How to Grow Tobacco

When it comes to planting seeds in your garden, tobacco is one of the few that stands out as a given. Almost anybody, gardening expert or not, can tell you a fascinating fact or cultural fact about the tobacco plant, but they probably couldn't tell you how to grow or germinate it. Tobacco seed is exceedingly tiny, difficult to handle, and may be tricky to germinate; nevertheless, once it has grown and rooted in the soil, it will thrive like a weed with minimal care...
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When it comes to planting seeds in your garden, tobacco is one of the few that stands out as a given. Almost anybody, gardening expert or not, can tell you a fascinating fact or cultural fact about the tobacco plant, but they probably couldn't tell you how to grow or germinate it.
Tobacco seed is exceedingly tiny, difficult to handle, and may be tricky to germinate; nevertheless, once it has grown and rooted in the soil, it will thrive like a weed with minimal care required up until harvest.
While many varieties of tobacco are grown only for their decorative value, the members of the Nicotiana family that have been produced for personal use date back over 7,000 years and are the focus of this growing guide and advice.
There is a 7-14 day germination period for tobacco seeds; you should overseed to account for failed germination; you should use a greenhouse dome to boost humidity; and you should water regularly.
Planting seeds inside Plant seeds in a 72-cell starting tray 6-8 weeks before the last frost date to give yourself plenty of time for both successful and failed germination.
Use fine potting mix to fill the trays to a depth of approximately 3 inches (not potting soil). Avoid using potting soil.
Remove any clumps from the potting mix by sifting it. Before planting, thoroughly wet the potting mix in the trays and let it drain.
Due of their tiny size, tobacco seeds should be scattered carelessly throughout all 72 of the beginning tray's cells. Mist seeds with a spray bottle but don't cover them with more potting soil right away. Humidity and optimum conditions of around 70-80 °F (not to exceed 85 °F) may be created by covering the tray with a greenhouse dome or simple plastic wrap.
Always store seeds in a warm, bright spot with a corner pushed open for ventilation. Mist with a spray bottle daily until germination, which should occur 7-14 days after sowing the seeds.
Once seeds have germinated, the greenhouse dome or plastic wrap may be removed and the seedlings can be planted 1-2 inches apart from a grow lamp. Starts won't become too lanky and tall if you place them 1 to 2 inches away from grow lights, which might otherwise cause uneven growth in the garden.
Soil should be kept wet, but not soaked, since this might hinder root growth. When the seeds are big enough, thin them out and separate the individual plants into bigger pots so they may be transplanted outside.
Soil for Tobacco Plants * Do not use regular garden or potting soil * Binder-Wrapper Tobacco Soil: Light, sandy, sandy-loam * Dark-Filler Tobacco Soil: Medium-Heavy, Clay, Clay-Loam
Tobacco plants are native to many different types of humid regions, but they all need somewhat constant moisture to flourish.
If you want to keep your plants healthy, whether they're in the ground or in a pot, make sure the soil has enough drainage and ventilation. However, not all Nicotiana species are same, and various varieties have varying soil composition needs depending on their intended use.