Unfortunately, in Russia there is a huge percentage of people who smoke. People just can’t give up their bad habit, which harms not only the person who smokes, but also those around him. According to VTsIOM, about 1/3 of all Russians smoke. 75% of men and 21% of women smoke regularly. This terrifying statistics. The worst thing is that last years The percentage of women smoking has increased.
We urge you to quit smoking. This is a habit that is killing you from the inside.
This article is dedicated to smoking people who just can’t quit smoking. Those who have already tried to quit several times and tried all the ways. There is a great solution for you - growing tobacco at home. This business is extremely exciting and interesting. Subject to all growing rules, finished product it turns out very High Quality. This cannot be compared with what we buy in stores under the guise of tobacco and cigarettes.
Tobacco companies They openly poison smokers by adding toxic chemicals to cigarettes in order to reduce the final cost of the product. At the same time, the price of tobacco products in stores increases every month.
For reference . The cost of 1 pack of cigarettes ranges from 1 to 5 rubles per pack.
From all this we can draw a conclusion. Tobacco companies poison smokers for huge amounts of money, making simply fabulous capital!
A little math. In 2016 average price per pack of cigarettes is 75-80 rubles. The average smoker smokes 10-20 cigarettes per day (0.5-1 pack). 80*365=29200 rubles. That is, the average smoker spends on cigarettes per year 15-35 thousand rubles . But this money can be spent with considerable benefit.
Benefits of growing tobacco at home.
Growing and processing tobacco in the garden does not incur any costs (except for the initial costs of purchasing seeds). After you have received your first harvest, you no longer need to buy cigarettes in the store every day, spending a lot of money on it. You yourself will have a very great amount tobacco, which is not only enough for yourself, but you can also treat your friends.
But the most important thing is that the product will be natural, and therefore not so harmful.
Growing tobacco is a hobby during which a person relaxes. There is something sacred in this. You will feel like a Cuban tobacco baron. In this article we will tell you everything about growing tobacco, you will learn the whole process - from A to Z. Everything will be accompanied by visual videos, it will be very easy to understand.
Where to start growing tobacco in your garden?
Where to start growing tobacco in your garden? This is a question asked by many novice tobacco growers. Let's try to figure it out. It is necessary to decide on the variety, prepare containers for planting seedlings, and prepare soil for planting seedlings.
Choice of variety.
First of all, you need to decide which variety or varieties to grow in your garden. There are a huge number of different varieties. For beginning tobacco growers, universal varieties such as Virginia 202 or Herzegovina Flora are best.
Virginia 202.
Tobacco Herzegovina Flora is Stalin's favorite tobacco variety. Joseph Vissarionovich himself spoke about this while smoking his pipe. Herzegovina flor is a very common variety. It has very good taste and aroma qualities. The leaves are moderately strong. Perfect for growing for beginners.
Planting tobacco seeds for seedlings.
The birthplace of tobacco - South America. The plant is heat-loving and ripens quite late. Therefore, in Russia, tobacco should be planted first as seedlings. The timing of planting seedlings is early spring. Tobacco seedlings can be planted throughout March.
Seeds should be planted in small containers. Disposable cups are very suitable for these purposes. A hole is made in the cups from the bottom to create drainage. Place a small layer of small pebbles or eggshells on the bottom.
After preparing the container, it is necessary to prepare the soil. Tobacco grows well only in fertile soil. It is advisable to buy a special universal soil for seedlings in the store. With this soil you need to mix ordinary disinfected soil from the garden in a ratio of 1 to 1. Add a little wood ash to the resulting mixture. The earth must be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Will go directly to the agricultural technology of planting. There are several points here. Tobacco seeds are very small and difficult to work with. You need to be very careful. Before sowing, water the soil well in a glass with warm water. Then carefully, straight from the bag, pour the seeds evenly into the container. Sprinkle a layer of earth no more than 1 millimeter on top.
Cover the container tightly with polyethylene and place in a warm place. Tobacco germinates within 3-5 days. As soon as the first bores begin to appear, the film must be removed and placed in a bright place, for example on a windowsill.
Caring for tobacco seedlings.
Let's talk about caring for tobacco seedlings at home.
Care before picking.
Before picking, caring for tobacco seedlings is extremely simple. Immediately after the first shoots appear, you need to remove the film and place the container with seedlings on a light windowsill, preferably on the south side. If this is not done, the seedlings will become very elongated and will grow very poorly.
You must constantly monitor the soil moisture; as soon as it is dry, you should water it with settled water at room temperature. It is highly not recommended to water plants with cold water.
Periodically, containers with seedlings need to be turned to the sun on the other side. This will ensure even growth and prevent stretching.
Picking tobacco into separate cups.
Tobacco picking
Tobacco picking- This is the process of planting seedlings at a normal distance from each other.
Growing tobacco without picking is simply impossible. The seeds are very small and plant sprouts are very frequent. Tobacco grows quite quickly and the seedlings begin to interfere with each other’s growth. As a result, the seedlings turn out to be very weak and elongated.
Care after picking.
Tobacco seedlings need to be plucked when 2-3 true leaves appear. By this time, the plants will grow crowded in one container. Plants are planted in disposable cups, 1-2 pieces per cup.
After picking, it is advisable to water the tobacco every day until it is accepted in a new place.
2 weeks after picking, tobacco seedlings should be fed. You can use both organic and mineral fertilizers. The most important thing is that they contain a lot of nitrogen. Liquid chicken manure is excellent. Use it in proportions of 1:10 with water. If the growth of the seedlings does not satisfy you, then you can make another feeding with chicken manure a week after the first. If there is a risk that the seedlings will outgrow, then a second feeding is not necessary.
Photo: Growing tobacco for smoking
Before planting in open ground, seedlings should be hardened off a little. First, just open the window in the room with the seedlings more often, and a week before planting, take them out to the balcony or veranda. Do not water for a week.
Growing mode of tobacco seedlings
Tobacco is a fairly heat-loving crop. Therefore, when growing, you should adhere to certain temperature. Ideal temperature- 18-24 degrees. It should be adhered to.
Planting tobacco in open ground.
Photo: Growing tobacco from seeds in the garden for smoking
An important procedure is planting tobacco in open ground.
Tobacco seedlings are grown on window sills until the threat of frost has completely passed. Then it needs to be planted in a permanent place. Tobacco seedlings are planted either under a film or directly into open ground. When planting, it is very important to follow all agricultural practices so that the plants take root and immediately begin active growth.
The first step is to decide on a location. It is best to make the bed on a slight slope to avoid excessive accumulation of water. The place should also be protected from strong winds.
If you have a small plot and it is not possible to allocate a whole bed for tobacco, then you can plant the plants right along the fence in one row. The result will be a kind of living fence that will look very beautiful.
It is absolutely not necessary to plow the soil for tobacco. The area just needs to be well cleared of weeds and loosened a little with a Fokin flat cutter.
The area for tobacco needs to be fed first. Rotted compost is best suited for these purposes. On 1 square meter area add 0.5-1 bucket of compost.
After selecting and preparing the site, you can proceed directly to planting in open ground. Tobacco is planted at a distance of 20-50 centimeters from each other, depending on the variety. You need to dig holes in the garden bed. They should be quite deep - 20-30 centimeters. Pour a little rotted compost onto the bottom and water it very generously with warm water (at least 0.5 buckets of water per hole).
Watering tobacco in open ground.
Watering after planting in open ground. Immediately after planting the seedlings in open ground, the tobacco is watered generously with warm water. Then water about once a week.
Watering, a month after planting. Plants become most demanding of moisture a month after planting in open ground. It is after this time that the very active formation of organic plant tissue begins. During this period, tobacco needs to be watered every 3-4 days at the rate of 10 liters per 1 square meter of land.
Watering 2 months after planting. From this time on, watering should be minimized. Moisture becomes less important, and the weather outside becomes wetter, especially at night. Water only when the soil noticeably dries out.
These tips are not universal, they are just general recommendations. You should always focus on weather and the climate of your area.
Fertilizing tobacco in open ground.
Fertilizing tobacco after planting in open ground should be done with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Plants immediately after planting need a large number of nitrogen in order to begin to grow a large amount of green mass, and this directly depends on the yield. It is very important not to miss this growth phase and feed on time.
Tobacco is fed 7-10 days after. Any complex fertilizer with a priority nitrogen content can be used as a fertilizer. Perfectly suited for these purposes. To feed, 1 tablespoon of fertilizer is mixed in 10 liters of water and watered under the root.
Growing and topping of tobacco.
Stepchildren grow between the leaves. As a rule, a stepson grows between each leaf. They should be removed when they grow by about 1.5-2 centimeters. If you perform this procedure earlier, that is, Great chance that they will grow again. There is no need to do double work, especially if you have planted a lot of plants.
The most convenient way to remove stepsons is with scissors.
Tobacco usually begins to produce stepsons from the moment it starts flowering. You need to watch and not miss the moment.
Topping tobacco is the removal of flowers at the bud stage. This procedure is also done in order to obtain more product sheets. Due to topping, tobacco leaves become much stronger and the nicotine content in them increases.
Peduncles should be removed early stage budding
Tobacco harvest.
It would seem that, smoking tobacco- a native Russian plant. However, it is believed that it came to Russia only during the time of Peter I and very quickly gained wide popularity. This article will discuss how to grow your own tobacco in the garden from seeds.
Smoking tobacco belongs to the nightshade family. There are many in nature various types of this plant, however, only 2 of them are suitable for smoking: shag and virgin tobacco. In the conditions of central Russia, only shag is suitable for cultivation, since it is less thermophilic. Depending on the specific region of your residence, you should choose the optimal type of shag for growing.
An important success factor is the correct timing of planting tobacco seeds. They are planted as seedlings around the end of February, so that the plant has enough time to ripen properly. The size of the seeds is very small, so before planting, they must first be mixed with sand. Containers for planting may be shallow. They should be filled with earth to a level just below the surface (1 - 1.5 cm). Seeds mixed with sand are sown directly on the surface. They need to be covered with film on top, thus constructing a mini greenhouse. To prevent shag seeds from rotting, monitor the soil moisture; it should not be overtly wet, but only slightly moist.
In order for as many shag seeds to germinate as possible, sufficient illumination and a favorable temperature are required - from +23 to +28 C. Instead of watering, it is better to spray the seedlings with a spray bottle.
You can plant seedlings in separate planting containers after they have 2 true leaves. To prevent the young plant from dying, replanting should be done as carefully as possible, trying not to damage the roots.
Grown and strengthened seedlings are transplanted into open ground at the end of May. By this time, the threat of night frosts will be minimized. A sunny, open area with oxygenated light soil, on the surface of which water will not accumulate after rain or watering. When planting, maintain a distance of 40-50 cm between adjacent bushes. To provide tobacco with the required amount of potassium, fertilize the bed with mullein and ash.
In order for the harvest to be maximum, the plants need to be trimmed. To do this, cut off about half of the flowering stalks. It is also necessary to remove emerging stepsons in a timely manner.
The lower leaves ripen first, about a month and a half after planting the seedlings in open ground. Tobacco collection is carried out exclusively in evening time when its leaves contain a minimum amount of water and a maximum of carbohydrates. Ripe shag leaves turn yellow and become sticky, their central vein turns white. When torn off, such leaves make a characteristic sound resembling a click.
Avid fans of inhaling cigarette smoke or growing exotic plants on their property have long appreciated the benefits of growing tobacco themselves. Self-grown tobacco can then be used for smoking.
By smoking pure tobacco, you can eliminate the cost of purchasing cigarettes from the family budget, which from an economic point of view is tantamount to deciding to quit smoking. In addition, tobacco growers claim that consuming pure, tar-free tobacco poses fewer health risks than those who regularly inhale cigarette smoke.
When starting to grow tobacco, you should first of all remember that the characteristics of this product vary depending on the soil in which it grows. The plant adapts perfectly to any climate and any type of soil. However, when growing tobacco yourself, you need to be prepared for the fact that the taste characteristics of the finished product may differ from the characteristics stated in the description of the variety, since these qualities of the plant largely depend on the condition of the soil.
Additionally, the type and characteristics of the soil in which tobacco grows will affect the texture, size and color of the plant's leaves. For example, tobacco leaves, which grew on soils with low content moisture and water soluble mineral salts, are distinguished by their particularly large size and light color. The texture of these tobacco leaves is thin, and their aroma is almost unnoticeable. However, in clayier and siltier soils, the tobacco leaves will be small, dark, aromatic, and have a dense texture.
Therefore, before growing tobacco in large quantities, it is necessary to take into account many factors: the required number of workers, the degree of soil fertility, the need for fertilizing, and so on.
According to the classical technology of growing tobacco, common in some areas of America, seedlings are first grown from tobacco seeds, and then the plants, which reach ten to fifteen centimeters in height, are transplanted into the soil.
After transplanting the plants, weeds are regularly removed from the fields where tobacco grows, which helps stimulate the growth of tobacco leaves. If you need to get elastic and thin tobacco leaves, a canopy is created over the tobacco from special materials. This design creates shade as well as sufficient humidity necessary to grow a plant with the desired characteristics.
There is an opinion that growing tobacco creates the same dangers for the human body as passive smoking. This opinion is erroneous and has no basis. The process of passive smoking can be described as inhalation cigarette smoke along with the air environment. Growing tobacco eliminates the production of cigarette smoke. Accordingly, the statement that second-hand smoke is a threat to tobacco growers is incorrect. Moreover, there are cases when farmers who grow tobacco decided to quit smoking because they were already in excessive contact with tobacco leaves, and they managed to get tired of it during their working days.
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In this post I will cover the process of growing tobacco in a country garden.. Curiosity and curiosity again... I wanted to see the whole process from planting seeds to obtaining raw materials in the form of tobacco leaves, which I am going to later turn into pipe tobacco (this will be in a separate post ). In March, seeds were purchased, by the way, I found them with great difficulty in a retail chain... and the process began... in the photo are tobacco seedlings at the age of 2 months... these are already strong sprouts, initially I thought that they simply would not survive, by the way, many died in the first weeks , the seeds themselves are so tiny, less than 1mm in diameter, that it was simply hard to believe that something could grow from them...
The seeds were used from the variety Nicotiana tabacum L (Virginia)... since they were the only ones that could be found. Of course, I wanted to grow Turkish (oriental) tobacco, but there were difficulties in finding seeds. As the tobacco bushes grow, I will add photos, the most interesting thing will be what will come of it …to be continued…
Tobacco is growing with terrible force, another 2 weeks have passed and this is what has grown...
In 2 weeks, at the beginning June, when the threat of frost in the Moscow region has disappeared, these bushes will be transplanted into open ground... and the main thing is that the weather doesn’t let you down. Tobacco does not tolerate temperatures below 15 degrees, and at 3 degrees it dies. I think I’ll leave 2-3 bushes at home on the balcony, I’ll see what will come of it?
Continuation...at the end of July, the tobacco bed at the dacha looks like this...
Some plants reached a height of 60-70 cm, some less... I didn’t visit my plantation for two weeks, some plants bloomed during this time, which affected growth, the leaves on them remained small compared to others... this is what a tobacco flower looks like... I left 8 plants on I removed the seeds from the rest so that the plants would grow...
All June the weather in the Moscow region was on the verge... the temperature at night was often +5-7 degrees, I was already upset, thinking that the tobacco had disappeared, all June the plants showed no signs of growth... but still the plants survived... and even in the July heat have become very strong and grown...hope that in August they will grow to 1-1.5 meters...and the leaves should begin to ripen...
Tobacco - universal plant.
The infusion will help in the fight against pests - aphids, thrips, and copperheads.
Dried leaves in the closet will repel moths and skin beetles.
Tobacco is widely used in folk medicine and homeopathy, and it’s just interesting to try to grow a small plantation on your own plot.
WE BUY SEEDS
Seeds tobacco so small (0.1-0.5 mm in diameter) and whimsical that they should only be purchased in specialized stores.
Most likely, you will be offered only two types of tobacco:
"Virginia" (Nicotiana tabacum L) and "Rural tobacco" (Nicotiana rustica L).
GROWING SEEDLINGS
Tobacco seeds are sown 5-60 days before planting seedlings in the ground.
It is better to take the soil from the area where the tobacco will grow later.
It needs to be disinfected. Fertilize with superphosphate (6-8 g per 1 liter of water) and mix with sand in a ratio of 1:5.
For growing seedlings, 100 g cups with holes in the bottom are suitable.
Place one seed in each and cover with a 4-5 mm layer of soil. lightly press and spray with warm (20-25 degrees) water from a spray bottle.
Water the seedlings through a tray.
Water frequently at first, keeping the surface moist but not over-watering.
When the first true leaves appear on the plants, water no more than once a day, allowing the soil to dry out a little.
CHOOSE A PLACE TO LAND
It is advisable that water does not accumulate in the area allocated for the tobacco “plantation”. It is best that it has a slight slope.
Plants must be reliably protected from the cold north wind.
PREPARING THE SOIL
Tobacco loves loose, well-drained soil fertilized with organic matter.
Rotted manure or compost is suitable as a fertilizer.
Water the area thoroughly to remove weeds.
PLANTING IN THE GROUND
This plant cannot withstand temperature drops even down to +3 degrees, so plan planting towards the end of May. When the threat of frost has finally passed and warm weather sets in, so that the plants are large and healthy, plant the seedlings. leaving 20 cm between plants and 70 cm between rows,
When planting in the ground, make the first fertilization with slurry (1 liter per 10 liters of water) with the addition of 60-80 g of superphosphate.
If you have sulfur powder at your disposal, make a solution - approximately 70 g per 10 liters of water. Also good result will give spraying with such means as neoron. kinmiks or sulfaride. Take it into account. that treatment with sulfur preparations is effective at air temperatures no higher than 20 degrees.
During the period when the inflorescences are growing, spray the bushes with freshly prepared garlic infusion (take 150 g of crushed garlic per 10 liters of water) or concentrated infusion onion peel. Repeat spraying three times with a break of 5-6 days.
Plant perennial onions or garlic between the bushes and do not dig them up. The phytoncides secreted by these plants will repel pests.
True, one should not count on such a measure alone; it is good as an additional or preventive measure.
Feeding the bushes at the beginning of the growing season with fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and microelements will help to resist pests.
The tobacco bush took on its familiar form as early as 6 thousand years BC. e. Its homeland is America, it belongs to the nightshade family (like potatoes and peppers).
Yours Latin name - Nicotiana- received tobacco in honor Jean Nico (Jean Nicot). Jean Nicot was the first to introduce tobacco into France and made it popular at court.
Tobacco appeared in Europe after the discovery of the New World. Christopher Columbus (Christophorus Columbus) in 1492.
Roderigo de Perez - one of the members of this expedition - returned to Spain with new habit to smoking, for which he paid with his freedom. Coming from his lips tobacco smoke The Inquisition explained it as possession by an evil spirit and sentenced the unfortunate smoker to prison.
Smoking addiction in different centuries and in different countries cruel punished. In Turkey, smokers were executed, in Russia they were punished with canes or even cutting off their nose and ears, in Persia they had their nostrils torn out, in England violators were driven around the city with a noose around their neck, and malicious smokers had their heads cut off and put on public display with a pipe in their mouth, in Chili was walled up alive in the wall.
IN kingdom of bhutan smoking ban in in public places was introduced back in the mid-17th century and is still in use today. Moreover, since 2004 there has been a complete ban on the sale and use of tobacco.
Paradoxically, in propaganda tobacco and smoking played an active role doctors.
For example, back in the 16th century, the work of the Spanish doctor Nicolas Mondares about medicinal plants America: it described miraculous properties tobacco in curing many diseases.
Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France, treated migraines with tobacco. Also at the French court it was believed that tobacco helped with toothache, aching bones and stomach disorders.
And at the beginning of the progressive 20th century, doctors recommended smoking to pregnant women as a means of weight control.
Despite the widespread approval of tobacco by doctors, there were those among them who were aware of its negative impact on human health. Back in 1622, the doctor and botanist Niander wrote the work “Tobacology”, where he described harmful effects tobacco on brain activity.
In Russia until Peter the Great smoking was prohibited and punishable by death. His father, Alexey Mikhailovich, introduced this ban after a fire in Moscow in 1634, the cause of which, according to everyone, was smoking.
Peter the Great repealed his parent's law and legalized the sale of tobacco. True, at first smoking was allowed only through smoking pipes. By decree of Pyotr Alekseevich, the first tobacco factories even appeared in the country.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the beginning of the emancipation movement, smoking spread among women. Then the mouthpiece was invented - for the convenience of smoking ladies. It prevented tobacco from getting into the mouth and protected the paper from lipstick.
At the birth of the famous artist Pablo Picasso (Pablo Picasso) An interesting incident happened. The midwife who delivered the baby decided that the baby was stillborn. But when his uncle came up to the child and blew cigar smoke in his face, the baby began to cry.
We can say that smoking gave the world an extraordinary personality.
There is still an opinion that smoking reduces the feeling of hunger. This is related to the fact that after the spread of tobacco in Europe, the French government considered the possibility of replacing part of the bread in soldiers’ rations with it.
The First and Second World Wars strengthened the smoking habit: tobacco was included in the mandatory diet of soldiers, and smoking was even encouraged to relieve nervous tension.
US President Franklin Roosevelt even declared tobacco a strategic wartime commodity.
After coming to power Adolf Hitler (Adolf Hitler) An active anti-tobacco campaign began in Germany. The Fuhrer was convinced that “tobacco is the redskins’ revenge on the white man.”
The German nation was held up as an example of non-smoking leaders: the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, the Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini and Hitler himself. They were opposed to heavy smokers, leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition: Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt.
Tobacco and smoking today
Tobacco contains over 3 thousand chemical compounds . Some of them are carcinogens that can cause cancer growth.
Today the world knows order 120 treatments tobacco addiction (only 40 of them are used).
Russia is the last country where cigarettes are still produced.
There is an opinion that smoking cigarettes is not as harmful to the body as cigarettes of the same strength, since some of the tars are retained in the paper mouthpiece.
Some anti-smoking advocates hold statements:
Nicotine kills 36 types of microbes, 8 of them harmful.
- Nicotine first destroys old and weakened brain cells.
- At the smoker's inner surface lungs, a sediment of resins is formed, which makes it difficult for air to reach the alveoli and promotes more active blood flow in the lungs. For those who do not smoke, this effect is only possible when playing sports.
- Smoker's cough - useful breathing exercises.
Back in 1959, an American scientific journal suggested the possibility of producing a tomato-type plant containing nicotine. The hero of the popular animated series "The Simpsons" Homer raised him under the name "tomak". In 2003, farmer Rob Baur implemented this in real life- the tomac plant actually contains nicotine in its leaves.
The fact that mulatto beauties roll tobacco leaves into cigars on their bare thighs is only common myth.
The authorship of this legend belongs to the French writer Prosper Merimee, who collected material for his work “Carmen” in Spain. One passionate Spanish woman, with whom Merimee began an affair, rolled cigars for him on her hips without getting out of bed. This wonderful story was not only included in the book, but still lives on.
Meanwhile, rolling cigars requires a flat and hard surface, and it is actually men who do this. Women participate in only one technological process: removing the main vein from the tobacco leaf. At the same time, they actually place the sheet on their knee, although not on their bare knee.
The only one Museum dedicated to smoking(and not only smoking tobacco, but also hemp, and in general everything that can be smoked!), is located in Paris.
The museum presents the history of smoking, as well as a collection of various pipes, air fresheners, and mills for grinding dry leaves. There are even greenhouses with tobacco bushes. In addition to such interesting exhibits, in the museum you can get information about negative impact smoking for health.
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Avid gardeners grow whatever they grow in gardens and summer cottages. An unexpected option is smoking tobacco. Why not? For a gardener-smoker, this is a good way to stock up on your own.
Features of the growing process
The main feature of tobacco is the wide variety of varieties. They differ greatly in the methods of planting, care and harvesting. For example, shag is the most unpretentious option. If you grow ordinary tobacco in your garden, you will have to put in a little more effort. He loves warmth more, less water.
IMPORTANT! To grow tobacco in the garden, it is better to find out in advance which variety is suitable for a particular area.
In general, tobacco is planted, processed and fed like many other plants. For example, the process of transplanting smoking tobacco seedlings into the ground is extremely similar to planting tomatoes. It follows that anyone can grow tobacco in a garden.
Planting with seeds
In order to get tobacco seedlings, you need to sow the seeds. Tobacco is quite capricious and heat-loving, so it requires proper care and knowledge of the process. At the first stage of interaction with it, it is recommended to plant a small number of units of the plant in order to understand the principle of its cultivation.
Tobacco seeds have some features:
- size. They are so small that they look more like dust. Hence the peculiarities of planting tobacco seeds for smoking: they can simply be “scattered” over the surface of the ground and only slightly pressed;
- germination. Tobacco seeds retain their germination properties long time. This means that fairly old seeds can be sown;
- quantity. To obtain a result equal to a smoker’s annual supply, a quarter of a gram of tobacco seeds is enough. Such a small amount of material produces a decent amount of harvest.
Due to specified features and specific landing is required. Tobacco seeds are not planted deep. Maximum depth their planting is up to 1 cm. To do this, simply scatter them on the surface of the soil and only slightly press them into it. After this, carefully pour a thin stream of water. If the pressure is too strong, the seeds will easily be washed out and spread over the surface, going beyond the allotted limits.
ATTENTION! Tobacco seeds can be planted slightly germinated, this will speed up the process of seedling germination. To germinate seeds, you need to soak them in water 4-5 days before planting.
An important factor influencing the rate of seed germination is temperature. It should be within 25-28 degrees, otherwise the seeds may not sprout at all.
Video - technology for planting tobacco seeds
Planting seedlings in open ground
How to understand that tobacco seedlings are ready to move into the open ground of the garden? There are a number of signs for this:
- seedlings have a height of about 15 cm;
- leaves have formed on it, there are about 5 pieces on each plant;
- the root system has developed sufficiently;
- frosts have passed and the likelihood of their occurrence is minimal. This factor is extremely important, since any sudden drop in temperature can destroy the entire crop.
ATTENTION! Before transplanting into open ground, tobacco plants must be hardened off. Otherwise, they will not be able to adapt to changed conditions.
The essence of hardening is to reduce the frequency of watering and periodically remove the seedlings to the open air. This will help strengthen the plants and make them a little more resilient to the elements.
The process of planting in the ground is not very different from the standard one. Each bush is planted in separate holes, after pouring plenty of water into it. In addition, it is worth planting tobacco with a small amount of soil so that the root system is not severely damaged. This will help the plants survive the stress of replanting more easily and “get over it” faster.
Care and feeding
Tobacco care involves regularly performing the following actions:
- weeding from weeds is necessary as they appear;
- loosening the soil around the plant. This helps oxygenate the soil and nourish root system tobacco;
- feeding It is similar to what is made for tomatoes;
- watering. Tobacco does not like abundant watering; it is better to water it rarely, but abundantly. Just during the summer (not very hot) 3-4 times are enough.
When to harvest and how to dry it?
Growing tobacco is not as important a process as harvesting and drying it. The result directly depends on the correct implementation of these actions. Improper drying or fermentation can ruin all efforts to grow tobacco for smoking.
Tobacco that has changed the color of the leaves should be removed. If at first, at the stage of maturation and growth, they are green, then when they are ready for harvesting, they are closer to yellow. If the same bush has leaves of different colors, then they should be collected when ready. Hence, the harvesting process sometimes drags on for a long time.
Tobacco drying takes place in several stages:
Pests and diseases
To protect the crop from pests, it is worth knowing which ones threaten tobacco.
| Name | Symptoms, characteristics | Danger |
|---|---|---|
| Peach aphid | Pest attacking plant leaves | Threatens complete destruction of the crop or a significant reduction in the quantity |
| Mosaic | Appears as the name suggests. Some leaves remain green, some turn yellow | Lack of treatment threatens plant destruction |
| Blackleg | The plant lies down, the stem becomes thinner, withers | Destruction of a plant |
| Black rot | Plant wilting, drying out | Death of the crop |
| Powdery mildew | White-yellow coating in the form of a cobweb on the leaves, gradually completely covering the plant | Reduces yield, negatively affects the quality of tobacco |
Diseases can completely cover the entire plant and spread to neighboring ones. Treatment is carried out in the same ways as for other plants. Good for processing copper sulfate and other means depending on the degree of plant damage.
Video - step-by-step instructions for growing tobacco in the garden
Thus, it is possible to grow tobacco for smoking in the garden. To do this, it is enough to care for it in approximately the same way as other plants. Tobacco does not like abundant watering, but loosening should not be neglected. In addition, air temperature is important. After harvesting, it is important to properly dry and ferment it. It's a shame to lose the harvested tobacco harvest for last stage Therefore, the drying process should be treated with special responsibility.
Growing tobacco in your garden for smoking is quite profitable. If you follow all the rules, the finished product will be of very high quality. In addition, it is completely natural, so it is safer for the body, unlike store-bought cigarettes. And the cost of such products increases every year, and growing tobacco from seeds is not only simple, but also cheap.
Selection of seeds and their germination
Before you think about how to grow tobacco for smoking in your garden, you need to choose a specific variety. There are many varieties of this plant. For beginners who are going to get tobacco at home, it is recommended to use universal varieties. For example, the following are suitable:
- Virginia 202. This variety is very popular and is excellent for growing in the climatic conditions of Russia. The advantage of this variety is that the final product contains a small proportion of harmful resinous compounds. In addition, this smoking tobacco has a pleasant sweetish taste. This variety is cultivated everywhere. It was created in the Krasnodar region Russian Federation.
- Herzegovina Flora. Tobacco of this variety was considered Stalin’s favorite. In general, the variety is very popular. This type of tobacco pleasant aroma and taste. The leaves are moderately strong. Perfect for people who are just starting to get involved in this activity.
When the seeds are identified, you have to choose the soil, containers and place for germination. The southern American continent is considered the birthplace of tobacco. This plant is heat-loving and ripens late. Because of this, on summer cottage in the Russian Federation it is necessary to plant seeds in the spring, as early as possible. It is best to sow the seeds in March.
It is necessary to select small containers. Disposable cups are great for this. Several holes must be made at the bottom to allow water to drain. First you need to pour out small pebbles - the drainage layer is not very thick.
After this, you can fill in the soil. The soil must be fertile. Experts advise not to take soil from the garden, but to purchase universal soil from flower shops, which is perfect for seedlings. With such soil it is allowed to mix ordinary soil from the garden in equal proportions, but it must first be disinfected by leaving it in the oven for a while or washing it with a small solution of potassium permanganate in a weak concentration. You can also add a little wood ash.
Only after everything is finished preparatory work, you may be thinking about how to grow tobacco at home. In general, planting involves several conditions that must be met. The seeds are very small, so they are inconvenient to work with. You must act very carefully. First you need to water the soil in the containers with water (it must be warm). Then evenly sprinkle the seeds from the bag into the container. Cover with soil on top - layer thickness no more than 1 mm. After this, the container must be tightly covered with plastic wrap, in which several small holes are made with a needle. The container should be kept indoors with room temperature. The first shoots will appear in 3-5 days. After this, you need to remove the film and place the container in a bright place (a window sill is also perfect).
How to care for seedlings
Growing tobacco at home is a simple process. It is almost the same as with other plants. Before diving, care is very simple. As soon as the shoots appear, remove the film and place the pots in a bright place. It is best to choose a window sill that is located on the south side. If you don't do these simple steps, then the seedlings will have disproportionately long stems, and their growth will be poor. It is necessary to periodically water the soil as soon as it dries out. Use water that has already settled. The temperature should be room temperature. It is not recommended to use too cold water. Experts advise periodically turning containers with seedlings on the other side towards the sun so that the growth and development of plants is uniform and the seedlings do not stretch out.
Seedlings quickly emerge from seeds at home; after a while they should be plucked. This process refers to the planting of seedlings at a sufficient distance in relation to each other. It is best to start this procedure after approximately 2-3 true leaves appear on the plants. It is allowed to do this later, when growth begins to slow down.
Growing from seeds suggests that it is impossible to do without picking. Since the seeds are too small, the seedlings are located too close to each other. In addition, tobacco grows very quickly, so the plants will simply begin to interfere with each other. Because of this, the seedlings are too weak and elongated. It is best to plant plants in different containers. You can use regular plastic glasses again. Only 1 sprout per container is allowed. Then, after some time, the seedlings from plastic containers will need to be transplanted into open ground.
After completing the picking procedure, it is necessary to monitor watering. It should be done daily until the plant settles into the new soil. But it’s also not worth filling.
A couple of weeks after picking, it is recommended to start feeding the seedlings. It is allowed to use both mineral and organic fertilizers. The main thing is that some contain a large amount of nitrogen. It is this element that is required at the stage of vegetative growth. Chicken manure is suitable for these purposes. It must be diluted with water in the following proportions: 1 part fertilizer requires 10 parts water. If this feeding is not enough, then after a week you can repeat the procedure. If there is a chance that the seedlings will become too large, then you should not fertilize them a second time.
Before you start planting seedlings in open ground, you need to harden them. Experts advise opening windows and doors to the street more often. A week before transplanting, it is necessary to move all containers to the balcony. It is not recommended to water until the next transplant (that is, no more than a week). In general, smoking tobacco is considered a heat-loving plant, so it is necessary to monitor the air temperature the rest of the time. The indicator can vary from 18 to 24°C.
Transplantation into open ground
Growing tobacco outdoors is not difficult, but the process last transplant is very important. Seedlings should be kept indoors until a person is sure that frost will not return. Tobacco won't survive them. Only when the threat of the temperature dropping to sub-zero levels disappears is it possible to transplant the sprouts to their permanent place. Some prefer to transplant into large pots, others prefer to grow in the garden. In any case, it is imperative to follow all the rules of agricultural technology so that the sprouts do not disappear and take root in the new place and begin to actively develop further.
First of all, you need to choose a suitable location. It is best to build a bed with a slope (the angle should be small). This will help avoid the accumulation of large amounts of water. In addition, you need to choose an area that will be well protected from drafts and strong wind.
If it is not possible to allocate a small area for growing tobacco, then you can simply plant the sprouts in a line near the fence. The result is a kind of additional hedge that will look beautiful.
For tobacco, it is not necessary to plow all the soil. The main thing is to remove all weeds from the area and loosen the soil. For the latter, it is recommended to use a Fokin flat cutter. In addition, you need to fertilize the soil in this place. It is best to use rotted compost. For 1 m² of territory you will need no more than 1 bucket of fertilizer.
Once the site has been selected and prepared, you can proceed directly to the process of transplanting seedlings into open ground. The sprouts must be placed at a distance of 0.2-0.5 m from each other (the distance depends on the variety, since the size of the bushes will vary). Make holes in the garden bed. They need to be made deep enough - about 20-30 cm each. Pour a small amount of previously rotted compost onto the bottom. Then pour water over everything (it should be warm). Each hole will need about half a bucket of water.
Now you need to carefully remove the plant from the pot and place it in the hole. After this, sprinkle with soil. It is best to place the tobacco a little deeper than before it grew in the pot. Experts advise not to forget about mulching the soil around the tobacco, but this procedure is optional. Now all that remains is to water the seedlings warm water.
Tobacco care
After planting in open ground, seedlings must be watered. After this, carry out the procedure only once a week (but watch the speed of drying of the soil). A month after planting, the plants become very demanding of water. They require watering much more often than before. This is due to the fact that organic tissues begin to actively form. At this time, watering is required every 4 days. You will need approximately 10 liters for each square meter of territory. A couple of months after transplanting into open ground, it is necessary to minimize watering. At this time, plants do not need water as much as before. In addition, the weather becomes more humid, especially at night. It is necessary to water the tobacco as the soil dries out.
In addition to watering, tobacco also needs to be fertilized. After transplantation, fertilizing with substances that contain large amounts of nitrogen is required. This is necessary so that the bush grows faster green mass. Productivity depends on this. It is very important not to forget about feeding during the growing season.
It is recommended to use fertilizers 1-1.5 weeks after transplanting into open ground. You can use any complex fertilizer that contains a large amount of nitrogen. Urea is perfect for this. You only need 1 spoon of the substance per 10 liters of water. Pour the mixture under the root.
It is recommended to remove the stepsons that are located between the leaves. This should be done when they become 2 cm long. As for topping, this is a procedure in which the inflorescences are removed while they are still buds. This must be done to get more quality leaves. In addition, the tobacco will be much stronger.
The harvest should be done when the foliage is ripe. This is not difficult to determine. The main vein, located in the center, turns white. The edges begin to turn yellow and the middle of the leaf turns dull greenish. It is very important to trim the leaves at this time, otherwise they will begin to overripe.
Conclusion
Before you start planning your harvest, you need to determine how to grow tobacco in your garden. Everything should be studied important aspects. You definitely need to decide on the variety, learn how to germinate seeds, and care for the sprouts. It is also important to harvest the crop correctly and dry it before use. Only after this can you start growing produce in your dacha. All of the tips listed are universal. It is recommended to listen to them, but be sure to take the situation into account.