Crop Rotation Group
Solanaceae (Potato and tomato family)
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Soil
Average garden soil with excellent drainage.
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Position
Full sun to partial afternoon shade.
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Frost tolerant
None. Nicotiana is a warm-natured flower.
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Feeding
Fast growth is encouraged by mixing a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil before planting. In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid fertilizer to stimulate late-season blooming.
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Companions
Upright nicotiana combines well with mound-forming flowers like portulaca or lobelia. The tubular flowers attract hummingbirds, and many varieties are fragrant.
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Spacing
Single Plants: 11" (30cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 11" (30cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum)
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Sow and Plant
Set out stocky seedlings from spring to early summer, after the soil has warmed. When starting the tiny seeds indoors, barely cover them with moist seed-starting mix.
Our Garden Planning Tool can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
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Notes
Nicotiana can be used as a trap crop from tomato hornworms. In midsummer, cut the plants back by half their size to quickly gather up hornworms eating the leaves. Very tall varieties benefit from staking. Nicotiana colors include white, pink, red, purple, lime green and yellow.
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Harvesting
As flowers fade, snip them off the flowering spikes with scissors to keep the plants looking neat.
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Troubleshooting
Aphids, slugs and both tomato and tobacco hornworms can require management. Some people are sensitive to nicotiana leaf sap and should dress defensively when working around the plants.
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