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Tobacco leaves have sticky hairs on their underside, which is what makes them different from other crops: it’s these hairs that absorb the radon and prevent it

Tobacco leaves have sticky hairs on their underside, which is what makes them different from other crops: it’s these hairs that absorb the radon and prevent it from being washed away with water. Also, the type of fertilizer used for Tobacco might be different than fertilizers used for other crops.

Gibbon1 6y ago
> sticky hairs Reminds me. My ex-wifes grandmother said when she was a little girl her family packed up from tobacco country to California. And her utter joy when her mother told her that no they don't grow tobacco in California. Because picking tobacco is gross and nasty work.
- DanBC 6y ago
  It is, and the US still allows child labour in tobacco farming. https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/video/2014/05/13/made-usa-child-labor-tobacco https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/video/2014/05/13/made-usa-c... https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/12/09/teens-tobacco-fields/child-labor-united-states-tobacco-farming https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/12/09/teens-tobacco-fields/c... https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/05/13/tobaccos-hidden-children/hazardous-child-labor-united-states-tobacco-farming https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/05/13/tobaccos-hidden-childr... https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/05/10/dispatches-obama-bans-e-cigarettes-kids-not-child-labor-tobacco-fields https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/05/10/dispatches-obama-bans-e-...
  - GordonS 6y ago
    As a kid growing up in Scotland I worked picking daffodils in spring and berries in the summer - absolutely back-breaking work, but at least you got to eat your body weight in berries for free! We were paid a pittance based on how much we picked. It wasn't only kids, and was never thought of as "child labour" at the time - I wonder if this is still a thing in the UK?
    - DanBC 6y ago
      It probably isn't still a thing in the UK, because we now have things like national minimum wage and stronger protections against child labour.
throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
No, many plants have these AFAIK. Tomato leaves are pretty sticky. Potatoes too IIRC. Happens that both of these are in the same family as tobacco though. I just realised your point that tobacco is a leaf crop unlike spuds and toms, so ok, point taken.
- seszett 6y ago
  Tobacco is a lot more sticky than most other crops, to the point that it has been hypothesised to be a semi-carnivorous plant. Insects actually get caught in them, it's just unknown of the plant actually actively digests them. That's also why harvesting tobacco is not very pleasant, with all the stuff stuck on their leaves.
  - throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
    Actually I've heard exactly the same - including the conclusion of vegetal carnivory - for tomatoes too. Surprising number of links here: https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=tomatoes%20carnivorous%20sticky https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=tomatoes%20carnivorous%20stick... If you pick on, this https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/attack-of-the-killer-tomatoes-1834638.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/attack-of-the-kil...
    - pfdietz 6y ago
      Bean leaves also have sharp protrusions, I understand. Probably for defense against insects more than carnivory. Freshly picked bean leaves placed on the floor are supposed to be a defense against bedbugs.

Gibbon1 6y ago

> sticky hairs Reminds me. My ex-wifes grandmother said when she was a little girl her family packed up from tobacco country to California. And her utter joy when her mother told her that no they don't grow tobacco in California. Because picking tobacco is gross and nasty work.

DanBC 6y ago
It is, and the US still allows child labour in tobacco farming. https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/video/2014/05/13/made-usa-child-labor-tobacco https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/video/2014/05/13/made-usa-c... https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/12/09/teens-tobacco-fields/child-labor-united-states-tobacco-farming https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/12/09/teens-tobacco-fields/c... https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/05/13/tobaccos-hidden-children/hazardous-child-labor-united-states-tobacco-farming https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/05/13/tobaccos-hidden-childr... https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/05/10/dispatches-obama-bans-e-cigarettes-kids-not-child-labor-tobacco-fields https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/05/10/dispatches-obama-bans-e-...
- GordonS 6y ago
  As a kid growing up in Scotland I worked picking daffodils in spring and berries in the summer - absolutely back-breaking work, but at least you got to eat your body weight in berries for free! We were paid a pittance based on how much we picked. It wasn't only kids, and was never thought of as "child labour" at the time - I wonder if this is still a thing in the UK?
  - DanBC 6y ago
    It probably isn't still a thing in the UK, because we now have things like national minimum wage and stronger protections against child labour.

throwaway_pdp09 6y ago

No, many plants have these AFAIK. Tomato leaves are pretty sticky. Potatoes too IIRC. Happens that both of these are in the same family as tobacco though. I just realised your point that tobacco is a leaf crop unlike spuds and toms, so ok, point taken.

seszett 6y ago
Tobacco is a lot more sticky than most other crops, to the point that it has been hypothesised to be a semi-carnivorous plant. Insects actually get caught in them, it's just unknown of the plant actually actively digests them. That's also why harvesting tobacco is not very pleasant, with all the stuff stuck on their leaves.
- throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
  Actually I've heard exactly the same - including the conclusion of vegetal carnivory - for tomatoes too. Surprising number of links here: https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=tomatoes%20carnivorous%20sticky https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=tomatoes%20carnivorous%20stick... If you pick on, this https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/attack-of-the-killer-tomatoes-1834638.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/attack-of-the-kil...
  - pfdietz 6y ago
    Bean leaves also have sharp protrusions, I understand. Probably for defense against insects more than carnivory. Freshly picked bean leaves placed on the floor are supposed to be a defense against bedbugs.