Shag Mohawk Seeds

Shag Mohawk is a Nicotiana rustica variety, sold here as seed for growing the plant. The product card describes a hardy, medium-height plant that reaches up to 1.2 m (about 4 feet), with thick stems and broad, slightly textured leaves that sit close together on the stalk. The leaves are large and dark green. Nicotiana rustica is a different species from common tobacco, and the card lists Shag Mohawk among the temperate and cooler-climate types.

Also known as: Aztec tobacco, mapacho, wild tobacco

Those are names of the species Nicotiana rustica as a whole. Shag Mohawk is the variety name used in our store, and we have not added any other names for it.

Shag Mohawk at a glance

• Species: Nicotiana rustica
• Variety: Shag Mohawk
• Height: up to about 1.2 m (4 feet)
• Stems: thick
• Leaves: large, dark green, broad and slightly textured
• Site: full sun, fertile and well-drained soil, pH 6.0 to 7.0
• Climate: described on the card as suited to temperate and cooler regions

Sowing and growing

Nicotiana seed is dust-fine and needs light to germinate, so it goes on top of the soil and is never buried. The steps below follow the product card and are general guidance, not a measurement from a particular seed lot.

• Start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost.
• Press them gently onto the surface of the soil and leave them uncovered so light reaches them.
• Keep the soil moderately and evenly moist, without letting it become waterlogged.
• Move the plants outdoors only after the last frost.
• Choose a sunny bed with fertile, well-drained soil. Mixing in compost or other organic matter is the card advice for feeding the plants.

A fine seed on a shallow surface dries out fast, and a heavy pour of water will wash it into clumps. Water from below or with a mist sprayer instead. When the seedlings have their first true leaves, give each one its own space so the roots are not disturbed later.

Planning the bed

Because the plant can reach 1.2 m with thick stems, it needs more room than the ornamental flowering tobaccos. Leave enough space between plants for air to pass, and put the taller plants where they will not shade smaller crops. The card asks for full sun and steady, moderate watering. Soil that stays soaked is the opposite of the well-drained bed it describes, so a raised bed or a sloped site works better than a low, wet corner.

What this page does not claim

No seed specifications are saved for this variety yet, so there is no germination percentage, sprouting temperature, viability period or seed size here. Days to flowering and the exact history of the variety are also not recorded, and we have left them out instead of guessing. The photographs in the gallery come from our archive and have not yet been checked plant by plant against this variety, so the text describes the plant only as the card does.

FAQ

How do I sow Shag Mohawk seeds?

Press them lightly onto moist soil and do not cover them, because the seed needs light to germinate. Keep the soil evenly moist and the tray in a bright place.

When should I sow Shag Mohawk?

Indoors, 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area. Seedlings go outside after the last frost, into full sun.

How tall does Shag Mohawk grow?

The card gives up to about 1.2 m (4 feet). Light, soil, feeding and spacing all change the result, so use the figure to plan space and not as a promise.