After much trile and error, I've learned that the tobacco s the best and most flavorfull if allowed to cure or mature for 1 year. To process the cured leaf, I reconstitute it with water, pull out all the stems by hand and cut it into cubes in a common electrically powered kitchen food processor. The cubed tobacco is perfect for pipe smoking, and tastes quite rich and satisfying. I store the processed tobacco in clear glass Mason jars, and mark the year it was grown on the lid before storing. Every year since, I have simply harvested seed from my plan tops after cutting the stalks.
WHite muslin is best.
It allopws rain to seep in as well as air and sun, but shjades the delicate transplants. I work a lot of manure into the bed of the cold frame. After the little plants get started, I thin and transplant. I usually grow enough to process about 20 pounds each year. You cut the stalks at their base, then strip the leaves from the stalks.