Growing tobacco at home, despite the general tendency to quit smoking, is gaining popularity. The whole point is that tobacco threshed in dust is an effective natural remedy for pest control. In addition, certain recipes of traditional medicine recommend that the tobacco leaf be used in the manufacture of medicinal products for external use. Therefore for many gardeners the question is actual: how to grow tobacco at home?
Having decided to start growing tobacco at home, it must be borne in mind that the taste characteristics of the product depend on the terrain and soil where the culture grows. So, for example, the texture of the leaves of a plant grown on soils with a low level of moisture and a minimum content of mineral salts will be very thin, and makhorka will be non-aromatic. And, conversely, in the bush grown on silt or clay soil, the leaves will be small, but dense and fragrant.
Growing tobacco from seeds at home
Contrary to the fears of newcomers in the matter of growing tobacco at home, it is not difficult. It is important to make the right choice of the cultivar. For warmer areas where tobacco is traditionally cultivated, almost all plant varieties are suitable, in the temperate climatic zone, the cultivars are recommended to breed "Trapezond 15", "Cigar 17" and "Bryansky 91". For a private plot, tobacco varieties "Trapezond 15" and "Trabzon Kubanets", which ripen for 3-3.5 months, that are almost a month earlier than maturing of other varieties, will perfectly suit.
How to plant tobacco on seedlings?
As for any culture that requires a long period with a warm temperature to grow, it is more expedient to use a seedling growing method for tobacco.
The planting of tobacco for seedlings is carried out in late March - early April. It is possible to sow dry seed material, but the agrotechnics are assured that the seeds that grow out grow better. To do this, 4 to 5 days before planting, seeds wrapped in a cloth are soaked in warm water diluted with several drops of tartaric acid. Soaking time - day. The procedure shortens the period of forcing almost for a week, favorably influences the further vegetation and increase of yield.
Then the seeds are washed and placed on a damp cloth in enamel (porcelain) utensils in a warm place. It must be ensured that the cloth is wet all the time. When on the 3rd - 4th day the seeds will be poured, they are dried and mixed with pure sand or humus. Sow the seeds in pots or wooden boxes with nutrient soil, with the depth of sealing - 0, 5 - 0.8 cm. After planting, the soil is watered from the spray gun.
When growing tobacco seedlings it is important to observe the irrigation regime: water should be gradually, but daily. It is desirable to carry out the picking of seedlings in the "ear" stage, when 3 to 4 real leaves appear. 2 times fertilizing seedlings with mineral fertilizers or infusion of chicken manure . A week before planting in the ground, seasonal seedling air and reduce the number of watering.
Disembarkation of tobacco seedlings
When the height of the seedling reaches about 15 cm, and the number of leaves increases to 5 -6 (this number does not include cotyledons), seedlings can be planted in open ground. In this case, it is necessary that already warm weather is established. The furrow prepares in advance, holes are made in it. In each hole half a liter of water is poured, the hole is deepened by a peg, and the bush is inserted into it vertically. Wet land is pressed against the roots, and dry soil is poured on top, so that less moisture is lost.
During the growing season, regular soil loosening, watering and weeding should be carried out. Tobacco feeding is also carried out as a fertilizer of tomatoes. When the flowers appear, the inflorescence is broken off. It is also necessary to systematically conduct pasynkovanie - removal of lateral shoots.