How to Grow Ceremonial Tobacco Plants

Prepare your soil. Choose a sunny, level area with well-draining soil. Till the soil by digging into the dirt with the spade and turning it over. Remove weeds, sticks, rocks and yard debris and rake the surface flat. Water the surface thoroughly until the soil is moist, but not puddling.

Take a sample of your soil to your local home and garden center for testing. Tobacco prefers a soil pH of about 5.8. Raise the pH by amending the soil with lime and dolomite, as directed by your garden professional. Soils above 6.5 result in poor plant growth.

Fill the plastic bag halfway with moist sand. Add the seeds to the bag and close the zipper. Shake well until seeds are evenly dispersed in the sand. Tobacco seeds are very small and hard to plant individually in large quantities by hand.

Sprinkle the seeds and sand mixture evenly over the ground. Press down firmly on the surface to ensure the seeds have good contact with the soil.

Spray the surface of the soil lightly with the mister. Choose a gentle setting to avoid displacing the seeds. Water whenever needed to keep the surface of the soil damp, but not soggy.

Apply a small amount of fertilizer to the soil. Choose a fertilizer that contains little to no chlorine with a nitrite form of nitrogen. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper application. Apply regularly until the plants begin to flower. There is no need to fertilize while the plant is in bloom.

Pinch back the tips of the stems with your fingers to promote a bushier growth pattern. If the tobacco is intended for curing, remove all flower buds as they develop by pinching them off with your fingers.