Grow Your Own Chew Tobacco From Seed
Chew Tobacco seeds require a warm temperature to germinate. 75-80 degrees is ideal. Before planting outside, you should start the seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date. Lightly sprinkle the seeds on the surface of a seed starting mix soil (one that is finely textured) and lightly water. DO NOT cover the seeds with soil, because they need the light to germinate. Seeds will usually begin to germinate within 7-10 days, but some varieties can take up to 2 weeks. Keep the soil moist and water from the bottom, as to not uproot the fragile seedlings.
Tobacco plants are self-pollinating, which means they have the ability to fertilize their own flowers. Please keep this in mind when purchasing different varieties. Do not plant them close to one another. Technically, you want around 1 mile of space between each variety that is planted. This isn’t always possible for the home gardener, so keep the seedlings about 3 feet apart.
Tobacco seeds have the ability to germinate and grow in just about any state. If you have the ability to grow a vegetable garden, then you have the ability to grow a tobacco plant. Tobacco seeds are surprisingly durable and will do well in any area!
Chew Tobacco Seeds
An upright variety with more leaves than most varieties. Is taller than most varieties on the market and cures a golden color. Great for cigarettes, and one of the largest producers.
This variety originated in Kentucky. It has relatively large leaves of medium body that cures out a deep, rich brown color. Can be fire cured or air cured depending on application.
Medium, smooth leaf that cures to a dark brown. Can be used as a chew, binder, filler or wrapper or even in cigarette/pipe blends. It grows 5' to 6' tall with blooming occurring at 55-65 days. It produces 16-18 harvestable leaves averaging 14"-16" wide and 24" long which ripen 2-3 weeks after booming begins. Can be fire cured or air cured depending on application.
A fast growing, high yielding tobacco with large leaves that cure to a deep red color, excellent cigarette and pipe blend, but suitable for other applications as well.
A very mild tobacco leaf for cigarettes and pipes. It averages 6' in height with 18-20 leaves per plant. It reaches maturity when blooms appear at 55 days. The light green leaves average 12" wide by 24" long and become a light yellow/green when ripe. Leaves began to ripen as the plant reaches bloom. Air cures easily to a light golden brown with yields averaging 3 oz of dried leaf per plant.
Rare and famous Louisiana tobacco known for its dark, black color and unique flavor when cured. Perique is a spice tobacco, usually used in Virginia blends. It has a dark, oily appearance, when cured and a taste of pepper and figs. Its flavor is a little strong, so it is usually found mostly in blends. It can be smoked straight, but isn't intended to be. Being acidic, it tends to alleviate alkaline tongue bite, which is so often a problem with Virginia tobacco, so it is recommend to blend this with your cigarette blends.
This heirloom is an all around good tobacco. Makes a somewhat sweet chew, and is also good for making cigarette and pipe tobacco blends. Large plants with heavy crops, should be staked or tied off to something for support, or it will blow over in heavy storms.