Please note: The free shipping on this item means it will be sent as a letter. They generally arrive within 5 business days(in the U.S.) but can sometimes take up to 10. Orders with 5 or more packets of any of the seeds we sell with free shipping will get a free upgrade to tracked shipping(Domestic Only). Seeds are packaged by weight, all seed counts should be considered estimates. 1 gram of tobacco seeds is approximately 10,000 seeds. This listing is for 100 milligrams of seeds which is approximately 1,000 seeds. About Connecticut Shade Connecticut Shade leaf produces some of the finest cigar wrappers in the world. Originally grown under trees to provide shade from the direct sun, today's shade leaf tobaccos are now commercially grown under shade cloth. The covering is used to duplicate the tropical shady conditions where this type of tobacco was originally grown. Connecticut produces nearly 900,000 lbs of shade grown leaf annually. Connecticut shade-grown tobacco is one of the most expensive agricultural commodities in the world commanding prices of $55 or more per pound for the highest grades of leaf. Our seed stock originates from one of these Connecticut farms, and is the same seed used to grow 60 acres under shade cloth in the 2013 season. Connecticut Shade Leaf will grow to over 9' in height producing 26-28 leaves. The plants are very uniform and have little to no suckering. The leaves are a light green averaging 12" x 18" and turn a mottled yellow as they ripen. It matures in 75-80 days. Shade Leaf tobaccos will develop leaf qualities more similar to a broadleaf wrapper when grown in full sun. When shade grown the leaf will be larger, thinner and be more elastic. How to Grow Tobacco Growing your own tobacco is so easy and not dissimilar to growing tomatoes. Place commercial seedling compost into a tray and soak the soil with water and allow the excess water to drain off. Sprinkle the tobacco seeds onto the surface of the damp soil. Do not cover the seeds, as they need light for germination. Tobacco seeds are very tiny, so be careful to spread the seeds as evenly as possible. Keep the soil damp being careful not to wash the seeds around when you water; better still water from below or use a mist sprayer. At a temperature of 75-80 degrees, seeds typically take a matter of days to germinate; though at this stage they are still rather small. At lower temperatures, the germination simply takes a few days longer. Plantlets are ready to be transplanted into bigger pots, when the leaves are about 1cm in length. Care should be taken not to disturb the roots. Feed should only be given to established and rapidly growing plants after they have been replanted. Tobacco requires a lot of nitrogen and potash, which can be supplied using standard garden fertilizer. You may want to grow your tobacco using only organic fertilizers. Ideally, space the tobacco plants about 2 ft. apart in rows 3 ft. apart. Transplant outside in the evening or when it is cloudy and overcast to avoid the youngsters from drying out. Water plants thoroughly after transplanting and water daily until plants become established. Like tomato plants, the branches (suckers, offshoots), should be removed to focus the plants energy on the large leaves. Tobacco plants generally require full to partial sunlight to grow properly. Tobacco is ready to be harvest after 60-90 days after germinating.