Shag Selskaya Seeds

Shag Selskaya is a variety of Nicotiana rustica, a tobacco species in the nightshade family (Solanaceae). The product card for this variety is empty: it gives no height, flower colour, leaf description or sowing notes. This page therefore sticks to what is known about the species and says plainly where variety details are missing.

Also known as: Aztec tobacco, mapacho, wild tobacco (names of the species Nicotiana rustica), tambaku (Hindi), tabaco (Spanish/Portuguese), tabac (French), Tabak (German), tütün (Turkish)

About the plant

• Species: Nicotiana rustica, grown from seed as an annual.
• Variety name: Shag Selskaya is the name we have for it. We have no verified origin, breeder or history for the variety, so none is given here.
• Habit: the species usually stays lower and bushier than common tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The card gives no height for this variety.
• Flowers: the species usually bears small yellowish-green tubular flowers, unlike the larger pink or white blooms of the ornamental flowering tobaccos. The card gives no flower colour for this variety.
• Leaves: no leaf size or colour is recorded for this variety, so it cannot be compared with other varieties on leaf traits from this page.
• Seed data: no seed specification is saved yet, so we do not quote germination time, viability or seed weight.

The other names in the list above belong to the species, not to this variety. If you already grow another Nicotiana rustica variety, expect the same general habit and the same sowing method, but not necessarily the same height or leaf shape.

Growing Shag Selskaya from seed

• Light: Nicotiana seed is very fine, almost dust-like, and needs light to germinate. Sow it on the surface of moist, well-drained compost and do not cover it.
• Moisture: keep the surface evenly moist. Water gently from below or with a fine mist, because a heavy stream can wash such small seed together or bury it.
• Where to sow: a seed tray or small pots indoors gives you control over moisture and warmth. The plants are frost tender, so seedlings should not go outside until the last frost has passed.
• Planting out: move seedlings to a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil once they are large enough to handle.
• Spacing: the card gives no figure. Leave generous room between plants so air can move through the foliage, and adjust once you see how large your plants become.
• Timings: no sowing date, germination time or days to maturity are recorded for this variety, and we do not estimate them.

Keep a note of your sowing and transplanting dates. Those records will give you real timings for your own climate in the next season.

FAQ

What conditions do the seeds need to germinate?

Light. Press the seed onto the surface of moist, well-drained compost and leave it uncovered.

When should I sow Shag Selskaya?

The card gives no sowing date. Because the plants are frost tender, sow indoors ahead of your last frost and plant the seedlings out after the frost risk has passed.

How tall does it grow?

The card gives no height. The species is usually lower and bushier than common tobacco, but plan space for a sizeable plant until you have measured your own.

Plant size, leaf size and flowering vary with climate, soil and season.