Molina Cigar Co.: The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 104

Sunday, August 2, 2009

The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 104

Day 104. A voracious tabaco-consuming caterpillar.

Greetings Friends,

Today's post will reinforce to you Green Thumbs what can happen to your crop if you don't keep constant vigil.

Before we describe the dangers of a ruined crop let us give you an update of our experimental plot. We are in the midst of a typical New Orleanian summer pattern: hot and humid days with a temporary downpour (usually in the afternoon). As a result, we haven't had to spend money (or time) on watering the crop. In addition, the water quality is better than tap. It is amazing to literally watch the growth of these plants. Unfortunately, the wind can pick up before a downpour and some of the plants get turned over. However, the plants that bend in the wind correct themselves and begin to grow straight again. Take a look at the pictures to see the progress.

Day 104. Full-view of the crop.

Day 104. The Eastern Half.

Day 104. The Western Half.

Day 104. The MVP is about 9 inches in height.

And now to illustrate to you faithful some of the dangers of gardening (especially if you take the organic route of farming). FYI, the plant shown here is one that has grown in the backyard since last November. It is well over 7 feet tall and has already flowered. Anyway, pests are a constant danger to your tabaco plants and are a fine food for many caterpillars and other bugs. I took a look at the plant today and found about 5 caterpillars of the same species, each in a different stage of its life cycle before the cocoon stage. I am not sure what species this is but can only guess it is a type of butterfly. If any of you DW faithful know what species this is, let us know in the comments section.

First, if you find a small globe on a leaf, this is an egg. This is the time to prevent any damage to your plant. Get rid of it or transplant the egg to another spot (if you're the PETA type). A butterfly or moth has just laid an egg on top of the food source for the caterpillar that will soon hatch. Once it hatches, the particular species likes to eat the leaves of the plant. If left alone, entire leaves can disappear thus decreasing your harvest yield for fine smoking tabaco. This species, once hatched, has a spiky thorn on its backside (most probably for protection and defense). The more it eats, the faster and larger it grows. The largest one I found today is about 3 inches long. This particular caterpillar is actually quite an interesting specimen.

I have yet to see its cocoon stage and can only guess it will form the cocoon somewhere on the plant. I am letting these pests stay here so as not to lead them on to our fledgling crop. Again, a little oversight goes a long way in yielding a successful tabaco crop. Take a look at the caterpillars below.