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Kentucky 17 is a rugged, heavy-yielding Burley tobacco that stands as a dependable choice for gardeners in zones 3, 10. This open-pollinated heirloom reaches 6 to 7 feet tall, producing large, light-green leaves that mature in 75 to 90 days from transplant. Each plant delivers up to 6 to 8 ounces of dried leaf, making it both productive and straightforward to grow in fields, containers, raised beds, or greenhouses. Its white stem and vigorous upright growth habit reflect the practical breeding that made Burley tobacco a workhorse crop across the American South.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
60in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Kentucky 17 produces extraordinarily tiny seeds; roughly 500,000 seeds per ounce means a single seed packet contains the genetic material for thousands of plants. The variety's white-stemmed structure and large, light-green foliage are hallmarks of the Burley type, a tobacco class valued for its mild character and substantial leaf yield. Its deer resistance is a genuine advantage for gardeners in areas where browsing pressure threatens other crops, and the ability to thrive in containers alongside field production gives it unusual flexibility for a tobacco variety.
Kentucky 17 is grown for tobacco leaf production, harvested and dried for use in smoking or other tobacco preparations. The large, light-green leaves are the primary product, dried and processed according to grower preference.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date. Kentucky 17 seeds are extremely tiny; sow them on the surface of moist seed-starting mix and do not cover. Provide consistent warmth around 70°F and bright light. Seedlings will emerge in 7 to 14 days and develop their first true leaves within 3 to 4 weeks.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date, once soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows spaced 36 inches apart to accommodate mature foliage spread.
Harvest leaves 75 to 90 days after transplanting, once they reach full size and light-green color. Individual leaves can be picked as they mature, or the entire plant can be harvested at once. Cut at the base and hang the whole plant upside down in a well-ventilated space to dry completely before processing.
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