Yankton Man Tries His Hand at Tobacco Crop

Source from:  By The Associated Press YANKTON  07/24/2007

John Magnuson of Yankton is cultivating tobacco alongside his vegetables this summer after an increase in cigarette taxes peaked his interest in the crop. "I'm not really a smoker," Magnuson said. "It's just that when cigarette taxes got so high, I saw people rolling their own cigarettes and smoking the butts because they couldn't afford to buy cigarettes. It made me start to wonder what it would be like to grow your own tobacco." When the tobacco leaves are dried, Magnuson will be able to roll a cigar with the Cuban broadleaf plants. "I'm thinking the taste will be a lot different than commercial cigars because there won't be all the chemical additives," he said. The crop Magnuson is cultivating probably won't be abundant enough to share much of his experiment with friends. He never had any intention to sell any of the harvest. "As far as I know, there's no legal reason you can't grow tobacco," he said. "This is more of a lark than anything, just to see how it all works." Magnuson said his curiosity increased after he saw a Public Broadcasting program about tobacco. He quickly found that tobacco seed can't be purchased just anywhere. "I don't think there is any variety that's native to this area," he said. Magnuson did find three different varieties, a Cuban broadleaf, and a Kentucky and Tennessee variety. In recent years, some Wisconsin farmers have turned to tobacco products because shortages in Southern states caused Philip Morris to search for new producers. Burley tobacco already is grown there and can bring more than six times the value of corn. But harvesting is tedious because the leaves are stripped by hand. Magnuson wasn't sure his crop would even germinate. But after three weeks the tobacco plants sprouted from microscopic seeds into plants resembling tomatoes he said. When spring temperatures began to moderate, Magnuson transplanted his tobacco sprouts to his backyard garden. The transition killed about half his crop. Tobacco usually is grown in Southern gardens as an ornamental plant. Sun and well-drained soil are recommended for cultivating tobacco plants. Excess water actually can kill tobacco plants. Common pests that attack tomatoes and peppers also affect tobacco plants. Fertilizers suited to tomatoes, potatoes and peppers also will aid the growth of tobacco. Over-fertilizing can lead to overgrowth of the plants and an unappealing flavor in the leaves. "I don't know how big these will grow," Magnuson said. "We'll keep them going as long as we can. I don't think they'll make seven feet because our growing season is a lot shorter than it is in the South." Enditem