Hopi Nicotiana Seeds

Hopi is a variety of Nicotiana rustica, a Nicotiana species with a sturdy upright stem and broad, thick leaves. The product card describes it as a medium-sized plant of 1 to 1.5 metres with dark green foliage and a compact, hardy habit, and names the American Southwest as the home of the variety. The notes below stay with the plant itself: how the card describes it, and how the seeds are sown and grown.

About the plant

• Species: Nicotiana rustica, grown from seed. It is a different species from the common Nicotiana tabacum, so sowing notes written for one are not always a safe guide for the other.
• Height: about 1 to 1.5 m (roughly 3 to 5 ft), described as medium-sized for a Nicotiana.
• Stems and leaves: robust stems carrying broad leaves that are thick and dark green.
• Habit: compact and hardy, according to the card.
• Climate: described as suited to arid and semi-arid climates, with tolerance of heat, drought and poor soil. Treat this as a description of the variety, not a promise for every garden.
• Origin: listed on the card as a traditional Hopi variety from the American Southwest. We have no further verified history for it, so none is given here.

Growing Hopi from seed

• Sowing indoors: start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date in your area.
• Light: press the seeds lightly onto the soil surface and leave them uncovered, because they need light to germinate.
• Soil: well-drained sandy or loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH, between 6.0 and 7.0. Organic compost can be worked in where the soil is poor.
• Sun and water: full sun, with sparing watering. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings, which is closer to the dry conditions the variety is described as coming from.
• Spacing: the card gives no spacing figure, so judge it by the final height of up to 1.5 m and leave enough room for the broad leaves and for air to move between plants.

No germination time, sowing temperature or seed-count figures are saved for this variety yet, so none are quoted here. If you keep notes on your own sowing dates and seedling emergence, they will tell you more about this variety in your conditions than any general figure.

FAQ

What conditions do the seeds need to germinate?

They need light. Press them onto the surface of well-drained, lightly moist soil and do not cover them.

When should I sow Hopi?

Sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area. The card does not give a transplanting date or a time to maturity, so follow your local frost dates and the weather when moving seedlings outdoors.

How tall does Hopi grow?

The card gives 1 to 1.5 metres, with robust stems and broad leaves. Actual height and leaf size will vary with climate, soil and season.