How To Grow Tobacco from Seed

Growing Sacred Wyandot Tobacco

Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Use a fine, well-draining seed-starting mix. Tobacco seeds are tiny—scatter them on the surface of moist starting mix and gently press in without covering (they need light to germinate). Keep soil warm (70–80 F) and evenly moist. Germination usually takes 7–14 days. Provide bright light or grow lights for 14–16 hours daily to prevent legginess.

When seedlings are 2–3 inches tall, thin them to give each plant enough space. Harden off outdoors for a week before transplanting. Move seedlings outside once the frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed. Space plants 12–18 inches apart in rows about 24–30 inches apart. Though N. rustica tolerates a wide range of soils, fertile, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5 produces the best growth. Water consistently, but avoid soggy conditions.

Maintenance: Unlike agricultural tobacco, Nicotiana rustica is naturally smaller and produces more flowers. Gardeners often allow flowering, especially for ornamental or traditional uses. If you want larger leaves, you can top them (removing flower heads) and pinch off the suckers, but leaf size will remain smaller compared to agricultural tobacco.

Harvesting Sacred Wyandot Tobacco

Leaves are ready to harvest when they begin to yellow slightly and feel sticky or resinous—generally 35 days after transplanting. Entire plants are often cut at once due to their compact size, though individual leaves may also be harvested from the bottom up.

After harvest, leaves should be cured in a shaded, well-ventilated area. Rustica leaves air-cure or sun-cure relatively quickly due to their smaller size.

Note: Leaves of Nicotiana rustica are extremely high in nicotine and traditionally used for ceremonial, medicinal, or insecticidal purposes. They are not generally recommended for casual smoking.

About Sacred Wyandot Tobacco Garden Seeds

“Wyandot” (sometimes spelled Wyandotte) refers to the Wyandot people, also known as the Huron, an Indigenous group originally from the Great Lakes region (southern Ontario, Michigan, Ohio). Maturing in just thirty-five days, this N. rustica strain develops thick, dark-green foliage high in nicotine. Its dense yellow blossoms are highly attractive to bees and hummingbirds, giving the garden a splash of life while delivering a potent leaf traditionally valued in ceremonial and botanical contexts.

Tips From Our Gardeners

”Cold Hardy for a Tobacco – While still frost-sensitive, rustica is more tolerant of cool weather and poor soils than tabacum, making it a tough little plant for gardeners outside the warmest zones.”

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Sacred Wyandot Tobacco Seeds Per Package:

• 100 seed Packet

Non-GMO Sacred Wyandot Tobacco seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.