Nicotiana (Fragrant Delight)

[boognish]

I'm quite the novice when in comes to flowers, but I've got a couple of varieties to try out this summer. Unfortunately, I'm beginning to realize that I really don't have the space to grow all the vegetables let alone flowers I purchased seed of this winter; so I'm starting to look towards container gardening.

I'd like to try Nicotiana Fragrant Delight in a container. I have a nice 1.5' x 1.5' x 1.5' container (almost a cube but tapering towards the bottom). Any tips on nicotiana container gardening? Will I be able to grow something other than nicotiana or will leave no space for other flowers in the container?

thanks

[zebraman]

Hey Boognish;The Nicotiana is better suited for ths garden.I grow the aztec/Jasmine scented and the N.Langsdorphi which is lime green.The Jasmine would fit 9,and Langs-3-4.Also the both reseed like Crazy and need no care once established.Being wild tobacco they do produce Nicotine and have benificial properties.If you use raised beds with equidistant spacing you could fit them in between the opposing squares.

[boognish]

That's pretty much what I've heard: more for the garden than a container. It's just that I lack sufficient space in my brand new garden.

Well, I'm going to give it a shot. I'll let the forum know how it turns out.

BTW, I've heard the same about the reseeding, which is another reason to keep them out of my relatively small (350 sq ft) garden.

[zebraman]

Hey Boognish;I don't know where you live and what you are growing but Potato Beetles prefer Nicotiana over Potato plants 3-1.If you make these available they will eat these and not the Potatoes.

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

Boognish, I also bought the fragrant delight and I also decided it wouldn't fit in my garden...also new, also smallish :) I'm going to plant mine around the patio since (1) I hope they'll smell very nice and also (2) I read on a website that the leaves get rather sticky and bugs will stick to them, so I hoped maybe there would be kind of a nice natural bug barrier there. Just thought I'd mention...I suppose someone who actually has experience growing it could tell you if it's true the leaves get sticky.

[zebraman]

Hey Boognish;Leaves are slightly sticky as they are related To Smoking Tobacco.Bugs sticking to the leaves is a Pipe Dream.The use is as a trap plant.

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

Yeah, I haven't noticed any bugs sticking to the leaves since I put the seedlings outside two days ago. Leaves sticking to each other, yes. Bugs sticking to leaves, no.

[zebraman]

Hey Boognish;If you are looking for sticky plants that catch and Kill bugs grow Sundews.www.californiacarnivores.com

[boognish]

very interesting! Thanks. Looks like I'll start some today and transplant in a few weeks when I set out my other plants.

[MatthewH]

I wonder, can Nicotiana leaves be dried and smoked? It would be nice to grow my own pipe tobacco, anyone have ideas on this?

[zebraman]

See below;

[zebraman]

Hey MathewH;Not Really;What you need is Nicotiana tabacum 'Perique' Tobacco.You can buy seeds at www.victoryseeds.com
Also Tobacco is cured by the Flue Method/which means dried slowly with moisture and heat so the finnished leaf is not only brown but deleted of its Hallucinogenic Alkyloids.This is why in the 1960's and 1970's it was classified as a schedule 1 Narcotic.
Also Overdose from smoking too much is usually Fatal.-

[MatthewH]

Thanks for the info. Just read an article on curing tobacco. Did NOT know it could be hallucinogenic. I do not smoke from habit, so it is VERY relaxing. I make my own wine, and this thread got me thinking about smokes too. Saw a tobacco in Seeds of Change also... haven't got all of this years garden in, already thinking about next year! Anyway, thanks again for the tips!

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

I saw that tobacco in SOC too, we were thinking about trying it in the future. If you try it, please post how it goes.

[johno]

I got a couple of different types of nicotiana a few years ago. The one I have allowed to reseed regularly is tall with white flowers, I think it came from Scentsation Mix. The flowers smell intoxicating day and night. Usually the leaves are covered with bugs, like glue traps. I wonder if they die from being stuck or from ingesting nicotine? I noticed that the hummingbirds frequent them, sticking their long beak into the tubular flowers.

As for smoking this plant, I am a little worried about the chemistry of all those bugs on it... But I dried some anyway and occasionally roll a cigarette from it. It's kind of mild compared to packaged cigs, especially considering there is no filter.

[Nutter]

I love the scent of those...