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Author Topic: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW  (Read 20678 times)

Offline Sean Kelly

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Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« on: April 26, 2007, 07:23:26 am »
I know tobacco is bad for your health and I'm not a smoker, but every now and then I do enjoy a good pipe to end the day.  Thought it might be fun to try and grow some organic tobacco without the additives that the big tobacco companies put in it.
I believe that tobacco requires warm weather and lots of sun, which we dont get much of here in the Seattle area.  But I still wanted to see if anyone has tried to grow it here.  Are there any laws against growing your own tobacco?  Would I have to pay tobacco taxes on it if I grew it myself?

Sean
"My son,  eat  thou honey,  because it is good;  and the honeycomb,  which is sweet  to thy taste"          - Proverbs 24:13

Offline Cindi

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2007, 10:31:44 am »
Sean, tobacco is a cousin to the plant Nicotianna.  Nicotianna grows like wildfire in our PNW.  It self seeds like there is nothing on this earth and my gardens are full of nicotianna, I grow it for the flowers that open in the evening, providing incredibly beautiful night fragrance that permeates my night air where I live. 

I do not think that there are any laws against growing tobacco.  Finding the seed may be another difficult thing.  Saltspring Island Seeds had a tobacco seed for sale that I purchased last year.  It did not germinate for whatever the reason, I lay fault with myself and not taking proper care. 

You could google tobacco seed.  You could grow it.  I know that.  YOu should.  It evidently has a very beautiful and fragrant flower that arises from the plant too, so I hear.  Good luck, best of this beautiful day, good health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2007, 05:44:53 pm »
Good information Cindi!  I've seen seed companies advertise tobacco seeds in Countryside magazine, which is where I got the idea of doing this in the first place.  I think I'll give it a try this season.  I'll just plant a little bit to give it a try.

Thanks!

Sean
"My son,  eat  thou honey,  because it is good;  and the honeycomb,  which is sweet  to thy taste"          - Proverbs 24:13

Offline beeginner

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2007, 07:59:33 pm »
Hear where I live at pot grows wild lol. I think its funny that it does. Why it dose is long long time ageo in the 40s n 50 and past then people use to have it all the time well after all the year of the birds eating the seeds and pooping the seeds out it will kind of grow where ever it landed at lol. I have a 1941 farmall a that im trying to get runing and thay say that thay was the best tractor to use in the tobacco fields.

Offline bluegrass

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2007, 09:12:41 pm »
If you get it to grow I want to see that video when you first light up!!!! It will make you sick as a dog. I have a friend that is a tobacco grower, he says just working the fields will make you sick for the first season.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2007, 11:18:38 am »
bluegrass.  Eeeew.  That sounds horrible.  Guess I wouldn't want to be employed to work in a nicotine field!!!!  Imagine that eh?  Best of a beautiful and wonderful day.  Good health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Dane Bramage

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2007, 07:19:33 pm »
Hear where I live at pot grows wild lol. I think its funny that it does. Why it dose is long long time ageo in the 40s n 50 and past then people use to have it all the time well after all the year of the birds eating the seeds and pooping the seeds out it will kind of grow where ever it landed at lol. I have a 1941 farmall a that im trying to get runing and thay say that thay was the best tractor to use in the tobacco fields.

Wasn't long ago that is was patriotic to grow hemp ("pot") ~> HEMP FOR VICTORY

Nicotine is a potent neurotoxin... scared of that stuff.

Offline bluegrass

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2007, 09:49:02 pm »
Used to be a large hemp farm out towards Paris Ky.... I noticed a large field one day with what looked like alot of pot in it while on route. I said something about it and was told it was a hemp farm years ago and it is still growing there.
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Offline bluegrass

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2007, 09:11:50 am »
  Guess I wouldn't want to be employed to work in a nicotine field!!!!  Imagine that eh? 

This area is tobacco country. It is very labor intense and has to be planted, cultivated, and harvested by hand. They use migrant workers here to do the work....It is really sad that they get stuck with the worst jobs. The money is good for the growers, I don't know of any other farming practice that will pay $30,000 per 10 acres grown.  Grains only pay about 65.00 an acre....dairy farming doesn't pay worth a shat....been there, done that.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2007, 09:18:05 am »
bluegrass. Wow.  Now that is some pretty good returns for farmers surely.  I didn't realize that it was so labour intensive, pretty incredible.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful day.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2007, 02:04:38 pm »
They grow tobacco in Lancaster county Pennsylvania and state of Conneticut and they get cold w/ snow etc. They just grow tobacco for cigars is all. You can get very sick if you pick a lot of tobacco w/o gloves on b/c of the very high nicotine resin on the plants leaves. Particularly if you dont smoke regularly.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2007, 02:15:20 pm »
sean, let me know if you find a good source of plants or seed.  i do smoke and don't mind toxing my neurons at all  :-). 

my dad used to bring hemp rope home when the navy surveyed it.  great stuff.  don't think you can even find it anymore.


Quote
They use migrant workers here to do the work....It is really sad that they get stuck with the worst jobs.
life is about choices, isn't it?  they might not feel as "stuck here as they do at home.
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline BEE C

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2007, 03:42:40 pm »
I grew some tobacco here years ago...the hard part was getting the leaves dried just right.  I smoke cigars and enjoy a pipe now and then.  Careful which variety you grow, some tobacco will get you high.  Very high.  apparently there is a native variety which is the traditional peace pipe variety, more akin to a drug.  Lyceum is a good website for medicinal plants.

Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2007, 07:09:41 pm »
Kathyp,

I think it's too late to start growing tobacco, so I gave up on the idea.  Maybe next year.  I really didn't look into it much, it was just more an idea that crossed my mind that sounded kinda fun.

BEE C,

It's good to hear you were able to grow tobacco in BC.  We have pretty much the same climate.  I don't know anything about the different varietys of tobacco.  Which one would be good for just a casual pipe smoker?

Sean Kelly
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Offline nepenthes

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2007, 08:13:43 pm »
Is their an age law on growing tobacco? Cause I know its illegal to BUY tabacco under 18.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2007, 10:27:08 pm »
Quote
some tobacco will get you high.  Very high.

we wouldn't want that!! :evil:
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2007, 11:40:35 pm »
Now this brings on another aspect of tobacco.  I wonder if the night scented planted called "Nicotianna" could be dried and smoked.  It is a cousin to the real tobacco plant.  Ha!!!  Now that is a thought, maybe it is the species that could make ya high!!!!!

Last year I attempted to grow tobacco.  I got the seed from Saltspring Island Seed.  I wanted to grow it for the flowers that apparently are breathtaking, if I recall they are yellow.  I sowed the seed and it probably got lost in the weeding somewhere, or the slugs ate the seedlings, bummer!!!!!  Well, maybe it got covered up, maybe it may be uncovered in my weeding escapades and germinate this year.  We'll see. 

Nicotianna grows rapidly, so quickly as a matter of fact, one can almost see it growing.  I wonder if tobacco has this same rapid growth.  Have a wonderful day, great life, great health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline nepenthes

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #17 on: May 21, 2007, 07:26:25 am »
I hate having my post be the last on a page right before the 2nd page gets started!

Does any one know if theirs an age limit on growing tobacco?
"I have never wished to cater to the crowd, for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know." - Epicurus.

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #18 on: May 21, 2007, 07:55:10 am »
Cindi, I think you're talking about Nicotiana sylvestris (tobaccos are all nicotianas) or N. alata, both are wonderfully night-scented. Nicotiana tabacum is what is grown to smoke.  This page says N. sylvestris may be a parent of N. tabacum, so it might be smokable, but I wouldn't try it.

Offline bluegrass

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Re: Growing Tobacco in the Pacific NW
« Reply #19 on: May 21, 2007, 07:56:28 am »
No age limit.... It has to be cured properly before it can be smoked....has alot to do with the climate which is why it is only grown in a few areas like Kentucky and North Carolina.....if you have been to both states during harvest time you would notice that they harvest and hang it differently for the same reasons.  
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