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Backyard Gardener Talks About Tabacco
Backyard Gardener Talks About Tobacco
Author: Keith Bellinger Source
An ancient Native American myth contends that when the land was barren and the people
were starving the Great Spirit sent forth a woman to save humanity. As she traveled over the
world, everywhere her right hand touched the soil there grew potatoes, where her left hand
touched grew corn. When the world was rich and fertile, she sat down and rested. When she
arose, there grew tobacco.
Among all indigenous people of the Americas tobacco was considered one of the most holy
of plants. The sacred uses of tobacco were many; it was used for prayer, protection, respect
and healings. Tobacco was medicine.
Christopher Columbus could be blamed for the introduction and misuse of tobacco, this
native New World herb, to the Old World aristocracy. Upon his return to Spain, he offered
Queen Isabella a cigar and she was hooked. In 40 years there were Spanish owned tobacco
plantations in Haiti and Cuba.
In 1560 Jean Nicot, the French Ambassador to Portugal, introduced tobacco to the rest of
Europe. Nicot made a fortune selling tobacco and had the dubious honor of the genus
(nicotiana) being named after him.
To stop trade with Spain, the English decided to set up tobacco plantations in the New World.
In the colonies, farmers could earn 50 pounds sterling per acre, five times more than with
maize. It became the number one cash crop, often used in place of gold.
Valued at $2.4 billion annually, tobacco is the nation's sixth largest cash crop and the world’s
leading non-food crop. The United States is the world's leading tobacco exporter and
importer and the second largest tobacco producer, behind only China.
In our modern, politically-correct world tobacco is generally thought of as an evil drug
marketed by greedy corporations to a population addicted to its deadly properties. To a
gardener, the plant has more favorable qualities.
Today nicotine is extracted from tobacco or related Nicotiana species and is one of the oldest
botanical insecticides in use. On a per dose basis it is 30 times as toxic as rotenone.
Nicotine sulfate is sold as a 40 percent nicotine sulfate concentrate under trade names that
include Black Leaf 40 or Tender Leaf Plant Insect spray. Nicotine kills insects by interfering
with the transmitter substance between nerves and muscles. It's commonly used to control
aphids, thrips, spider mites and other sucking insecticides on most vegetables, some fruits,
flowering plants and ornamental shrubs and trees.
An easy homemade concoction can be made by mixing one teaspoon tobacco dust, one
teaspoon of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap to one gallon of water.
Tobacco blossoms have a tubular shape with five fused petals that flare at the mouth into
five distinct lobes. They range in color from white to a very light pink, purple, or yellow. The
flowers provide drink for butterflies and food for their larva, are a favorite nectar for
hummingbirds and bees, and because they bloom at night with a strong sweet fragrance they
attract moths; all providing necessary pollination.
Their leaves are oval to heart-shaped to elliptic; more grow toward the base. The whole plant
is fuzzy and somewhat clammy when handled.
Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of dwarf varieties that bloom on
short stems. Although the more compact types are very useful for mass color displays, they
usually lack the fragrance of the larger-growing, older types. The fragrant types are
sometimes planted near a window where the scent can move indoors. A renewal of interest in
aromatic plants has brought a new interest in the larger-growing, more redolent types. They
are attractive in border plantings, and the soft colors mix well with other perennials and
annuals.
Raising tobacco is easy. The seeds should be started inside in flats. In northern states, start
the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost in a mixture of peat humus and potting soil. Place
the mixture into the flats, soak the soil with water and allow the excess water to drain off. The
next day, sprinkle the tobacco seeds onto the surface of the damp soil. Do not cover the
seeds, they need light for germination. Tobacco seeds are very tiny, so be careful to spread
the seeds evenly. Keep the soil damp. You will begin to notice sprouts in about two weeks.
Transplant outside after all danger of frost is past.
The plants are big enough to transplant when the largest leaves are 2" or larger. Always
transplant outside in late evening or when it is cloudy and overcast. Water plants thoroughly
after transplanting and water daily until plants have become established. Tobacco plants
need to be exposed to full sun while growing.
If you have a moderate growing season and can start the seeds outside, try to sow the seeds
where leaves or wood has been burned. The plants will thrive in these spots. Tobacco
requires a lot of nitrogen and potash which is supplied by wood ashes.
Working in rotted manure is very good for the plants. You should space the tobacco plants
about 2' apart in rows 3' apart when practical. Never raise tobacco plants in the same spot in
the garden for more than a few years at a time; they will totally deplete the nutrients in the
soil.
Tobacco roots grow quickly and often close to the surface. Be careful when hoeing or
cultivating around the plants. Try not to disturb the soil anymore than necessary. As the plant
begins growing remove all suckers, they will sap the plants growth.
Nicotiana is pronounced nik-o-she-A-nuh, with a long ‘a’ sound. Spoken aloud in a garden
with only the butterflies to hear, you can almost sense the Great Spirit’s scorn at what has
become of his sacred tobacco.
Commercial Availability
Companion Plants
7247 North Coolville Ridge Road
Athens, OH 45701
JLF
P.O. Box 184, Dept. SDIZ
Elizabethtown, IN 47232
(812) 379-2508
Legendary Ethnobotanical Resources
P.O. Box 1676, Dept. SDIZ
Coconut Grove, FL 33233 U.S.A.
Phone/Fax: (305) 649-9997
Author: Keith Bellinger Source
An ancient Native American myth contends that when the land was barren and the people
were starving the Great Spirit sent forth a woman to save humanity. As she traveled over the
world, everywhere her right hand touched the soil there grew potatoes, where her left hand
touched grew corn. When the world was rich and fertile, she sat down and rested. When she
arose, there grew tobacco.
Among all indigenous people of the Americas tobacco was considered one of the most holy
of plants. The sacred uses of tobacco were many; it was used for prayer, protection, respect
and healings. Tobacco was medicine.
Christopher Columbus could be blamed for the introduction and misuse of tobacco, this
native New World herb, to the Old World aristocracy. Upon his return to Spain, he offered
Queen Isabella a cigar and she was hooked. In 40 years there were Spanish owned tobacco
plantations in Haiti and Cuba.
In 1560 Jean Nicot, the French Ambassador to Portugal, introduced tobacco to the rest of
Europe. Nicot made a fortune selling tobacco and had the dubious honor of the genus
(nicotiana) being named after him.
To stop trade with Spain, the English decided to set up tobacco plantations in the New World.
In the colonies, farmers could earn 50 pounds sterling per acre, five times more than with
maize. It became the number one cash crop, often used in place of gold.
Valued at $2.4 billion annually, tobacco is the nation's sixth largest cash crop and the world’s
leading non-food crop. The United States is the world's leading tobacco exporter and
importer and the second largest tobacco producer, behind only China.
In our modern, politically-correct world tobacco is generally thought of as an evil drug
marketed by greedy corporations to a population addicted to its deadly properties. To a
gardener, the plant has more favorable qualities.
Today nicotine is extracted from tobacco or related Nicotiana species and is one of the oldest
botanical insecticides in use. On a per dose basis it is 30 times as toxic as rotenone.
Nicotine sulfate is sold as a 40 percent nicotine sulfate concentrate under trade names that
include Black Leaf 40 or Tender Leaf Plant Insect spray. Nicotine kills insects by interfering
with the transmitter substance between nerves and muscles. It's commonly used to control
aphids, thrips, spider mites and other sucking insecticides on most vegetables, some fruits,
flowering plants and ornamental shrubs and trees.
An easy homemade concoction can be made by mixing one teaspoon tobacco dust, one
teaspoon of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap to one gallon of water.
Tobacco blossoms have a tubular shape with five fused petals that flare at the mouth into
five distinct lobes. They range in color from white to a very light pink, purple, or yellow. The
flowers provide drink for butterflies and food for their larva, are a favorite nectar for
hummingbirds and bees, and because they bloom at night with a strong sweet fragrance they
attract moths; all providing necessary pollination.
Their leaves are oval to heart-shaped to elliptic; more grow toward the base. The whole plant
is fuzzy and somewhat clammy when handled.
Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of dwarf varieties that bloom on
short stems. Although the more compact types are very useful for mass color displays, they
usually lack the fragrance of the larger-growing, older types. The fragrant types are
sometimes planted near a window where the scent can move indoors. A renewal of interest in
aromatic plants has brought a new interest in the larger-growing, more redolent types. They
are attractive in border plantings, and the soft colors mix well with other perennials and
annuals.
Raising tobacco is easy. The seeds should be started inside in flats. In northern states, start
the seeds 4-6 weeks before the last frost in a mixture of peat humus and potting soil. Place
the mixture into the flats, soak the soil with water and allow the excess water to drain off. The
next day, sprinkle the tobacco seeds onto the surface of the damp soil. Do not cover the
seeds, they need light for germination. Tobacco seeds are very tiny, so be careful to spread
the seeds evenly. Keep the soil damp. You will begin to notice sprouts in about two weeks.
Transplant outside after all danger of frost is past.
The plants are big enough to transplant when the largest leaves are 2" or larger. Always
transplant outside in late evening or when it is cloudy and overcast. Water plants thoroughly
after transplanting and water daily until plants have become established. Tobacco plants
need to be exposed to full sun while growing.
If you have a moderate growing season and can start the seeds outside, try to sow the seeds
where leaves or wood has been burned. The plants will thrive in these spots. Tobacco
requires a lot of nitrogen and potash which is supplied by wood ashes.
Working in rotted manure is very good for the plants. You should space the tobacco plants
about 2' apart in rows 3' apart when practical. Never raise tobacco plants in the same spot in
the garden for more than a few years at a time; they will totally deplete the nutrients in the
soil.
Tobacco roots grow quickly and often close to the surface. Be careful when hoeing or
cultivating around the plants. Try not to disturb the soil anymore than necessary. As the plant
begins growing remove all suckers, they will sap the plants growth.
Nicotiana is pronounced nik-o-she-A-nuh, with a long ‘a’ sound. Spoken aloud in a garden
with only the butterflies to hear, you can almost sense the Great Spirit’s scorn at what has
become of his sacred tobacco.
Commercial Availability
Companion Plants
7247 North Coolville Ridge Road
Athens, OH 45701
JLF
P.O. Box 184, Dept. SDIZ
Elizabethtown, IN 47232
(812) 379-2508
Legendary Ethnobotanical Resources
P.O. Box 1676, Dept. SDIZ
Coconut Grove, FL 33233 U.S.A.
Phone/Fax: (305) 649-9997