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Growing Guide
GROWING NOTES
Growing Tobacco in the Home Garden1
By E.B. Whitty2
Many homeowners wish to grow a few plants of tobacco in their yard or garden for ornamental purposes or for personal use. Tobacco plants are usually no more difficult to grow than many other garden plants, but it is difficult to cure, age, and process tobacco without specialized facilities. For information on commercial production of tobacco, contact your local USDA's Farm Service Agency office for marketing quota regulations.
Tobacco is a member of the Solanaceae or nightshade family. This family includes tomato, pepper, eggplant, Irish potato, and a number of other plants. Tobacco belongs to the genus Nicotiana, and almost all commercial tobacco is of the tabacum species. The Nicotiana rustica species was commonly used by American Indians and may still be used for ceremonial purposes in some areas. There may be small amounts of N. rustica planted commercially in Asia. There are a number of other species of Nicotiana that serve as ornamental plants.
Soil Selection
Tobacco should be grown in a sunny location on well-drained soils. Poorly drained soils could result in poor growth and even death of the plants. Tobacco can be grown on poorly-drained soils if the rows or hills are bedded and ditches or furrows are used to remove excess water. Drought stress could limit growth on excessively drained soils unless irrigation is provided. Lack of sun will result in spindly plants, poor growth and thin leaves. Some types of tobacco such as that used for cigar wrappers are grown under some shade to promote desirable leaf characteristics.
Avoid planting tobacco on soil infested with nematodes and diseases. Grasses would be excellent rotations for tobacco, while tomato, pepper, and similar plants would not be suitable. In addition to soil-borne pests, several virus diseases and insects that attack tomato and pepper also attack tobacco, so try to keep these plants in different areas of the garden.
Soil pH should be about 5.8 for best growth of tobacco. If lime is needed to raise the pH, use dolomite in order to get the magnesium nutrient which is important for plant growth. Poor growth and some growth disorders may occur if the soil pH is about 6.5 or more.
Producing Transplants
It may be difficult to find tobacco seed of the commercial varieties since they are sold only in tobacco-producing areas. However, seed will retain viability over several years if kept under cool and dry conditions. Commercial varieties of tobacco were developed for certain characteristics that may be of little or no importance to home gardeners.
Since tobacco seed are very small (300,000 or more per ounce), they should be sown in a greenhouse or in a protected area. The soil should be free of weed seed and disease organisms. A flower pot would be a satisfactory container if only a few transplants will be needed. Sprinkle the seed on the soil surface, then firm the soil surface to insure good seed to soil contact. Irrigate with a very fine spray, or add water to a saucer under the flower pot. Add water as often as necessary to keep the soil surface moist, but avoid excessive water.
Small amounts of fertilizer will be needed to produce the transplants. A tobacco fertilizer should contain little or no chlorine and most of the nitrogen should be in the nitrate form. Fertilizer manufactured for use on tomato, pepper, and potato should be satisfactory for tobacco.
Seed should be sown about 50-60 days prior to the desired date of transplanting. Transplanting should be after there is no further danger of freezing temperatures. Normally the best transplant is about 6-8 inches in length.
Transplanting
Transplanting tobacco is very similar to transplanting other garden plants. Bury or remove trash from the soil surface and provide for drainage by bedding the soil. If rows are used, space the plants about 24 inches apart. Rows should be 42-48 inches apart. Water the plants after transplanting and as needed during the season.
MAINTAINING
Fertilization
Fertilizers for tobacco could be the same fertilizers used for tomato, pepper, or potato. As in plant production, the fertilizer should contain little or no chlorine and most of the nitrogen should be in the nitrate form. In general, it would be best to apply the fertilizer in several applications. Some could be applied to the soil before transplanting, but do not place it where it will be in high concentration around the roots of the transplants. The total amount of fertilizer to apply will depend on the grade of the fertilizer, the natural or residual fertility of the soil, losses of soluble nutrients by leaching, and perhaps other factors. The best approach to fertilizing garden tobacco would be to apply fertilizer as needed to keep the plants growing well with a good green color. However, do not over fertilize or the plants may be too big and rank. If adequately fertilized up to the time of flowering, there should be no need to add any more fertilizer after the flowers begin to form.
Pest Control
Several pests can be problems for tobacco. Avoid nematode and other soil pest problems by proper soil selection and rotation. Weeds can be controlled by hoeing or pulling. The most common insect problems expected would be budworms, aphids and hornworms. Diseases that damage tobacco may include those that attack other plants or they may be specific pathogens for tobacco. Identify the pest problem and consult the appropriate pest control guide for information.
Topping and Suckering
While some tobacco plants are grown around the home for ornamental purposes, which includes the flowers, plants that are grown for cured tobacco should normally be topped as soon as the flower forms. Topping, or removal of the terminal bud, allows the upper leaves to get larger and thicker than they would in an uptopped condition. The top can be removed by breaking it out or cutting it off, preferably before any flowers open.
Soon after the top is removed, and before if topping is delayed, axillary buds or suckers develop at each leaf. The best way for the home gardener to prevent the suckers from reducing yield and quality is to remove them by hand. Suckers should be removed when they exceed about an inch in length. It may be necessary to remove suckers several times.
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