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"Vegas de Santiago" Costa Rica Cigars

"The New Standard of Excellence"

 

 

 

 

 

Cigar Tobacco Growing
in Costa Rica

(Part 2)

Shade Grown Tobacco Plants
The Curing Process

Most tobacco plants should be grown in partial shade for best results.  Commercial shade-grown tobacco plants are actually grown in full bright sun, but under "cheesecloth" screens to diffuse the sunlight. This produces more consistent tobacco
leaf quality,top to bottom.

The "earth" is rich in volcanic minerals and drained well. 
(Ph of about 6.7).  The "earth" is fertilized soon after the tobacco seed germination, to encourage root growth and
very frequently as the tobacco plant grows.

Lower tobacco leaves, may be picked to cure, when they reach suitable size (5 X 14" for a good tobacco leaf).

The Curing Process, (for cigar tobacco), is done for 6 to 18 months in a relatively controlled, humid climate.


Using large, paper bags if necessary, to slow the curing
process down and all sunlight is kept out. The trick to the
Curing Process, is to not let the tobacco leaves ever dry out.


Our tobacco plants will mature in 12-15 weeks, depending on climate, and rainfall. Nipping off the buds of any flowers that form, will extend the life of the plants and allow multiple harvests, from the same tobacco plant.

The tobacco is "sun grown" tobacco as opposed to some of
the shade grown cigar leaf tobaccos.


After the tobacco plants grow to a height of three to four
feet, and leaf out fully, the flower buds thatform at the top
of the plants are removed, so that all of the tobacco plant's energies, will be focused into the tobacco leaves, rather
than into producing blooms and seeds. This is called "topping" the tobacco.

Most of our Costa Rican cigar tobacco is air cured, no artificial heat from fires or gas heaters is applied. The leaves of our tobacco are "air dried" for six to eight weeks, in the tobacco barns. Some cigar tobaccos are dried and cured for up to 10 years!

 

And let me add, from personal experience, that there is no
smell in the world more heavenly than that of a barn full of tobacco leaves, slowly curing.

Baling tobacco, is a new phenomenon; traditionally the
tobacco leaves are tied together in "hands;" the baling makes large quantities of tobacco easier to handle and process, but
in our opinion, tends to reduce the quality of the tobacco, because individual tobacco leaves cannot be seen or
inspected, and it removes much of the tobacco farmers'
incentive to grow high quality cigar tobacco.


The tobacco is sold in large warehouses by auction, though
the prices tend to vary little, from farmer to farmer, in any particular year.  Our special Costa Rican "wrapper" tobacco leaves are higher priced, because they are labor intensive.

The only role of the Costa Rican governmental association in
the actual sale of the tobacco, (other than regulating the amount, which may be sold), is to purchase, with the funds raised through the membership fees... all tobacco grown by
its members, within their quotas, which is not purchased by
commercial entities, at a low price.
 


 

Nutrients and Minerals
of Our Earth

The "earth's" consistency, including the "nutrients" it contains, determines the quality of the tobacco plant and whether it will even grow.

Our Costa Rican Cigar Tobacco, likes a loose, porous soil
created by the rich and dark volcanic earth, with plenty of 
"live" earthworms to churn the dark, rich "earth".  This could
not be achieved, if we used "toxic" pesticides or "chemical" fertilizers.

Because in order for the earthworms to do their job, they need
to be fed naturally occurring composts, from the rainforests
and the magic lands of Costa Rica.

As long as the earthworms are alive and churning the soil, we can be assured that our Costa Rican tobacco plants are healthy from the roots to the leaves and high up, towards the flowers and seeds!

And this makes our Costa Rican Cigar Tobacco, naturally Organic! Which is healthier, in turn, for our cigar customers!

Our tobacco plants dislike having wet feet, as much as you
or I, so heavy clays, that hold a lot of water, discourage its growth.
 

The particles should be predominately fine or very fine because coarse soil, doesn't hold water long enough, to suit our tobacco plants, and harvests will be sparse. Limey soils, will produce leaves like crazy, but they won't have any flavor.

Both the "earth" of the germinating seed beds, where our Costa Rican tobacco seeds, spend their first six weeks of life, and the permanent fields, where they mature, require preparatory treatment.

Burning leaves, brush and some light wood over these plots
kills fungi spores and weed seeds, it also adds potash and potassium acid to the soil.

This is a touchy "alchemical" business, too hot a fire, will damage the
soil structure, which retards the tobacco seedlings' growth.

United States tobacco growers, sometimes sterilize soil, by laying large metal pans on the it and pumping steam through attached tubes, or by sprinkling a formaldehyde solution into
the "earth". This isn't needed in Costa Rica.

Now, our rich, volcanic "earth" is ready for our Costa Rican "signature brand" tobacco seeds.
 

Tobacco Seedlings
And Maintaining the Crop

The tobacco seeds are so fine (250,000 per ounce), that our tobacco planters, usually mix them in with wood ash, so they
can see the trail of seed/ash, as they lay it in the furrows.

Our tobacco seed, is covered with a critically thin layer of dirt, only about 1/8" or so; otherwise, they can't make it through
the cover. 
Tobacco can be grown for several years on the same soil, without depleting it.

Overworked, "nutrient-starved" soil, can be rejuvenated with organic, stable manure. Cow "doo-doo" is a "no no" for tobacco, because it's loaded with "weed" seeds.

But we love our Brahma Cows! And often, they help us in the fields and when we are transporting our tobacco leaves to the barns for drying!

 

Commercial "chemical" fertilizer, is expensive and toxic. So
we rely primarily on composted vegetable matter, rainforest compost or "seaweed" powder, which is excellent in insuring
that the "earth", contains all the trace minerals needed for excellent cigar tobacco crops.

Since it is all "Organic" and there are no chemical toxins added to our soil, this is passed on in the quality of our cigar tobacco products.

As long as it isn't too fresh and moist; otherwise, fungi can develop. Also, fresh compost is usually dark, which causes another problem: it absorbs too much heat from the sun and cooks the seedlings. Rainforest compost, mixed with potash
is excellent.

Like us, "tobacco" is what it eats. An average acre yields about 1,800 pounds of  "cured" cigar tobacco "wrapper" leaf. During its growth, it gobbles up about 67 pounds of nitrogen, which must be available in large quantities, during the growth period, prior to the ripening phase.

Our cigar tobacco farmers avoid fish, blood, or slaughter house fertilizer, because they yield their nutrients too slowly.

The nitrogen from fish or animals, is still working as the crop
is reaching maturity, which causes the tobacco leaves to be undesirably dark and coarse.

One exception is "dried" fish, which gives up its nitrogen
quickly, and which produces a finer finished tobacco leaf at season's end.

Cottonseed meal, gives tobacco leaves, more body and substance, these are desirable traits in "wrapper" leaf, but
only if the weather is not unseasonably cool or wet.

If these conditions prevail, the nitrogen once again, powers
plant growth too late, when it should be ripening, not growing. This results in plenty of tobacco leaves, but they are low quality leaves.

Quality, not quantity, is the goal of our Costa Rican cigar tobacco farmers.

Tobacco loves potash, which greatly influences leaf-burning properties favorably, and that acre of tobacco leaf, will eat 138 pounds of it.  If it gets too much, it gets "root" rot.

Changing to acid potash, for a while, cures the problem.

Our cigar tobacco, will also nibble 16 pounds of phosphoric acid and 91 pounds of lime, from that acre of dirt. Lime is necessary to provide the proper alkaline balance of the "earth" for growth
of friendly bacteria.

Too much, though, and the ash on your cigar, will be soft and flake off.

Tobacco stems and midribs, that have been stripped from the tobacco leaves at the factories, are often used as fertilizer.

They release large quantities of the nutrients above, with the added advantage, that the tobacco juice in them, discourages insects, especially cutworms, which are tobacco's natural
enemies.


Almost all tropical, "lowland soils" contain chlorine. This tends
to grow a dark, rich leaf, that won't burn on its own.

That's why your Caribbean Cigar or Cuban, goes out quickly, unless you puff on it regularly. Puerto Rican leaf, is the exception.  Grown at higher altitudes, in soil devoid of chlorine, it's mild, aromatic and free-burning.

The "Volcanic  Mountains" of Santiago de Puriscal in Costa Rica, grows the richest and mildest cigar tobacco, without any chlorine!  Its high quality, won it the name of  "VdS Costa Rica Puros."

Pure, rich, organic Costa Rican Cigar Tobacco, has earned a reputation among cigar connoisseurs throughout the world.

Mixed with other, slower-burning Caribbean tobaccos, it 
improves their burning evenness and lightens up their heavy taste.

In the 1930's, as much as 30 mega pounds of Puerto Rican tobacco was exported for cigars annually.

Thanks to the US government, artificially propping up its price, with supports, it became non-competitive. Today, it has
virtually disappeared from the world market.


The best soils and additives for lush, tasty cigar tobacco
leaves, are determined by art, not science, by nature... not chemicals.

 

The Beauty of Tobacco


The opinion of one of our experienced, cigar tobacco farmers, sifting the "earth" through his fingers, is infinitely more
profound than those of all the USDA agronomists you can line
up end to end.

That's the beauty of tobacco... it's a gift, a blessing
and a mystery from the Gods.
 

The Result... is the Vegas de Santiago Puro!  
Famous and Unique in all the World!

Vegas de Santiago
Manufacturers of Premium Cigars in Costa Rica!


Buy Online!
Wholesale & Retail

http://www.vegassantiago.com

Contact Us at: vegassan@gmail.com

 

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Vegas de Santiago
Manufacturer of Premium Cigars
in Costa Rica

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