| Nicotiana Tabacum - Solanaceae or Nightshade | | | | burning, steaming or chemical applications. This soil |
| I've been working in or around tobacco since I was a | | | | sterilization process helps prevent disease, weeds and |
| kid. I worked the fields of the tobacco belt as a 12 | | | | even insects and is recommended for organic |
| year old, and in the years since have had an | | | | projects. Prevention is always easier that cure. Take |
| infatuation with the many different strains of tobacco | | | | this important first step and use only sterilized soil to |
| which are available to the home gardener. The | | | | start your seedlings. |
| beautiful plants produce a medley of varying blossoms | | | | In the meantime, while it's still bitter cold outside, you |
| with different colors, shapes and sizes, and is quite an | | | | can be preparing the spot where you plan to |
| attractive, enjoyable plant to grow. | | | | transplant your tobacco seedlings. The soil should be |
| Unlike the tobacco grown when I was a kid, the | | | | cultivated to remove old root systems. Apply generous |
| varieties that I have focused my attention on are more | | | | amounts of compost and manure and work it deeply |
| exotic and require specialized treatment to ensure a | | | | into the existing soil. An unpleasant chore, but one that |
| "bumper crop". Connoisseur tobacco is grown in much | | | | is absolutely necessary if you want your tobacco to |
| smaller quantities than the 300 acre fields I was | | | | thrive and produce large healthy leaves suitable for |
| accustomed to cultivating and tending as a child. This is | | | | working into cigars. |
| because each plant requires more TLC from the | | | | Once the seedlings are around 8 inches tall, they will |
| grower, and one BIG part of treating, cultivating and | | | | be ready for transplanting. |
| caring for these wonderful giant plants, is to leave the | | | | Growing the hearty tobacco plant really isn't very |
| chemical sprayer in the barn. I'll skip the organic lecture, | | | | difficult. There are topping and suckering stages during |
| it's pretty self explanatory. While I realize that smoking | | | | the second half of the plants life which are necessary |
| anything habitually will eventually cause health | | | | to ensure that the nutrients are delivered to where it |
| problems, it should go without saying that the tobacco | | | | counts, the main leaves, and not wasted on useless |
| produced using only natural additives is considered the | | | | parts of the plant. Do not use sucker suppressing |
| lesser of 2 evils. If you think it would harm a person to | | | | chemicals! Sucker your plants by hand. The two main |
| have prolonged physical exposure to a certain | | | | types of sucker control chemicals are contact and |
| chemical, why in the world would you spray that same | | | | systemic chemicals. Contact chemicals work by |
| chemical on the vegetation that you're going to | | | | burning young suckers that are newly formed. |
| consume on a daily basis? Organically cultivated crops | | | | Systemic chemicals inhibit cell division and can either |
| may cost more, and involve more work, but the | | | | work locally or throughout the entire plant. Maleic |
| reward is quite satisfying. | | | | hydrazide is the most common systemic chemical |
| When to get started is a timing issue that has | | | | used for sucker control. Avoid these chemicals like the |
| everything to do with where you are planning to grow | | | | plague because they are certainly not naturally |
| your crop. Tobacco can never be touched by frost, so | | | | occurring compounds. One drop of either of these |
| germinate your seedlings according to your regions | | | | harsh chemicals, anywhere near your plants, and your |
| climate. Seeds can be bought very inexpensively | | | | efforts to produce an organic crop will have been in |
| online. A quick google of 'tobacco seeds' will produce | | | | vain. Spend the time and do it right, and just break the |
| plenty of stores that would love to sell you their seeds. | | | | little suckers off as they shoot out of the limb/stalk |
| To produce cigar quality tobacco, you'll need at least 2 | | | | intersection. Once the top has reached 12 inches break |
| different varieties of tobacco. I suggest HAVANA | | | | or cut it off and discard it. Keep your plants watered |
| 503B for your natural wrappers, and SMALL STALK | | | | but don't over do it. Tobacco is a moisture sensitive |
| BLACK MAMMOTH for your maduro wrapped cigars. | | | | crop, and can easily drown. Make sure your plants |
| The wrapper type tobacco produces a thinner, less | | | | have sufficient drainage at all times. Standing water |
| veiny leaf and should be reserved for outer cigar | | | | around your plants for very long is almost always fatal. |
| wrappers only. For the filler, the basic choice is | | | | Go to your crop after a hard rain to check that the |
| VIRGINIA GOLD but as a grower you can produce | | | | water is running off. If it isn't draining away you'll need |
| different varieties and create your very own blend. | | | | to cut small trenches to direct the water away. |
| And remember, you will need much more filler tobacco | | | | Harvesting the tobacco should be done by hand. |
| than wrapper, so plant your seedlings accordingly. AND | | | | Never try to speed up the ripening process with |
| ALWAYS KEEP YOUR DIFFERENT PLANT TYPES | | | | pre-harvest chemicals which cause yellowing of the |
| MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION! Keep these ID signs | | | | leaves so more can be harvested at one time. Plants |
| with their respective plants throughout the growing and | | | | indicate their ripeness by beginning to yellow, a signal |
| curing process or you'll not have a clue as to which | | | | that chlorophyll is beginning to break down. Each leaf |
| tobacco is which, especially after curing. | | | | should be carefully inspected before it is removed |
| It takes anywhere from 6-12 weeks for seedlings to | | | | from the stalk to ensure that it is ready for harvest. If it |
| mature into plants large enough to be transplanted into | | | | is collected too soon, the curing process will be flawed. |
| their permanent spot in the garden. This figure | | | | The leaves will ripen in stages, from the bottom up. |
| averages out to around 9 weeks, just a touch over 2 | | | | Usually 3-4 passes are required to allow each stage |
| months. Here in the southeastern united states, the | | | | of leaves to fully ripen. This process of collection is |
| climate dictates that you should germinate and begin | | | | referred to as "priming", and is used the majority of the |
| planting your seeds indoors in late February, early | | | | time. Burly tobacco plants are stripped all at once, |
| March. If you have a late spring and frost is still | | | | referred to as "stalk-cut", and left in the field for 2-3 |
| threatening you may have to keep the plants indoors | | | | days to wilt before being sent to the curing facility. |
| longer. I start all seedlings indoors, in individual cups, with | | | | Curing the tobacco is an entirely different subject. |
| a mild soil blend that is kept moist and warm. Some | | | | There is plenty of information readily available online, |
| people sterilize the soil prior to planting seeds either by | | | | just do a quick search for "Curing Tobacco". |