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Tobacco growing help

tccoxtccox Member Posts: 7,379 ✭✭
edited March 2015 in General Discussion
I want to grow a few tobacco plants just to show the kids what it looks like and for ornamental purposes.

I tried to grow some a couple of years ago and only got one or two plants to grow. I read all info about how hard it was to get it to sprout but my results were dismal!! I did buy the seeds off the net.

Here is what I would like help on: What is the best(easiest) type to grow? When is the best time to try to get it to sprout??

Where to get a few seeds? Got the last batch off ebay. They could have been very old??

Any and all help appreciated. Tom
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Comments

  • reloader44magreloader44mag Member Posts: 18,783 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I bet quickmajik could have helped out here...but he's been locked out for a few years...I kinda miss the guy
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  • tccoxtccox Member Posts: 7,379 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well dammit, I need someone who can help me right now!! Why did he get locked out?? Tom
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  • Ditch-RunnerDitch-Runner Member Posts: 25,388 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    no help just suggestion
    I know my southern family all grew it but I have not a clue ( they also made moonshine and grew pot all of which I am lost on [:I] growing up in Ohio I missed out on there training [V])

    my suggestion is go to you tube or google , sort out the good information
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  • JunkballerJunkballer Member Posts: 9,312 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My neighbors sets out transplant but they grow acres & acres, they normally plant the seeds in greenhouses to get an early start & furnish their planting needs. Me, I know nothing about growing tobacco except it's extremely hard hot humid work which I shy away from [:D]

    "Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee

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  • Smitty500magSmitty500mag Member Posts: 13,623 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Go to google.com and type in "how to grow tobacco". You'll get more info than you'll have time to read.
    http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Tobacco
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  • buddybbuddyb Member Posts: 5,395 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    All I remember was the folks would pile up brush all year and in the early spring,build a big fire that would burn all day to warm the ground.When the fire was out and cool enough,they would put a big canvas tarp over the ground to hold the heat in.That would be the tobacco beds where they planted the seed to get the seedling plants.This was 50+ years ago,and from what I understand very little tobacco is still grown in western NC.The government gave out tobacco alottments for how much you could grow and you could either grow it or sell your allotment to another grower.
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  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,344 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    In my younger days I would grow 4-5 acres a year of burley tobacco(usually around 10 to 12 thousand lbs. stripped off.) I would gas 2 100ft. beds under plastic and then plant seed. It was almost a year around job while I went to college and/or worked another job. Also I did it myself unlike most now that have out large tracks and Mexicans do the work. These are good seed. I growed 14 LA Burley or straight 14 mostly.

    http://www.thetobaccoseed.com/PTN.html
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  • Bubba Jr.Bubba Jr. Member Posts: 8,303 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Around here they used to steam the beds before planting. I knew a guy that built a steamer truck that he would take to the farm and drive up and down pre-marked rows and steam the ground to sterilize it before planting.

    That pretty much sums up my tobacco knowledge. Other than I spent way too many years burning up that stuff. [:(]
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  • countryfarmercountryfarmer Member Posts: 4,552
    edited November -1
    If you can find a variety called 14L8 that would be a good one to grow for what you are wanting. We didn't like it because the leaves got huge and would spread out too much making it almost impossible to get up and down the rows. We grew Tn86 and Tn90, the 86 had a slightly longer mature date and would hold better til we got the 90 in the barn.
    You can start them inside anytime but one thing to remember about tobacco, once that seed sprouts, it is X amount of days til it is ready to harvest, there is no delaying it. We always set tobacco around here the end of May and first part of June, we started the seeds about the first part of April.

    Also you want to get good seeds from a reputable company and not Ebarf. We did find out something over the years, when we switched to float trays to raise our plants in, we had to buy coated seed for the seeder. We always saved the leftover seed from year to year just in case. One year we ran short on about 8 trays, so we used the previous years seed. Out of the 242 cells on each tray, we had maybe 10 sprout so fresh seed is very important.
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  • fishkiller41fishkiller41 Member Posts: 50,608
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reloader44mag
    I bet quickmajik could have helped out here...but he's been locked out for a few years...I kinda miss the guy

    He sent me a bunch of different types of seed,I still have them right here.
    I never did grow any.He also gave me a link to a web page that tells all U need to know about growing tobacco.
    I'll see if I can find the seeds,I think I wrote the web addy on the package...
    BRB.


    I found the seeds and the note he sent.
    Here is the website on growing tobacco.

    www.howtogrowtobacco.com


    I hope this helps you out
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  • armilitearmilite Member Posts: 35,490 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reloader44mag
    I bet quickmajik could have helped out here...but he's been locked out for a few years...I kinda miss the guy


    Ditto, I've got his email addy and phone number let me know if you interested and I will try to contact him.
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  • tccoxtccox Member Posts: 7,379 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Thanks to all. just ordered a small pack of the Tenn burley. I believe I will have good luck with my crop this year

    I even have a small shed I can cure it in. Tom
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  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,344 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tccox
    Thanks to all. just ordered a small pack of the Tenn burley. I believe I will have good luck with my crop this year

    I even have a small shed I can cure it in. Tom
    Don't over water it as tobacco likes a lot of sun and not a lot of water. A lot of water just causes disease. Also could you post pictures as it grows. I miss growing it, but not the work.
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