Tobacco, Massachusetts Wrapper (Organic)
Nicotiana tabacum.
As folks that haven’t spent much time in New England, we were surprised to learn that Connecticut and Massachusetts have a 300 year history of producing premium tobacco for wrapping cigars. Warm summers, long day length, and high humidity provide favorable conditions for leaves that can reach 3′ across and twice as long! After 18 months of processing, each of these giant leaves may become two cigars. Here in the Pacific Northwest with our cool temps and low humidity, the giant wrapper tobaccos don’t grow quite as large but are still very impressive, with leaves reaching 3′ long and 1½’ across at the widest point. Massachusetts Wrapper Tobacco grows to 7′ tall in our garden, with pretty light pink, trumpet shaped flowers atop the central stalk. Early maturing. We’ve never experimented with curing or smoking tobacco, but these leaves fared well in our taste test of dried, unfermented leaves. We don’t usually chew tobacco, and think the plants are worth growing for their ornamental qualities, unique size and shape. Also, tobacco may one day be useful again in bartering! We sourced this variety from Scott Weech at a seed swap in Eugene, Oregon.
Sow shallowly in flats indoors in spring. Transplant to two-foot centers when danger of frost has passed. Remove the flower buds and auxiliary buds (suckers) for increased leaf production.
Seed Saving
Collect seeds from seedheads that are fully dry. Shell by hand, and winnow to clean. Dry seeds completely before sealing in airtight container. Some cross-pollination may occur, isolate from other tobacco by ½ mile.
Laurie A. Smith –
Where did you grow this variety? Northeastern US
“A trip down memory lane! I grew up living and working on one of those MA tobacco farms! Sadly, most are out of business or have switched to other crops due to a fungal disease affecting the CT River Valley. Things to be aware of: It is/was grown under a gauze-like white cotton shade cloth which protected the leaves from hail damage—a torn cigar wrapper is worthless—as well as some pests, and insulated the growing area. It was irrigated aerially, through the cloth. A big pest is the tobacco hornworm, which is like a tomato hornworm on steroids. It is cured and dried in long barns that still dot the landscape. There it hung until the fall rains began, and it absorbed enough humidity to be taken down from the rafters and packed into crates without crumbling to dust. When the time was right we were called in to work, no matter what time it was. It was usually after dark, and we just worked until the job was done. Thanks for taking me back.
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