It started a few days ago when Xikar President, Kurt Van Keppel, mentioned on Twitter that he would be growing some tobacco plants from seeds and asking if anyone else was. I made a half-joking remarking that I had yet to find a good source for tobacco seeds, believing them to be fairly hard to come by. He said he would talk to his good friend Jesus Fire (J. Fuego) and see what he could do. Turns out it was not that hard to find plenty of varietals of tobacco seeds. Yesterday Van Keppel set Twitter ablaze (at least a small corner of it) with talk of where to find seeds.So, bottom line...I (@dmjones1009 on Twitter) and my blogging partner, Keith (@Keith1911), along with Derek Van Horn (@RaleighCigars), will be joining Kurt Van Keppel (@XikarKVK) in a grand experiment of growing tobacco plants from seed all around the country. Keith is in Southern California. Kurt is in Kansas City. Derek is in North Carolina (I believe). And I am in East Tennessee. I believe most of us bought seeds from New Hope Seed Company, located west of Nashville. I ordered packets of Connecticut Broadleaf, Pennsylvania Red, Lancaster Seed Leaf, and Zimmer Spanish, in hopes of getting a few varietals and something that will serve as filler and binder along with the Broadleaf that I expect to work as wrapper.
My wife and I talked about it and we've got a place picked out for me to transplant the "crop" once I get them beyond seedling status. The seeds will start in small indoor containers, though, as they sprout. I will take plenty of pictures to document this endeavor, whether it ends in crop failure in August or fully realized tobacco plants in late September.
Will it be smokable? God only knows, but I think we will have fun doing this...and we might just learn a thing or two, as well.
It's not too late to join this group of "mad smokers." Click on the link to New Hope Seed above, get your own seeds and get growing. For those in more temperate climates...get moving quick as there is just enough time to get a crop grown and harvested before autumn takes hold and the first frosts of the year hit. For those in warmer climates (SoCal, Arizona, etc.) you could probably wait until October and still have the warmth needed...whether you'll ever have the necessary humidity to turn out a good crop...well, I'm sure Keith will let us know how that turns out later this year!
If you decide to join us in this, leave a comment below or let us know via Twitter.
D: great post, thanks! I'm going to plant 3 plants, right in full view in the back yard (being proud of what I do! I will harvest 2 plants and let the 3rd go to flower (for the beauty and the seeds).
ReplyDeleteI'm not to concerned about rolling a good cigar -- I already have those. But, I will smoke my own crop!!
Awesome post! You are correct, I am in NC. I'm thinking about planting a few where I am in Raleigh but also visiting my parents back in Western NC where there's a little more room and planting a larger amount just to have more to work with. I picked up Havana Long Red, Connecticut Shade, Connecticut Broadleaf, and Florida Sumatra. To get the Conn. Shade I had to use the other company so I'm curious to see how shipping times compare.
ReplyDeleteDerek,
ReplyDeleteI wish I had more room to grow more, but I also wish I had the time to prep the soil where I could grow. I have 1 acre of land, much of which is lawn, some of which is wooded. Much of the lawn is sloped so hard to grow anything on. My wife planted a garden this year, but it was a huge amount of work and I don't want to increase the size at this point. Along the side of our house there is a flower bed that has turned into more of a "weed bed." I am going to uproot that (about 14' x 4'), prep the ground and transplant there when they're ready. It's also in a place all the neighbors will see when they drive by.
Oh, if only I could. Stupid NY apartments. But, I am taking rolling lessons in Manhattan, so maybe I can plant somewhere within the facility I go to.
ReplyDeleteToo late in the season here for me to try it this year (although I've thought about trying for a while). I'll follow you all on twitter and see how it goes, then start early next year. GOOD LUCK!
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