The Gardeners Almanac

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Nicotiana

Common name: Tobacco Plant

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Week Numbers

Compost

Heating

Planting out

Plug plants

Pricking out

Seed sowing

Overview:

Nicotiana is a scented half hardy annual native to Brazil, and grows to a height of 900mm (3ft) depending upon variety.

The flowers come in many pastel shades including apple green, and appear from late June into September.

When they open up in the evening and emit a heavy fragrance, providing they have not been planted out in a shaded area, to get the full benefit of this fragrance plant them in a container and situate it by an open door or window.


All parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten.

 

Cultivation:
Week 12:

Sow seed in pots / trays on the surface of seed compost and germinate at 18°-21°C (64°-70°F)

Germination should take around seven to ten days.


Week 14:

When the plants are large enough to handle prick them out into 70mm (3") pots or cell trays, and grow on at 12°-16°C (54°-61°F) until planting out time.


Week 21>:

Plant out in a sunny or partially shaded spot 200-300mm (8"-12") apart.

If plugs plants have been purchased mail order, treat them like seedlings.