The Harvest

Forty days after planting out harvesting can begin, leaf by leaf must be picked by hand.
Only 2 or 3 leaves from each plant at a time with days to wait between each picking. The harvesting of one plant takes 30 days.

Leaves are picked at intervals from the bottom up giving time to the plant to develop the leaves before picking the rest.

Shade grown plants are taller with more leaves so they require more pickings.

The Mañanita leaves that are picked first are too small for Habanos but perfect size for mini cigars (Mini Cubanos).

Illustration of a sun grown tobacco

After about 7 days

After 3 days waiting:

Another 3 days of waiting:

Take a whole month to complete picking the leaves of a single plant.

The harvested leaves are taken to the barn for air curing, just the first of many stages that the leaves have to pass through...

Going to the barn...