Saratovskaya Nicotiana Seeds

Saratovskaya is a Nicotiana rustica variety, listed here as seed for growing the plant. The product card describes a medium-height plant that reaches up to 1.5 m (about 5 feet), with sturdy stems and broad, lance-shaped leaves. The leaves are thick and dark green. This page keeps to what the card states about the plant and about sowing, and leaves out anything it cannot back up.

Saratovskaya is the name of this particular variety, as it appears in the store listing.

Plant at a glance

• Species: Nicotiana rustica
• Variety name: Saratovskaya
• Height: up to 1.5 m (about 5 feet), according to the product card
• Stems: sturdy
• Leaves: broad and lance-shaped, thick, dark green
• Site: full sun and fertile, well-drained soil
• Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral

Growing Saratovskaya from seed

Nicotiana seed is very fine and needs light to germinate, so it is pressed onto the soil surface and never buried. The steps below follow the variety description on the product card.

• Timing: start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area.
• Sowing: press the seeds lightly onto the soil surface and keep them exposed to light.
• Moisture: keep the soil evenly moist, but do not let it become waterlogged, since overwatering causes root problems.
• Soil: fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Working organic compost into the bed before planting supports steady growth.
• Light: full sun once the plants are outdoors.

Plant the seedlings outside only after the last frost has passed. Harden them off over several days first, so the young leaves are not scorched by direct sun or knocked back by a cold night.

What is not yet recorded

No seed specifications have been saved for this variety yet. For that reason this page does not give a germination percentage, a viability period, a seed size or a germination time. Plant spacing, days to flowering and flower colour are not documented on the product card either, so they are left out rather than guessed. Photographs in the gallery have not all been reviewed against this variety, so this text makes no claims about what the plants in them look like beyond the card.

FAQ

How do I sow Saratovskaya seeds?

Press them lightly onto the surface of moist soil and leave them uncovered. The seeds need light to germinate, so burying them works against the plant. Keep them exposed to light until they sprout.

When should I sow Saratovskaya?

The variety description recommends sowing indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Seedlings go outdoors once the last frost is over. Because the card gives no germination time, check the tray every few days instead of waiting for a fixed date.

How tall does Saratovskaya grow?

The product card gives a height of up to 1.5 m, with sturdy stems and broad, lance-shaped leaves. Treat this as an approximate figure, since light, soil and spacing change the final size of any plant grown from seed.