broad leaf growing

Really amazing how little rain and a few hot humid days transforms a broadleaf seedling to a 2 foot tall plant . We are out and about today so we will be taking great broadleaf field pictures and posting them soon. The whether is a huge factor on quality cigar wrapper or wrapper that will never makes it to market .

The Ct valley finishing planting Broadleaf

More than 2000 Acres of Broadleaf  planted this year by independent Growers . Traveling threw Ct Valley Seeing a Grower finish planting there farm . Then moving there Setter, water trucks, planter, Equipment to a neighbors farm and plant neighbors 5 acres of broadleaf. Some grower's need plants to finish so they visit there Broadleaf neighbors . Broadleaf plants cant be bought at walmart . And they sure don't come from other states . It sure is a "Family" Independent farmers who look out for each other. Take care of each other. This is neighbor truly helping neighbor !!! Would you see MacDonald's and Burger King  sharing napkins during lunch hour if one ran out of napkins. Or a Coke truck stopped on the side of the road to help change a tire on a  Pepsi truck .  Correct  Never ! This is why Ct valley Broadleaf farmers really get it. When  the crops are all good the whole market benefits.  They get more money per pound $$$.

traveling the ct valley

On the roads of Ct . This is a great time of year the broadleaf  is growing . Last week was wet and cool. This week dry and hot . Great growing conditions . Plants are healthy bright dark green with steady growth.

cultivating again

The broadleaf  looks great . Lots of rain last week . Cultivating  Fertilizing - Hoeing - More Cultivating .  

bring up the dirt

The ground is freshly cultivated . Fertilizer is on the side of the broadleaf plant . We take a farm tool called a hoe and bring  fertilizer and the soft dirt up to the plant. This feeds the plant .

Side dressing ( More fertilizer )

10 to 21 days in the field broadleaf needs more fertilizer. Farmers  put on 500 to 2000 pounds per acre .  This time of year farmers are on 2 or 3 tractors per hour . One tractor for planting . 1 or 2 tractors cultivating . 1 tractor for spring tooth . Another for disking (wheel harrowing) . Farmers work independently when a neighboring Farmer need's a hand - they help each other . This time of year the phrase  "The best tractor on my farm is my neighbors" . Is so true !!!

Cultivating

The ground gets very hard after a good rain storm . So important to break up the ground to give much needed air .Drying the ground softening the dirt a round the plant is essential to broadleaf  . Last week in the Ct Valley we had a wet week . Every Broadleaf Farmer is doing the same thing sun up to sun down . Cultivating  cultivating , and yes more cultivating . From Enfield threw Suffield into Southwick . Farmers are on there Tractors  at a turtle speed  cultivating Breaking up the dirt so the broadleaf plant roots have much needed space to grow.

Resetting by hand

After the broadleaf  is planted . 3 to 7 days later we inspect every plant in all the fields. Taking a hand shovel  and  a cup of water we add  plants where they are needed . (Resetting).

Fertilizer and Planting

When fertilizing each farmer has there preference . Some heavy on cow manure some no manure . Soy , fish bone , Meals , little nitrogen ,  lime , even cotton . pounds per acre range from 2500 lbs - 5000 lbs per acre each growing season.                                                                                                                                     Planting  broadleaf  is with a 2 row or a 4 row setter. A 4 row setter can plant 8 acres in one day . A 2 row does 4 acres.

Plants green house to field

Preparing Land

Land preparation soft sand loom . with moisture important not  ( wet ). 1 st Subsoil  big  steal teeth 24 ". pulled by 60 + hp tractor . This breaks up the ground  and  gives much needed Air . Then plowing  Flipping the dirt 16 to 20".  Then disk the dirt  "wheelharrowing ". Smooth the ground with a springtooth. A little weed and bug control . Spring tooth or smooth the ground again . This takes 4 to 6 weeks .  Ready to plant . .

green house

The greenhouses are the same but very different . One green house has seedling growing in plastic trays (128 cells ). The other style green house does not have trays . Dirt and potting soil are mixed and tilled . Then the seed are thrown by hand . This growing style is called  ( Bare Root ) .

Day 1

  I am a former grower of Ct Broadleaf & Ct Shade. A little about me is tobacco has been my life since i was born. Growing up on a farm weekends were the greatest, going to work with my (Dad) in the late 1970's @ Consolidate Cigar ! They were huge in growing Shade. My father Aubrey Miner ran farm 56 in Broad Brook C.t. Early 80's Consolidated closed and left C.t. Other Farms continued to grow.Then the Mid 90's tobacco was booming I landed a dream job at Enfield Shade Tobacco For 7 years i ran daily operation's Building Shade fields. Raising 150 acres of Shade Cigar Wrapper. That takes 300 people to Harvest. In 2002 it was time to spread my wings Then we planted broadleaf for two years. 2004 Full time Growing Broadleaf and Shade. Winter of 2004 Sorted tobacco at Jarmoc Farms for Ed and Steve Jarmoc. Then grew Tobacco for a few more years. I'm trying to share as much knowledge as possible in this blog for you. Cigars are not just for smoking. Cigars are a great conversation at work on the golf course or just b.s.ing with friends. Knowledge is power. Let's get started no Let's roll.                                                                                                            In mid April Winter is be hind us . The day is here to start seeding . Seedlings grow for 60 days then plants will be ready for trans planting ( Setting ) . We are Blogging to Share the 100 years tradition of producing the
finest cigar wrapper in the world . Lets get started !!!