Congratulations! Your yield, should you continue the growth process, will be about 1 cigarette per leaf. When you get some growth, transplant them outside to your garden area. Give them the recommended fertilizer. Don't forget to cut the flowers off unless you are growing for seed. When they turn yellow, they are ready to harvest. Cut the stalk with either a very sharp and heavy bladed machete or a tobacco knife, turn it upside down and stick it into the ground to let the drying process begin for a day. Next day, come along, strip the leaves and tie them to a pole, hang the pole in your drying shed for six months or so to cure. Process and smoke.
I predict after you go through your first crop, you will be back to the convenience store buying your smokes.
> I predict after you go through your first crop, you will be back to the convenience store buying your smokes.
I predict that your nosey neighbors will have the federales on you before you can even enjoy your first smoke :)
Ya left out a step or two there Mountain man. First, it's too late in the year to plant seed. Actually too late to plant plants. Must begin in Feb. with a steamed plant bed for seeds. Keep covered with cloth until danger of frost is past. Transplant to field, replant those that die. As they grow break off the "suckers" that sprout between the leaves. Pick off the Tobacco Worms and squish them between thumb and fingers(at least 3 worms per plant). When the dark tobacco is about 4-5 feet tall, cut at base, string onto tobacco stake and take to the barn and hang the stakes between the rafters. After frost start several sawdust fires (hickory is best) and create lots of smoke which "cures" the leaves. In January, fire up the pot-bellied stove in the barn. Take down the stakes and remove the stalks of tobacco. Strip the leaves from the stalk and grade them according to grade. Tie into "hands" and arrange on a pallet. Now the tobacco is ready for sale or use. What a fun crop to grow. Of course you could plant Burley which is easier because you don't have to "fire" it. But Dark Virginia has to be smoke cured.