Tobacco

Tobacco Seeds

Grow your own home tobacco plant free of additives! These heirloom tobacco plants have been around for years and grow great in home gardens.

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How to Grow Tobacco

L'Assomption 201 is a cigar filler variety developed in Canada, at the L'Assomption Experimental Station during the 1930s. It is useful for as a cigar wrapper, binder and filler. The plant reaches a height of 4 1/2 to 5' at the crows foot and produces an average of 18 leaves. It reaches maturity in 50-55 days. It can be primed or stalk-cut or stalk-cured and air-cures easily to a deep, medium brown.

A tall growing Hungarian variety that reaches 6-7 feet in height. Leaves are long and narrow and ripen in 65-70 days. Plant closely resembles Orinoco.

Samsun tobaccos originated in the Samsun region of Turkey near the Black Sea. Samsun Maden is a sub strain of the original Samsun with a lighter colored leaf and milder flavor. The plant has columnar shape with the characteristic heart-shaped leaf with a fringed petiole. It reaches an height of 6 feet with 22-28 leaves averaging 12 to 15 inches in width and 16 to 18 inches in length. It reaches maturity in 50-55 days, ripens early and is usually sun cured. It makes a good stand alone cigarette, and is very good for cigarette and pipe blends.

Ainaro is a variety of Dark sun-cured leaf. It was collected from the tobacco garden of a simple home outside the town of Ainaro, by Anton Eise DeVries, during his exploration of Timor Leste in 2016. The most distinctive characteristic of its large leaves is their petiole (bare leaf stem), suggestive of some pre WW2, Japanese cigar varieties. It can be stalk-cut, and sun-cured on the stalk, or primed. The finished leaf has a spicy character. It also cooks into a tasty Cavendish. Suitable for pipe blending.

Limonka Rustica tobacco, also known simply as "Limonka," is a unique and highly sought-after variety prized for its distinctive flavor and aroma. Originating from the regions of Poland and Russia, Limonka Rustica is classified as a dark air-cured tobacco, known for its robustness and depth of flavor. The leaves of Limonka Rustica are typically medium to dark brown in color, with a slightly coarse texture. What sets Limonka apart is its pronounced citrusy aroma, reminiscent of fresh lemon or lime zest, which adds a refreshing and invigorating element to the smoking experience. In terms of taste, Limonka Rustica is characterized by its bold and earthy flavor profile, with hints of spice and a subtle sweetness underlying the citrus notes. This combination of flavors makes Limonka Rustica a popular choice for those seeking a full-bodied and aromatic tobacco blend. Whether used on its own or as a component in a tobacco blend, Limonka Rustica offers a unique and memorable smoking experience that is sure to delight tobacco enthusiasts around the world.

Burley 21 is heirloom Burley variety that is a long time favorite of growers. Its history dates back over 200 years. It grows to 6-7 feet and is a reliable producer of large heavy leaf. It does well in a wide range of climates, and matures in 65-70 days. The leaves make a strong full flavored smoke that is commonly used as a blend in cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobaccos.

The Cherry Red Tobacco plant is a cigarette and cigar tobacco that is also a great ornamental herb that produces big, bright yellow-green leaves. This Bright Leaf variety is a heavy producing tobacco plant that can grow to be over 7 feet tall. The Cherry Red plant yields over 25 big leaves per plant that are 24" long and 15" wide.

Lancaster Seed Leaf, grown extensively around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and is classified as a cigar filler. But its large leaves make it a good binder or wrapper as well. Cures to a deep brown color. The upper leaf can produce excellent "Pennsylvania maduro," for pipe blending. Yields an average of 3 ounces of cured leaf per plant. Days to Maturity: 55-60, Plant Height: 50-60", Leaf Count: 17-19.

Florida Sumatra is an heirloom tobacco that makes an excellent cigar wrapper when shade grown. It grows to 6 feet in height with leaves averaging 24 inches long and 15 inches wide.

TN 86 is a medium-to-late-maturing cultivar at about 80 days, that has more leaves and a more upright growth habit than other burley cultivars. TN 86, is the first burley tobacco variety having good resistance to TVMV and TEV diseases. TN 86 was released by the University of Tennessee as a commercial cultivar in 1986. The new cultivar, which is also resistant to black shank, black root rot, wildfire, and most strains of potato virus Y. TN 86 consistently out yields other burley cultivars. The cured leaf is generally reddish-tan in color and has great smoking quality.

Mount Pima is usually classified as a Rustica, although this may be incorrect. It has the characteristic typical of N. Tobaccums. The leaves are large and pointed and it produces a pink flowers typical of tobaccum varieties, instead of the rounded leaves and yellow flowers of Rusticas. It grows to 3-4 feet in height and is very hardy. Leaves cure to a light brown and are mild to smoke.

KY15 is a white stemmed high yielding Kentucky Burley. It has multiple disease resistance with excellent yield potential. Forms a plant with closely packed leaves with almost no suckers. Leaves turn yellow as they ripen, curling down around the edges. Excellent for curing and hanging stalks. The leaves dry to a light orange brown. Highly resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, wild-fire, and black root rot. Medium to high resistance to Fusarium wilt and tolerance to TEV.

Papante is a primitive variety that likely comes from southeastern area of the Mexican state of Sonora. A specimen is on display at the Conservation Center in Tucson, AZ. The plant's general appearance resembles that of both Little Dutch and Mountain Pima, though the leaf is a much darker green. It has been incorrectly listed and sold as Nicotiana rustica. Air-cures to a soft, light brown. Useful for cigarette, pipe blending and cigar filler. It’s relatively square secondary vein angle allows it to be used for cigar wrapper or binder. Days to Maturity: 52-60, Plant Height: 40-48 inches, Leaf Count: 19

Shargo originated in eastern Europe and is a hybrid cross between a white stemmed Burley and a Turkish strain. It has the vigorous growth and high production of a white stemmed Burley and yellows in the field as it reaches flowering and maturity at about 70 days. It has a spicy flavor more like many Turkish strains. It can be cut and hung whole or primed and strung to cure and dry. The plants grow to 7-8 feet in height to the bloom producing 16-20 leaves ranging from 13-17 inches in width and 24-28 inches in length. Shargo's unique flavor, heavy production, and early ripening and ease of curing, make it an excellent choice for new and experienced growers alike.

The American 14 Tobacco is Bright Leaf tobacco variety that is imported from Ukraine that will produce 30 leaves per plant. This variety is a tall plant reaching 6' or more in height and is drought tolerant and sunburn resistant. Each American 14 leaf can reach 30" long and 15" wide.

Yumbo is a primitive strain of tobacco grown by the Yumbo tribe in the upper Amazon basin. It grows to 3' in height and matures in 45-50 days. The thick leaves are a dark green color averaging 9"-12" in width, and 14"-16" in length. The edges turn yellow when ripe and cured leaf has a nicotine content of 1.8%.

Little Cuba is a small bush like plant that matures very early. Blooms first appear in 28 days. Clipping the blooms will encourage more growth from below and 3-4 new branches will grow up to 3'-4' high. This will increase the yield of this small Cuban type tobacco and a second bloom will appear at about 60 days. The leaves are between 7"-10" in width and 10"-14" long. Leaves appearing before the first bloom will ripen first becoming a mottled yellow with yellow edges.

Bursa is one of the largest and heaviest producing varieties of Turkish tobacco, growing up to 8' with 30-34 harvestable leaves per plant. It's best to use staking for this giant tobacco. The unique flavor is spicy and sweet and the smoke is fragrant and highly aromatic. Bursa is an excellent tobacco for a pipe or blending in cigarettes.