How To Grow Tobacco from Seed

Growing Prilep 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 them in without covering (they need light to germinate). Keep the soil warm (70–80 F) and moist. Seeds usually sprout in 7–14 days. Provide bright light or grow lights for 14–16 hours a day to keep seedlings healthy and prevent legginess.

When seedlings are 2–3 inches tall, thin them to provide each plant with sufficient room. Harden them off outdoors for a week before transplanting. Move seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost has passed, and the soil temperature is consistently warm. Space plants 18–24 inches apart in rows about 3 feet apart. Prefers fertile, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Requires full sun (at least 6–8 hours of daily sunlight). Watering: Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy. Avoid wetting the leaves, as this can encourage disease. Use a balanced fertilizer, but avoid high nitrogen, which can lead to excessive leafy growth and poor curing quality.

Maintenance: Remove suckers (side shoots) as plants grow to direct energy into the main leaves. Some growers also top (remove) the flower head when it appears, which improves leaf size and quality.

Harvesting Prilep Tobacco

Leaves are ready when they start to yellow slightly and feel sticky/resinous to the touch—usually 60-65 days after transplanting, depending on variety and conditions. Harvest from the bottom up. Lower leaves mature first, followed by the middle leaves, and then the upper leaves. You can pick individual leaves as they ripen (“priming”), or cut the whole stalk when most leaves are mature.

After harvest, the leaves must be cured to achieve proper color, flavor, and aroma. Methods include air-curing (hung in a well-ventilated, shaded space for 4–8 weeks) or flue-curing (controlled heat).

An in-depth review of the curing process is beyond the scope of this website. Additional information may be available from the USDA and the local Extension Program.

About Prilep Tobacco Garden Seeds

Prilep (Prilep P66-9/7) reaches about three to four feet in height and matures in roughly sixty to sixty-five days. The leaves are relatively small, around six to eight inches wide by twelve to fourteen inches long, and cure to a golden-brown with a fragrant, low-nicotine profile. It can be planted much closer together than most tobaccos, with only 14 inches to 16 inches needed between plants. Widely used in cigarette blends, Prilep contributes a delicate sweetness and aroma that balances stronger tobaccos.

Tips From Our Gardeners

"Because the seeds are so fine—like dust—it is better to sprinkle them on the surface of the starting mix, then just lightly press them into the medium."

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Prilep Tobacco Seeds Per Package:

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

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