How to Grow Burley Tobacco
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Burley Tobacco
Nicotiana tabacum var. burley
vegetableBurley is a light-colored tobacco variety known for its mild flavor and high sugar content, traditionally used in cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco. It's an annual plant with large leaves that are harvested and cured to develop its characteristic golden-brown color. Burley tobacco requires warm growing conditions and produces tall plants with significant nutrient demands.
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Example Burley Tobacco timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Burley Tobacco
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Burley Tobacco
Around Aug 15≈ 120 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Burley Tobacco dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 6-9; can be grown in zone 5b with protection
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Seedling
6-8 weeksTiny seedlings with first true leaves emerging; very delicate with thin stems and simple leaf structure
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost. Provide consistent moisture, bright light, and protection from damping-off. Harden off gradually before transplanting.
Transplant/Establishment
2-3 weeksYoung plants 6-12 inches tall with 4-8 developing leaves; establishing root system after being moved to field
Plant after all frost danger passes. Space 24 inches apart. Water regularly. Protect from wind damage. Begin fertilizing with balanced formula.
Vegetative/Growth
6-8 weeksRapid leaf development; plants 2-4 feet tall with large, broad leaves covering the stem. Vigorous branching begins.
Remove suckers (side shoots) and break off the flowering top (topping) when 12-16 leaves have formed to direct energy to leaf production. Apply potassium-rich fertilizer. Monitor for pests and diseases.
Maturation
3-4 weeksPlants reach full height (4-6 feet); leaves darken and thicken, becoming leathery with reduced moisture content and increased sugar concentration
Reduce watering to concentrate sugars and toughen leaves. Stop fertilizing. Continue pest management. Leaves become ready for harvest when they show slight yellowing at margins.
Harvest/Curing
4-8 weeks (curing time)Mature leaves with optimal sugar and nicotine content; leaves are harvested and begin drying process
Harvest leaves from bottom to top as they mature. Cure using air-drying (hanging in ventilated shed) or fire-curing depending on desired product. Proper curing takes 4-8 weeks.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Hand-pick large caterpillars, use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), encourage beneficial parasitic wasps, neem oil spray
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Row covers on young plants, neem oil, spinosad, diatomaceous earth, reflective mulches
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Strong water spray, insecticidal soap, neem oil, encourage ladybugs and lacewings
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Yellow sticky traps, reflective mulch, neem oil, insecticidal soap
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Increase humidity, strong water spray, sulfur dust, neem oil, predatory mites
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Bt spray, hand-picking, neem oil, insecticidal soap, pheromone traps
Uses
Commercial Tobacco Products
CulinaryBurley is primarily used in the tobacco industry for cigarette blending, pipe tobacco, and chewing tobacco due to its mild flavor profile and high sugar content, which enhances burning qualities. [source]
Nicotine Alkaloid Studies
MedicinalBurley's specific alkaloid profile has been studied for pharmaceutical applications and nicotine replacement research, though growing tobacco for medicinal purposes is heavily regulated. [source]
Traditional Pest Control
HouseholdTobacco leaves have been historically used as a natural pesticide for garden pests and livestock parasites, though modern synthetic options are generally preferred. [source]
Horticultural Heritage & Seed Saving
CraftGrowing Burley preserves agricultural heritage and knowledge of traditional tobacco cultivation, popular among heirloom enthusiasts and tobacco history museums. [source]
Pollinator Plants
WildlifeWhen allowed to flower, Burley produces small tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators before the flower head is typically removed for commercial cultivation. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Harvest leaves from the bottom of the plant upward as they mature (typically 80-100 days after topping). Leaves are ready when they show slight yellowing at the margins and feel thicker/leathery. Pick individual leaves by hand, bending gently downward. Harvest in morning after dew dries but before heat builds up. Burley is typically harvested all at once or in 2-3 heavy pickings. Cure by air-drying in well-ventilated structures (barns, sheds) for 4-8 weeks, hanging bundles from rafters to allow uniform drying without direct sunlight.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Burley tobacco was first cultivated in Kentucky around the 1870s and remains one of the most commercially important tobacco varieties worldwide, particularly in American cigarette blending.
- 🌱 Unlike darker tobacco varieties that are fire-cured, Burley's characteristic golden-brown color develops through air-curing in shaded structures, a process that takes 4-8 weeks and requires precise humidity control.
- 🌱 Burley plants are notorious heavy feeders and nutrient accumulators; they require significantly more potassium and phosphorus than most garden crops, which is why crop rotation and soil testing are essential for repeated cultivation.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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