Growing your own tobacco

[21_12_2012]

Anybody on here had success growing their own tobacco ?

I purchased a couple of types of seeds a few weeks back, some of which
are apparently 'organic hopi indian' seeds, and ceremonial hopi indian seeds.
Also some golden virginia seeds.

I've managed to get them sprouting, but it's taken a while. They're about
2cm tall at the moment, about 100 growing.

I have read some stuff about growing it, and apparently the curing part
at the end is the most difficult, drying it at the correct rate and the colouring
process from green-yellow-brown.

Also transplanting the seedlings into their own pots can be difficult, which
is what i will be doing with mine in the next few days.

I probably picked the wrong time of year to start growing tobacco, but my
kitchen is always warm and the window faces the sun most of the day.

They seem to be doing ok. Anyone else had a go at this?

[krakhead]

Supertzar!! Where are you? Someone wants a word! :D

[supertzar]

Hey, yeah, I've done it for the last two years. The kind I grow is N. Rustica, the super-potent native variety. They do grow slowly at first and they are so small until they really get going and then it's BAM!!! They start getting huge fast. I would recommend putting them under a florescent light. If they could be in front of the window and be under a light, that would be even better. I start mine indoors in late Winter and put them outside in the Spring, so your results will be different from mine, no doubt.

The roots like lots of space, so use the biggest pots you can find, one to a pot. I follow a philosophy of take care of the roots and the plant will thrive. They need lots of direct light, plenty of water and organic fertilizer.

I like to let my leaves dry out while they are still on the plant at the end of the season. Sometimes they get this beautiful golden color and smell just like honey. It is one of the most intoxicating smells I have found and the taste is incredible. I like to store the leaves in large mason jars. That way you can control the humidity.

[21_12_2012]

Wicked, thanks for that info.
I am unsure of how big / tall these things will grow, but i'm sure i'll find out
in the next few months.

The organic seedlings seem to be growing more sturdier than the golden virginia ones, it will be interesting to see what the difference between them
is when they've grown.

The seeds were cheap enough though, and it's something i've wanted to try out for years.

I smoke 50 grams a week of hand rolled golden virginia, would be excellent if
i didn't have to buy any again, and have my own stuff all the time.

Do you grow enough to last you the whole time ?

[griswald]

Wicked, thanks for that info.
I am unsure of how big / tall these things will grow, but i'm sure i'll find out
in the next few months.

The organic seedlings seem to be growing more sturdier than the golden virginia ones, it will be interesting to see what the difference between them
is when they've grown.

The seeds were cheap enough though, and it's something i've wanted to try out for years.

I smoke 50 grams a week of hand rolled golden virginia, would be excellent if
i didn't have to buy any again, and have my own stuff all the time.

Do you grow enough to last you the whole time ?

Where do you get the seeds from, and whats the specific plant name. I,d like to try it as well.:)

griswald

[griswald]

650 fags per square meter.....happy days:)

http://www.coffinails.com/growing.html

griswald

[21_12_2012]

I got mine from a seller called "seedmart" on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Organic-Hopi-Ceremonial-Tobacco-100-Seeds-Annual_W0QQitemZ290261274219QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item290261274219&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

Hopi Ceremonial Tobacco
Nicotiana rustica

[pacoquerak]

High pressure sodium lighting is cheaper after investment and healthier, extra in the winter for those who get depressed without sunlight. It will produce better plants. Some varieties grow each year like weeds in upstate new york which is colder than all of england in the winter.

[cew91]

nice find mate. I just ordered a pack of the tobaccos and some morning glory beans. Keep us posted on how your plants turn out.

and keep it green :D

[supertzar]

I smoke 50 grams a week of hand rolled golden virginia, would be excellent if
i didn't have to buy any again, and have my own stuff all the time.

Do you grow enough to last you the whole time ?

I grew a garden plot with 25 plants and it is definitely way more than enough for me. You smoke more than I do, so your mileage will vary.


High pressure sodium lighting is cheaper after investment and healthier, extra in the winter for those who get depressed without sunlight. It will produce better plants. Some varieties grow each year like weeds in upstate new york which is colder than all of england in the winter.


They are better lights for growing, but I think it is a health risk to expose your eyes to high pressure sodiums and metal halides too much.

[21_12_2012]

I grew a garden plot with 25 plants and it is definitely way more than enough for me. You smoke more than I do, so your mileage will vary.

Excellent..i think i should have at least 50 growing soon enough..theres about
100 seedlings at the moment..but no doubt many of those will die soon.

[airkraft]

I bought some seeds from "the plantation house".... virginia tobacco seeds they are, earlier on in the year and didnt get around to sowing them. I`m just reading the instructions now, and it says to start them off in feb-march indoors in the UK, and then plant out in may...but protect from frost. They will then grow to around 1.5 metres before the flowers appear.

Great to read that someone else on this forum is growing some, it will force me to get my finger out and try this year as long as the seeds have kept well in the unopened packet.

Is the flavour/taste a lot different than normal rolling tobacco ???

I`ve noticed a big change in the taste/flavour of ready rolled over the years....must be putting different toxins in them now :D

[21_12_2012]

It's taken a few weeks, but I have now managed to grow my own tobacco
from seeds.
The hard bit was getting the seeds to pop and transplanting the seedlings
into separate pots. Loads died. But I have about 25 in 5 inch pots now.

They really do grow fast once they've got past the initial stages and into
their own pots, but it does take a few weeks of patience, and quite hard
work with the seedlings.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/7379/bakky1.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bakky1.jpg)

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/8474/bakky2.jpg (http://img16.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bakky2.jpg)

These are from non-organic seeds, but i also have some organic seeds
which are currently popping and sprouting.

It says on the packet that they grow between 18 and 24 inches, which is
quite a small height. I will see if i can finish them off in pots without having to
go and put them in people's/relatives gardens (coz i have no garden myself)

I have used organic miracle grow with all these pots, seems to work very well.

[griswald]

Well done, the plants look very healthy. Now if only I could get some seeds in Ireland, I,d grow them as well. I have an acre of garden and a large polytunnel as well. Along with all the veg, the tobacco would put the finishing touches to a meal. Phheewwwww......puff....:)

griswald

[21_12_2012]

I got my seeds from ebay.

[griswald]

I,m not too sure if its legal or not to grow it in Ireland, I,ll have to look into it.
I,d like it as a plant any way.

griswald

[21_12_2012]

Some legal links:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A28278192
http://www.coffinails.com/faqs.html
http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/Growing_Tobacco.html

[unusual_suspect]

Can I ask what smoking proper tobacco is like? How does it compare to a rollup?

[21_12_2012]

Can I ask what smoking proper tobacco is like? How does it compare to a rollup?

Never tried it...yet..will let you know :)

[unusual_suspect]

Never tried it...yet..will let you know :)

Nice one, I fancy giving it a go myself but I want to find out if it's good to smoke first.

[21_12_2012]

I suppose it would depend on the drying / curing process, and how well that
is done.

I've started off with my non-organic seeds due to being a first-time tobacco grower,
no doubt i will mess up drying/curing, and will hopefully have sussed it out
by the time the organic plants are ready.

I may try adding flavour from fruit skins, such as lemon/orange/lime, or
some mint flavouring at some point in my experimentation.

I have smoked golden virginia roll ups for 13 years now, and am very
interested in how different home grown is compared to that.

[gripit]

Can I ask what smoking proper tobacco is like? How does it compare to a rollup?

I'd like to know as well, but I live in an apartment.

I get cheap, fresh, no additive, excellent quality 'roll you own' tobacco from the Native reserve (Ontario). The difference between RYO and junk supermarket smokes is night and day. The aroma, the smoothness, the deliciousness! When you smoke [B]real tobacco[B], it's truly peaceful and spiritual, as it has always meant to be!

[pacoquerak]

I got a pack of hopi, but they are tiny and very few in number


I wonder if superstarz has any info of where to get the wild variety

I am moving to my farm in 3 days!

[gripit]

I got a pack of hopi, but they are tiny and very few in number


I wonder if superstarz has any info of where to get the wild variety

I am moving to my farm in 3 days!

This site (http://www.coffinails.com/seeds.html) has some tobacco seeds. By 'wild kind', do you mean Rustica? Cuz they have it.

N. Rustica, a Peasant or Balkan tobacco, goes back right to the Red Indian days. Yellow flowers, very aromatic, and that's the one being grown as I write, available from April with luck, but too late to wait for now. Most customers sowing period starts in a few weeks, now's the time to order, the new range on offer were only picked a couple of months ago and it takes time to pack those high quality seed packets yours come in. There is also a Green flowered N. Rustica, this is the one the Indians had a trip on. Not surprising as it is only used for extracting Nicotine

[supertzar]

To know N. Rustica is to respect it. It could be nausea-inducing to smoke a whole cigarette to oneself. That being said, I highly recommend growing it. It will get you high in a way that commercial tobacco won't. Pass it around like a joint or roll blunts with it. A fine organic Rustica blunt is a beautiful thing.

[unusual_suspect]

To know N. Rustica is to respect it. It could be nausea-inducing to smoke a whole cigarette to oneself. That being said, I highly recommend growing it. It will get you high in a way that commercial tobacco won't. Pass it around like a joint or roll blunts with it. A fine organic Rustica blunt is a beautiful thing.

Wow, I'm going to have to get hold of some seeds for it, can you grow it outdoors in the UK?

It must be loads better for you than the usual rolling baccy.

What kind of high is it?

[airkraft]

I`ve watched a video on youtube done by a guy from the UK ...Manchester I think, showing his first ever attempt at growing and harvesting to treating and preping ....then rolling and smoking.

It seemed quite a big effort and expense to get it all done.

I wont be going to anything like the effort....just going to grow it....harvest the leaves....dry and cure them, then shred and smoke them.....hopefully


Heres the link to part one of the UK grower

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM3lMyU8k8g&feature=PlayList&p=389EAEBDF12C6931&index=32

[unusual_suspect]

Nice one airkraft!

[21_12_2012]

Good video airkraft.
Yes, it looks like that guy has spent a lot on equipment, and done it
'text book' style.

I'm sure trial and error can produce a similar result over time.

The press he used looks useful, i wonder why that was needed.

I suppose the temperatures will be important as well, so a thermometer or
2 would be handy.

I intend to dry and cure mine in my loft, over the entranceway where theres
a constant small draft of cooler air coming upwards.

The seeds i have used are nicotiana Rustica, non-organic and organic.

Hopefully they'll be a nice buzz, and very strong. May have to 'dilute' it
with standard commercial tobacco at first until i get used to smoking it.
(if i get as far as smoking it !)

It looks like you do need a lot of plants for a relatively small amount of
tobacco.

I should have about 50 in total when they're all done.
Not easy by the looks of it. And i fully believe i will mess up somewhere along
the line...but that's half the fun i suppose !

[gripit]

Great vid airkraft!

Seems like a lot of work, but well worth it I bet.

21_12_2012: I believe it has to be pressed so you can hand cut it with a sharp knife, this way it's shredded for immediate use...or i guess u could mulch it with that mini-Fargo wood chipper in the vid! Also, as far as I know, it will smell very pungent, especially during the curing/drying process.

[21_12_2012]

Great vid airkraft!

Seems like a lot of work, but well worth it I bet.

21_12_2012: I believe it has to be pressed so you can hand cut it with a sharp knife, this way it's shredded for immediate use...or i guess u could mulch it with that mini-Fargo wood chipper in the vid! Also, as far as I know, it will smell very pungent, especially during the curing/drying process.


Thanks for that info. Makes sense. Looks like i have a lot of 'trial and error'
to get through.

The smell doesnt matter at all though, i only have 1 neighbour on 1 side,
she's 87 and probably won't smell a thing, and i dont mind my loft stinking of
pungent tobacco for a few weeks !

[gripit]

Thanks for that info. Makes sense. Looks like i have a lot of 'trial and error'
to get through.

The smell doesnt matter at all though, i only have 1 neighbour on 1 side,
she's 87 and probably won't smell a thing, and i dont mind my loft stinking of
pungent tobacco for a few weeks !

Beautiful! I hope you'll post some pics and such when the project begins!

[21_12_2012]

Beautiful! I hope you'll post some pics and such when the project begins!

I certainly will...i put a couple of pictures on page 2 of this thread. I took
the pics this morning.

They're only a few inches tall at the moment, but growing VERY fast
on my kitchen window ledge in 5 inch pots.

I have just ordered some bigger pots to put them into, from ebay, 10 litre
ones. Will probably have to buy another couple of bags of organic compost,
but it isn't expensive.

I will post pics as the plants grow, and eventually when they've matured
and i hang them out to dry i'll post some more pics then.

I think it takes about 3 months in total.
But they are REALLY growing fast at the moment. They took ages to sprout
up and start growing, but there's no stopping them now !

[gripit]

I certainly will...i put a couple of pictures on page 2 of this thread. I took
the pics this morning.

They're only a few inches tall at the moment, but growing VERY fast
on my kitchen window ledge in 5 inch pots.

I have just ordered some bigger pots to put them into, from ebay, 10 litre
ones. Will probably have to buy another couple of bags of organic compost,
but it isn't expensive.

I will post pics as the plants grow, and eventually when they've matured
and i hang them out to dry i'll post some more pics then.

I think it takes about 3 months in total.
But they are REALLY growing fast at the moment. They took ages to sprout
up and start growing, but there's no stopping them now !

Excellent! Here is a link to a tobacco growing forum (http://www.coffinails.com/forums/) that may be of assistance. Also some tips on growing ;)

[21_12_2012]

Excellent! Here is a link to a tobacco growing forum (http://www.coffinails.com/forums/) that may be of assistance. Also some tips on growing ;)

Thanks for that. I will have a look at that forum, probably LOTS in the coming
weeks.

[delamo1999]

Anybody on here had success growing their own tobacco ?

I purchased a couple of types of seeds a few weeks back, some of which
are apparently 'organic hopi indian' seeds, and ceremonial hopi indian seeds.
Also some golden virginia seeds.

I've managed to get them sprouting, but it's taken a while. They're about
2cm tall at the moment, about 100 growing.

I have read some stuff about growing it, and apparently the curing part
at the end is the most difficult, drying it at the correct rate and the colouring
process from green-yellow-brown.

Also transplanting the seedlings into their own pots can be difficult, which
is what i will be doing with mine in the next few days.

I probably picked the wrong time of year to start growing tobacco, but my
kitchen is always warm and the window faces the sun most of the day.

They seem to be doing ok. Anyone else had a go at this?



As much as I detest smoking, I got to give up a big thumbs up for growing your own tobacco. It is sickening how much addictive shit the big cig companies put into the products that they sell. I question how much of the product is actually real tobacco. As you know tobacco has been used for centuries in native american ceremonies.

Thanks for sharing this
:)

[21_12_2012]

As much as I detest smoking, I got to give up a big thumbs up for growing your own tobacco. It is sickening how much addictive shit the big cig companies put into the products that they sell. I question how much of the product is actually real tobacco. As you know tobacco has been used for centuries in native american ceremonies.

Thanks for sharing this
:)


Cheers. I too question what is really in commercial tobacco. I am very
interested to see the difference of home grown/organic compared to
commercial.

I started sorting out my organic seedlings today.

Firstly, about a week ago, i put the seeds into home made seed propagators
which i made out of:- ice cube trays from a pound shop, a cadburys fingers
tray, and 2 viscount biscuit plastic trays.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6969/prop.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=prop.jpg)

I kept the seeds in the shade in the kitchen, covered. They took just over a
week to pop and sprout.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7011/photo0004k.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photo0004k.jpg)

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5522/photo0005ayp.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photo0005ayp.jpg)

Then, this afternoon, i started the long process of transplanting the seedlings
into cardboard mesh pots,which i got from B and Q very cheaply.

This process takes a long time, and needs patience. I managed to do about
24 today, some may die, like they did when i was doing the non-organic ones
a few weeks back.

At this stage, they need putting into the light, so tonight i left them on the
kitchen windowsill, where they'll stay until they're out-growing their little pots
and are ready to be put into big ones, which should be a few weeks time.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3331/meshpots1.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=meshpots1.jpg)

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7449/meshpots.jpg (http://img11.imageshack.us/my.php?image=meshpots.jpg)

I will try and finish off transplanting tomorrow.

[gripit]

Good job 21_12_2012!

Most supermarket cigs are made with reconstituted tobacco sheets. They sometimes contain tobacco dust, stems and pulp. Chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide are added to expand the tobacco. Smokes are government regulated, they allow tobacco companies to do this. I suppose this is because you are ingesting anywhere from dozens to hundreds thousands times the amount of the exact same 'chemicals' in your every day food and beverage diet that you'll ever find in a pack of smokes. And the air outside?! lol.

Regardless, growing your own is obviously the way to go. However, there are some all natural or even organic smokes out there (American Spirit). I believe Winston's has one as well. They are made from nothing but whole leaf tobacco and do not contain any additives. Smoking 15-20 of those a day is astonishingly good for health! Know the truth about the gift of gods! (http://www.imminst.org/forum/index.php?s=&act=ST&f=169&t=15125&st=0&#entry166023)

[supertzar]

Gripit, you have to be careful about even organic tobacco grown with rock phosphate fertilizer. Tobacco readily absorbs the radioactive isotopes in the fertilizer and transfers them into the lungs when you smoke. The doctors at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center even know that the "latest research shows radiation is the primary cause of lung cancer.

Edit: Who rated this one star and why?

[gripit]

Gripit, you have to be careful about even organic tobacco grown with rock phosphate fertilizer. Tobacco readily absorbs the radioactive isotopes in the fertilizer and transfers them into the lungs when you smoke. The doctors at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center even know that the "latest research shows radiation is the primary cause of lung cancer.

Edit: Who rated this one star and why?

One thing's for sure, Lung cancer was very rare until nuclear weapons testing and invention of the diesel engine.

Anyhow, we're getting off topic. I'm really looking forward to see how 21_12_2012's grow goes. I'm definitely going to grow some on my balcony this year.

Canadian site to order seeds from here (http://www.tobaccoseed.ca/)

UK (http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/)

America (http://www.victoryseeds.com/tobacco/index.html)

[21_12_2012]

Good job 21_12_2012!

Most supermarket cigs are made with reconstituted tobacco sheets. They sometimes contain tobacco dust, stems and pulp. Chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide are added to expand the tobacco.

I wasn't aware of that. I wonder if they do the same to hand rolling tobacco.
Most probably.

Smokes are government regulated, they allow tobacco companies to do this. I suppose this is because you are ingesting anywhere from dozens to hundreds thousands times the amount of the exact same 'chemicals' in your every day food and beverage diet that you'll ever find in a pack of smokes. And the air outside?! lol.

It's unreal. Almost impossible to avoid toxic chemicals in this lifetime.

However, there are some all natural or even organic smokes out there (American Spirit). I believe Winston's has one as well. They are made from nothing but whole leaf tobacco and do not contain any additives. Smoking 15-20 of those a day is astonishingly good for health!

I have heard of American Spirit, but never tried it. I should check some out
sometime, it's available over here, but quite expensive.

Thanks for the info.

Gripit, you have to be careful about even organic tobacco grown with rock phosphate fertilizer. Tobacco readily absorbs the radioactive isotopes in the fertilizer and transfers them into the lungs when you smoke.

I wasn't aware of that either, thanks for the info.

I will check my 'miracle grow organic' compost,and see if there is an
ingredients list on it somewhere.

[gripit]

I wasn't aware of that. I wonder if they do the same to hand rolling tobacco. Most probably.

I have heard of American Spirit, but never tried it. I should check some out sometime, it's available over here, but quite expensive.

Best price for American Spirit in Ontario is $8 CDN (4.50GBP) a pack, but I got to the Indian reserve. You can buy cartons for $6!...but I buy the really good, all natural, no additives or flavouring (Giimma). it has the government warning, so I'm paying double but it's still only $20 a tin (11 packs). Better than $65 a tin of inferior quality from the store!

To the best of my knowledge, tobacco expanding chemicals are only added to tobacco sheets which cigarettes are made from, not loose or "roll your own" tobacco.

The best way is the traditional way, smoke in a pipe or roll in a nice veggie based paper with an all natural glue :) Filters are crap, you suck in fibers from them, and unlike tar, the fibers are not biodegradable in the lung. At the very least, buy good quality filter tubes.

[21_12_2012]

Best price for American Spirit in Ontario is $8 CDN (4.50GBP) a pack, but I got to the Indian reserve. You can buy cartons for $6!...but I buy the really good, all natural, no additives or flavouring (Giimma). it has the government warning, so I'm paying double but it's still only $20 a tin (11 packs). Better than $65 a tin of inferior quality from the store!

To the best of my knowledge, tobacco expanding chemicals are only added to tobacco sheets which cigarettes are made from, not loose or "roll your own" tobacco.

The best way is the traditional way, smoke in a pipe or roll in a nice veggie based paper with an all natural glue :) Filters are crap, you suck in fibers from them, and unlike tar, the fibers are not biodegradable in the lung. At the very least, buy good quality filter tubes.

I think this is about the cheapest i could find:-
http://www.paradox.co.uk/acatalog/American-Spirit-Rolling-Tobacco.html

I will have to look into the veggie papers and natural glue. First i have
heard of that. It all counts...even the toxicity of the papers and glue.

I've never used filters...i roll a bit of card to put in the end.

Good info again, thanks.

[21_12_2012]

Well, it's like Day Of The Triffids at my place at the moment.

Some of my plants are nearly 2 feet tall. I've not much room left in my
kitchen for any more, so i've had to take some of them to friends and
relatives houses to grow there.

This is my kitchen windowsill and worktops, packed full of plants and
more seedlings on the way.

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/4034/image1j.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image1j.jpg)

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/1267/image2r.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image2r.jpg)

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/6079/image3f.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image3f.jpg)

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/5379/image4h.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image4h.jpg)

Not to forget my bathroom windowsill too !

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/917/image5eaj.jpg (http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image5eaj.jpg)

I've also put another 100 or so seeds into a propogator to pop open.
I'm trying to get the plants maturing in stages, rather than all at once.

It's been quite hard so far being my first time, but it's getting easier.

The organic seedlings are a priority, they seem to be the hardest to grow.
Lots of them have died so far, but i've got about 60 growing at the moment
1 or 2 cm tall.

The non-organic ones seem to be a lot easier to grow.

I put some plants in my parents garden a few weeks back, and they all died
within a day or 2. The weather here is too crap to grow tobacco, so they'll
have to be done indoors.

[gripit]

Great job! They look totally healthy...and yummy :)

Ya, certain tobacco strains will grow better in Northern climates. I'm waiting a couple more weeks before I start.

[supertzar]

Nice work, 21_12! They are going to need bigger pots. I would be surprised if they couldn't go outside at some point in May.

[21_12_2012]

Nice work, 21_12! They are going to need bigger pots. I would be surprised if they couldn't go outside at some point in May.

I have put some in big pots, i think they're something like 11 litre or 15 litre
ones, but some are still in smallish pots.

I made the mistake of firstly putting them into small pots after the first mesh
pots, which meant i had to re-pot them again into even bigger pots, which
was more messing about, and some of the leaves got snapped in the process.

What i should have done is to put them into big pots straight away after the
first mesh pots.

The organic ones i have only supposedly grow to 18-24 inches tall, so they
won't need pots as big as the non-organic plants. I am not sure how tall
these non-organics will grow.

I doubt i will put them outside into a garden though, the weather is so
crap and unpredictable here, especially up here in the North West UK,
wind and rain would definately mess them up, But i think i will put the pots
outside on sunny non-windy days.

I also have to put them out of reach of my cat, which seems to like messing
with them whenever she can...which is a bit of a pain too !

Where are you supertzar ? USA ?

If so, that's probably the most ideal place to grow it, especially in gardens.

I lived in the USA for about 8 months, in Virginia. The weather was perfect
for it.

[supertzar]

I live in Michigan. It has a looong cold winter, but a hot summer with lots of rain. Nicotiana Rustica grows great here.

[cafetimes1991]

This is an excellent thread. I might try growing my own tobacco when I'm in university.
I got some American Spirit in Berlin this month, and I liked it, but they're not sold here in Ireland, and apparently if you buy them over the internet, you have to sign for them as over eighteen. Meh, I think I'll just wait a few more months, then order them over the web.
Soon I'll have to go back to Marlboro Light!

[21_12_2012]

I live in Michigan. It has a looong cold winter, but a hot summer with lots of rain. Nicotiana Rustica grows great here.

Sounds ideal. The trouble with UK weather is wind. I put some plants outside
the other day and the wind snapped a few leaves. It just cant be done here.

Seedlings are ok, but large plants with large leaves, they blow about too
much and snap off.

Ive put a few plants out over the last few days because its been warm and
sunny here, but there was still a slight breeze and its a pain bringing them in
and out all the time.

They seem to be growing well inside anyway, apart from my cat ripping a few
up. Ive had to move a few to friends / relatives house. The organic seedlings
are growing now, they're about an inch tall.

I've actually smoked some of the non-organic stuff which the cat ripped off
the plants, i thought id try some out. I dried the leaves (which were green)
and crumbled them into a rolling paper (with some 'commercial' tobacco) and i
got a really nice buzz off it, similar to mild weed, which lasted around 5 -10
minutes, and it felt very relaxing, much better than commercial tobacco, and
very different to it.

I waited for one leaf to go yellow before i smoked it,and that tasted and
smelled sweet, and had a slightly different buzz to it.

All in all i am very pleased with the progress so far, and im sure it'll taste
(and feel) even better when its mature and dried out.

I would love to know if the organic stuff is even better too, but that will be a
while yet until its started growing tall enough to check a leaf or 2 out.

[21_12_2012]

I bought my first pack of American Spirit tobacco this week, very nice.
Very different to the Golden Virginia i've been on for the last 10-12 years.

It's a lot drier this, apparently because it's got no preservatives in, or any
additives.

On the back of the pack it says why it is so dry, and the stuff it does not
contain such as:- sugar, propylene glycol, synthetic aroma substances. Which
i presume will be in other / all tobaccos which aren't so dry.

It says to put the tobacco near an open window in the morning, and it will
absorb moisture and taste fresher, all day long.

I havent done that yet, but its a lot better than Golden Virginia anyway.

I bought 3 more packs the day after, and sampled some stuff they had in jars
called "pueblo" and "AK medium" which both tasted nice and were a good
smoke, but were both quite damp, so i presume they had additives in them.

I will try a few out probably in the next few weeks while i wait for my tobacco
to grow.

It's even cheaper to buy this stuff in jars at £5.20 for 50grams than it is
to buy Golden Virginia 50gram packs.

The American Spirit was around £7 for a 35g pack, but, because its so dry, it
seems you get more actual tobacco (in weight) than other 50gram 'damp' stuff.

[gripit]

The American Spirit was around £7 for a 35g pack, but, because its so dry, it seems you get more actual tobacco (in weight) than other 50gram 'damp' stuff.

Hey 21_12_2012, the AS shouldn't be too dry. It may have been a bit stale due to shipping and sitting around. I bought a fairly dry pack once and wasn't too impressed, the fresher, the better. Anyhow, it's still good stuff. I just can't wait to grow my own, planting on my balcony next week, it's gonna be awesome!

[clozaril]

i,ve been smoking american spirit for the last couple of months as my cheap samson supply has dried up. anyways whilst buying some to day i noticed this (https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_162&products_id=605") actually this shop is my local baccky shop.

has anyone tired this ? i'm smoking it now trying 12 grams of it, though it does taste a little chemically.

my gripe about american spirit tobacco is that it turns to dust and i find the dust a liittle harsh and not as enjoyable therfore i leave it.

[21_12_2012]

Hey 21_12_2012, the AS shouldn't be too dry. It may have been a bit stale due to shipping and sitting around. I bought a fairly dry pack once and wasn't too impressed, the fresher, the better. Anyhow, it's still good stuff. I just can't wait to grow my own, planting on my balcony next week, it's gonna be awesome!


It wasn't totally dry, but quite dry. I actually prefer it on the dry side.
Maybe it is dryer than it should be, i dont know because its the first time
ive had it.

Theyre ordering more at the shop for me anyway, so ill check out a new pack
and see how dry that is, when it arrives.

My plants are coming on nicely. About 1 metre tall now. The organic ones
are taking their time, theyre just a few cm s at the moment, but some are
growing quite fast now.

I planted the organics quite a while after the non organics. Theyre definately
harder to grow, at the beginning anyway. Lots died.

[21_12_2012]

i,ve been smoking american spirit for the last couple of months as my cheap samson supply has dried up. anyways whilst buying some to day i noticed this (https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_162&products_id=605") actually this shop is my local baccky shop.

has anyone tired this ? i'm smoking it now trying 12 grams of it, though it does taste a little chemically.

my gripe about american spirit tobacco is that it turns to dust and i find the dust a liittle harsh and not as enjoyable therfore i leave it.

I bought 10 grams of Pueblo on thursday, its good.
I asked if they had anything similar to American Spirit, and they
recommended to try Pueblo, and AK Medium.

I presumed it had some kind of additives in due to its dampness, but
apparently not.I will buy more of that soon enough, and try some others
out too, if theres any more 'natural ones' in there.

[clozaril]

having been looking for info on pueblo but only found this. it's quite a different taste to native american and more moist.

100% Additive-free natural roll your own tobacco. Medium strength, which gives a little bite without being over powering!

PUEBLO is a traditional blend of American Virginia tobaccos, grown under completely natural conditions by American Indians.

Like all tobacco, this high quality blend contains natural nicotine. However, the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides is not permitted during the growing and harvesting of our tobacco leaf.
This philosophy is maintained during the manufacturing process. We do not add moisture retainers, preservatives or other chemicals to PUEBLO fine cut tobacco.

[21_12_2012]

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/4074/organicplants.jpg (http://img139.imageshack.us/my.php?image=organicplants.jpg)

The organic plants are growing at last, some faster than others.
My kitchen worktops are full of pots, absolutely no room to do anything in
there now. There are about 60 organic ones growing altogether.

I've re-potted some into big pots,which took ages, the rest are still in small
ones until they're big enough to re-pot.

Oh yeh, the plants are full of fruit flies too, which i didn't bargain on.
The non-organics i've got growing are between 12 inches and a metre tall
now. The flies are on the leaves.

I think maybe they might've been in the compost, fly eggs maybe, no idea,
but they've come from somewhere...and they seem to be increasing.

Ah well, at least they're growing. I doubt i will grow any more this year
after the organic ones are ready. I need my space back...and the flies gone !

[motleyhoo]

Try getting rid of the fruit flies with sticky paper. If you can get neem oil you can try spraying that on the surface of the soil and the other places might breed.

[21_12_2012]

Good tips, thanks. I will try that.

[gripit]

Try getting rid of the fruit flies with sticky paper. If you can get neem oil you can try spraying that on the surface of the soil and the other places might breed.

Yes, neem oil is good. Also, nicotine is a good pesticide. You can crush up some tobacco in water and spray.

Looking good 21_12_2012!

[supertzar]

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh255/supertzar_photos/100_0455.jpg

Last year's crop. I didn't really need to let it go to seed. Now I have about a million N. Rustica seeds.


http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh255/supertzar_photos/100_0443.jpg

Yellowing leaf on balcony with special guest.

[21_12_2012]

wow, good pics supertzar.
Those leaves are much bigger than the ones on mine.

The first ones i planted are about a metre tall now and flowering, so i guess
theyll start turning yellow quite soon after the flowering.

My other small (organic) plants are only a few inches tall, but still young
plants.

Damn english weather ! They'd be massive if i could grow them outside
in proper weather !

[supertzar]

Thanks, '12.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh255/supertzar_photos/100_0526.jpg

Rare bird checking out my plants. :)

[supertzar]

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh255/supertzar_photos/100_0526.jpg

Stupid Cookie Monster thread fucking my shit up. :mad:

[clozaril]

aint getting any pics here supertzar

[gripit]

ya, no pics :(

Any help please? I went to the seed shop up the street today, they're sold out of bloody tobacco seeds! Do you think if I start in a couple weeks after getting some online, it'll be too late? (i'm in southern Ontario)

[21_12_2012]

ya, no pics :(

Any help please? I went to the seed shop up the street today, they're sold out of bloody tobacco seeds! Do you think if I start in a couple weeks after getting some online, it'll be too late? (i'm in southern Ontario)

I think they'll still grow as well. As long as there's plenty of sun, and not
much wind and rain.

Definately indoors anyway.

[gripit]

I think they'll still grow as well. As long as there's plenty of sun, and not
much wind and rain.

Definately indoors anyway.

Thx 21_12_2012, I'm still gonna give it a go. I want my balcony to be a tobacco forest, lol. I might start them indoors under some CFL's to protect from the wind. Those shite bulbs are actually good for something!
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/9200/emotsmokelb2b.gif (http://img23.imageshack.us/my.php?image=emotsmokelb2b.gif)
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/emotsmokelb2b.gif/1/w50.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img23/emotsmokelb2b.gif/1/)

[supertzar]

ya, no pics :(

Any help please? I went to the seed shop up the street today, they're sold out of bloody tobacco seeds! Do you think if I start in a couple weeks after getting some online, it'll be too late? (i'm in southern Ontario)

I'll send you some Rustica seeds if you want. Just PM me. I think there is still time to start some.

[gripit]

I'll send you some Rustica seeds if you want. Just PM me. I think there is still time to start some.

supertzar, AWESOME! :):):)

[21_12_2012]

I started drying some of the first leaves out over the last couple of weeks.

I think i am drying them too fast, some hadn't turned brown by the time i
had dried them, but all i did was to put them over some wet towels which
i had on a radiator, and the moisture from the towels went back into the leaves
and then i continued to dry them, but more slowly.

I originally was drying them hung up near an open door, but now i am just
leaving them indoors to dry more slowly, it seems to be working.

I've smoked a few leaves today, and got an unbelievable buzz out of them.
The buzz is lasting like 20 minutes, kind of a stoned buzz, dizzy with it, and
a nice content feeling, kind of slightly trippy. VERY strong considering it's
'only tobacco'

I am having trouble getting rid of the leafy smell/taste, so ive been mixing it with
other tobacco for the moment until i get the hang of curing the leaves of the
smell and taste, which i presume i can do by re-moisturising the leaves at a high
temperature (i will try doing it on the wet towels again)

I want to add flavour too, so i will experiment with putting some stuff onto the
wet towels such as fruit peels / mint / extracts maybe from various stuff, until
i find something that works.

But for now, i am very pleased with the effect of the tobacco, even though it
smells like leaves a bit, its good when mixed with other tobacco.

It's a buzz unlike any other. Definately stronger than i ever thought it would be.

[cafetimes1991]

That is so cool! :cool:

[21_12_2012]

My organic seedlings soon grew anyway, they're around 2 feet tall now the first ones i planted.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9642/photo0001.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/i/photo0001.jpg/)

I can only grow so many on the windowsill at once, the ones behind don't get much light but they're still growing, slowly.

I've dried some of my non-organic leaves out, but had problems at first because i picked a lot of them too early before they went yellow (plus the cat ripped quite a few off when they were still green, and i snapped some off by accident watering them)

But even the green ones feel ok to smoke, get a very nice feeling from them.

I have started to dry them slower, to try and get them brown, and it seems to be working anyway.

Here's a picture of a tin full of about 20 leaves that im trying to dry very slowly and get to turn brown.Many of them are still greenish, and some are yellow, and some turning brown.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5015/photo0004.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/i/photo0004.jpg/)

I put some in my 'sherlock holmes' pipe that i bought from a pound shop, and smoked it, it blew my head off...what a buzz haha

I am definately waiting until the leaves turn yellow from now on before i pluck them off.

Also tonight i am attempting to 're-hydrate' a couple of yellowy-browny leaves, to try to 'cure' them and take the leafy taste away. I will try to flavour some soon with fruit peels or some kind of natural flavouring.

I still have loads growing on my bedroom windowsill too:-

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5491/photo0007.jpg (http://img221.imageshack.us/i/photo0007.jpg/)

I wish they'd hurry up..my place is full of little fruit flies arggghhhh !
But it's well worth it for the free, pure tobacco.

I am currently mixing it with my normal tobacco (pueblo) about 3/4 pueblo to 1/4 home grown in each cigarette i roll. It is very potent stuff.

I am very much looking forward to smoking some organic ones as soon as theyre ready for plucking.

[gripit]

Great work 21_12_2012! Unfortunately, I did not get to grow this year, seed store sold out :mad: Next year for sure, and now i'll have this thread to help me out ;)

[supertzar]

Great work 21_12_2012! Unfortunately, I did not get to grow this year, seed store sold out :mad: Next year for sure, and now i'll have this thread to help me out ;)

I'm sorry I haven't sent those to you, man. I don't really have any excuses other than I've been busy as hell.

[gripit]

I'm sorry I haven't sent those to you, man. I don't really have any excuses other than I've been busy as hell.

No problem my friend, I'll be prepared next year ;) In the mean time, I get really good, cheap, all natural, no additive stuff from the Native reserve, $20 a tin, best and freshest I've ever tasted! :)

[21_12_2012]

Great work 21_12_2012! Unfortunately, I did not get to grow this year, seed store sold out :mad: Next year for sure, and now i'll have this thread to help me out ;)

I got my seeds on ebay, really cheap for the non organic ones. The organic ones
were more expansive, but they were from the USA, had to pay postage costs.

Maybe its not too late for you to get some from ebay and get growing, i dont know.

Good to hear youre getting some good stuff from the reserve, how much do you
get for $20 ?

I pay like £6 for 30 grams here in the shop for pueblo :eek:

[glacidtek]

I'm going to give this a go!

can anyone give me a link to a reputable organic tobacco seed seller?

cheers!

[gripit]

I got my seeds on ebay, really cheap for the non organic ones. The organic ones
were more expansive, but they were from the USA, had to pay postage costs.

Maybe its not too late for you to get some from ebay and get growing, i dont know.

Good to hear youre getting some good stuff from the reserve, how much do you
get for $20 ?

I pay like £6 for 30 grams here in the shop for pueblo :eek:

Hey 21_12_2012! I have no prob waiting til next year. Actually, I'm gonna drop by the seed shop this weekend to see if they restocked. I can get them started under some compact fluoros and give it a go!

I hear Pueblo is great stuff!

$20 (about 11�£) for 200 grams (11-12 packs). By comparison, a 40 gram pouch of American Spirit is about 8.50£ at a convenience store. But my reserve tobacco (Giimma) is waaaaaaaay better/fresher than AS. You can actually get crappy smokes for as little as .35£ a pack at reserves, lol! Latest reports say that 40-50% of smokers in Ontario and Quebec smoke native smokes...gee, I wonder why?!

Now you know the real price of tobacco, fucking anti-tobacco crooks!

[gripit]

I'm going to give this a go!

can anyone give me a link to a reputable organic tobacco seed seller?

cheers!

I believe 'organic' would have more to do with growing it organically, but I could be wrong, lol. This place is reputable for non-organic seeds, they have grow forums as well :)

http://www.coffinails.com/order.html

[gripit]

I started drying some of the first leaves out over the last couple of weeks.

I think i am drying them too fast, some hadn't turned brown by the time i
had dried them, but all i did was to put them over some wet towels which
i had on a radiator, and the moisture from the towels went back into the leaves
and then i continued to dry them, but more slowly.

I originally was drying them hung up near an open door, but now i am just
leaving them indoors to dry more slowly, it seems to be working.

I've smoked a few leaves today, and got an unbelievable buzz out of them.
The buzz is lasting like 20 minutes, kind of a stoned buzz, dizzy with it, and
a nice content feeling, kind of slightly trippy. VERY strong considering it's
'only tobacco'

I am having trouble getting rid of the leafy smell/taste, so ive been mixing it with
other tobacco for the moment until i get the hang of curing the leaves of the
smell and taste, which i presume i can do by re-moisturising the leaves at a high
temperature (i will try doing it on the wet towels again)

I want to add flavour too, so i will experiment with putting some stuff onto the
wet towels such as fruit peels / mint / extracts maybe from various stuff, until
i find something that works.

But for now, i am very pleased with the effect of the tobacco, even though it
smells like leaves a bit, its good when mixed with other tobacco.

It's a buzz unlike any other. Definately stronger than i ever thought it would be.

This page (http://www.coffinails.com/curing_tobacco.html) may be of help for curing methods.

Love how buzzed you got, awesome!

[glacidtek]

I believe 'organic' would have more to do with growing it organically, but I could be wrong, lol. This place is reputable for non-organic seeds, they have grow forums as well :)

http://www.coffinails.com/order.html

cheers for that - ordered 600seeds today:
Special offer: 600 Seeds for Cigarette Tobacco
Contains:
1 x 200 Viginia Seeds
1 x 200 Monte Calme Yellow Seeds
1 x 200 Maryland 609 Seeds
+ full instructions on how to grow, cure and preserve your tobacco.

I normaly smoke Kendal Gold, https://www.thebackyshop.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_32_33&products_id=28

it is simmilar to american spirit - additive free, and gets a little dry but smokes very well..... I get it loose for £9.50 50 grams.

[21_12_2012]

This page (http://www.coffinails.com/curing_tobacco.html) may be of help for curing methods.

Love how buzzed you got, awesome!

Thanks for that. I have seen that page before.

For the trouble it takes to properly cure tobacco, i don't think i will ever bother
going through it. It tastes ok as it is, except the green leaves taste a bit leafy,
but otherwise i am very happy with them.

I will try and flavour them though soon.

Regarding the organic stuff:-
I actually bought some organic seeds off ebay, and they are much different
when they grow to the non-organic seeds.

They take longer to sprout, and they grow kind of curly at first (the stems)
and also, more of the organic seedlings died than the non-organic ones.

But, when they grow, the organic ones look more healthy.

I havent smoked one yet to tell the difference between them and non organic, but
i expect there will be a difference.

I used organic compost on both the non organic plants and the organic ones.

[glacidtek]

I should have my seeds by tomorrow -

hopefully its not too late in the year to start?
suppose it should be ok - anyone else in the UK doing it?

any tips to pass on?
x

[21_12_2012]

Spring is on the way, time to start a new crop.

I still have some left from last years crop, it's lasted nicely through the year, mixing it with my American Spirit.

It turned out to be strong, and i didn't quite get the hang of flavouring it all properly, so a lot of it tasted leafy, but still had the required effect when smoked, and tasted good when mixed with American Spirit.

I left 3 plants outside through the winter, just to see if the cold weather would kill them or not, and i think they are just barely alive now, so, if i can get them to start growing again in new pots, they should be very hardy plants and should be able to stay growing outside theoretically anyway.

All the rest i grew last year i did indoors.