Long Ashes Grow Log 2012
long_ashes
Posts: 166
Long Ashes Grow Log 2012
Hello everyone! Full harvest season is right around the corner so I wanted to update everyone on my progress of tobacco leaves and create a grow log. I have three different tobacco varieties and all are being grown for cigar smoking use. They are Dixie Shade (A very dark brown leaf that is good for wrapper), Havana 263 (A lighter brown leaf that is good for binder, and Pennsylvania Red (A redish brown leaf that is good for filler). I bought the seeds from the newhopeseedcompany.com site. I originally planted around 200 seeds, and we currently have around 75 plants in total. This is due to pruning from seed trays and the occasional death due to some weather storms. They are spread out in three different gardens from three different locations, and each one is growing a slightly unique plant. 12 in one gargen, 18 in another, and 48 in the third in total.
I started planting the seeds in doors in the middle of April and had them all transplanted into bigger pots sitting outside by the second week of May. All plants went into the ground by the first to second week of June. They are all doing very good, some are smaller than others around 2 feet tall, while others are a massive 6+ feet tall. I'm happy with the overall progress and my friends have been helping me out every step of the way.
My plan was to grow indoors, move outside, air color cure, move into a refridgerator/crockpot kiln that I am building currently for 4-6 weeks, then roll up and smoke using the custom 4.5x56 cigar press that I bought (short fat cigars).
Without further ado, here are pictures as well as dates when they were taken. Feel free to leave comments, give advice, etc. Thanks!
April 16th 2012
April 19th 2012
May 1st 2012
May 21st 2012
May 23rd 2012
May 29th 2012
June 5th 2012
June 7th 2012
June 14th 2012
June 22nd 2012
June 28th 2012
July 10th 2012
July 15th 2012
July 18th 2012
July 22nd 2012
July 24th 2012
July 28th 2012
July 29th 2012
Rolling Time (not yet):
Cigar Press
Hello everyone! Full harvest season is right around the corner so I wanted to update everyone on my progress of tobacco leaves and create a grow log. I have three different tobacco varieties and all are being grown for cigar smoking use. They are Dixie Shade (A very dark brown leaf that is good for wrapper), Havana 263 (A lighter brown leaf that is good for binder, and Pennsylvania Red (A redish brown leaf that is good for filler). I bought the seeds from the newhopeseedcompany.com site. I originally planted around 200 seeds, and we currently have around 75 plants in total. This is due to pruning from seed trays and the occasional death due to some weather storms. They are spread out in three different gardens from three different locations, and each one is growing a slightly unique plant. 12 in one gargen, 18 in another, and 48 in the third in total.
I started planting the seeds in doors in the middle of April and had them all transplanted into bigger pots sitting outside by the second week of May. All plants went into the ground by the first to second week of June. They are all doing very good, some are smaller than others around 2 feet tall, while others are a massive 6+ feet tall. I'm happy with the overall progress and my friends have been helping me out every step of the way.
My plan was to grow indoors, move outside, air color cure, move into a refridgerator/crockpot kiln that I am building currently for 4-6 weeks, then roll up and smoke using the custom 4.5x56 cigar press that I bought (short fat cigars).
Without further ado, here are pictures as well as dates when they were taken. Feel free to leave comments, give advice, etc. Thanks!
April 16th 2012
April 19th 2012
May 1st 2012
May 21st 2012
May 23rd 2012
May 29th 2012
June 5th 2012
June 7th 2012
June 14th 2012
June 22nd 2012
June 28th 2012
July 10th 2012
July 15th 2012
July 18th 2012
July 22nd 2012
July 24th 2012
July 28th 2012
July 29th 2012
Rolling Time (not yet):
Cigar Press
0
Comments
did you harvest in primings? did you keep track of where each leaf came from on the plant? how are you organizing this project?
Going to be a busy farming day when I get off work. Going to be picking the Seco/Volado leaves tonight in ALL gardens and hanging them up, as well as taking some of the "mud" leaves I've already picked and sticking them into the kiln as they are brown and ready to ferment. The kiln is steady at 120-130 degrees F and 70-80% humidity. Pictures will follow.
Here is one of the kiln/fridge (this will allow me to "cook" them for 4-6 weeks which is the same as aging them for an entire year:
We are estimating around 500 cigars. The press we are using is a shorty like cigar (4.5x56)
First impressions? Even on these mud leaves I was burning my fingers until the end. It had a very smoky (not straight smoke but like a steak that's smoked), sweet, and peppery (straight black pepper) taste. It also had feint pipe tobacco tastes to it, like a cavendish. It was smooth, and the draw on the cigar I rolled was perfect. The kicker here is that it also had a decent bit of nicotine to it. Which means these cigars may pack a big punch on flavor and strength once finished because these are just the mud leaves from the bottom of the plant (flavor and strength travels up).
We still have about two months before true rolling begins but I am super excited! Here is a picture of me smoking the little cigarillo I rolled up. (Backwoods style)
Funny but kinda reminds me of moonshiners.... especially with the car trunk open and the stash inside!