Item Tag: 3000 Seeds

Please note: The free shipping on this item means it will be sent as a letter. They generally arrive within 5 business days(in the U.S.) but can sometimes take up to 10. Orders with 5 or more packets of any of the seeds we sell with free shipping will get a free upgrade to tracked shipping(Domestic Only). Nicotiana sylvestris is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, known by the common names woodland tobacco, flowering tobacco, and South American tobacco. It is a perennial plant in the tobacco genus Nicotiana, native to the Andes region in Argentina and Bolivia, in South America. It is a tall plant, growing to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high by 0.5 m (1.6 ft) broad. The leaves are simple, somewhat sticky, with the blade partially surrounding the stem, clasping petiole. Flowers are produced on many-branched stems. The flowers are tubular, white, borne in racemes held above the foliage. Flowers can be over 7 cm long with a face 2 cm wide. Their intense scent is strongest at night, to attract pollinating moths. Each flower eventually produces a large quantity of small seeds. This plant is thought to be one of the parents of Nicotiana tabacum, the plant used in modern tobacco production. However, all parts of N. sylvestris can cause discomfort or irritation if consumed. How to Grow Tobacco Growing your own tobacco is so easy and not dissimilar to growing tomatoes. Place commercial seedling compost into a tray and soak the soil with water and allow the excess water to drain off. Sprinkle the tobacco seeds onto the surface of the damp soil. Do not cover the seeds, as they need light for germination. Tobacco seeds are very tiny, so be careful to spread the seeds as evenly as possible. Keep the soil damp being careful not to wash the seeds around when you water; better still water from below or use a mist sprayer. At a temperature of 75-80 degrees, seeds typically take a matter of days to germinate; though at this stage they are still rather small. At lower temperatures, the germination simply takes a few days longer. Plantlets are ready to be transplanted into bigger pots, when the leaves are about 1cm in length. Care should be taken not to disturb the roots. Feed should only be given to established and rapidly growing plants after they have been replanted. Tobacco requires a lot of nitrogen and potash, which can be supplied using standard garden fertilizer. You may want to grow your tobacco using only organic fertilizers. Ideally, space the tobacco plants about 2 ft. apart in rows 3 ft. apart. Transplant outside in the evening or when it is cloudy and overcast to avoid the youngsters from drying out. Water plants thoroughly after transplanting and water daily until plants become established. Like tomato plants, the branches (suckers, offshoots), should be removed to focus the plants energy on the large leaves. Tobacco plants generally require full to partial sunlight to grow properly. Tobacco is ready to be harvest after 60-90 days after germinating.