I love growing plants, floral or otherwise, and exploring the world of plants!
So after an interesting experiment in which I tested various cultivation methods to see if I could get better results from what are usually bland flowers, I was rewarded with 6-foot tall tobacco flowers.
I’m not very familiar with the genus Tobacco, but I thought I’d give it a try.
After reading one day that the older varieties had been widespread greenhouse plants in the 19th century, I decided to try some of the newer varieties this year. This intrigued me as I had never thought of tobacco as a potted plant, or at least as a greenhouse plant. Old books often talk about estate gardeners growing monocultures in greenhouses and conservatories to make the perfect spring and summer display. Man, I love this new challenge.
After some research, I’ve found that this plant is also recommended as a potted display plant to be cultivated in a cold or cool greenhouse – so now I’m intrigued.
Tobacco is a typical plant that I only occasionally grow from seed. If I’m interested in colour I’m more likely to buy some plants from a good grower or pick up some 5 packs. If I sowed from seed it would be a much more casual affair, scattering some seeds in a pot, picking them out and packing them in a few places in the garden later in the spring. They always seem to do well, but honestly I can never say I fuss over them or even follow any complicated instructions other than what I already know.
In a suggestion that came to my attention in a book, the author advised me to sow the seeds in November or early December so that they would bloom in April of the following year. Of course, this is a British book designed to inform those who have cold greenhouses in the UK and want early display material, but hey – I have a cold greenhouse.
Even though I live in New England, it should still work.
