Cigar Tobacco Seed Collection

The Cigar Seed Collection is an ideal addition to many hot and sweltering gardens throughout North America. You may be surprised to learn that plants in the tobacco genus Nicotiana are widely grown across the country in many flower beds for their showy ornamental blooms. Similar to an herb garden, tobacco plants don‚t necessarily always need to be harvested and cured, but can be simply left in the garden to flower and reseed while helping to bolster your local bee population. The Cigar Seed Collection is an ideal way for home gardeners in some of the most humid regions in the country to experience growing one of the most crucial crops in human civilization.

What's Inside the Kit:

Cuban Criollo 98 is a prolific, flavorful, and Blue Mold resistant hybrid of the famous Havana 92 and Habana P.R. The Cuban Criollo 98 was specifically bred as a potent cash crop to replace the dwindling productivity of the local staple, Habana 2000. The Spanish word Criollo roughly translates to ‚“native one‚ or ‚“Creole‚, as any type of authentic Cuban tobacco is generally some type of Criollo-style leaf. Cuban Criollo 98 is a hybrid specifically bred to be resistant to Blue Mold, an advanced type of downy mildew known to affect tobacco fields in the most humid and saturated southern states and Caribbean islands. While Criollo-type tobaccos are traditionally grown in full sun and high heat, many growers have learned to produce a far more flavorful and delicate crop by growing it under a shaded canopy, elevating the leaf from just filler tobacco to an elegant wrapper.

Havana 608 is a staple warm-weather tobacco crop and flowering garden ornamental as it is a member of the showy Nicotiana genus. Havana 608 is grown for its broad and delicate bright green leaves known to produce a smoother, more pleasant filler and binder tobacco than some Connecticut varieties. Like other tobacco crops, Havana 608 can be a little challenging to grow from seed, but once established, has weed-like hardiness and will thrive in the garden or flower bed with minimal attention. Havana 608 is quick to mature to about 5-6 feet tall and is easily cured when hung dry in any cool, dark, and dry spot. Although exclusively grown in full sun gardens, Havana-type tobaccos were also once popularly grown in shade to mimic the natural canopy of Indonesian-grown Sumatra tobacco. Grow Havana 608 alongside other authentic Criollo or Havana varieties to create your own unique and flavorful tobacco blends.

Connecticut Broadleaf Connecticut Broadleaf is a flavorful binding and wrapping tobacco native to the Connecticut River Valley, a region as synonymous with tobacco cultivation as Sonoma and Napa are for winemaking. Broadleaf cigar-type tobacco leaf was first grown in the Connecticut River Valley by the earliest colonial settlers as a response to the booming popularity of cigars over pipes, replacing the much thinner "shoestring" variety which was the preferred cultivar of pipe tobacco. Although Connecticut Broadleaf was the choice of American cigar tobacco for well over a century, it is no longer the standard by which others are judged. Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco is neither glamorous nor showy but, is evidence of the rugged determinism from the earliest colonial settlers in the form of a plant. Connecticut Broadleaf thrives in hot and full sun gardens similar to summers spent on the Connecticut River.

How to Grow Tobacco from Seed

Begin seeds indoors 6-8 weeks prior to the final frost date in a 72-cell starting tray to allow for plenty of successful and unsuccessful germination attempts, although any size will do. Lightly fill trays with about 3‚ of fine potting mix (not potting soil). Do not use garden soil. Sift potting mix to remove clumps that could impede growth. Thoroughly soak potting mix in trays and allow to drain before sowing.

Because tobacco seeds are so small, evenly sprinkle seeds overall 72 cells in the starting tray without being too particular. Once sown, mist with a spray bottle and do not cover seeds in a top layer of potting mix. Using either a greenhouse dome or simple plastic wrap, cover the tray to create humidity and ideal conditions of about 70-80° F (not to exceed 85°). Keep seeds in a sunny location while leaving a corner propped open to allow for air flow. Continue to mist with a spray bottle until germination 7-14 days after seeding.

Once sprouted, remove greenhouse dome or plastic wrap and immediately place starts 1-2‚ from a grow light. Placing seedlings 1-2‚ from grow lights will keep starts from becoming too leggy and tall, causing uneven development in the garden. Keep soil moist, but not saturated as it may stunt root development. As seeds mature, select the best starts to thin and divide into larger individual containers until ready for outdoor transplanting.

Once sprouted, remove greenhouse dome or plastic wrap and immediately place starts 1-2‚ from a grow light. Placing seedlings 1-2‚ from grow lights will keep starts from becoming too leggy and tall, causing uneven development in the garden. Keep soil moist, but not saturated as it may stunt root development. As seeds mature, select the best starts to thin and divide into larger individual containers until ready for outdoor transplanting.