What insect spray is tobacco used? What reasons do gardeners use tobacco? Can a tobacco crop make a profit?if it is used for things other than cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco etc.? *If smoking were banned tomorrow, would tobacco farmers be able to support their families by selling their crop for uses other than smoking etc?
Raut N
Many homeowners wish to grow a few plants of
tobacco in their yard or garden for ornamental
purposes or for personal use. Tobacco plants are
usually no more difficult to grow than many other
garden plants, but it is difficult to cure, age, and
process tobacco without specialized facilities. As a
result of federal legislation in late 2005, restrictions
of commercial tobacco production to quota holders
are no longer in effect.
Tobacco is a member of the Solanaceae or
nightshade family. This family includes tomato,
pepper, eggplant, Irish potato, and a number of other
plants. Tobacco belongs to the genus Nicotiana, and
almost all commercial tobacco is of the tabacum
species. The Nicotiana rustica species was
commonly used by American Indians and may still be
used for ceremonial purposes in some areas. There
may be small amounts of N. rustica planted
commercially in Asia. There are a number of other
species of Nicotiana that serve as ornamental plants.
Soil Selection
Tobacco should be grown in a sunny location on
well-drained soils. Poorly drained soils could result
in poor growth and even death of the plants. Tobacco can be grown on poorly-drained soils if the rows or
hills are bedded and ditches or furrows are used to
remove excess water. Drought stress could limit
growth on excessively drained soils unless irrigation
is provided. Lack of sun will result in spindly plants,
poor growth and thin leaves. Some types of tobacco
such as that used for cigar wrappers are grown under
some shade to promote desirable leaf
characteristics.
Avoid planting tobacco on soil infested with
nematodes and diseases. Do not plant tobacco on the
same soil more than once every four to five years.
Instead, rotate the tobacco with plants that are not
susceptible to common soil-borne pests of tobacco.
Grasses would be excellent rotations for tobacco,
while tomato, pepper, and similar plants would not be
suitable. In addition to soil-borne pests, several virus
diseases and insects that attack tomato and pepper
also attack tobacco, so try to keep these plants in
different areas of the garden.
Soil pH should be about 5.8 for best growth of
tobacco. If lime is needed to raise the pH, use
dolomite in order to get the magnesium nutrient
which is important for plant growth. Poor growth and some growth disorders may occur if the soil pH is
about 6.5 or more.
Producing Transplants
It may be difficult to find tobacco seed of the
commercial varieties since they are sold only in
tobacco-producing areas. However, seed will retain
viability over several years if kept under cool and dry
conditions. Commercial varieties of tobacco were
developed for certain characteristics that may be of
little or no importance to home gardeners. There are a
number of seed companies that specialize in
providing tobacco seed for growing plants in the
home garden. A search of the Internet should provide
information on such vendors.
Since tobacco seed are very small (300,000 or
more per ounce), they should be sown in a
greenhouse or in a protected area. The soil should be
free of weed seed and disease organisms. A flower
pot would be a satisfactory container if only a few
transplants will be needed. Sprinkle the seed on the
soil surface, then firm the soil surface to insure good
seed to soil contact. Pelleted seed may be available,
which would allow easier and more uniform
placement of seed. Irrigate with a very fine spray, or
add water to a saucer under the flower pot. Add water
as often as necessary to keep the soil surface moist,
but avoid excessive water.
Small amounts of fertilizer will be needed to
produce the transplants. A tobacco fertilizer should
contain little or no chlorine and most of the nitrogen
should be in the nitrate form. Fertilizer manufactured
for use on tomato, pepper, and potato should be
satisfactory for tobacco.
Seed should be sown about 50-60 days prior to
the desired date of transplanting. Transplanting
should be after there is no further danger of freezing
temperatures. Normally the best transplant is about
6-8 inches in length.
Transplanting
Transplanting tobacco is very similar to
transplanting other garden plants. Bury or remove
trash from the soil surface and provide for drainage
by bedding the soil. If rows are used, space the plants about 24 inches apart. Rows should be 42-48 inches
apart. Water the plants immediately after
transplanting and as needed during the season.
Fertilization
Fertilizers for tobacco could be the same
fertilizers used for tomato, pepper, or potato. As in
plant production, the fertilizer should contain little or
no chlorine and most of the nitrogen should be in the
nitrate form. In general, it would be best to apply the
fertilizer in several applications. Some could be
applied to the soil before transplanting, but do not
place it where it will be in high concentration around
the roots of the transplants. The total amount of
fertilizer to apply will depend on the grade of the
fertilizer, the natural or residual fertility of the soil,
losses of soluble nutrients by leaching, and perhaps
other factors. The best approach to fertilizing garden
tobacco would be to apply fertilizer as needed to keep
the plants growing well with a good green color.
However, do not over fertilize or the plants may be
too big and rank. If adequately fertilized up to the
time of flowering, there should be no need to add any
more fertilizer after the flowers begin to form.
Pest Control
Several pests can be problems for tobacco.
Avoid nematode and other soil pest problems by
proper soil selection and rotation. Weeds can be
controlled by hoeing or pulling. The most common
insect problems expected would be budworms,
aphids and hornworms. Diseases that damage
tobacco may include those that attack other plants or
they may be specific pathogens for tobacco. Identify
the pest problem and consult the appropriate pest
control guide for information.
Topping and Suckering
While some tobacco plants are grown around the
home for ornamental purposes, which includes the
flowers, plants that are grown for cured tobacco
should normally be topped as soon as the flower
forms. Topping, or removal of the terminal bud,
allows the upper leaves to get larger and thicker than
they would in an uptopped condition. The top can be
removed by breaking it out or cutting it off,
preferably before any flowers open.
Soon after the top is removed, and before if
topping is delayed, axillary buds or suckers develop
at each leaf. The best way for the home gardener to
prevent the suckers from reducing yield and quality is
to remove them by hand. Suckers should be removed
when they exceed about an inch in length. It may be
necessary to remove suckers several times.
Harvesting and Curing
Due to the needs for proper harvesting and
curing tobacco, there is very little home or garden
production of tobacco for personal use. Another
deterrent to home production of tobacco is the need
to age the cured tobacco for one to three years or
longer. The following suggestions are not based on
any experience or research information, but are only
the opinion of the writer. However, some producers
of home-grown leaf have developed harvesting and
curing techniques that are satisfactory for them and
often they share their experiences with others.
Tobacco may be cured with heat added or it may
be air cured. There does not appear to be any
practical means for the gardener to use heat to cure
the tobacco because of the facilities that are required.
Again, some producers of home-grown tobacco have
built curing facilities and may offer them for sale.
Tobacco could be cured without heat if a building
with good air circulation is available. Temperatures
for air curing may range from 60-65°F up to
90-95°F, and the relative humidity of the air should
be about 65-70 percent. Proper curing should take a
few weeks in order to have good quality. Tobacco
that cures too fast will be green and not have good
aroma and flavor, while mold or rot may develop if
curing is slow. A building that can be opened and
closed as needed to control the relative humidity and
drying rate is desirable. Curing procedures need to be
developed for individual situations.
Harvesting could be accomplished by either
removing leaves from the stalk in the field and curing
them or by cutting the stalk off at ground level and
hanging the entire stalk in the curing facility for the
leaves to cure. The leaves would then be removed
from the stalk after they have cured. If the leaves are
removed in the field, there should be four or five
harvests at intervals of 1-2 weeks, starting with the lower leaves. The first harvest would be at or soon
after topping and when the leaves show a slight
yellowing. If the entire stalk is cut for curing, it
should be about 3-4 weeks after topping. The lower
leaves would be partially deteriorated at this time.
Provide adequate space between stalks to allow for
satisfactory drying of the leaves.
Aging
All commercial tobacco is aged for a year or
more before it is used. Unaged tobacco is harsh and
does not have good flavor. For the home gardener,
aging will probably be as difficult or even more so
than proper curing. Aging may require as long as 5-6
years and does not occur unless temperature and
moisture conditions are favorable. If the tobacco is
too dry, there is no aging and if it is too moist, there
will be decay of the leaves. Unfortunately the proper
temperature and moisture content vary widely. The
home producer would need the knowledge and skill
to properly age the tobacco or be willing to
experiment with the tobacco. The same would be true
for adding flavoring agents during or after aging and
before the tobacco is used.
Smoking and Tobacco Use Digital Story (HPRB 1710)
Smoking and Tobacco Use
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