How To Grow Tobacco from Seed

Growing Aztec Rapa Nui 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 N. tabacum, N. 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 N. tabacum.

Harvesting Aztec Rapa Nui Tobacco

Leaves are ready to harvest when they begin to yellow slightly and feel sticky or resinous—generally 40–60 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 Aztec Rapa Nui Tobacco Garden Seeds

This variety matures rapidly—in about sixty to sixty-five days—with plants typically reaching two to four feet in height. Its leaves are glossy and rich-fleshed, air-curing to a dark brown and delivering a powerful, bracing punch—often used in potent ceremonial blends, as insecticide teas, or in ritual applications. Widely believed to have originated on the remote Easter Island, this hardy tobacco is named after the tenacious Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.

Tips From Our Gardeners

Potent by Nature – Nicotiana rustica contains much higher nicotine levels than common tobacco (N. tabacum)—often two to three times stronger. For this reason, it has been valued traditionally in ritual and medicinal contexts, but is not generally recommended for casual smoking.

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Aztec Rapa Nui Tobacco Seeds Per Package:

• 100 seed Packet
• 1,500 seed - Bulk Seeds

Non-GMO Aztec Rapa Nui Tobacco seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.