Cigars 101, Part 3, a true, hands on art!
Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 6:13 pm
Most people have no idea...
... the tremendous hands-on artistry involved in entirety of growing tobacco and the making of a fine cigar. Rather than blather about it, let me just carry you through a bit of it.
1. First though you need to know that unlike wheat, rye, barley, grapes, et al that benefit from rich soil, tobacco grown for cigars likes really poor soils. These exist mostly in the Caribbean, but especially in Cuba. The kind of soil there is sandy, loose, grainy and reddish: full of iron and other minerals. Perhaps you've heard of this unique region, called Vuelta Abajo.
FYI, although tobacco is also grown in Virginia, Kentucky and really all over the world, these tobaccos are not suitable at all for cigars.
2. The first step in September is planting seeds, in special beds near the main farming building, as they require intense daily attention. Linear mounds of earth about 3 feet wide are created, and the seed is spread by hand by the vigueros (growers). It can't be spread too thinly (wasting planting space) or too densely (the babies will fight each other and grow excessive roots). Most of them will ultimately be discarded.
4. The seeds are covered with straw or loose cloth to protect them from the hot sun, but which allow water to pass through. They are watered by hand. After about ten days, the straw or cloth is removed and replaced twice a day, morning and late afternoon, to allow light sun, but to still avoid the hot midday sun. Insects are a huge and ever present danger, so insecticides are used as needed during this critical stage.
5. By mid-October the delicate seedlings are ready to be carefully picked (preserving their root systems), moved, and transplanted to the main growing fields. Again, all is done by hand. The main fields have been plowed and readied by adding calcium carbonate (for needed acidity), and fertilized with bat guano or manure, along with some commercial fertilizers. The babies must be moved very quickly to new homes in 3 inch deep furrows, and planted a few inches apart.
All by hand.
6. As the babies grow they are regularly cultivated and fertilized - again by hand - and they start to grow very rapidly toward full height of about five feet tall. Still the hand-work continues and actually intensifies.
7. Now comes the culling. Ultimately the plants need about two feet of space, which means that the weaker, lesser plants must be culled (removed). Everyday the vigueros walk the field and remove growing plants to leave only the best, about one every two feet. All by experienced hand and eye.
8. And there's more! Now come the "pinching". The tip tops of the plants and the flowers that grow there are pinched using a crisp movement so as to break them off (and not tear them). Tearing weakens the plant. In this fashion, the energy of the plant is directed toward the lower leaves. This "debudding" is called "repasar" (removing suckers). And once again, this is all by hand.
The vigueros are actually very skilled people who have the experience to know which plants will be most likely to grow well and to produce the finest tobaccos. I'll stop here, but the handiwork is just beginning. Even thus far, the planting and growing of the tobacco plants is a completely hands-on, 24/7 project. It cannot be done by machine and it isn't.
Good vigueros are paid well and are valued employees. The ultimate product and reputation of the cigar company depends on them. Stay tuned...
... the tremendous hands-on artistry involved in entirety of growing tobacco and the making of a fine cigar. Rather than blather about it, let me just carry you through a bit of it.
1. First though you need to know that unlike wheat, rye, barley, grapes, et al that benefit from rich soil, tobacco grown for cigars likes really poor soils. These exist mostly in the Caribbean, but especially in Cuba. The kind of soil there is sandy, loose, grainy and reddish: full of iron and other minerals. Perhaps you've heard of this unique region, called Vuelta Abajo.
FYI, although tobacco is also grown in Virginia, Kentucky and really all over the world, these tobaccos are not suitable at all for cigars.
2. The first step in September is planting seeds, in special beds near the main farming building, as they require intense daily attention. Linear mounds of earth about 3 feet wide are created, and the seed is spread by hand by the vigueros (growers). It can't be spread too thinly (wasting planting space) or too densely (the babies will fight each other and grow excessive roots). Most of them will ultimately be discarded.
4. The seeds are covered with straw or loose cloth to protect them from the hot sun, but which allow water to pass through. They are watered by hand. After about ten days, the straw or cloth is removed and replaced twice a day, morning and late afternoon, to allow light sun, but to still avoid the hot midday sun. Insects are a huge and ever present danger, so insecticides are used as needed during this critical stage.
5. By mid-October the delicate seedlings are ready to be carefully picked (preserving their root systems), moved, and transplanted to the main growing fields. Again, all is done by hand. The main fields have been plowed and readied by adding calcium carbonate (for needed acidity), and fertilized with bat guano or manure, along with some commercial fertilizers. The babies must be moved very quickly to new homes in 3 inch deep furrows, and planted a few inches apart.
All by hand.
6. As the babies grow they are regularly cultivated and fertilized - again by hand - and they start to grow very rapidly toward full height of about five feet tall. Still the hand-work continues and actually intensifies.
7. Now comes the culling. Ultimately the plants need about two feet of space, which means that the weaker, lesser plants must be culled (removed). Everyday the vigueros walk the field and remove growing plants to leave only the best, about one every two feet. All by experienced hand and eye.
8. And there's more! Now come the "pinching". The tip tops of the plants and the flowers that grow there are pinched using a crisp movement so as to break them off (and not tear them). Tearing weakens the plant. In this fashion, the energy of the plant is directed toward the lower leaves. This "debudding" is called "repasar" (removing suckers). And once again, this is all by hand.
The vigueros are actually very skilled people who have the experience to know which plants will be most likely to grow well and to produce the finest tobaccos. I'll stop here, but the handiwork is just beginning. Even thus far, the planting and growing of the tobacco plants is a completely hands-on, 24/7 project. It cannot be done by machine and it isn't.
Good vigueros are paid well and are valued employees. The ultimate product and reputation of the cigar company depends on them. Stay tuned...