Tobacco seeds and growing

[squeeksmom]

First of all, I posted this in a thread on the main forum, but I'll repeat it here. If you want some tobacco seeds, just pm me an address and I'll send them out.

There is a wealth of info on growing and curing tobacco online, so I'll try to just hit the pickier points here.

The seeds are teeny - smaller than sand. A pinch of seeds that germinate will produce years worth of tobacco.
Tobacco is a member of the tomato, potato, pepper, etc family. If you can grow tomatoes where you are, you can grow tobacco.
The seeds are sown on the TOP of some good potting soil. I use just a plastic meat tray from wally world, fill it about half full, and lightly scatter the seeds on top. You can't see them, so it's hard to tell how many you've done. Some people mix them with cornmeal in a salt shaker and sprinkle them on with that. Then cover the top completely with plastic wrap and put some newspaper over that, and put them in a sunny place. They need moisture, but direct sunlight will kill them. Check to be sure there is moisture condensing on the top of the wrap, but keep the newspaper over them. Once they germinate, they need warmth and sunlight, but again, not direct - the heat from direct sun will burn them up. The little plants are very fragile till they get established. When they have four leaves it's time to transplant them. I do this with a fork - very carefully. Some people have had good luck using peat pellets, but it didn't work well for me.
They can be planted outside as soon as your weather maintains 40-45 degree days. Plant them about 2 foot apart, in a x x x pattern, and even then
x x
they'll be tight by the time they're ready to pick. When the bottom leaves start turning to yellow or brown, pick a few bottom layers from each plant. The leaves should be a foot or so wide and two foot long. By now, the plant will be well over 6' tall. Flowers will form on the top (hummingbirds love them) and an acorn sized bulb will form at the bottom of the flower. That's the seed pod. Each pod has hundreds of seeds, and there will be numerous pods on each plant. Only let the flowers grow on the plants you're saving seed from - it helps the leaves to get bigger in you pinch off the flowers on the rest. Continue picking from the bottom up till the leaves are just too small or frost hits, whichever. I pick weekly.
It makes drying much faster if you crush the middle rib before hanging them to dry. This is time consuming and not much fun, but it helps. I string mine on galvanized wire in pairs, the leaves back to back, about an inch apart. When they're dark brown and crinkly, they're dry. You can smoke them at this point, but they're pretty harsh and smell funny.
Curing the tobacco leaves takes away the bad smell and mellows the taste. There are only a couple requirements - high temp ( 100 degrees or higher), high humidity (80% is good) and air movement. A vent is good, too. I use an old dead freezer with a 100 watt light bulb, a pan of water on the bottom, and a teeny fan. My DH put a hole through the top for a pvc vent. The fan and water should be at the bottom, the light bulb wherever it fits, and the leaves hanging just like they were for drying. Because the leaves are so long I can only get two layers of two rows, so it's slow for me. Lower temp and lower humidity means a longer curing time, but they will cure. You can tell they're done when the bad smell quits coming out the vent. This is not something you do in the spare bedroom unless it's vented to the outside.

Hope this helps some of you. If you have any questions, I've probably forgot some things, just yell. And, again, if you want some seeds just let me know.

squeeks

ps: tobacco is useful for more than just smoking. It is a great insecticide - boil some of the yucky or small leaves like a tea. Mix the water with a little dish soap and spray on plants.
Some people feed a leave to their cows, horses, etc once a month and don't ever have to worry about worms. (oughta tell us something, huh?)
And I feel better, if I HAVE to smoke, to at least be smoking something without the commercial chemical additives.

forgot to mention, the seeds I send out are Virginia tobacco - it's about the best for cigarettes.

[Caplock50]

Thanks Squeeks. Just the first of many questions to come( ); How long will these seeds last in a ziplock baggie? If I get some in the mail soon; will they still be good for planting come spring? Will I need to do anything special to make sure they keep until then?

Ok, ok, so I can't count. I'm a dumb country bumkin, ya know.

[squeeksmom]

They'll be good for years kept in the proverbial cool, dark place. I start mine in late February, but I have a REALLY short growing season here. They start slow, come to a slowdown when you transplant them, and again when you plant them out, till their roots gets re-established, so give them plenty of growing time.
Ask all the questions you want - I know I missed a lot.

[tropicalfish]

squeeksmom, I sent you a PM.

Is growing your own tobacco legal as long as you don't sell it?

[PilotFighter]

I would love some seeds. I have tried in the past, but never got them to germinate. What's the trick. This year, I will have a nice grow light for them.

[squeeksmom]

Yep, it is totally legal to grow up to 1/10th acre for your own use. Just don't try to sell the finished product -- fedgov gets testy when you cut in on their taxes.
PilotFighter, the germination is the hardest part of it. They must have moisture and warmth. By covering them with plastic wrap it keeps moisture on the seeds and you can tell if you need to spritz them a little when you don't see condensation on the underside of the plastic. But the plastic must be covered with newspaper, or something similar, to filter out the burning rays of the sun. A grow light will be great, just make sure it's not too warm. Once the seedlings come up, you can remove the plastic wrap, and just spray gently with water when they need it, but still protect them from the hot sun.

[A.T.Hagan]

A couple of previous threads relating to tobacco growing

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showt...obacco+growing

http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showt...obacco+growing

I seem to recall several others in the archives as well, but didn't see them right off in my quicky search.

.....Alan.

[squeeksmom]

Thanks, Alan, for posting those -- I don't know how. But I seem to recall they contain some good info.

squeeks

[SageTheRage]

HOLY SMOKES! The tobacco seeds arrived today and I am super thrilled! Thx Squeeks!

[squeeksmom]

Sage, glad they showed up - was worried after I read what you sent to booger - afraid you'd have to be harvesting at the P.O.

[PilotFighter]

Got mine today. WOW what a lot of seeds. Thank you so much. I got more from you than I did when I ordered $30 worth 3 years ago. Thanks again!

[booger]

Got mine yesterday. There are a billion of them in there! Thanks!!!

[funnyfarm]

Got my seeds too. Thank you so much!! Really appreciate your time and effort to send them to me. You're Great. Thanks!

[squeeksmom]

You're all welcome!!
BTW, something I wanted y'all to know - after reading something about this in another thread - your names and addresses were written down one time, on the envelope I sent you, and they have been deleted from my puter. Just a precaution, but if your seeds don't show up, you'll have to pm me again.

squeeks

[Caplock50]

Hey SqueeksMom, just wanted to let you know...I got my seeds also. Sorry for taking so long to respond, but I was in the woods hunting for Bambi. Or his Dad...or his brother. Heck, any deer with antlers. My freezer is about empty. And Bambi won again...so far.

[squeeksmom]

Jeez, caplock, if ya want, come on up. I have 4, 2 with antlers, that come to the back yard almost daily. They just come up to see if I've planted anything new yet. Once the ground is covered with snow, they'll stay away - know it's all over till spring.
Glad you got the seeds. You'll probably be able to get yours seeded a lot earlier than most people - must be nice to live where it's warm.
Take care. Hope you get a deer.
squeeks

[LMonty911]

Thanks, Marsha, seeds recieved! looking forward to the spring for one more reason

btw, in your experience, how long until maturity and harvest from seedling transplant would you guess? two months, three, or longer?

[squeeksmom]

LM: Where I am in MN, I can't even get the plants into the ground till the end of June - and your weather could be about the same. They seem to stop for a little while till they get used to being outside, then they grow quite fast. I start harvesting the bottom leaves about mid-August or so, then every couple weeks till frost.
Glad the seeds made it - winter just setting in here, and I'm already looking forward to spring. sigh

[A.T.Hagan]

Seeds recieved. Thanks much!

.....Alan.

[1dreadstalker]

i got my seeds THNX sorry i'mlate in getting back to you.the new job has been keeping me hopping

[squeeksmom]

Glad everyone's seeds have shown up - if anyone wanted any and didn't get them, let me know.
1dread: hope the new job is going good for you.

NEXT: we'll talk about how to change huge, big-ribbed, pliable, sweet-smelling leaves into something smokable. Still working on an EASY way to shred the leaves, yet not turn them to powder. Works and smokes okay, just doesn't look professional. But at that price, why should I care, huh??

squeeks

[rhughe13]

squeeksmom, I got a letter in the mail from you today. The seeds look wonderful and I can hardly wait to plant them in the spring. I'm heading to my garden now and decide where they will go.

Thanks so much!

[rhughe13]

I planted half of my seeds on February 2 and they are sprouting. I started them in a seed greenhouse. I plan on starting the remaining ones for a late crop.

I'm also waiting on some Havanna seeds to get started.

I'm gonna roll me some cigars!

[squeeksmom]

Great, rhughe13!! Sounds like it's working out just right.
I'll be starting my seeds the end of this month - by the time they're ready to transplant, I'll have the greenhouse up, and by the time they're ready to go into the ground, I hope I'll have thawed ground to put them in. We don't normally put anything into the ground here until June 1. sigh

squeeks

[Wild-T2]

http://www.coffinails.com/index.html

I was getting ready to make a post on the main board about growing tobacco. Glad I checked here first and wish I would have checked here earlier. I am trying to get my first set of seeds germinated. I purchased them from the web site listed above. For $20 I got 200 seeds for 4 varities. It's a great site. Has a forum for people to ask questions and post pictures of what they are doing. Lots and lots of good info. What squeeksmom said sounds exactly what they say to do on this site.

Anyway, I'm trying Virginia, Havana and Monte Calme Yellow. One thing they do say about saving seeds is that if you have more than one varity growing, be sure to cover the flowers on the plants that you plan to get seed from to keep from cross pollenation.

They also have some plans for cureing boxes, and making cigars and snuff. The old fridge sounds like a good idea. I haven't figured out how I'm going to cure yet. Going to see if I can get the seeds growing first

[Caplock50]

Hey squeeksmom, I read some place on the net that age'ing the leaves take 3 to 5 years. Is curing and age'ing the same things? Also, I am late in getting my seeds planted. Should I wait now for next spring? Unless we have an 'unusual' winter, it stays warm here well into November.

Thanks ever so much for your seeds and your help.

Have an exceptionally great day!

[Hayseed]

Squeeksmom

Got my seeds and wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you sending them.
your very special.

Hayseed

[squeeksmom]

Hey, Caplock! Good to see you. Nah, drying is just the process of turning the leaves from green to brown. You want to hang them ( I use galvanized wire, with the leaves back to back, about an inch apart.) I also take the time, and effort, and frustration, and mess, to mash the center rib - it speeds up the drying time. Hang the leaves somewhere that they can stay dry but get plenty of airflow. I use the top of our pole barn, but even a covered clothesline will do. They need air, but shouldn't get wet. Depending on your humidity level, the time will vary. Here the humidity is like a hundred percent so I have to use a building or I'd have to bring them in at night. They're done when they've gone from green to a nice rich brown color - they can be dry and crispy or a little flexible and still be dried right.
Curing is the process of high temp and high humidity to take the "punk" out. You can smoke uncured tobacco, but people will think yer smoking cannabis. Smells kinds like it. Or like the herbal smokes you can buy. I use an old freezer, put a pan of water, or a small humidifier in the bottom, and a fan, and a 100 watt bulb. A pvc pipe coming out the top lets the smell out - don't do this in the house unless you vent to the outside - smells nasty!!!
After curing, you age the 'baccy. You can smoke it right away and it's fine, but by storing it for any length of time, the flavor deepens and mellows. I grew 160 plants the first year. I began using it right after curing, but since I have so much, I'm still using it, so some of it has been aged two years. I'll be planting another big batch this year. I guess it's kinda like the difference between a Marlboro and a cheap generic - just a little bitier. (is that a word?)
You should still be fine for starting the seeds. Germination, transplanting and hardening off takes about 12 weeks. I can't even get mine in the ground till mid-june, and have to have them drying by the end of September. You should have plenty of time. Our season is so short here that sometimes I have to hang flower heads that I'm saving seed from in the garage to finish maturing. You're where it's warmer and should have a good season.

Hayseed, you're welcome. No problem. Use and enjoy!


squeeks

ps: edited to add: if you smash the center rib of the leaves, the fluid that comes out is kinda acidic so don't let it drip all over the other leaves. It'll eat holes it them. Just smash some and hang em, then do some more. It's not at all hard to do, just kinda messy. I use an old rolling pin to just smoosh the top 6-8 inches of the rib.

[Yammy]

Thanks for the tips I'm planning to start mine in the house here soon as I won't be able to plant them till about mid June as well.

[Caplock50]

I've got a couple of 2 liter soda bottles I'm planning to use to sprout mine in. I plan to lay them on their sides with soil in them and to blow some of the seeds into the bottle through a soda straw. Oh yeah, I plan to wrap the bottles with wax paper. That should take care of the 'direct sunlight' problem.

What do you all think? Is this a workable idea?

Was in the 80's this morning; but now is in the 40's; so I guess I ain't *that* late after all.

[squeeksmom]

Should work fine Caplock. Put some small holes in the bottom side of the bottle and sit it in a pan - that way you can water from the bottom. Even using a spray bottle to mist the tiny seedlings will lay them over (ask me how long it takes to stand up 160 seedlings) and then they are prone to mold. Just check to make sure the soil does not dry out - the root system takes a couple weeks to establish and if the soil dries out, the roots will die. After the first few days, you will see what looks like little white spots - that's the seedling bursting out of the shell. When you see the first leaves, you can take the cover off, but still be sure not to let the topsoil dry out - that's when the roots are forming.
Good luck to all. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to try to help.

squeeks

[Wild-T2]

squeeksmom, How long does it take to start getting 4 leaves. I've been struggling here and have lost most of the Havanna & Monte Calme Yellow and all of the Virginia, but still have a few that are still standing. The sprouts are 4 weeks old today. I restarted some more Virginia using deeper soil and am bottom watering. This batch has been up a little over two weeks.

[mcchrystal]

Dear squeeksmom,

Thank you so much for the seeds! I will keep you posted on how I make out
with growing them here in the "tropics" of the Twin Cities (laughing)!

[Jumpy Frog]

Got mine started, thanks for the great home-school project and garden addition. The home-school liason nearly fainted when my son told her he was growing tabacco.

[squeeksmom]

Jumpy, that's funny! I guess it's a product most don't think about growing.
I planted my seeds a week ago, I have little sprouts with two leaves yet, but in another couple weeks they should have four. Wild, I'm not sure what the problem is - remember they need sunlight to grow after they have sprouted, but not direct enough to burn them. I bottom water now, but the first year I just sprayed (and stood them up a lot). Is the room they're in fairly warm? Although my house stays in the 68-70 degree area. I also water with warm water. Are you using city water? Sometimes the chemicals in city water will cause problems. We have well water and that's fine, or store bought if you're on city. They're just so fragile at their starting that it's kinda a fine line - too much heat burns them and dries them, too much water and they wilt and rot. I did try covering some of mine this year with that Saran wrap that sticks when you press it - it's not totally clear and seemed to do a good job of filtering sunlight. Maybe try covering yours with something like that - more warmth without direct rays.
Tobacco grows in stages. The seed sprouts and the leaves come. Then it takes some time for the roots to develop. Then you transplant them into bigger pots, and they go dormant again while they re-establish the root system. Then they start to grow again, just in time to put them in the ground, so they go to sleep again for a bit.
I always get nervous right about this time, cuz it's so easy to lose them - they're up, but not strong. I act like a mother hen - cover, uncover, close blinds, open blinds, shield with my body if there's a draft.....
Everyone please keep us informed how you're doing. I started another thread about how your tobacco is doing, so we can use this one or the other.
Good luck to all. You can always pm if you need help.

squeeks

[Malone Laveigh]

A big BUMP and a great BIG THANK YOU to Squeeksmom for starting and then finding this thread.



Malone

[SheWoff]

Bump again. I am going to try growing my own also. There is a lot of tobacco grown around here but you can't get seeds from anyone. They guard those like secret family recipes lol. So Squeeks you have a pm...

She

[Malone Laveigh]

So Squeeks you have a pm...

One from me as well. Thanks so much for the effort you're going through.



Malone

[antlers]

Also just sent a PM to you -- very nice of you to share your seeds.

[squeeksmom]

You're all very welcome - it's an easy way to poke a sharp tobacco stalk in ,gov's eye!!

Still have seeds, if anyone else needs some - just pm.

squeeks