Cultivation of smoking tobacco

The homeland of tobacco is South America, from where it spread to almost all corners of the world. And it was not aesthetic characteristics that contributed to this popularity. For several centuries, tobacco has been chewed, sniffed, and most importantly, a huge number of people smoke.

There are more than 60 types of tobacco in the world, but only one of them is grown on this scale. This is Common Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum).

Common tobacco is an annual plant of the Solanaceae family, more than 1.5 meters high, with a highly developed root system. It has a straight, rounded stem with large oval leaves. At the top of the stem, there is a paniculate inflorescence. In the seed capsule, very small brown-brown seeds with a diameter of 0.1 - 0.5 mm ripen.

The flavor of tobacco leaves, as well as strength and aroma, vary greatly depending on the growing conditions.

A large number of smoking tobacco varieties have been developed. Among them are widespread, such as 'Virginia' and 'Dubek', and rare 'Indian black', and many others, differing in strength and taste.

However, when growing tobacco at home, it is better to focus on zoned varieties.

Tobacco is grown in a seedling way. It is necessary to sow tobacco in late February - early March, so that by the time of planting the seedlings have reached an age of 40 - 45 days.

Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected with a 3 - 5% solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they are soaked for a day in water or a solution of potassium nitrate at a temperature of 27 degrees - this will accelerate the germination of seeds and increase their germination.

The washed seeds are placed in an enamel or plastic container, covered with a damp cloth and placed in a warm place. Stir the seeds periodically and moisten the fabric. On about 3-4 days, the seeds will begin to hatch. After germination of more than half of the seeds, they are slightly dried to a free-flowing state, mixed with calcined sand and sown in prepared soil.

The soil is prepared from humus, earth and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1, it must be moistened before sowing seeds.

The seeds are not embedded in the soil, but sprinkled with a mixture of humus and sand (3: 1) 0.3 - 0.5 cm thick, followed by moistening.

When seedlings appear, watering is increased: in the "cross" phase - 1 liter of water per square meter, when the first true leaves appear ("ears" phase) - 2 - 3 liters, and then up to 5 liters per day.

Seedlings must be fed twice with a solution of mineral fertilizers or infusion of fermented chicken manure (1 kg per 10 liters of water). Seedlings of smoking tobacco are grown in greenhouses or on windows on the sunny side at a temperature of 23 - 25 degrees until the "cross" phase. Then the temperature is lowered to 20 degrees. A week before planting in open ground, the seedlings must be hardened, and the number of waterings must be reduced.

Before planting, the seedlings are well watered so as not to damage the root system during sampling. High-quality seedlings have 5-6 true leaves, a well-developed root system and a height of about 15-16 cm. Tobacco is planted in May in a well-warmed ground, when the danger of spring frosts has passed. Plants are placed at a distance of 30 cm from each other and 70 cm between rows. About 0.5 liters of water is poured into the prepared holes, the plant is placed and the roots are sprinkled first with wet and then dry soil. It is necessary to ensure that the roots in the hole do not bend. To improve survival, the roots can be dipped in a liquid mixture of mullein and clay (1: 1) before planting.

The cultivation of smoking tobacco is similar to the cultivation of common vegetables such as peppers or eggplants. Tobacco requires loose, water and air permeable soil, free of weeds.Periodic loosening, weeding, timely watering and feeding is a mandatory and very important part of tobacco care, because for all its visible power, this culture is too delicate and defenseless. On light sandy soils, tobacco is watered more often and more abundantly, on heavy soils less often. By the end of cultivation, watering is reduced.

Tobacco is a long day plant. For normal growth and development, he needs 15-16 hours of daylight hours and a temperature of 20-30 degrees. When the temperature drops, growth stops, flowering stops and flower buds fall off.

When the tobacco begins to bloom, carefully so as not to damage the plant, break off its top and remove the stepsons. To obtain seeds, several inflorescences are allowed to bloom and mature.

In the phase of technical maturity, the leaves of smoking tobacco begin to acquire a lighter color, become brittle, the edges are slightly bent down. Select mature leaves in tiers, starting from the bottom.