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Home | Latest Cigar News | HARVESTING METHODS FOR CUBAN CIGARS
HARVESTING METHODS FOR CUBAN CIGARS
The harvesting of the tobacco leaves is really a difficult activity, because two concepts are kept in mind, that of physiologic maturity and the technical one being this last one the one that is applied to the different types of tobacco according to the industrial use of the leaves. The moment to harvest tobacco depends on many factors, being some of them the following:
Variety.
Age of the leaf starting from the plantation date.
Contents of water present in the moment of harvesting.
Position of the leaf in the stem.
Type of tobacco.
Contents of humidity in the soil.
Value of the temperature.
Presence of dew.
Solar radiation.
In dark tobacco according to the aspects stated before the methods for harvesting are classified in the following way:
By stages. As can be appreciated the leaves here are harvested in different moments keeping in mind that the process of maturating in this organ goes from botton to top, this method is the most technical one although it is the most difficult and of low productivity, generally the leaves are collected in pairs. This method is used obligatorily in shade grown tobacco and also in sun grown tobacco (strung), the difference between them is that in the first case are planned from eight to nine moments for harvesting and in the second one from five to six.
In mancuernas (tobacco stem with two leaves). In this case the leaves are collected being united to the stem (see pictures), harvesting is carried out from head to foot and in the same pole are mixed leaves from different parts of the stem; the leaves are not collected in the optimum state of maturity. This method of harvesting is used mainly in sun grown tobacco (en palo); the leaves of the basal area are lost with this method.
Combined. This method as its name indicates combines both, the basal area with approximately four leaves is collected by stages and the rest of the plant in mancuernas; applying this method the yields and quality of tobacco improve, being achieved an appropriate productivity of the work. This way of harvesting tobacco is the most generalized in sun grown tobacco (en palo).
Classification of the leaves according to their position in the stem
Not all the leaves of the plant of the tobacco have the same chemical composition and therefore they respond to the chemical postulate that reads: “The chemical composition of the leaf varies with its position in the stem”, in general the basal leaves (they are the first four leaves) are those of smaller content of nicotine, aroma, nitrogenous substances etc. The most balanced leaves are the ones located in the central part of the stem, while the higher ones (the last four leaves) are those of most chemical composition. Next we offer the nomenclature corresponding to the leaves from the seedbed to the harvest.
Primordial leaves correspond to the seed-leaves and those lost in the seedbed.
Mañanitas, are the leaves that due to their reduced size and for being near the soil, are not collected, however in shade grown tobacco they are collected in order to ventilate and to clean up the plantation.
Libre de pie, they are the first commercial leaves of the plant, they are collected in number of two or three and the process is carried out 45 or 50 days after the sowing.
Uno y medio, are the leaves that are collected after the previous ones. Around two leaves are collected per plant and it is verified between 50 and 52 days after having planted tobacco.
Centro ligero, are the leaves located in the central basal area, and they are classified as high quality, two or four leaves are collected, it is verified between 58 and 62 days after the sowing.
Centro fino, these leaves are in the central part of the plant and they are classified as those of the highest quality, they are collected between two and four leaves, it is carried out between 68 and 72 days after having planted tobacco.
Centro gordo, are the leaves located in the superior area of the plant, thick, dark, with great development of the nerviations and with very high contents of oils and resins, the number of leaves to collect is of two although there are peasants that in this moment collect all the healthy leaves of the plant, this work is done between 73 and 75 days after having planted tobacco.
Corona, this name is due to the crown of the kings, this two leaves are the last two leaves developed in the stem of the plant of tobacco and with the harvesting of the them is crowned the effort and sacrifice of the growers when producing the aromatic leaf that after the harvest will become the king of kings that is our genuine Habano. This operation is carried out between 75 and 80 days after having planted tobacco.
Particularities of the harvest in the different types of tobacco
a) Shade grown tobacco
This type of tobacco requires big investments and a great number of works, for what the man in the period of time between the preparation of the land and the conclusion of the curing stage should go to the plantation, to the plant, to the leaf or the curing barn from 120 to 130 times.
Tobacco for wrappers doesn't admit to harvest more than two leaves at the same time and as it is topped at a height of 16 or 18 leaves, then among eight or nine moments of harvesting have to be planned, which receive the following names: mañanita, libre de pie, uno y medio, primer centro ligero, segundo centro ligero, primer centro fino, segundo centro fino, centro gordo and corona.
Lastly and not less important in this type of tobacco is necessary to extreme the measures for taking care of tobacco, so that the leaves don't get dirty or damaged by the ground, or excess of solar radiation or contusions caused due to excessive pressure of the fingers when harvesting, also when transporting and manipulating the leaves.
b) Sun grown Tobacco (strung)
When removing the leaf from the stem, the same as in shade grown tobacco, this is pressed with the forefinger and, carefully, it is removed with a single movement of the hand. The leaves are placed one above the other one, until having twenty or twenty-five.
The harvest of the tobacco for fillers embraces a period that extends between 43 and 75 days starting from the transplant date. The quality and yield of the harvest depend on the quality of the woks carried out during this stage. The table that is shown next shows a clear idea of how harvesting is carried out according to the days of transplant and quantity of leaves per poles.
Cutting "Habana-92" "Criollo-98" "Corojo-99" "Habana-2000"
Days of transplant Pairs of leaves/poles Days of transplant Pairs of leaves/poles
Libre de pie 43-45 90-100 43-45 90-100
Uno y medio 48-50 75-80 45-47 75-80
Centro fino 55-58 70-75 52-54 70-75
Centro gordo 62-65 85-90 59-61 85-90
Corona 70-75 95-100 66-68 95-100
The harvesting of mañanitas will be done between 37 and 40 days after the transplant for all the varieties, the rest of the harvestings should be carried out in the way that explains the previous table.
The leaves are collected in the morning after the dew dries so that the leaf doesn't arrive wet to the curing barn, and inthe afternoon when the sun is already hidden.
The leaves already collected are taken to the curing barn in different ways, in the arms or in baskets if the curing barn is near the plantation and if it is very far observe the pictures below.
When the leaves are taken far from the plantation, wooden trails are used with animal traction, as shown in the picture.
Plantation where mañanita, libre de pie and uno y medio have already been collected. Observe how the peasant works.
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