The Story Begins: OG Beacon III
When Beacon Farms was created it looked like this:
After Beacon’s Rock Grinder completed its grinding, it looked like this:
After adding Beacon-produced compost and mixing, it was almost ready for planting.
The Beacon Rock Grinder grinds rock and mixes with soil to a depth of 14 inches. Compost from Beacon’s compost manufacturing facility is then tilled into the soil.
Beacon’s Tobacco Soil
Our rock is limestone, and when crushed it becomes chalky silty loam.
Silt 50 – 71%
Sand 10 – 18%
Clay 7 – 11%
PH 7.4 – 7.6.
Additives in various volumes: Elemental sulfur, chicken manure, horse manure, in-house compost, and in-house mulch are added.
TOBACCO SEED
Seed is a very important factor in producing exceptional Cigar Leaf. Beacon uses seeds derived from original Cuban seeds and also saves seeds from every crop. This gives the new seed an introduction to the soil and Cayman climate conditions.
Tobacco seed is very small and germination is very slow. The seed is raised in small plastic pots and the strongest sprouts are selected for Field planting.
FIRST GROWTH
Tobacco seeds cannot be planted in the field. The seed must be started in a greenhouse. The small seed is scattered over a special planting mixture that is in small cups. The seed germination is slow and may take 10 to 15 days.
The seedlings remain in the greenhouse until they are 6 to 8 inches in height and then go to the field for planting.
FIELD PLANTING
Crop 2024 will consist of 250 Connecticut Broadleaf plants and 250 Criollo 98 plants. The Broadleaf is used as a wrapper or a binder, and the Criollo 98 is used as a filler.
Field preparation begins with tilling in the soil additives and compost. Then the elevated beds are created, drip irrigation pipe is laid on top of the rows, and then a plastic mulch is laid over the beds. All three of these tasks can be done by machine.
The final step is to plant the sprouts by hand or by machine.
Our 2024 crop was planted in November 2023. It is growing nicely and both our Broadleaf and Criollo 98 plants are developing well underneath the Caribbean sun and natural tradewinds. Natural rainfall provides just the right amount of water, and our conditioned soil allows water to reach the roots of each plant, ensuring that nutrients are finding their way into the leaves.
Check back again next month for our next update!
Granger & Scott
To read last month’s update click here.
