| Here are pictures from
around 2006 of
tobacco that I tried to grow experimentally. I do not use
tobacco, yet
it has played a big part in American History and I wanted to find out
how hard it would be for the Colonial Farmers to grow. Tobacco seed is hard to germinate because they are very small. I started them in one styrofoam cup inside the house, not burying them, but sprinkling them on wet potting soil. keep them damp and in the shade until they sprout, then introduce sunlight. When they got to be about one half inch high I put them out of doors in a small gardern. You see in this picture that the plant is about to flower. Here you should cut the top off causing the plant's leaves to broaden and spread out.    A
closeup of the flower indicates that tobacco can serve as an
ornamental. I bought these seeds from a guy in North Dakota, a
lot farther north than Florida and I was surprised that they grew at
all. These plants are called Kentucky Burley, the same kind of
weed they use in commercial cigarettes. Commercial cigarettes,
both paper and the plant are treated with carcinogens. Heavy commercial fertilizers are
also used to grow it. Tobacco destroys the enviorment
Tobacco pulls a lot of nitrogen from the soil, and after steady planting the soil gets worn out. Tobacco therefore was a prime cause for Westward Expansion in the early days of America. Farmers moving further west searching for richer lands displaced the Native American populations and caused wars and much strife. When these plants completely matured, I placed them in a shed to dry. They were immediately attacked by thousands of worms that almost devoured them all. After the plants were cut, they were very sticky which I think helped attract the worms. I ended up throwing the whole project away. All that remains are these pictures, and the knowlege that was gained. As much as people would like to ban tobacco, it remains a strong addictive drug, even stronger some say, than heroin. The government will never give up the tax revenue gained from this plant, and the smokers will always smoke. All you can do is stay away from it, unless you are growing it as an ornamental. Order some famous Kentucky Burley Tobacco seeds  |