The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 1

Greetings Friends,

To underscore our obsession with the history, culture and processes of the great cigar industry, we at Molina Cigar Company would like to show you how you can grow your own tabaco for personal consumption... right in your own backyard. What!? Yes, yes, we admit that we are a bit obsessive but this further illustrates our passion for the great devil's weed.

But wait a minute... isn't it illegal to grow tabaco?! It depends on your state laws but federally speaking you may grow tabaco for personal consumption. If you want to sell, then you are considered a commercial grower and will need a permit from the TTB (or the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau which is part of the Department of the Treasury) for that. Don't quote us but we believe this is legal in most if not all states. I know as far as Louisiana is concerned (where we will be conducting this experiment), it is legal. Again, if you attempt to grow your own tabaco, check your state's laws, and never sell it without checking with the TTB and your state! This experiment will only result in tabaco grown for our personal consumption and not result in subsequent sales. In fact, we invite any TTB agent that would like a free sample of our crop to call us!

Now that the legal jargon is addressed, we will take pictures and update you of our step-by-step experiment. We have grown our own in years past but now want to spread the word to everyone on how easy it is to grow your own!

So Part One involves germinating the seeds. First, we get a small plastic bin that you can find in any garden center (if the economy has got you down, you can use Styrofoam cups!). We fill it with potting mix (soil with nutrients, as tabaco is a natural drainer on the soil's content), then water the soil.

Tabaco seeds are pinhead-sized, so be careful about not spilling them all over the place. For this year's crop, we went ahead with seeds that we picked from last year's crop, it is a mix of Connecticut and Havana strains that is about two generations old and has been grown in Metairie, LA. As far as we know, this may be the first Metry tabaco in years!

So next, we simply disperse seeds on top of the soil and then cover the top layer with a thin coat of soil. And voilà, there we have it! And to make it official, we knock the ash from the cigar we were smoking while planting onto the top of the moist soil for a little good luck and to add a little nutrients to the mix (although this is not necessary, we did this for a little personal tradition of ours. Ash is loaded with nutrients and may help out those sprouts that will receive the ashy goodness in this area; remember that many commercial tabaco growers plant in farms near volcanoes since the soil is loaded with nutrients from volcanic ash from the past).

Now we play the waiting game until the seeds germinate and begin sprouting.

A few pointers: be sure not to have the container/soil exposed to hot direct light. We will use a tarp/cheesecloth to let in just the right amount of sun, so the heat doesn't fry the little sprouts. Be sure not to overwater (a good mister is recommended). We put the container high above ground to deter any would-be pests from eating the tasty sprouts that will soon pop out. Tabaco is a god-send for voracious insects and they love to consume the leaves of the plants. There is a saying: if you can grow tomato plants, then you can grow tabaco. Insects love these two plants.

Before we close, here are some resources for your research. You can search the internet to find businesses that sell tabaco seeds (especially strains for growing tabaco specific for cigars) and there are forums that can advise and help you out with the details (www.howtogrowtobacco.com is a good place to start). We are simply illustrating what we are doing to grow tabaco for our own pleasure.

Email us any pictures if you decide to undertake a similar venture and we will post them here on our blog. Be sure to check here in the future for regular updates on the Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment!

Saludos,
Luis