Nicotiana

These are annual, perennial and tender shrubby plants that are mainly natives of America; a few are found on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. This is a large group of plants and one, which is N. Tabacum, is grown commercially as a source of tobacco. These plants form tidy bunches, 1 to 2 feet high. N. alata, N. rustica and N. sylvestris are taller, at 3 to 5 feet high. Their leaves are oval to heart-shaped to elliptic; more grow toward the base. They are 5 to 12 inches long. The tubular flowers are 5-lobed and grow up to 2 inches wide and 4 inches long. They may be white, chartreuse, pink, old rose, wine, or red. They are very fragrant. N. acuminata is an annual that bears white flowers. N. longiflora is a native of Texas to Argentina and has white flowers that become purplish. N. noctiflora' s flowers are white shaded with purple on the outside; they are very fragrant in the evenings. N. Tabacum, which supplies tobacco, has attractive, large leaves and rose-pink flowers, which have swollen corolla tubes and downy undersides. The whole plant is fuzzy and somewhat clammy when handled.

Pot Cultivation

When the plants are grown in the greenhouse, they should end up in 7- or 8-inch pots filled with three parts loam and one part leaf mold, with a handful of bone meal and enough coarse sand added to keep the soil porous. Keep them in a sunny greenhouse with a night temperature of 50 degrees. Give them regular feedings of dilute liquid fertilizer, or a bit of dry fertilizer once in a while. Pick off the dead flowers to increase blooming. When they're planted outside, they should have a light, rich soil that is moist and well-drained.

Propagation

Seeds may be started inside at a 70-degree temperature, 8 to 10 weeks before warm weather. Plant them in light soil and don't cover them; they need light to sprout. In regions where the growing season is fairly long, they may be sown directly outside in early spring. When they are large enough to be handled, they should be transplanted to flats, spaced 2 inches apart, filled with sandy, fertile soil. When the leaves touch, pot them individually in 3-inch pots, or if danger from frost has passed, out in the garden.