How To Grow Tobacco from Seed

Growing Mohawk 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 Mohawk Tobacco

Leaves are ready to harvest when they begin to yellow slightly and feel sticky or resinous—generally 80 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 Mohawk Tobacco Garden Seeds

This heirloom rustica variety matures in approximately eighty days and typically reaches around three feet in height. It bears thick, dark-green leaves—some of the largest among rustica types—and sports long-lasting yellow flowers. The leaves cure to a rich brown and deliver an intense, high-nicotine experience ideal for ritual applications or as a traditional blend component.

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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

Mohawk Tobacco Seeds Per Package:

• 100 seed Packet

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