Sums it up. If I understand it right I should keep it in a jar in a cool dark place when dried, opening it up daily for an hour or so to get some fresh air in. But how many days is best, or should i be mesuring it in weeks before it's peaked. I've been told it takes time for the clorophyl to break down - is this bollocks or what?:<br />
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I've been told that a clone of a clone of a clone etc will gradually lose strenght taste and aroma, i can't see why - is this true?<a href="https://www.rollitup.org/images/smilies/redeyesmoke.gif" target="_blank">https://www.rollitup.org/images/smilies/redeyesmoke.gif</a>
Tobacco for instance can be cured and typically is. Curing (and partial fermentation) completely remove the "plant aroma" of the cured tobacco leaving a far smoother and very different smell from uncured tobacco.
Curing also ensures a uniform and even consumption of the tobacco by flame when lit, as well as fixing the chlorophyll and adjusting the plant sugar content allowing the natural sweetness of the cured tobacco to come out in the smoke.
The only downside to curing is that it takes a great deal of time. Typical tobacco curing times are between six months to years depending on the type of cure and the process used.
Take this information and apply it however you may.
Cut plants or pulled leaves are immediately transferred to tobacco barns (kiln houses), where they will be cured. Curing methods vary with the type of tobacco grown, and tobacco barn design varies accordingly.
Air
Air-cured tobacco is hung in well-ventilated barns and allowed to dry over a period of four to eight weeks. Air-cured tobacco is low in sugar, which gives the tobacco smoke a light, sweet flavor, and a high nicotine content. Cigar and burley tobaccos are air cured.
Fire
Fire-cured tobacco is hung in large barns where fires of hardwoods are kept on continuous or intermittent low smoulder and takes between three days and ten weeks, depending on the process and the tobacco. Fire curing produces a tobacco low in sugar and high in nicotine. Pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, and snuff are fire cured.
Flue
Flue-cured tobacco was originally strung onto tobacco sticks, which were hung from tier-poles in curing barns (Aus: kilns, also traditionally called oasts). These barns have flues which run from externally fed fire boxes, heat-curing the tobacco without exposing it to smoke, slowly raising the temperature over the course of the curing. The process will generally take about a week. This method produces cigarette tobacco that is high in sugar and has medium to high levels of nicotine. The Smith Tobacco Barn is an example of traditional, flue-cured tobacco barn.
Sun
Sun-cured tobacco dries uncovered in the sun. This method is used in Turkey, Greece, Romania and Mediterranean countries to produce oriental tobacco. Sun-cured tobacco is low in sugar and nicotine and is used in cigarettes.
"
Put simply, after tobacco is harvested, it is cured, or dried, and then aged to improve its flavour. There are four common methods of curing, and the method used depends on the type of tobacco and its intended use."
-- http://www.tobaccoseed.co.uk/How_to_Cure_Tobacco.html
Sources:
http://www.coffinails.com/curing_tobacco.html
http://www.cpes.peachnet.edu/tobacco/pubs/Harvesting and Curing Flue-Cured Tobacco.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM03bRuNpOI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaF-BwwLe2k
As for clones, a clone of any plant if repeatedly cloned from each other will only lose plant vigour and hardiness, protection from disease and parasites. This weakness could manifest itself as an inability to produce unique flavours and othe characteristics but can be easily resolved by breeding it with itself through the use of two clones and some colloidial silver in solution.