Tiny tobacco seed
Tobacco seeds, are tiny so small in fact you can fit hundreds on a coin.
OK, how do we get started. as I said, tobacco seeds are very small the seeds should be placed on moist compost in early march,
Do not cover your seeds with compost as they need light to germinate I place mine in a small tray and cover with clingfilm this will keep them stay moist without you having to water them and will allow them to germinate.
Then place them on a south facing windowsill and wait.
OK, how do we get started. as I said, tobacco seeds are very small the seeds should be placed on moist compost in early march,
Do not cover your seeds with compost as they need light to germinate I place mine in a small tray and cover with clingfilm this will keep them stay moist without you having to water them and will allow them to germinate.
Then place them on a south facing windowsill and wait.
Germination time
Germination takes about 12-16 days and at this stage the seedlings are still too small too replant.
Tobacco seedlings have a thread like root structure and don’t like being transplanted to soon so wait until their leaves are big enough to handle easily. when the plants are about a quarter of an inch tall.
Then plant them in a very small pot.
Tobacco seedlings have a thread like root structure and don’t like being transplanted to soon so wait until their leaves are big enough to handle easily. when the plants are about a quarter of an inch tall.
Then plant them in a very small pot.
5 inch pot stage
As the plants develop transfer them to a 5 inch pot and then subsequently to a 10 inch pot keep them watered as any drying out will kill them also over-watering will have the same affect.
10 inch pot stage
The plants are now at the 10 inch pot stage keep watering them on a regular basis and I would suggest waiting until the end of May in the UK before planting them out, as this time of year the risk of frost diminishes and frost many damage or even kill them.
Planting out
The plants can now be planted out in the garden at a spacing of 1 foot apart if you are limited for space but ideally 2 foot apart.
At this stage you may be worrying about pests well tobacco plants seem to have very few pests in the UK the most likely problems you may have would be slugs, snails, and birds for example.
To discourage birds I would suggest placing some garden twine with some tinfoil tied to it at 1 foot spacing’s and for slugs and snails you can use slug pellets, green fly may be a problem but I don’t use chemicals on may crop it’s unlikely though as tobacco plants are sticky and this seems to discourage them.
At this stage you may be worrying about pests well tobacco plants seem to have very few pests in the UK the most likely problems you may have would be slugs, snails, and birds for example.
To discourage birds I would suggest placing some garden twine with some tinfoil tied to it at 1 foot spacing’s and for slugs and snails you can use slug pellets, green fly may be a problem but I don’t use chemicals on may crop it’s unlikely though as tobacco plants are sticky and this seems to discourage them.
Cropping
Start cropping the plants when the first flowers start to appear.
Or when the bottom leafs start to yellow.
Take two leaves from the base of the plant every 4-5 days working your way up the plant do not take leaves that are too small as in may experience they do not smoke very well. you can keep doing this until you have stripped the plant, or if you wish to collect some seed, leave some leaves at the top of the plant to help the flower heads develop .
Or when the bottom leafs start to yellow.
Take two leaves from the base of the plant every 4-5 days working your way up the plant do not take leaves that are too small as in may experience they do not smoke very well. you can keep doing this until you have stripped the plant, or if you wish to collect some seed, leave some leaves at the top of the plant to help the flower heads develop .
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