Tobacco is grown either in huge plantations or small farms. The type of settlement depends of the history and the culture of the country where the tobacco is produced. Once tobacco is harvested and cured, the process to apply needs to handle big volumes. If his crop size is not large enough, the farmer can't process himself his own material and he will sell his cured tobacco to companies that collect small crops for processing. Large plantations growing enough tobacco that allows them to process it themselves are not so many when compared to the millions of small producers all around the world.
How many tobacco plants per acre?
Each type of tobacco has an ideal denseness in the field. To insure a well balanced development of the plant and get the product required by industry, the grower has to respect spacing between plants when transplanting. The range is quite large, from 4,800 plants per acre for some large and thick dark tobacco to 16,000 plants per acre for lighter tobacco. Even more for the tiny oriental type. Wrappers are generally transplanted at a denseness of 10-12,000 per acre.
How many tobacco crops per year ?
A tobacco plant grows and ripes within a 5 month period. However, it is nearly impossible to get 2 usable crops in the same year because of the weather condition requirements.
Tobacco and Water
As many other plants, tobacco does not like extreme weather conditions, particularly the lack or the excess of water. Drought will give thick, yellowish, paper type leaves, rich in starch and sharp in taste. Floods wash out the leaves. They are very thin, fragile, unable to ripe properly, with ghastly colors, white veins and bad taste. Tobacco hates having its roots in water !