Guide to growing Tobacco - Nicotiana
Members of the Nicotiana genus are normally grown as half hardy annuals in the garden.
They bloom in the summer with attractive trumpet shaped flowers, usually of pink, but also of green, white, yellow or red.
These plants are often used for research into plant development by researchers.
Common names for Nicotiana include Tobacco and Flowering Tobacco.
How to grow Tobacco
Tobacco is a very easy plant to grow and look after, the seeds should be sown on the soil surface following the last frost of spring. They are able to grow in lightly shaded or partially shaded areas and grow in most soils (for best results grow tobacco in a slightly acidic soil).
Tobacco can be grown indoors first. The seeds germinate in the light at 20 to 25 degrees Centigrade, and take about two weeks. Allow to grow for about 5 weeks then transplant the tobacco plants into the garden following the last frost about 45cm apart.
Caring for Tobacco plants
Once growing tobacco should be watered in prolonged dry periods, and their trumpet flowers removed before they start setting seeds to encourage more flowers. It is best to grow Nicotiana species from seed if you require further plants.