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1/4.
From seed to drying shed |
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 Preparation of the soil
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The
tobacco plant roots are delicate. In
order to develop, they require an extremely flaky soil. This is
why, under the torrid summer sun, the grower must plough
his soil several times. Multiple
ploughings also allows the conversion of weeds into natural fertiliser.
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Seeds to Plants
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To
ensure a good start for the crop, the Tobacco Research Stations provide
the growers who own their own land, with free seeds. Forty five days following the sowing of the
seeds, the seeds are
ready to be planted out. They
measure between 15 and 20 cms.
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The
Growing of Tobacco
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The
planting out begins in October and extends over a few weeks. This enables the growers to spread out the extreme effort
required by the growing and the harvest.
The plant is regularly inspected during the 45 to 50 days
necessary for the plant to reach its full maturity.
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The
Growing of Corojo
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The
Corojo plants, intended for the important outer layers, require particular care
and attention. They are protected
from direct sunlight by thin fabric. This
way they maintain their silky, soft and uniform texture and appearance.
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The
Growing of Criollo
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On
the other hand, the Criollo plants are exposed to the sun. This way they produce larger scale and higher intensity bunches
for the different mixtures required by the Habano brand.
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Harvesting
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The
harvest can begin fifty days following planting. A Herculean
task : each leaf is picked by hand and only two or
three can be picked at a time.
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The
Harvest of Corojo
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Each
Corojo plant bears 8 to 9 pairs of leaves. Each level of the plant has its own growing time.
Once the plant has reached full maturity, each level of leaves is
picked separately at intervals of 6 to 8 days. The harvesting of the Corojo extends over more than 40
days.
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The
Harvest of Criollo
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The
Criollo plant bears 6 to 7 pairs of leaves, referred to as “Ligero”,
“Seco”, “Volado” and “Capote”. The base leaves contain the least
flavour. At the top of the plant, the youngest leaves are exposed to the
sun and therefore contain a more intense flavour.
After the harvest, the leaves are taken to big tobacco houses for
further treatment.
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