Tobacco cultivation: planting scheme and home care rules

When growing tobacco, it is important to adhere to certain rules of agricultural technology. This plant loves warmth and moisture. Therefore, it is recommended to grow it in the southern regions, which are distinguished by a hot climate. In the middle lane, the crop should be planted in greenhouses. It is important to ensure sufficient watering, fertilization, loosening. Be sure to engage in the prevention of diseases and pest attacks.

General description of the plant

Tobacco is an annual herbaceous plant that grows up to 3 meters in height. At the same time, the stem of the culture almost does not branch and looks straight.The bushes are characterized by whole alternate leaves, which can be narrow-lanceolate or broadly ovate. One bush may have 16-60 leaves.

The lower leaves are decurrent and have a semi-petiolate base. From above, they have a resinous fleecy surface. Tobacco is characterized by reddish or pink funnel-shaped flowers that form narrow paniculate inflorescences.

Tobacco has been grown for quite a long time. Therefore, it is necessary to plant a plant in February or early March. Culture needs a long daylight hours. Therefore, it is planted in open ground in late May or early June.

Popular tobacco varieties

Today there are many varieties of tobacco. For self-cultivation of crops, it is recommended to give preference to local varieties. The most popular options include the following:

1. Trapezond Kuban - the growing season from planting seedlings to harvesting is 103-134 days. Bushes, on average, bring 27 technically suitable leaves. The volume of nicotine is 2.6%.
2. Trapezond 92 - the variety is resistant to damaging factors and viral pathologies. The crop has a short growing season. Leaves are broken after 98 days on average.
3. Samsun 85 - the culture is characterized by intensive ripening and medium ripeness. From the moment of planting to harvesting takes about 105-110 days. From 1 bush it is possible to get 50 technically ripe leaves.
4. Anniversary new 142 - the growing season from planting to harvest is 78 days. 82 days pass until the last break. The leaves contain 2-2.1% nicotine. The variety is characterized by complex resistance to tobacco diseases.
5. Holly 316 - is a late-ripening form, which is characterized by intensive maturation of the leaves. The plant is characterized by a low content of nicotine. It takes 120 days from planting to harvest.

Planting a crop for seedlings

Smoking tobacco seeds are characterized by excellent germination, which lasts for many years. But when growing seedlings, it is important to take into account some features.

Ground

Tobacco needs loose soil. Therefore, to germinate the seeds of this plant, you need to purchase ready-made soil for flowers and garden crops. Such mixtures include peat, which helps loosen the soil.

When preparing the soil yourself, you should take the following components:

• 2 parts of humus;
• 1 piece of sand;
• 2 pieces of garden land.

Capacities

It is recommended to use a large container for growing seedlings. Most often this is done in greenhouses or greenhouses. When planting tobacco seeds at home, you can use a seedling box or a large pot. If the plantings are too dense, you need to dive the plants.

Preparation of planting material

When growing tobacco with seeds, planting work is required at the end of February or at the beginning of March. Before planting the grains, they need to be kept in a damp cloth for a day until they swell. In this case, it is recommended to add a couple of drops of tartaric acid to the water. It is also permissible to use several crystals of potassium nitrate for this purpose. This method will help speed up the appearance of sprouts for a week.

When the seeds swell, they need to be washed, dried and placed in a damp cloth. On the 3-4th day, small sprouts will appear on the grains.

Agrotechnics of sowing seeds for seedlings

To grow smoking tobacco at home, you need to wait for 2/3 of the seeds to germinate. At this stage, they need to be dried, gently mixed with dry, disinfected sand and planted. It is recommended to grow a crop in well-moistened soil, which consists of 3 parts of humus and 1 part of sand. From above, the seeds must be sprinkled with a substrate - its thickness should be 7-8 millimeters.

It is best to plant seed in separate containers, as the plant is difficult to transplant. After planting, the soil must be poured through a thick sieve. This will help to avoid erosion of the substrate. Then the planting needs to be covered with a film and moved to a bright place. It is important to avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

Seedling care

To get strong and high-quality seedlings, she needs to provide full care. It must be complex.

Water and fertilize

The container with crops needs to be kept at a temperature of +23-28 degrees. In order for tobacco to develop normally, it needs to be watered almost every day. In this case, the seedlings need to be ventilated 2 times a day. When 2 true leaves appear, the temperature must be reduced to +20 degrees. At the same time, it is recommended to increase the amount of water during irrigation.

To feed tobacco seedlings, you need to use 30 grams of ammonium nitrate and 20 grams of potassium chloride or sulfate. These substances must be mixed with 10 liters of water.

From organic, a chicken manure solution is perfect. For its manufacture, it is recommended to take 1 kilogram of top dressing, mix with a bucket of water and leave to ferment for 10-12 days, stirring occasionally. Then strain the infusion and add 4-5 parts of water.

Picking

With a strong thickening of plantings, tobacco must be swooped down. It is recommended to do this at the stage of appearance of 3-4 leaves. Subsequently, fertile soil should be poured under the bushes 2-3 times.

Which is better: open ground or greenhouse?

To grow strong plants, it is important to choose the right agricultural technology. In the south, tobacco can be planted immediately in open soil. In regions with a continental and temperate continental climate, the plant must be planted for seedlings in a greenhouse.

It is important to consider that tobacco comes from the humid hot tropics. Therefore, in central Russia it is better to grow shag. This type of tobacco is more resistant to temperature fluctuations and moisture deficiency.In addition, the vegetation cycle of shag is noticeably shorter and takes no more than 2.5 months. At the same time, some varieties of tobacco will need 3.5 months to fully mature.

Transplanting seedlings in open ground

To plant tobacco in the country, it is important to follow a number of recommendations. In this case, the landing pattern is of particular importance. To move seedlings into open ground in the soil, you first need to make furrows and holes. Compliance with the timing of planting operations is of no small importance. So, in the Moscow region it needs to be planted later than in the south.

When growing tobacco for smoking in the garden, bushes are recommended to be planted vertically, sprinkling the root system with moist soil. From above, the plant must be covered with dry earth to avoid rapid evaporation of moisture.

If individual shoots are too long, it is recommended to deepen the holes more than usual.About 8 bushes can be placed on 1 square meter. Plants with dense foliage and increased tillering should be planted less frequently. In this case, the distance between the bushes is 20 centimeters, and the spacing between rows is 70 centimeters.

Further care

To grow a plant successfully, it is important to provide it with high-quality and complete care.

Irrigation and fertilization

When growing tobacco in a summer cottage, it needs to be watered literally 3 times. At the same time, it is recommended to use about 6 liters of water for 1 bush.

When watering, it is important to consider the appearance of plants. If the leaves wither and turn yellow, the tobacco needs watering. However, excess moisture provokes the death of plantings. Therefore, it is important to remember the sense of proportion.

During the growing season, tobacco needs 3-4 feedings. In the first half of the growing season, nitrogen fertilization is recommended. Then it is permissible to use combined fertilizers or preparations based on phosphorus and potassium.

It is important to bear in mind that fertilizers must not be abused too much. An excess of any of the elements can lead to negative consequences. For example, an excessive amount of phosphorus will provoke early aging of greenery. At the same time, moderate use of the substance will improve flowering and accelerate its onset. Excess potassium will lead to an unpleasant smell of tobacco. This will negatively affect the quality of the product.

From organic products, it is recommended to give preference to chicken manure. The substance is recommended to be mixed with water in a ratio of 1:25. It is permissible to add a small amount of wood ash to the solution. This product contains a lot of minerals and brings great benefits to the soil.

Compliance with the timing of fertilization is of no small importance. For the first time, it is recommended to feed the bushes a couple of weeks after planting the seedlings in the soil, the second - when the plants reach a height of 20 centimeters, the third - during flowering.

Loosening

In order for tobacco to develop normally, it is important to properly care for it after watering. The obligatory procedure is the loosening of the soil. Thanks to this, it is possible to destroy the soil crust and destroy weeds.

Staging

Each leaf of tobacco has a stepson. It needs to be pinched at the stage of reaching 2 centimeters. If you do this earlier, the stepson will grow again. If you miss the deadline, the leaves will not get the right amount of nutrients.

Climbing

This term refers to the removal of inflorescences. Topping is carried out for better growth of bushes and improving their quality. If tobacco is characterized by rapid development, topping should be carried out later, when the inflorescences open 1/3. With slow growth, the procedure is carried out early - at the stage of the appearance of the first flowers.

Topping is recommended to be done with gloves. A sticky layer forms on the breaking of the stems, which burns the hands. At the same time, it is forbidden to postpone the procedure, as this will make the tobacco less strong and worsen its taste.

Diseases and pests

Tobacco can suffer from the development of such pathologies:

1. Black leg - accompanied by lodging and death of seedlings. In this case, the base of the stems becomes thinner and rots. The affected surface is covered with a white or brown coating. At the same time, pathogens remain in the ground.
2. Powdery mildew - develops immediately after planting seedlings in the soil. In this case, the lower leaves are covered with spots with powdery coating. After that, it becomes solid and affects the upper leaves. Fungi overwinter on plant debris. The disease negatively affects the processes of photosynthesis and provokes the oppression of plants.
3. Black root rot - in most cases affects seedlings, but sometimes adult bushes also suffer. Affected plants wither, turn yellow and dry out. Roots turn brown or black and often die.
4. Mosaic - in this case, light green spots appear on the leaves of plants. Subsequently, these areas die off.
5. Bacterial ryabuha - in this case, oily or weeping spots form at the ends of the leaves. In wet weather, they rot, and the entire bush becomes infected. The foliage of grown plants is covered with rounded chlorotic spots. They merge with each other, forming patches of dead tissue.

From pests, tobacco can be affected by the following insects:

1. Peach aphid - absorbs the juice of tobacco leaves and spreads dangerous diseases. Among them, it is worth highlighting the cucumber mosaic and white moss. Aphid provokes the depletion of bushes, slows down their development, reduces yield parameters and negatively affects the taste of tobacco.To destroy aphids, drugs such as Metation and Rogor are used. For prevention, it is important to systematically weed the beds and examine the leaves of tobacco every day.
2. Tobacco thrips are small pests that bite through tobacco leaves and absorb its juices. As a result, raw materials become of lower quality. Damaged leaves do not ferment well and become brittle after drying. In addition, thrips spread viral diseases. To cope with pests, bushes need to be treated with insecticides in a timely manner.
3. Wireworms, or drupes, are hard larvae of the click beetle. They live in the ground, damage the root system and make moves in the stems of plants. Dealing with such pests is very problematic. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to prevention. If wireworms are detected in the area, before planting tobacco, it is required to treat the soil with Hexachloran dust at a concentration of 20%. The next day, you need to pollinate the soil with Metaphos dust and harrow the area by 3-4 centimeters.

How to harvest and dry tobacco

When the foliage of tobacco stops its development, you can start harvesting it. At this stage, the raw material becomes the most dense. Ripe tobacco leaves have a lighter color. Harvesting is recommended in the evening. In this case, it is worth starting with the lower and largest leaves. After ripening, the middle leaves are also removed.

The collected leaves should be dried in a dark and well ventilated area. In this case, the temperature regime should be + 25-30 degrees. During the drying process, the tobacco is fermented.

Fermentation is understood as a change in physical characteristics due to biological or chemical influences. The natural process occurs during long-term storage. With the artificial method, the process is significantly accelerated.

It is recommended to do the following:

1. Sprinkle dry tobacco leaves on both sides, stack and cover with polyethylene.
2. After a day, remove the vein from each leaf, assessing the degree of moisture.
3. Cut the finished leaves into strips.
4. Put tobacco into glass jars, filling them up to a maximum of 2/3.
5. Close the containers with lids and put in the oven, preheated to 50 degrees. Fermentation takes 5-7 days. Tobacco needs to be shaken periodically to get an even result.
6. Pour the finished product on a flat surface, dry slightly and put away for storage.

Tobacco growing is a fascinating process that has many features. To get strong and high-quality plants, it is important to provide them with proper care.

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