At the request of many of our customers, we have postedanswers to many tobacco growing questions below, we hope you findthis useful.
Where will tobacco grow?
Tobacco will grow in all 50 states, basically anywhere where youhave about 100 frost free nights after setting out the tobaccoplants.
What tobacco will grow in my area?
I have been asked this question thousands of times by customersover the years, the answer is really quite simple, tobacco willgrow just about anywhere, basically if a tomato plant will growin your area, a tobacco plant will thrive. All tobacco varietiesdo about the same in hot areas, cold areas, dry areas anddifferent elevations. You should choose a type of tobacco to growbecause of how you will use it, if one type will grow in yourarea, they all will.
How long does it take from the time you sow the seeds untilthey are ready to transplant?
Most growers state 4-6 weeks, but to be honest, I like to startmine about 6-8 weeks before our estimated last frost, tobaccoseedlings transplant well, and the extra 2 weeks growth not onlyshortens the growing season, it makes for larger, healthierplants when you do transplant.
How much tobacco will a single plant produce, and how muchtobacco do I need to make a carton of cigarettes?
Well, tobacco yield will vary among the different varieties, butgenerally a tobacco plant will produce about 3-4 ounces of dry,cured tobacco ( we normally get 5-7 ounces from our plants, butwe offer optimal conditions for growing ). When figuring yourtobacco needs, we would advise you calculate 2 ounces per plantto have a little margin of error.
While a commercial cigarette will normally contain about 0.7 grams oftobacco per cigarette, this is "puffed" tobacco and non-tobaccoingredients added. A pound of pure tobacco will normally produceabout 2 cartons of cigarettes. As a rule of thumb, figure about 4plants per carton, this gives you quite a bit of leeway. Youshould note that the best tobacco is aged, so the first year yougrow, you should try to double your normal tobacco needs for theyear, this way you can keep some aging each year.
What is the best way to start tobacco seeds? Tobaccoseeds really are fairly easy to start, but the seeds are verytiny and if you are not careful, you can have bad results thefirst time you try them. We start our seeds in regular 1020growing flats but you can use almost any type of tray orcontainer to start your seeds in, we do not recommend using peatpellets, we've always had rather poor results with these.
We fill them with a good seed starting mix. This is important, asa good seed starting mix will be fine textured and allow seeds tolay on top of the soil. Course mixes will allow the seeds toeasily wash into the soil, preventing germination. You canusually find a fairly good seed starting mix at most gardencenters, Miracle Gro is pretty good, or you can use a cacti plantgrowing mix in a pinch, as these are usually rather fine texturedmixes.
Before sowing the seeds, we soak the soil thoroughly, this isimportant, as this will prevent you from having to water thesurface for a time after sowing.
We then sprinkle the seeds onto the surface of the soil, we sowours rather thickly, as we plant to transplant the seedlings intolarger pots a couple of weeks after germination.
We then cover the 1020 flat with a clear plastic dome to helpkeep moisture trapped against the soil surface, you do not haveto do this, but it really saves you time and effort. If you donot cover the container with plastic, be sure to mist the soilsurface daily, if you allow the surface to dry out for only aday, it can kill the germination process.
Opps! I think I bought way too many seeds, how long willtobacco seeds keep in storage?
You can store extra tobacco seeds for 2-3 years and still getgood germination normally ( we change out our seed crop yearly,so if you buy from us you know the seeds are fresh ). Store seedsin a dark, dry, cool place such as a linen drawer.
How long does it take tobacco seeds to germinate?
The majority of varieties will start showing germination in 7-10days, or even a little sooner, but different varieties dogerminate at different speeds, it is not unusual for some to takeas long as two weeks to show signs of germination, and this canstretch into 3-4 weeks in cold soil and in summer heat.
What should I do when I see the first signs ofgermination?
As soon as you seed the tiny green specks appear, remove theplastic cover if you have one in place. From this point on, youneed to make sure the seedlings have good air circulation inorder to prevent "damping off", a common fungi disease ingreenhouses. A good source of information on this can be found atNCState Plant Pathology.
Even though you are providing air circulation, it is stillimportant to maintain good soil surface moisture. Bright light isalso important, not directly in full sun, but in bright,indirect sunlight area.
What about fertilizing new seedlings?
Most seed starting mixes contain a small amount of starterfertilize. You can also use a weak ( about 1/4 strength )solution of water soluble plant food such as Miracle Gro. Usethis solution weekly until seedlings are about 3 inches tall,then switch to full strength.
If I have planted seeds too close together and need toseparate seedlings, when do I do this?
Tobacco seedlings separate and transplant very well, but youshould let them develop a root system before pulling seedlingsapart and transplanting, even if they are growing in a close wador clump. I recommend not trying to separate them until they are3-4 inches tall. Using a root stimulator solution ( you can findthis at most gardening centers ), is very helpful in reducingshock.
How do I transplant them into the Garden?
Same culture as tomatoes, we recommend planting in lateafternoon, and watering around plants thoroughly to settle insoil. You should plant in garden type soil, we double the amountof fertilizer we work into the soil in early spring for tobaccoareas. It is always a good ideal to have the soil scientificallytested. Your local county extension agent can tell you how totake a representative sample to send to your State Soil TestingLab, every county has a county agent ( you can usually find thephone number by looking under Government Agencies in the phonebook under the title "Conservation District" ). Test results andfertilizer recommendations matched to the crop to be grown willbe returned to the grower, just note that you are growing tobaccoon the form you send in with the test.
Tobacco plants are gross feeders, we feed ours with a watersoluble plant food ( Miracle Gro will work fine ) about once aweek after the plants are a foot tall.
How far apart do I space tobacco plants in thegarden?
Generally, we prefer to space our tobacco out at about 3 feetapart, in rows 4 feet apart. This allows for plenty of growingroom and you can still walk between the rows to inspect the cropduring the growing season.
Should I stake my plants?
If you can, it is a good ideal to do so, we drive metal fenceposts down about every 20 feet along our rows, then run a smallrope ( about 1/4" is fine ) between each post, and tie the plantsoff to the rope, this gives support during storms and highwinds.
Will bugs be a problem on tobacco?
Surprisingly, bugs love tobacco, but are easily held at baydusting with Sevin Dust, we use the Liquid Sevin Dust Spray onours, you want to use something that is safe to use onvegetables, as you will be smoking or chewing this later. SevinDust will wash off and is considered safe to use.
Can I grow tobacco in containers?
Yes, tobacco grows very well in containers, buy you will need atleast 3 gallon size containers, and you will have to wateroften.
Hopefully this info will help you get started growing tobaccoin your garden, for harvesting and curing information you maywant to by our book, DVD or videos.
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