Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Understanding Soil and Climate
• Part 2 of 4: Planting and Transplanting the Tobacco Plant
• Part 3 of 4: Caring for Tobacco
• Part 4 of 4: Harvesting and Drying Tobacco.
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

For centuries, the tobacco plant has been cultivated by farmers and gardeners for personal use and for sale. Today, most tobacco is grown and dried by large companies. But you can also grow your own tobacco with a little knowledge and a lot of patience. Growing tobacco is legal but can be a complicated process. Follow these steps to learn how to grow your own tobacco.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Understanding Soil and Climate

1. The tobacco plant grows in almost any kind of soil. The tobacco plant is an incredibly strong plant. It grows just about anywhere other crops grow, although the tobacco plant grows better in soil with good drainage. It is important to know that the tobacco plant can change very much due to the soil in which it grows. If the soil is lighter then the plant will likely produce lighter colored tobacco, and if the soil is darker the tobacco will usually darken as well.
2. For best results, tobacco should be grown in dry and warm climates. The plant requires a frost-free period of 3 to 4 months between transplanting and harvesting. The tobacco is best when not exposed to a lot of rainfall. Too much water will cause the tobacco plant to become thin and flaky. The best temperature for growing tobacco is between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Part 2 of 4: Planting and Transplanting the Tobacco Plant

1. Sprinkle the tobacco seeds over seed and cutting soil and water them a little. Put your seed and cutting soil in small flower pots, preferably with holes in the bottom. These seeds should grow indoors for 4 to 6 weeks.
   • Seed and cutting soil is a type of potting soil specially intended for germinating seeds. You can buy this at most hardware stores and garden centers.
   • Tobacco seeds are very, very small (not much bigger than a pinhead), so be careful not to put too many in a jar.Make sure there is enough space between the seeds so that it does not become too crowded.
   • Because tobacco seeds are so small, it is not advisable to plant them outside immediately. The nutrients they need are also different from other plants, so it is a good idea to add a special fertilizer for tobacco plants, for example.
   • Tobacco seeds need warm temperatures of between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius to germinate. If you're not using a greenhouse, make sure the place you're using meets these requirements.
   • Do not cover the seeds with soil. They need light to germinate, if you cover them with soil, germination can take longer or even not happen at all. The seeds should start to germinate after 7 to 10 days.
2. Water the seeds regularly, making sure to keep the soil moist, but not soggy. The earth should never dry up completely.
   • Be extra careful with watering, because if the seeds are flushed out of the soil by the water, they can die.
   • Water the plants from below if possible. If you used a pot with holes in the bottom, you can place the pot on a bowl of water. Then let it stand for a few seconds so that the water is absorbed by the soil. This gives the seeds water without the plants themselves getting wet.
3. Transplant your plants to a larger pot after 3 weeks. Your plants should be big enough if they were at the right temperature and received enough water.
   • Transplanting to a larger pot ensures that the plants can develop a strong and healthy root system.
   • To check if your plants are big enough you can try to hold them. If you can easily hold them between your thumb and forefinger, they are big enough. If they are still too small, let the germination process continue until they are big enough.
   • You can also transplant the plants without growing a root system first, which may even be easier since you only need to replant once. But if you put the plants without a root system in your garden at once, they can go into "shock". This will cause the leaves of your plant to yellow and wilt. After a week the plant will start to grow properly again, but if you avoid this "shock" you will save yourself a week of waiting, as the plants that were first transplanted to a pot will start growing immediately.
4. Water your plants with a fertilizer solution. This should provide enough nutrition for your plants until they are ready to be transplanted into your garden. This step takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
   • If your plants turn yellow or wilt, you may need to fertilize them a little more. Be careful with fertilizing as too much fertilizer can cause the roots to burn or the plants to grow too strongly and become spindly.
5. Prepare the area where you want to plant your plants. Make sure your tobacco plants are in full sun and that there is good drainage. The earth must also be well plowed.
   • Too little sun leads to spindly plants, poor plant growth and thin leaves. This is okay if you grow tobacco to serve as a wrapper for cigars. Growing tobacco in the shade can then lead to better leaf qualities.
   • It is also wise to test the pH of your garden. Tobacco plants must be planted in slightly acidic soil otherwise they will not thrive. The soil pH should be around 5.8. If the pH value is 6.5 or higher, it can lead to poor plant growth or growth ailments.
   • Do not plant your plants if your soil is contaminated with diseases or roundworms. Roundworms are parasites that feed on tobacco. They are very difficult to eradicate once your garden is infected.
6. Transplant your plants to your garden when the shoots are about 6 to 8 inches long. Place the plants in a row at least two to three feet apart, and place the rows about three feet apart.
   • Tobacco plants use a lot of nutrients, which means that they will deplete your soil in about 2 years. To counter this, you can use a 2-year rotation system. You do this by using a different place after 2 years and letting your original place rest for a year before using it again.
   • If you prefer not to leave a part of your garden unused, you can replace the tobacco with another plant. Preferably one that is not very vulnerable to most diseases that occur in soil, such as corn or soybeans.

Part 3 of 4: Caring for Tobacco

1. Water the plants well every night for the first few days after transplanting to allow them to take root. After they are well rooted, you can water less so they don't get too much.
   • Make sure the plants get enough water, but also make sure that the soil does not get too wet. If your garden is very dry, you can also install an irrigation system. This will keep your soil from drying out too much. That can cause your plants to grow worse.
   • If rain is predicted then you need to water even less. The structure of the plant ensures that the rainwater is led directly to the base of the plant.
2. Only use fertilizers that are low in chlorine and only nitrogen in the form of nitrates. Fertilizers used for tomatoes, peppers and potatoes are also suitable.
   • Too much fertilization can have adverse consequences as it can cause harmful salt build-up. The amount to use depends on several factors such as how strong the fertilizer is, how fertile the soil is, how much nutrients are flushed from the soil by rain and watering and several other things. Follow your fertilizer directions for best results.
   • It is recommended that you fertilize your plants several times. As soon as the plant starts to flower, you generally do not need to fertilize anymore.
3. Top the plant as soon as it begins to bloom. Topping is the removal of the top bud and makes the top leaves thicker and bigger.
   • The bud to remove is the one that is most visible and is usually at the tip of the shoot. You can remove the button by breaking or cutting it. Preferably do this before the flowers come out.
   • Soon after you remove this bud, buds will develop on the leaves. These must also be removed otherwise the harvest will be smaller and of poorer quality.
4. Weed gently around your tobacco plants to keep them weed-free. You can also pile up soil around the base of the plant to make it stronger.
   • The root system of the tobacco plant grows quickly and the root area is also quite large, with thousands of tiny hair-like roots growing just below the ground. Be careful when plowing or weeding, as going too deep can damage the roots.
   • 3 to 4 weeks after planting, deep plowing is no longer necessary and weeds only need to be carefully removed.
5. Spray your plants with tobacco-specific pesticides if you see pests or rot. There are certain caterpillars and pathogens that are specific to tobacco, but most of them are only found in the Americas.
   • The rotation process helps against diseases and pests, but there is no guarantee that your plants will not get infected.
   • If your plant becomes infected, there are several pesticides that are developed specifically for tobacco. However, you should do good research as different pesticides are made for different purposes. Some work well against insects, others are specific against fungi. Find a pesticide that is right for your problem.

Part 4 of 4: Harvesting and Drying Tobacco.

1. Cut the stem of your tobacco plants at the bottom of the base of the plant and keep the leaves to it. You can also leave the trunk and harvest the leaves in one go. Your plants should be ready to harvest about 3 months after planting out in the garden.
   • If you harvest the whole plant, you should do it about 3 to 4 weeks after topping. The lower leaves will have faded after so much time. If you remove the leaves from your garden, you have to do the harvest in 4 or 5 times with a period of 1 or 2 weeks between each harvest. Start with the bottom leaves. The first harvest should be done soon after topping when the leaves are already slightly yellowing.
   • Flowers will slow growth and will block sunlight from the leaves. That is why it is important to remove the flowers so that your tobacco leaves become nice and large and wide.
   • You need to keep the leaves intact as you will be hanging them during the drying process. Drying is necessary to keep the tobacco stable. The process releases various substances in the leaf that give the tobacco its aromatic taste. Drying also contributes to the softness of the tobacco when used.
2. Hang your tobacco leaves in a well-ventilated, warm and humid area. The recommended temperature for drying is between 18 and 35 degrees Celsius, and the good humidity is between 65 and 70 percent.
   • Leave enough space between the trunks so that there is enough room for the leaves to dry.
   • To ensure good quality, the tobacco should be dried for several weeks. If it is dried too quickly, the tobacco will be green and unlikely to have a good taste and aroma. Drying too slowly, on the other hand, can cause mold or rot. Keep a close eye on your tobacco and adjust your temperature and humidity as needed.
   • If you have harvested the whole plant and you are drying from the trunk, you must remove the leaves from the trunk when the drying is finished.
   • A building where the door can be opened and closed to adjust the humidity and drying speed is ideal.
   • Air drying tobacco is mainly done for cigar tobacco. You can also dry tobacco with fire, in the sun or by exposing the tobacco to heat. Fire drying usually takes between 10 and 13 weeks and is mainly done with pipe and chewing tobacco. Sun- and heat-dried tobacco is mostly used in cigarettes.
3. Ripen your tobacco in conditions such as those of the drying process. Commercial tobacco is usually aged for 1 year or more, but if you do it yourself it can take 5 or 6 years.
   • Tobacco will not ripen properly if the temperature and humidity are not perfect. If the tobacco is too dry it will not ripen, if it is too wet it will rot. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to say what the right temperature and humidity is. To get this just right, you have to experiment.
   • Keep a close eye on your leaves during the ripening process. Keep them moist enough, but free from rot. Ripening is not an exact science and adjustments will sometimes be required.
   • Ripening your tobacco is optional, but unripened tobacco is often very rough and often does not have a good taste.

Tips

• The different types and amounts of fertilizer you will need, how often you should water the plants, and how much pesticide you should use depend very much on the climate zone and region in which you grow the tobacco. You can ask local tobacco growers for help on how to best grow tobacco in your area.
• Some people harvest several times a season and then pluck each layer of leaves as soon as they reach a certain length. However, you will need to gain experience yourself to find out if this is a good technique for you or if it is better to harvest from the trunk.

Warnings

• Pests that affect tobacco plants are often different from pests that target other plants, so be careful that the pesticides you use are not bad for the other plants in your garden.
• Wait 4-5 years before growing tobacco a second time in the same place. This way, all the nutrients that tobacco plants need can return to the soil.

Necessities

• Tobacco seeds
• Scoop
• Flowerpot
• Garden
• Fertilizer
• Dry warm room in which the air circulates well