Tobacco Connecticut Broadleaf Seeds

What this packet is

Nicotiana tabacum seed sold under the selection name Connecticut Broadleaf, in packets of 50, 100 and 300 seeds. We hold no breeder description or germination test for this lot, so every figure on this page is a species or type figure from the sources named in it, not a result for this lot.

Also known as: Common tobacco, Cultivated tobacco, Tambaku, Tanbaku, Tabaco, Tabac, Tabak, Tabacco and Tütün.

What is known about the Connecticut Broadleaf type

Connecticut Broadleaf is a type traditionally grown in the Connecticut River Valley of Connecticut and Massachusetts. A University of Kentucky grower fact sheet says it can be ready in as little as 10 weeks after transplanting and grows off faster than burley or dark types, both in the seedling tray and in the field. It advises soil of pH 6.2–6.6, a little higher than the 5.0–6.0 given for the species, and plants about 61–66 cm apart in rows 102–107 cm apart. It also warns against fields with a history of black shank, a soil disease, because no Connecticut Broadleaf variety is resistant to it.

Sow on the surface, not under soil

Press the seed onto moist, fine seed-starting mix and leave it uncovered: most cultivars need light to germinate (PROSEA). The seed is 0.4–0.6 mm long and about 11,000–12,000 weigh a gram, so a 300-seed packet is roughly 25 mg. A light dusting that leaves the seed visible is enough, according to University of Kentucky seedling guidance.

Germination temperature

Aim for 21–24 °C and stay below 32 °C. University of Kentucky gives 70–75 °F (21–24 °C) as the best range for pelleted seed and warns that above 90 °F (32 °C) germination may fail. That range was measured on pelleted seed, so use it as a starting point for loose seed and keep the tray bright and evenly moist.

When to move seedlings out

Move them when they are 15–20 cm tall with a rosette of 4–5 leaves, rather than on a fixed date. PROSEA gives 35–45 days after sowing; Kentucky gives 7–9 weeks for greenhouse-grown seedlings, so warmth and light decide. Harden plants for 7–10 days before transplanting. The species grows best at mean temperatures of 21–27 °C, tolerates 13–37 °C and needs a frost-free period of 90–110 days after transplanting.

Soil, water and room

Choose well-drained soil; the species is very sensitive to waterlogging. PROSEA lists 300–400 mm of water spread evenly over the season. Common tobacco reaches 1–2.5 m with 20–35 leaves, each 5–50 cm long and 5–25 cm wide.

Flowering and seed saving

Flowers open 50–60 days after transplanting and are usually pale pink, rarely white or carmine red. The seed capsules ripen 3–4 weeks later and each holds 2,000–5,000 seeds. Dry, cool storage keeps tobacco seed viable for more than 10 years (PROSEA); a genebank study cited in Current Agronomy (2024) reports 89% germination after 25 years at 5 °C.

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.