10 Surprising Uses of Tobacco
Around Your Home and Garden

Tobacco has been around for centuries, and while it’s most commonly approached in the form of smoking cigars around here, it has many other surprising uses, especially around your home and garden. Let’s dive into ten unexpected ways you can use tobacco that you might not have known about!

1. Natural Insect Repellent

Tobacco can be a powerful natural insect repellent. The nicotine in tobacco is toxic to many insects, making it a great way to keep pests out of your garden without using harsh chemicals. To make your own insect repellent, you can steep tobacco leaves in water for about 24 hours, creating a strong tea. Once the mixture is ready, strain out the leaves and pour the tobacco tea into a spray bottle.

Spraying this mixture on your plants can help keep away common garden pests like aphids, caterpillars, and beetles. The tobacco tea works by disrupting the nervous systems of these insects, making your garden a much less attractive place for them to hang out. Plus, it’s all-natural, so you don’t have to worry about harming your plants or introducing harmful chemicals into your garden.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/tobacco-juice-pesticide.htm

2. Homemade Pesticide

If you’re dealing with a serious insect problem, tobacco can be used to make a stronger, homemade pesticide. Like the insect repellent, this pesticide is made by steeping tobacco leaves in water. However, for a pesticide, the mixture is made more potent by letting the tobacco steep for a longer period, usually 2-3 days. After straining the leaves, you can add a few drops of dish soap to the mixture to help it stick to the plants better.

This homemade pesticide is effective against a wide range of insects, including aphids, whiteflies, and even slugs. When sprayed on plants, the tobacco mixture acts quickly to kill off pests, helping to protect your garden from infestations. Just be sure to use it carefully—while it’s effective against insects, it can also be harmful to beneficial bugs like bees, so only spray it where and when it’s truly needed.

http://www.thespruce.com/homemade-tobacco-spray-pest-control-2539739

3. Fungal Control

Fungal diseases like powdery mildew and blight can wreak havoc on your plants. Luckily, tobacco can help! The nicotine in tobacco doesn’t just work against insects; it can also help control fungal infections in your garden. To use tobacco for fungal control, you can make a tea like you would for insect repellent and spray it directly onto the affected plants.

The tobacco tea helps by creating an environment that’s hostile to fungi, preventing them from spreading further. This method is particularly useful for plants like tomatoes, roses, and cucumbers, which are often affected by fungal diseases. While it’s not a cure-all, tobacco tea can be an effective part of your overall strategy for keeping your plants healthy and free from disease.

http://www.gardeningchannel.com/how-to-use-tobacco-for-fungal-control/

4. Soil Decontamination

Tobacco can be used in soil to help combat nematodes, which are tiny worms that can cause serious damage to the roots of plants. Nicotine is toxic to these pests, and adding tobacco to your soil can help to reduce their numbers. To use tobacco for soil decontamination, you can either bury tobacco leaves directly in the soil or water the soil with a diluted tobacco tea.

This method works particularly well in vegetable gardens where nematodes can be a big problem. By using tobacco to reduce nematode populations, you can help ensure that your plants have healthy roots and are able to grow strong and produce well. However, be careful not to use too much tobacco, as it can also affect the beneficial organisms in your soil if overused.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/natural-soil-amendments-zm0z11zhun/

5. Animal Repellent

If you have problems with animals like rabbits, deer, or even neighborhood cats nibbling on your garden plants, tobacco might be able to help. The strong smell of tobacco can be a deterrent to these animals, keeping them away from your garden without harming them. To use tobacco as an animal repellent, you can sprinkle dried tobacco leaves around the perimeter of your garden or mix the tobacco with water to create a spray.

When animals get a whiff of the tobacco, they’re likely to find somewhere else to forage. This is a simple, natural way to protect your garden from being eaten by unwanted visitors. Plus, because it’s a scent-based deterrent, it won’t harm the animals, just encourage them to move along to another spot.

http://www.gardensalive.com/product/using-tobacco-to-deter-animals

6. Compost Booster

Tobacco can also be used as a compost booster to help speed up the decomposition process. The nicotine in tobacco contains nitrogen, which is an essential nutrient for plants and a key component of compost. By adding tobacco leaves to your compost pile, you can increase the nitrogen content, which in turn helps the organic matter break down more quickly.

To use tobacco as a compost booster, simply add a handful of tobacco leaves to your compost pile. Mix them in well with the other materials, and let the natural decomposition process do the rest. Over time, the tobacco will break down, adding valuable nutrients to your compost and helping to create rich, fertile soil for your garden.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/using-tobacco-in-compost.htm

7. Cleaning Solution

Believe it or not, tobacco can be used to create a natural cleaning solution for your home. The nicotine in tobacco is a natural disinfectant, and when mixed with water, it can be used to clean and disinfect surfaces around your house. To make a tobacco cleaning solution, steep a few tobacco leaves in water for a day or two, then strain the leaves and use the liquid to wipe down surfaces.

This homemade cleaner can be especially useful in areas where you want to avoid harsh chemicals, such as in kitchens or around children and pets. While it might not replace your regular cleaning routine, it’s a good option for those who are looking for a natural, eco-friendly way to clean and disinfect their home.

http://www.thespruce.com/natural-cleaning-tobacco-remedy-1388014

8. Weed Killer

Tobacco can also be used as a natural weed killer in your garden. The nicotine in tobacco is toxic to many plants, and when applied directly to weeds, it can help to kill them off without the need for synthetic herbicides. To make a tobacco-based weed killer, you can create a strong tobacco tea and pour it directly onto the weeds you want to get rid of.

This method works particularly well on small, young weeds that haven’t yet established deep roots. The tobacco tea disrupts the growth of the weeds, causing them to wither and die over time. However, be careful when using this method, as the tobacco tea can also harm your desired plants if it gets on them. Use it sparingly and only in areas where you’re dealing with persistent weeds.

http://www.gardeningchannel.com/tobacco-tea-weed-killer/

9. Wound Care for Plants

Just like people, plants can get wounds too—whether it’s from pruning, pests, or accidents. Tobacco can be used as a natural remedy to help plants heal and prevent infections. The nicotine in tobacco has antibacterial properties, which can help to protect the wounded area from becoming infected with harmful bacteria or fungi.

To use tobacco for plant wound care, you can create a paste by mixing ground tobacco with water and apply it directly to the affected area. The paste will form a protective barrier over the wound, helping to keep it clean and promote healing. This method is particularly useful for trees and shrubs, which can suffer from wounds that take a long time to heal.

http://www.almanac.com/plant-wound-care-with-tobacco

10. Mole and Rodent Deterrent

Moles and rodents can be a big problem in gardens and yards, digging up plants and causing damage to lawns. Tobacco can be used to help deter these pests by taking advantage of its strong smell and taste, which many animals find unpleasant. To use tobacco as a mole and rodent deterrent, you can sprinkle tobacco leaves in mole tunnels or around areas where you’ve seen rodent activity.

The smell of the tobacco will discourage these pests from hanging around, helping to protect your garden and yard from further damage. This method is a natural and humane way to deal with mole and rodent problems without resorting to traps or poisons.

http://www.pestworld.org/how-to-use-tobacco-to-repel-moles-and-rodents/

Conclusion:

Tobacco might be best known for its role in smoking, but as you can see, it has a wide range of other uses that can be incredibly beneficial around your home and garden. From natural insect repellents to compost boosters, tobacco offers an array of surprising and effective solutions to common household and gardening problems. So the next time you come across some tobacco, think beyond cigarettes and consider how you might put this versatile plant to work in new and unexpected ways!