That swarr really impressed you last year right?
deluxestogie Grow Log 2016
- Thread starter deluxestogie
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I grew 3 versions of Swarr-Hibshman side-by-side (two different GRIN PI numbers [Swarr-Hibshman and PA Swarr-Hibshman] plus one from Nicotiana Project) for comparison, at Jessica's request. They were indistinguishable. Both Mr. Swarr and Mr. Hibshman would laugh, since they knew this all along, having developed the one and only Swarr-Hibshman tobacco.
It produces huge leaves that generally kiln to a medium brown or darker. It makes a remarkably sturdy wrapper or binder, and a mild-to-medium strength filler. A Swarr-Hibshman puro burns well, but is fairly one-dimensional in aroma--that is, it tastes like a typical factory cigar. For a home roller who may have way too much ligero on hand, Swarr-Hibshman is the cure. One leaf of something strong and interesting; all the rest Swarr-Hibshman.
In summary, Swarr-Hibshman makes tastier but less productive varieties go much further. If you grow your own cigar leaf, it makes sense to plant some Swarr-Hibshman.
I planned for only 8 Swarr-Hibshman plants this year, since the poundage is comparable to 16 plants of Vuelta Abajo, for example. But alas, I used extra Swarr-Hibshman seedlings to fill in for mortality in other varieties. So I have 8 additional plants that went in the ground 2 or 3 weeks later. (They'll be on my walking wounded list, if tropical storm Hermine swings this way.)
Bob
It produces huge leaves that generally kiln to a medium brown or darker. It makes a remarkably sturdy wrapper or binder, and a mild-to-medium strength filler. A Swarr-Hibshman puro burns well, but is fairly one-dimensional in aroma--that is, it tastes like a typical factory cigar. For a home roller who may have way too much ligero on hand, Swarr-Hibshman is the cure. One leaf of something strong and interesting; all the rest Swarr-Hibshman.
In summary, Swarr-Hibshman makes tastier but less productive varieties go much further. If you grow your own cigar leaf, it makes sense to plant some Swarr-Hibshman.
I planned for only 8 Swarr-Hibshman plants this year, since the poundage is comparable to 16 plants of Vuelta Abajo, for example. But alas, I used extra Swarr-Hibshman seedlings to fill in for mortality in other varieties. So I have 8 additional plants that went in the ground 2 or 3 weeks later. (They'll be on my walking wounded list, if tropical storm Hermine swings this way.)
Bob
Izmir-Karabaglar Sun-Curing on the Stalk
The trick here is to take the photo near sunset, so that the redder light gives the impression that the leaf is curing to a reddish-gold.
As you can see, the yellowing has extended about 2/3 the way down the stalks after 6 days. It's also approached the point of curing at which I would elect to move them to shelter if rain threatens.
Bob
The trick here is to take the photo near sunset, so that the redder light gives the impression that the leaf is curing to a reddish-gold.
As you can see, the yellowing has extended about 2/3 the way down the stalks after 6 days. It's also approached the point of curing at which I would elect to move them to shelter if rain threatens.
Bob
cigarchris
Well-Known Member
Looking good! I might try this with my Xanthis since they're the only variety I haven't even begun priming yet. The bulk of the leaf seemed to mature simultaneously, but even after four years of growing, I'm still not 100% confident of my ability to determine what perfectly ripe is. Only the very top leaves, most about 6"x10", show no yellow on them. From about the fourth leaf up to the fourth from the top, all show just a bit of mottling, some yellow edges and the tips drooping a couple inches.
Laborious Day 2016
Above is a photo of my Long Red. I pressure-washed aphids from these plants for a second time yesterday. Today, I will stalk-cut the lot of it.
I haven't been quite able to keep up with priming of the Corojo 99 (Robaina). The three closest plants had aphids, and were also pressure-washed yesterday. Now they're clean behind the ears, and ready for Sunday school.
The leaves are well matured, and heading into being ripe, which is late for cigar leaf. But they will be fine.
The Nostrano del Brenta is enjoying death from a thousand cuts. Hacienda del Cura (the 5 remaining plants) will be stalk-cut in a couple of days.
Required Update
Making It All Worth It
Late last night, while typing an email to a brother in Appomattox, I decided on the spur of the moment to snap a picture for him of what I was smoking. It's not rolled for beauty. Filler is mostly PA Red plus one leaf of Nicaragua Habano viso.
The lovely FL Sumatra wrapper was handled and processed just like all of my other leaf. It is a dark maduro, because it grew high on the stalk. It's from my 2014 crop. It was aged 2 years, then kilned for 30 days at 125ºF. It was destined to be the color you see. It is so oily that it burned like a candle until I took several aggressive draws.
Bob
Above is a photo of my Long Red. I pressure-washed aphids from these plants for a second time yesterday. Today, I will stalk-cut the lot of it.
I haven't been quite able to keep up with priming of the Corojo 99 (Robaina). The three closest plants had aphids, and were also pressure-washed yesterday. Now they're clean behind the ears, and ready for Sunday school.
The leaves are well matured, and heading into being ripe, which is late for cigar leaf. But they will be fine.
The Nostrano del Brenta is enjoying death from a thousand cuts. Hacienda del Cura (the 5 remaining plants) will be stalk-cut in a couple of days.
Required Update
Making It All Worth It
Late last night, while typing an email to a brother in Appomattox, I decided on the spur of the moment to snap a picture for him of what I was smoking. It's not rolled for beauty. Filler is mostly PA Red plus one leaf of Nicaragua Habano viso.
The lovely FL Sumatra wrapper was handled and processed just like all of my other leaf. It is a dark maduro, because it grew high on the stalk. It's from my 2014 crop. It was aged 2 years, then kilned for 30 days at 125ºF. It was destined to be the color you see. It is so oily that it burned like a candle until I took several aggressive draws.
Bob
ProfessorPangloss
Amateur Kentuckian
That is beautiful, all of it, and especially that stick. What are your plans for Nostrano del Brenta? Are you planning to flue cure any of it to get a sense of how it performs, or were you going to air dry and kiln it? I will probably try it next year out of sheer curiosity.
If cats could grow tobacco, it would probably take them only 8 lives to stop growing new varieties out of sheer curiosity.
Il nostro Nostrano è il Nostrano. I'll send the seed to the FTT seed bank as soon as it's ready. But, in the words of Sgt. Schultz, "I know nnnuthink." I have no idea what class of tobacco it is considered, except that it has been used by one company to make Nostrano del Brenta puros. (Ouch! Italian, "German", Spanish. Why can't we all just speak English, like the Good Lord intended?)
I have no flue-curing setup at this time, so it will be carefully air-cured (i.e. neglected--out of sight; out of mind), then kilned at some point.
Bob
Il nostro Nostrano è il Nostrano. I'll send the seed to the FTT seed bank as soon as it's ready. But, in the words of Sgt. Schultz, "I know nnnuthink." I have no idea what class of tobacco it is considered, except that it has been used by one company to make Nostrano del Brenta puros. (Ouch! Italian, "German", Spanish. Why can't we all just speak English, like the Good Lord intended?)
I have no flue-curing setup at this time, so it will be carefully air-cured (i.e. neglected--out of sight; out of mind), then kilned at some point.
Bob
Smokin Harley
Well-Known Member
Bob, you crack me up . Some posts you're as serious as a heart attack . others you are a stand up comedian. whats up with that ? I mean nothing wrong about it but there must be something that lightens you up. Nice grow by the way.
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
Power wash aphids
My power washer would cut the stalks off and make spinach out of the leaf.
My power washer would cut the stalks off and make spinach out of the leaf.
I took a very proactive approach to aphids this year. As soon as I saw ONE aphid I started with soapy water every three days for about a week ( might have been two). I had no aphid outbreak this year. Right now I have about 10 plants still growing and not a single aphid to be found. Hit 'em hard as soon as possible. And you break their breeding cycle.
BT , I'm willing to bet Bob meant he used a garden hose to pressure wash the aphids
BT , I'm willing to bet Bob meant he used a garden hose to pressure wash the aphids
My power washer is a very long garden hose with a nozzle that allows various patterns. One is labeled, "flat", and is more forceful than the "shower" setting. The nozzle also has a bale like a fire hose, so the water can be continuously varied from off to full. At full, it's a bit harsh on the leaves up close. I fiddle with the force of the water as I work from leaf to leaf. With a little more hose practice--maybe by next season--I should be able to just use the damn imidacloprid in the transplant water.
In previous seasons, I've managed with soapy water. However, with the short-stalk, bushy varieties, like Swarr-Hibshman and Long Red, the aphids tend to lurk in the inner reaches of the plant, near the narrow base of huge leaves with an acute stem angle. There is really no practical way to hand mist them, until the final stalk growth spurt--when the stem angle relaxes a bit, and by then it's too late for the soapy water to do the job effectively. I tried episodic misting with permethrin on these particular varieties, but it's effectiveness is way too brief, and again, the locations most in need are nearly inaccessible.
So, it's hose 'em with a hose (after the fact), or hose 'em with imidacloprid systemic. OR...not grow those bushy plants in my aphidarium.
Bob
In previous seasons, I've managed with soapy water. However, with the short-stalk, bushy varieties, like Swarr-Hibshman and Long Red, the aphids tend to lurk in the inner reaches of the plant, near the narrow base of huge leaves with an acute stem angle. There is really no practical way to hand mist them, until the final stalk growth spurt--when the stem angle relaxes a bit, and by then it's too late for the soapy water to do the job effectively. I tried episodic misting with permethrin on these particular varieties, but it's effectiveness is way too brief, and again, the locations most in need are nearly inaccessible.
So, it's hose 'em with a hose (after the fact), or hose 'em with imidacloprid systemic. OR...not grow those bushy plants in my aphidarium.
Bob
Nothing Left but Stragglers
I'm too old to fart around with crappy leaf. The midget Little Dutch were pretty much a bust this year. I stalk-harvested the 5 of them that weren't too runty. I'll watch as the others mature. If, by then, the leaf is chock full of flea beetle holes, then I will toss them. The same goes for the runted Swarr-Hibshman, which were placed late--as replacements--into less than ideal locations.
The runted Colombian Garcia, visible to the left, with sun-curing leaves at the bottom, are going to be an experiment, if there is enough time. As the stems of the lower leaves fully dry, I'll collect the sun-cured leaf, and see how it comes out.
Since sucker leaf, even the most promising in appearance, seldom produces high quality leaf, I'm whacking them down. Besides, they simply give a late boost for endemic tobacco pests--army worms, flea beetles, bud worms.
Back when I first strung braided nylon rope inside my shed (some years ago), it was intended to support wire strings of primed leaf. Now, more than 2/3 of the hanging space is occupied by stalk-cut plants. The remarkable thing is that the rope, though sagging a bit, still supports this weight.
A Hornworm to Love and Pity
In the Sci-Fi movie, Aliens, the creatures would implant an egg into the throat of a human, then later, the metamorphosed alien baby would eat its way out of the victim's chest.
That's what the Braconid wasp does with hornworms. I've read about this, but never encountered it in my garden, until today. Although it's been weeks since I saw the last hornworm on any tobacco, I found this unfortunate tobacco hornworm on one of my pepper plants.
The tiny wasp (~1/8") lays individual eggs beneath the skin of the hornworm. As each egg hatches, its larva eats just a bit of the hornworm's insides to gather strength, then eats its way through the skin to form a tiny cocoon that dangles from the exterior.
Each of these fuzzy little cocoons will release another Braconid wasp to prey on more hornworms. (To the upper left, you may spot a curved larva emerging from the hornworm, as we speak.) So, you shouldn't kill a hornworm that looks like this one.
Curiously, while carrying my camera out to photograph the parasitized hornworm, I came across a fat, bright apple-green caterpillar of the Polyphemus Moth--a big boy that feeds on the leaves of various hardwood trees.
In this case, it was in the grass beneath an ancient Silver Maple.
Landscape Specimen
This spring, I planted 5 Lemon Cucumbers in the corner bed beside my porch. After 4 of them died of snail bite, I transplanted a Florida Sumatra. This spot gets only partial sun each day, so the plant has been slow to mature, and the leaves are shade-grown thin. The upper leaves are fairly generous in size. As you can see, above, I have primed none of its leaves. If I get anything, that will be a plus, but it just looks damn good where it's growing.
The stalk-cut Izmir-Karabaglar is now on day 11 of sun-curing.
Bob
I'm too old to fart around with crappy leaf. The midget Little Dutch were pretty much a bust this year. I stalk-harvested the 5 of them that weren't too runty. I'll watch as the others mature. If, by then, the leaf is chock full of flea beetle holes, then I will toss them. The same goes for the runted Swarr-Hibshman, which were placed late--as replacements--into less than ideal locations.
The runted Colombian Garcia, visible to the left, with sun-curing leaves at the bottom, are going to be an experiment, if there is enough time. As the stems of the lower leaves fully dry, I'll collect the sun-cured leaf, and see how it comes out.
Since sucker leaf, even the most promising in appearance, seldom produces high quality leaf, I'm whacking them down. Besides, they simply give a late boost for endemic tobacco pests--army worms, flea beetles, bud worms.
Back when I first strung braided nylon rope inside my shed (some years ago), it was intended to support wire strings of primed leaf. Now, more than 2/3 of the hanging space is occupied by stalk-cut plants. The remarkable thing is that the rope, though sagging a bit, still supports this weight.
A Hornworm to Love and Pity
In the Sci-Fi movie, Aliens, the creatures would implant an egg into the throat of a human, then later, the metamorphosed alien baby would eat its way out of the victim's chest.
That's what the Braconid wasp does with hornworms. I've read about this, but never encountered it in my garden, until today. Although it's been weeks since I saw the last hornworm on any tobacco, I found this unfortunate tobacco hornworm on one of my pepper plants.
The tiny wasp (~1/8") lays individual eggs beneath the skin of the hornworm. As each egg hatches, its larva eats just a bit of the hornworm's insides to gather strength, then eats its way through the skin to form a tiny cocoon that dangles from the exterior.
Each of these fuzzy little cocoons will release another Braconid wasp to prey on more hornworms. (To the upper left, you may spot a curved larva emerging from the hornworm, as we speak.) So, you shouldn't kill a hornworm that looks like this one.
Curiously, while carrying my camera out to photograph the parasitized hornworm, I came across a fat, bright apple-green caterpillar of the Polyphemus Moth--a big boy that feeds on the leaves of various hardwood trees.
In this case, it was in the grass beneath an ancient Silver Maple.
Landscape Specimen
This spring, I planted 5 Lemon Cucumbers in the corner bed beside my porch. After 4 of them died of snail bite, I transplanted a Florida Sumatra. This spot gets only partial sun each day, so the plant has been slow to mature, and the leaves are shade-grown thin. The upper leaves are fairly generous in size. As you can see, above, I have primed none of its leaves. If I get anything, that will be a plus, but it just looks damn good where it's growing.
The stalk-cut Izmir-Karabaglar is now on day 11 of sun-curing.
Bob
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
I'm Suprised you never saw a hornworm with wasp eggs on it. Most of my hornworms have them on them.
It is truly rare that any hornworm in my tobacco reaches more than 1 inch in length. The wasps seldom get a chance.
Bob
Bob
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
Well that explains that.
Do you inspect your patch with a magnafining glass also.
Do you inspect your patch with a magnafining glass also.
The size of my grow is usually fairly modest. I catch at least 3/4 of the hornworms as eggs.
Bob
Bob
Cigar
Well-Known Member
Thats very nice looking FL Sumatra there deluxestogie!
Cigar
Well-Known Member
your weclome deluxestogie!!
All I know about it is this mention in the "The Toscano" book: https://books.google.de/books?id=KuegAAPg5sQC&pg=PT47&lpg=PT47&dq=brenta#v=onepage&q=brenta
(pages 44-46. It's a nice book to have in print by the way, and not expensive.)
I believe Nostrano was/is also used in "Forte" pipe tobacco (or so people say).
Planter, I'm afraid I could not get Google to reveal even a single page of that book. Amazon says the print version is not available.
Nostrano del Brenta is KILNED!
Steel baskets of leaf in a giant kiln.
No more old fashioned piles of tobacco. The factory in Italy that manufactures the Antico Nostrano del Brenta cigars ferments its tobacco in a kiln.
This is the most detailed info on Nostrano del Brenta that I have found. (Translated to English, with lots of photos.)
https://translate.google.com/transl...odotti/sigari/nostrano/index.html&prev=search
The leaf is traditionally primed, and strung for color-curing. [Yay! That's what I did.]
The myth is that the variety is derived from a Havana type. Judging from its growth and appearance, I doubt this. But many Italian cigar forum contributors suggest that the taste of the Nostrano cigars is less like a Toscano, and more like a Caribbean cigar.
The brand name cigars are apparently manufactured from "threshed" Nostrano del Brenta filler leaf. No kidding.
Bob
Nostrano del Brenta is KILNED!
Steel baskets of leaf in a giant kiln.
No more old fashioned piles of tobacco. The factory in Italy that manufactures the Antico Nostrano del Brenta cigars ferments its tobacco in a kiln.
This is the most detailed info on Nostrano del Brenta that I have found. (Translated to English, with lots of photos.)
https://translate.google.com/transl...odotti/sigari/nostrano/index.html&prev=search
The leaf is traditionally primed, and strung for color-curing. [Yay! That's what I did.]
The myth is that the variety is derived from a Havana type. Judging from its growth and appearance, I doubt this. But many Italian cigar forum contributors suggest that the taste of the Nostrano cigars is less like a Toscano, and more like a Caribbean cigar.
The brand name cigars are apparently manufactured from "threshed" Nostrano del Brenta filler leaf. No kidding.
Bob
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