A Nice Tight Review

Greetings Friends,

The cigar blog that posts reviews about cigars and other industry-worthy news known as Nice Tight Ash (@NiceTightAsh on Twitter) has just added a video reviewing our Devil's Weed Cabinet Selection Raleigh (our robusto, 5x50). We at Molina Cigar would like to thank Charlie (the reviewer and @mountchuck on Twitter), and all the guys at Nice Tight Ash (@tight_ash, @bulldogrifleman, and @btmisles). Take a look at the video review below.



Click here for the actual video on their website, and I highly recommend checking out this cigar blog. It is well laid out, clean and informative. Brothers of the leaf like these keep the cigar industry fresh and invigorated. Thanks again, fellas, and I look forward to other reviews and posts!

Saludos,
Luis

AP Story on the Increase in Home-Growing Tabaco

Greetings Friends,

Maybe we are so far ahead of the curve or maybe citizens are so fed up with high taxes on cigars and other tobacco products that the Associated Press (AP) just released a story about the increasing trend of Americans growing their own tobacco lately. To read the story just click here.

Let's hope the feds do not make home-growing illegal. But they should know that the more they tax a particular item, the more dire consequences they cause (namely a large loss of tax revenue and/or a large loss of revenue from American business).

Regarding the same subject, if you're wondering why we have not posted any recent updates about the Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, there is a reason and namely that is because our digital camera broke and we have yet to replace it. But just know that as of Day 121, the plants are about 3 feet high and have had plenty of small caterpillars and eggs taken from them. Those pests are persistent!

Saludos,
Luis

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.

Day 104. A caterpillar egg lying on its food source. Smart mom.

Day 104. A newly-hatched caterpillar. About 1/4 inch in length. Notice the hole it ate in the leaf.

Day 104. A medium-sized specimen.

Day 104. A full-grown caterpillar. Next is cocoon time.

Day 104. The damage these guys can wreak.

Saludos,
Luis

The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 100

Day 100. A close-up of a fine specimen.

Greetings Friends,

It is Day 100 of the Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment and we are still here and thriving. It is safe to say that the transplanting was a success. The tabaco plants have grown tremendously since the last post (6 days ago) so this means that the roots have taken hold of their new terrain. It has also rained the last 4 days so the plants are receiving good natural water and thus have exploded in size. Everyday, I am inspecting whether there are any signs of pests and, luckily, the plants have not been discovered by herbivorous insects.

Now as long as there aren't any major storms or wind, insects or other acts of nature to damage the plants, we can expect to harvest the leaves for smoking consumption in another 45 to 60 days. The "drainage system" works well and we can expect a great harvest. Now we play the waiting game and smoke some cigars (preferably Devil's Weed cigars) as we watch the tabaco plants grow! Take a look at the photos.

Day 100. Field-view of the crop. Nice.

Day 100. Western-half of the crop.

Day 100. Eastern-half of the crop.

Day 100. Is this the MVP?

Day 100. Or is this plant the MVP?

In case, you couldn't tell which of the photos was the long-running holder of the MVP, it was the first one. All the plants are getting plenty of water, nutrients and space for the roots to thrive that nearly all are MVPs.

Saludos,
Luis

The Great American Backyard Tabaco Experiment, Day 94

Day 93. Tabaco in the rain.

Greetings Friends,

Today marks the 2nd day since we transplanted the tabaco plants to the garden plot in our backyard and the specimens seem to be doing fine so far. Yesterday (Day 93) was a little worrisome since a shower passed through the area and I wasn't sure how the transplants would respond so soon after transfer. In the end, they were fine.

I failed to mention in the last post a little tip regarding the laying of the ground tarp. In order to maximize the use and control of water, I recommend punching a few holes in the "valleys" of the ground tarp. This way the water that is collected from rain is drained and absorbed into the soil which will in turn be absorbed by the tabaco roots. Otherwise the water will just stay, stagnate and create a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

At this stage of tabaco cultivation by the professional commercial growers, it is ideal that the plant does not receive water directly onto the leaves. It is better if the plant absorbs the water from the ground via its roots. Why is that you ask? Water applied onto the leaves can result in water spots and commercial growers try to avoid this since the goal of tabaco cultivation is to have the highest wrapper yield (the most profitable grade due to its high aesthetics). But again, since this experiment is only teaching you how to grow tabaco for your own use, it is entirely up to you how you are to water the plants (as long as they receive some H2O).

Moreover, you want to be sure to not over-water the plants because if they absorb too much, then the leaves can wilt due to the oversaturation. (Again, I suppose if you do not care about wrapper yields, it may not matter if your leaves have some slight damage due to wilting). The commercial growers in Central America call the tabaco plants that have received too much water and result in wilted leaves drunk tabaco. In addition, too much water can also result in mold or fungal growth. Just be sure to monitor the condition of your crop.

Enjoy the pictures as we took some during the shower on Day 93 and the drier aftermath on Day 94.

Day 93. Singin' in the rain.

Day 93. Notice the valley collecting the rainwater.

Day 93. Ah, refreshing.

Day 93. Close-up.

Day 93. Watch the wilting.

Day 93. Drying off.

Day 93. Let the growing commence.

Day 94. Overall crop view. Notice the drainage from the valleys has occurred.

Day 94. Wilting can occur from too much heat or water. Take care!

Day 94. Not bad.

Day 94.

Day 94.

Saludos,

Luis