Plant and Garden Reference Information

Planting Tobacco

One of the oldest and most prolific cash crops in history is tobacco. Planting tobacco is a longstanding practice typically reserved for corporations providing cigars, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco products. There is, however, no reason why an individual cannot plant tobacco for their personal garden and use.

There are many varieties of tobacco to choose from all with different properties. Take the time to review the various types, their primary purpose, and your preference to find the variety that is right for you. Planting tobacco can be a rewarding process.

Currently, we are planting and growing five varieties of tobacco. Three of these are being grown traditionally and two varieties are being grown using hydroponics. The current varieties being planted are Burley, Kentucky Hybrid, and Midewivan Sacred in the traditional manner and Walker’s Broadleaf and Tennessee Redleaf in the hydroponics ebb and flow flood table.

There are a few things to remember about planting and growing tobacco. Tobacco seeds are very tiny and are not to be sowed beneath the soil. They should be on top of the growing medium. The best way of planting tobacco seeds is to place them in water and then distribute the water across the growing area. Second, tobacco plants grow very large, around six or seven feet in height and two to three feet wide so leave plenty of space between plants. Third, nicotine is a chemical that is meant to deter and poison pests that would eat the plant so be careful handling the plants as they grow.