To investigate the effect of applying high–carbon–based fertilizer instead of basal fertilizer on physical and chemical properties of tobacco–planting soil and on quality of flue–cured tobacco, in 2017, 6 treatments including CK1 (conventional basal fertilizers), CK2 (conventional 3/4 basal fertilizers without high–carbon fertilizers), T1, T2, T3, and T4 (conventional 3/4 basal fertilizers plus 1 650 kg/hm2, 1 500 kg/hm2, 1 350 kg/hm2, and 1 200 kg/hm2 high–carbon– based fertilizers, respectively) were set up in Xindian town, Qingzhen city, Guiyang city, Guizhou province. The results showed that reducing the amount of 1/4 basal fertilizer and increasing the application of high–carbon fertilizer could significantly improve soil physical properties, and the improvement effect showed an increasing trend with the increase of the application amount of high–carbon–based fertilizer. As in treatment with 1 650 kg/hm2 high–carbon–based fertilizers, the soil bulk density was reduced by 0.09 g/cm3 and the soil moisture content was increased by 25.86%. The contents of soil organic matter, available potassium and available phosphorus were significantly increased: the soil organic matter content in treatment with 1 650 kg/hm2 high–carbon–based fertilizers increased significantly, reaching 23.62%; while in treatment with 1 350 kg/hm2 high–carbon–based fertilizers, the amount of soil available potassium and available phosphorus increased significantly, by up to 77.21% and 73.76%, respectively. Soil enzyme activity and contents of microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen were increased: in treatment with 1 350 kg/hm2 high–carbon–based fertilizers, the urease activity and microbial biomass carbon content increased by 104.94% and 30.3%, respectively; the total sugar content, reducing sugar content, potassium content and contents of neutral aroma components in the tobacco leaf increased by 34.45%, 33.7%, 11.76% and 53.45%, respectively. The application of 1 350 kg/hm2 high–carbon–based fertilizers had the best effect on improvement of tobacco planting soil, on growth and development of flue–cured tobacco, and on the quality of tobacco after curing.