Flowering Tobacco

Start your seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date. Use a grow light and heat mat to start your seeds, pressing them gently into the soil with no covering dirt. Germination can occur within 2-3 weeks. Start your light close to the soil and raise it as seedlings emerge and grow. If you raise it too fast, your plants can become leggy and die. Wait to plant outside until 2 weeks after your last frost date.
Pick a sight with full sun to partial shade (afternoon shade is best if your area has hot summers) and rich moist soil. Fertilize when transplanting, and once a month for the remainder of the growing season.
Flowering tobacco is a beautiful flowering addition, but should be kept away from pets and children, as it is toxic and contains all of the same chemicals as regular tobacco. If you’re interested in using the leaves, harvest them prior to flowers appearing, and never harvest more than 1/3 of the plant in a picking. Once flowers appear, the taste of the leaves will change. Jasmine tobacco has a strong fragrance, and shouldn’t be bothered by animals due to its toxicity. It can be attacked by insects, such as the tobacco horn worm and flea beetles. Keep your flowering tobacco away from the vegetable garden, especially nightshade plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, as they are prone to the same pests and diseases.
The flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies due to the tubular shape. They will also self seed, so even though they are an annual, you may see them growing in the same area for years to come!