Tobacco Havana Seeds

What this packet is

Nicotiana tabacum seed sold under the selection name Havana, 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 figure from the sources named in it, not a result for Havana in particular.

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

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 of pH 5.0–6.0; the species is very sensitive to waterlogging. PROSEA lists 300–400 mm of water spread evenly over the season. Plants reach 1–2.5 m with 20–35 leaves, each 5–50 cm long and 5–25 cm wide. Field crops stand 45–55 cm apart in the row and 75–110 cm between rows.

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.