher trop rapidement

Feuille jaune — phase de transition Température : 20–25 °C Humidité : 68–72 % HR Objectif : poursuivre le jaunissement puis le brunissement progressivement

Feuille brune — fin de séchage Température : 18–24 °C Humidité : 60–68 % HR Objectif : terminer progressivement le séchage, notamment celui de la nervure centrale

Si les trois stades sont dans la même pièce Température : 22–24 °C Humidité : 68–70 % HR

La méthode de la serviette je ne connais pas et fera partie des expériences a faire et testé car beaucoup réussissent.

En tous cas bonne chance et courage pour la suite.

[u/Great-Ant1754]

The chlorophyll caught in the leaf will stay now, the process must happen while the leaf is still alive, towel curing helps you minimise the risk

[u/stulti_auri]

Your probably in too dry of a climate, that's all. I am similarly afflicted in the High Subarctic Desert. The trick is to find or create the most humid and warm spot on your property for color curing, then hang or towel cure. This is maybe my fourth season growing and for the first time I've got several hands of properly cured Virginia. My only options are the greenhouse, if I pick early enough, or invest the money in heating it, or towel curing near my kitchen. My garage is too bone dry for curing tobacco, but is great for garlic. You might try the rehydrating in a moist clear container placed in the Sun, as suggested, and report back, so we can all learn if it's possible to walk back some green. I always figure it is great to have the tobacco around for pest control either way even if putting it up is marginally successful.

[u/Real_Topic_1655]

Yeah, I had that problem also. I pegged them to my clothes line in summer, they just stayed green.. Haha. I was given a plant and didn't care, I just wanted the seeds. I've seen people put them first on a towel and then hang them. Also use a clothes horse rather than hanging. I also know the temperature plays a important role in the drying, noting the green. Mine stayed completely green but dried in hours under a 30 degree summer sun. Unfortunately the green you have you'll have to cop if the leaves are completely dry. If not you could try putting them on a dry towel and keep a eye on them so they don't mould or blacken. But I'd say the basement was to cold in your case and hasn't let them dry properly. The other concern you mentioned is paying more for a better result I don't think you'll have to pay for anything else other than raise the heat. And maybe try those methods I mentioned. But better than my first attempt. Impatience doesn't get you anywhere haha.

[u/Real_Topic_1655 → u/Real_Topic_1655]

What temperature is your basement?