A couple of years ago I unsuccessfully tried to grow tobacco. The tiny seeds germinated and then died. It didn't cost me much, so it didn't really bother me. Then I saw a video from a gardener who said that you have to try at least 3 times before you give up. Failure is part of learning she said. I tried once again, and purchased Virginia Tobacco seeds from Tobacco Seeds Canada. For fun, I tried some flowering tobacco as well. It was a cold spring and I started my seedlings too early. I thought it would be failure once again, as the seedlings looked very sickly. Once the weather warmed enough, I put them in the garden and tried my best to give them the right fertilizer and watering. For a month, they hardly grew at all. Then when the summer heat kicked in, I began to see real growth. This past summer was extremely hot and we went through a severe drought, so I watered every day. Now I am harvesting the lower leaves that are yellowing. The plants must have been really stressed out from their poor initial start an less than ideal growing conditions, because they ended up being no more than 2.5 feet high. Never the less, I have my own tobacco to experiment with, and it feels pretty good. Being impatient, I have already smoked some leaves, and being from the bottom of the plant, the smoke is very mild and mellow, and of course, it's not that interesting (needs aging), but hey, the best is yet to come!!! Next year, burley and oriental will be on my farm. P.S. The humming birds loved the flowering tobacco.
I just started growing my tobacco. Have you tried?
- Thread starter Andrew Barker
- Start date
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We’ve been hydroponically growing Yenidje. These are the two bigger plants. The one on the right sprouted flowers twice now, and the one on the left once.
The smaller one didn’t fare too well in its jar, but we put it in a glass to get roots growing again. It’ll get transplanted to a jar again.
The smaller one didn’t fare too well in its jar, but we put it in a glass to get roots growing again. It’ll get transplanted to a jar again.
Super cool! I take it they’re just ornamental and not destined for smoking, yeah?
Yes, destined for smoking. Hopefully, I can prep it correctly. I wanted to grow Yenidje since it’s relatively uncommon to find these days.
I read your post too quickly and interpreted it as, “I take it they’re not just ornamental and destined for smoking, yeah?” hence my “Yes” reply.
These three plants started out as a test to see if we could grow tobacco indoors, possibly year round. I waited too long to start them for outside this year which should’ve been around February. Plants that we grow hydroponically seem to fare better than when they’re potted with dirt. Susan is the first to say she has a black thumb. The tobacco plants are doing surprisingly well, considering they’re being grown indoors under LED lights. I have many hundreds of Yenidje seeds, so I can keep trying if these plants don’t make it. Hopefully, I can process them properly and end up with something good and smokable. I might use the Yenidje to blend, or smoke on its own.
You are supposed to remove the flowers and suckers, which are side shoots, as they divert some of the plant's resources. You want your tobacco plant to focus on making quality leaves. Stop fertilizing in the last month before harvest. You want your plant to clear nitrogen. The leaves will begin to yellow. When they turn light green and have some brown on the edges, they are ready to pick. The bottom leaves yellow first. The mildest tobacco is at the bottom. The middle leaves have a more balanced flavor, and the top leaves taste strongest. You can simply hang the leaves out of the sun and they will slowly turn brown. They need good air circulation. There are many drying and curing techniques. Congratulations on your success!
Your tobacco plants look really good !! I use to grow my own tobacco for several years only Virginia, cigar leaf for 1 year
If you really wanted them to thrive, you'd add Polonium.
I have not, yet; but look forward to start in a year or two, to complement what I have in my cellar.
Polonium (Po) is a rare, highly radioactive chemical element discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie, named after Poland. It occurs naturally at low levels as a product of uranium decay, but is most notably used in its isotope Polonium-210 (Po-210). Po-210 is a strong alpha emitter, poses a severe health hazard if inhaled or ingested, and has been used for industrial purposes and as a tool for assassinations, according to McGill University.