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Burley 64 is a straightforward, upright tobacco variety that grows 3 to 5 feet tall and matures in roughly 65 days from transplant. This open-pollinated heirloom thrives in hardiness zones 9 through 11 and delivers smooth, easy-to-handle leaves with minimal suckering, making it remarkably low-maintenance for home cultivation. Deer resistant and suited to fields, containers, raised beds, and greenhouses, it's a dependable choice for gardeners seeking a productive, no-fuss tobacco plant.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
60in H x ?in W
—
Low
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Burley 64 stands out for its minimal suckering and smooth leaf quality, traits that distinguish it from more labor-intensive tobacco varieties. Extremely tiny seeds, roughly 500,000 per ounce, allow you to start a substantial crop from a small seed packet. Its upright growth habit and compact spacing requirements (24 inches apart) make it efficient in garden beds or containers, while its deer resistance removes a major pest pressure that troubles many home growers.
Burley 64 is grown for tobacco leaf production. Historically, Burley tobaccos have been used in cigarette blending, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco products, valued for their mild flavor and leaf structure.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Because seeds are extremely tiny (roughly 500,000 per ounce), sow them on the soil surface or press them lightly into moistened starting mix without covering. Maintain soil temperatures around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the soil consistently moist until germination. Once seedlings develop true leaves, thin to strong individuals and grow them under bright light.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors after the last frost date and once soil temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Space plants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows. Burley 64 is ready to transplant when seedlings are 6 to 8 weeks old and have developed several true leaves.
Harvest tobacco leaves approximately 50 to 90 days after transplanting, depending on your climate and growing conditions. Burley 64 matures in roughly 65 days from transplant under ideal conditions. Leaves are ready when they turn pale tan or light brown and feel papery to the touch. Harvest leaves from the bottom of the plant upward as they mature, or cut entire plants and hang them whole in a well-ventilated space to cure.
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“Burley 64 belongs to the Burley tobacco family, a strain with deep roots in American agricultural history, particularly in Kentucky and surrounding regions. As an open-pollinated, heirloom variety, it has been preserved and passed through generations of seed savers and home gardeners. The '64' designation likely reflects its year of introduction or selection, though the exact breeding history is not documented in available sources. What matters is that this cultivar has survived and thrived because gardeners found it reliable enough to save seeds and grow it again year after year.”