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About this variety
What this packet is
Nicotiana rustica seed sold as Shag Russkaya, in packets of 50, 100 and 300 seeds. Russkaya is the selection name on the packet. We hold no breeder description or germination test for this lot, so every figure on this page is a species figure from the sources named in it, not a result for this lot.
Also known as: Aztec tobacco, Makhorka, Machorka, Mapacho, Wild tobacco, Bauerntabak, Tabac rustique and Picietl.
How it differs from common tobacco
Nicotiana rustica is the shorter, hardier species. PROSEA describes an erect, branched annual up to 1.8 m tall (common tobacco: 1–2.5 m) with much darker green, broader and thicker leaves and sticky glandular hairs. Its flower lobes are green-yellow where common tobacco flowers are pale pink. It is more resistant to cold than Nicotiana tabacum and is reported as hardy enough to be grown across most of Russia, where it is called makhorka.
Sow on the surface, not under soil
Do not cover the seed: PROSEA states that Nicotiana rustica seed requires light for germination. Press it onto moist, fine seed-starting mix. No germination temperature or seed count per gram is on file for this species. Common tobacco germinates best at 21–24 °C and may fail above 32 °C (University of Kentucky, pelleted seed), which is a sensible starting point here.
Seedlings and planting out
Seedlings are ready for the field 35–45 days after sowing, when they are 15–20 cm tall with 4–5 leaves (PROSEA). Choose well-drained, well-aerated soil: the species does well even on heavy soils if they drain and aerate. Flowers start 50–60 days after planting out and the fruits ripen 3–4 weeks later.
Keeping unused seed
Stored dry and cool, Nicotiana rustica seed remains viable for over 10 years (PROSEA). Reseal the packet and keep it away from heat and damp.
Before you order
Seeds are dispatched from India. Check your country's rules on importing seeds and on growing tobacco plants before ordering. No germination rate or crop result is promised.
