Tobacco Basma K Seeds

Basma K is a Nicotiana tabacum variety offered here as seed for growing the plant. The product card describes a plant that reaches about 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 feet) tall, with small, thin, light green leaves that are slightly crinkled, and delicate pink flowers that open in late summer. It is a warm-season, sun-loving plant, and the notes below follow the variety description on the product card.

Also known as: common tobacco, cultivated tobacco, tambaku (Hindi), tabaco (Spanish/Portuguese), tabac (French), Tabak (German), tütün (Turkish)

The names above are common names of the species Nicotiana tabacum. Basma K is the name of this particular variety, and the store lists it as Tobacco Basma K.

Plant at a glance

• Species: Nicotiana tabacum
• Variety name: Basma K
• Height: about 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 feet), according to the product card
• Leaves: small, thin, light green and slightly crinkled
• Flowers: delicate, pink, in late summer
• Site: full sun and a warm climate

Growing Basma K from seed

Nicotiana seed is very fine and needs light to germinate, so it is pressed onto the surface and never buried. The figures below come from the variety description and are approximate guides, not results measured on a specific seed lot.

• Sowing: press the seeds lightly onto the surface of moist soil and leave them uncovered.
• Timing: start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost.
• Temperature: the card suggests keeping the soil around 24 C (75 F) and moist while the seeds germinate.
• Germination: the card gives 7 to 14 days.
• Transplanting: move seedlings outdoors only after the last frost, spacing plants 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches) apart.
• Site and soil: full sun and well-drained, sandy soil.

Because the seed is so small, the surface layer can dry out quickly. Water gently, from below or with a fine mist, so the seeds stay in place on the soil instead of washing together into clumps. Once the seedlings have grown their first true leaves, thinning them gives each plant room before it goes outdoors.

Space and site planning

A plant that reaches about a metre or more needs room for air to move around it. The spacing of 30 to 45 cm from the card is a practical starting point, and a sunny bed with free-draining sandy soil suits the variety description. Because the pink flowers appear in late summer, the plants are usually in the ground for a full warm season before they bloom.

What is not yet recorded

No seed specifications have been saved for this variety yet. For that reason this page does not state a germination percentage, a viability period or a seed size. The origin of the variety and its exact days to flowering are also not documented on the product card, so they are left out here 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 Basma K seeds?

Press them lightly onto the surface of moist, well-drained soil and do not cover them. The seeds need light to germinate, so burying them works against the plant. The card suggests a soil temperature of about 24 C (75 F).

When should I sow Basma K?

The variety description recommends sowing indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area. Seedlings move outdoors after the last frost has passed. The card gives 7 to 14 days for germination, so allow about two weeks before judging a tray.

How tall does Basma K grow?

The product card gives a height of about 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 feet), with small, thin, light green leaves and pink flowers in late summer. Treat these as approximate figures, since light, soil and spacing change the final size.