The whole Cuban cigar process starts in the months of June and July under the burning sun of the Cuban island, and continues non-stop for about nine months. To spread the heavy burden of the work of every cigar season, different fields are planted at different times. The time from planting the cigar seeds to completion of harvesting is around 19 weeks for shade-grown cigar plants, and about 16 weeks for sun-grown cigar plants. Cuban tobacco plants need the loosest possible soil for them to flourish to their optimum size, so the fields must be ploughed carefully in certain pre-established patterns and to a certain depth for several times before planting can start. Animal traction is still used to make to soil as soft as possible.
The seedlings are grown in special seedbeds, covered with straw for protection. Some are now grown using a new method of floating seed containers inside plastic tunnels, which serve for protection.
After 45 days the seedlings reach a height of 13 to 15cm and they are ready to be transplanted.
About 18 to 20 days after transplanting the plants, the soil is banked up around the base of the cigar plant for the roots to develop strongly. When the plants reach the desired height, the top bud is removed, which makes the growth of the plant concentrate on developing larger leaves. Removing the top buds causes an explosion of side shoots, which the farmers must remove.
About 40 days after transplanting the cigar plants, the harvest can begin. This is a laborious task because each leaf must be picked by hand. Only two or three leaves can be taken at a time and days go by before they can touch the same plant again. The harvesting of a single cigar plant takes about 30 days.