Where to buy seeds
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Long Red Tobacco is a productive, heirloom-variety Nicotiana tabacum that grows 3 to 6 feet tall with a neat pyramidal shape and long, narrow dark-green leaves. This open-pollinated cultivar reaches maturity in 50 to 90 days from transplant, thriving in full sun across a wide range of growing conditions. Long Red's upright growth habit and sturdy structure hold strong through wind and rain, while its deer-resistant nature makes it a resilient choice for gardeners seeking an authentic tobacco variety for cigar production.
Full Sun
Moderate
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60in H x ?in W
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High
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Long Red stands out for its combination of productivity and structural integrity. The plant develops a distinctive pyramidal form that stays upright without staking, handling the elements far better than many leggy tobacco varieties. Its long, narrow leaves and heirloom genetics offer genuine cigar-leaf quality, whether you're aiming for filler, binder, or wrapper material. The 50 to 90-day window from transplant to harvest is remarkably flexible, giving gardeners real room to work with their local growing season.
Long Red Tobacco is grown primarily for cigar production, where its long, narrow leaves serve multiple roles in the cigar-making craft. The leaves work as filler, binder, or wrapper depending on positioning and treatment, giving growers flexibility in how they use the harvest. Beyond traditional cigar work, some gardeners cultivate this variety for seed saving, preserving the heirloom genetics within their growing communities.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Tobacco seeds are tiny and should be sown on the surface of moist seed-starting mix under bright light, as they need light to germinate. Keep soil temperature between 70 and 80°F for best germination rates. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days before transplanting outdoors.
Transplant seedlings into the garden after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed to at least 60°F. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. Long Red grows well in fields, raised beds, containers, and greenhouses. Water in well after transplanting and maintain consistent moisture as the plant establishes.
Harvest Long Red Tobacco 50 to 90 days after transplanting, when the plant reaches maturity. Watch for the lower leaves to yellow and begin to feel paper-thin; this signals they're ready for harvest. Pick leaves individually starting from the bottom of the plant and working upward as they mature, or harvest the entire plant at once if you prefer. Handle the harvested leaves carefully to avoid bruising, which affects their value for cigar-making applications.
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“Long Red Tobacco represents the enduring tradition of heirloom tobacco cultivation, passed down through generations of growers who valued both the plant's structural reliability and leaf quality. As an open-pollinated variety, it carries the genetic stability that allows gardeners to save seed year after year, maintaining the line exactly as their predecessors grew it. This cultivar embodies the practical wisdom of farmers who selected for plants that could stand upright in variable weather while producing leaves suitable for the entire cigar-making process.”