Cigar Birthing

[Moosecakes]

Very nice Richard, It's good to see how well ur's are developing, Mine are getting fairly large, I guess sunday or monday I can post my update along with a few other things in the garden.

- Tyler

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by Moosecakes

Very nice Richard, It's good to see how well ur's are developing, Mine are getting fairly large, I guess sunday or monday I can post my update along with a few other things in the garden.

- Tyler

Great, it's good to see you persevering and already talking about next years crop. We should get together the next time I up your way, which may be soon. The biggest challenge is yet to come with the drying & curing of the leaf. I would like to share some thoughts concerning this.

—Richard

[tzaddi]

I did not forget about this weeks update. I have been on the road visiting a friend in Oregon. He also grows tobacco and his plants are starting to form flower buds. I took a efw photos of his plants which also includes a west coast native variety Nicotiana Bigelovii.

So I should have some new pictures and storiesposted in a couple of days.

—Richard

[eriksson20]

again, just excellent!

Mikko

[schweiger_schmoke]

Very nice pictures. You must have an extremely nice camera! Haha.

That's crazy how small they do start out.

And they turned out beautiful.

Thank you for all of the updates and the vivid picture references. You should teach a class!


Kyle

[tzaddi]

[SIZE="5"]August 9th Update[/SIZE]

Hey kids, it looks like it's time to check in on the tobacco garden again.

Over the past few weeks I was able to visit my friend's garden up in Oregon and take a few photos of the Nicotiana Bigelovii tobacco that he is growing.

Here is an angle on the tobacco garden that I haven't presented before, downhill looking up.


As you can see my oldest plant is about 47 inches and growing.


Catching up fast is this one measuring in at 27"


Look what I found when I looked into the center of the largest plant, that's right it's starting to form flowers.


So I ceremoniously pinched it in an effort to help the plant stay focused on it's leaf production.

[Jason_of_Texas]

Thanks for this thread. Really is awesome to see something go from a seed to the above. Plus the pics are AWESOME! Really is informative.

[tzaddi]

As promised here are a few photos of the Nicotiana Bigelovii tobacco that my friend is growing.

This is what the flowers look like, note they are white compared to the Nicotiana Tobacum's pink flower.


Take a look at the leaf on this plant, not noted for cigar making.

Well until next time...and for you that have requested seeds for your garden I will be getting them in the mail real soon.


—Richard

[volum]

This has got to be one of the coolest threads I have come across here on the boards (in my short time here) The pics make it that much better. Hopefully it will help me as I attempt to grow my own.

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by Jason_of_Texas

Thanks for this thread. Really is awesome to see something go from a seed to the above. Plus the pics are AWESOME! Really is informative.

You bet, and a big "your welcome" to all of you that have commented and find this stuff interesting.

I paid a visit to Casilla's Cigars yesterday and presented another potted tobacco plant to Pedro. He presented me with my own chaveta (roller's knife) and gave me another lesson in rolling. The more I learn the more I realize how much I don't know.

This is a photo of the cigars I rolled with the chaveta behind them. I was even able to put caps on some of them. I am getting to the point where the draw is good...it's a very long road from seed to cigar.

And another...

—Richard

[volum]

How cool is it to be able to give someone a cigar that you handmade. That's gotta be fun! Are your stogies turning out full bodied or more mild?

[Moosecakes]

Great update once again, I'm sorry I didn't respond to your PM I was in bend for a couple of weeks and had my brother checking in to see if anything was new. Nice Chavete and cigars Richard, I'd love to try some hand rolled ones from a fellow BOTL. Perhaps one day I will be able to roll my own. I repotted all of mine and I think they are doing well... but I don't want to hijack your thread i'll post and update tomorrow in my own. Very nice once again.

- Tyler

[tzaddi]

Originally Posted by volum

How cool is it to be able to give someone a cigar that you handmade. That's gotta be fun! Are your stogies turning out full bodied or more mild?

The ones I rolled yesterday where from tobacco that I bought. The ligero is aged 7 years and is full flavored but not a head spinner as the aging reduces nicotine. As far as giving them to friends and family, at this point it is more of a novelty. Even with good tobacco and a decent roll... blending presents a challenge...but I am willing to practice

[schnell987]

Richard,
This is an amazing thread! Not only are your pictures professionally done (and beautiful!), your posts are extremely interesting - makes me want to start growing my own tobacco plants!

Great job...looking forward to your next posts!

[tzaddi]

[SIZE="4"]New Moon Harvest of the First Priming[/SIZE]

A while back I was watching "Manos en el Tobaco"— "The Esssence of the Cuban Cigar" produced by Redstone Pictures. In one scene Sr. Alejandro Robaina was walking between the rows of tobacco and I heard him say that the best time to harvest was during the New Moon. This he commented was a time when the plant had the lowest water content, making for a better leaf.

Well today was the eve of the New Moon and I took the oportunity to harvest the First Priming.

Priming: On average there are six rows of leaves on a tobacco plant. Each row is considered a priming. The number of primings start from the bottom up. The first priming is the row closest to the ground, and so on up…

Removing the lower leaves also allowed me to get in closer to the plants to till and fertilize.

Although for the good part an academic exercise I offer these pictures of the small harvest.

—Richard