Nicotiana tabacum

For most people it will be no surprise to hear that the Nicotiana tabacum plant forms the basis for tobacco. In its natural habitat, South-America, the plant was cultivated for medical and recreative use, probably already thousands of years B.C. Man has been cultivating the tobacco plant thousands of years for the psychoactive effects of nicotine, which is the active compound of tobacco. Nowadays the Nicotiana tabacum is widespread on the European continent and present in daily life everywhere.

In the year 1504 the explorer Rodrigo de Jerez brought tobacco home to Spain from America. The use of tobacco had a impressive and quick increase. Around 1511 the use of tobacco was very common in Spain and in 1531 the first tobacco fields for private use could be found everywhere. From Spain the tobacco found its way to Europe fast.

Not everybody was yet a fan of the tobacco plant. In 1628 Shah Sefi poured hot lead in the throats of two salesmen for selling tobacco. Tsar Alexis of Russia (1634) was not a big fan aswell. The first you where caught using tobacco you where beaten up and send to Siberia, the second time death penalty was your punishment. Even then tobacco caused conflicts amongst people.

In the beginning tobacco was much used for medical purposes. Headaches, paranoia, dysentery, tooth pain, crankiness, tobacco caused revelation for almost everything. But soon this use was not so popular anymore. Reports of 1602 showed already that there were links between the use of tobacco and cancer and lungdiseases. This awareness did not stop the recreative popularity of tobacco, although medically the plant was no longer used.

Only in 1753 the tobacco plant receives the name like we know now out of scientific literature. French ambassador Jean Nicot introduced the plant in England – and therefore the plant was named after him.

Tobacco was sniffed at first. Prumed or smoked in a pipe (only for the rich). Around 1800 the sigar came to Europe and this kind of smoking became very populair. The first modern sigaret was machine-made in 1883 in the United States. The cigaret became known in Europe due to the American soldiers that handed them out during the liberation in WO II.

Usage

Cultivating your own Nicotiana tabacum is not that hard. Sow the seeds early in the season (around March is best). The seeds germinate easily and the plants grow well in different circumstances. Let the seeds germinate in a small pot in some soil covered with a bag. Keep thoroughly moist for the first weeks. After a few days the seeds will germinate and after some weeks the seedlings will grow their first leaves. At this moment you can replace your young plants to a bigger pot (without the covering bag). Make sure your plants will still have some protection the first weeks. After that place them on a sunny and warm spot. Remember that the Nicotiana tabacum does best in a rich and moist soil.

The whole plant is covered in small, sticky hairs. Blossom is white or soft pink and flourishes from July till September. Indoors your plant normally doesn't become higher than 1 meter. But when placed outside during summer, lengths up to 3 meters can occur.