You have decided to plant tobacco. No, this is not the dashing nineties, during which there was a catastrophic shortage of all goods. Yes, and more often, then they grew shag. Today, growing tobacco at home is becoming fashionable, and we have the opportunity to get high-quality, fragrant and inexpensive tobacco grown on our site. If you have acquired such a harmful and pernicious habit as smoking, then you should not allow strangers to cash in on you. Why pay huge sums of money to manufacturers for packing cigarettes, in which instead of tobacco there will be an incomprehensible substance impregnated with various synthetic compounds? Just need to know how to grow tobacco for smoking in the area.

Growing tobacco at home

Sowing for seedlings

Growing tobacco in your garden is quite simple. First of all, you should do seedlings. After all, tobacco has a rather long vegetative period and it may not have time to gain the right amount of taste and aroma, especially if it is sown directly into the soil. Gardeners who see tobacco seeds for the first time most often say that this is some kind of dust, because they are very tiny. And if they are simply sown in the ground, then the harvest may not wait at all. To properly sow tobacco seeds, you need to purchase a wide container, the height of which will be no more than 7 cm. It will be better if you have a separate cassette for each seed.

The soil should be from fertile soil, which contains clean sand, it must be poured in one layer and at the same time well moistened and leveled. Some gardeners advise watering the soil with settled water before planting the seeds. This should be done very carefully, because there is a chance to wash the tiny seeds.

Pre-soaked seeds in water, carefully spread on the prepared ground or pour onto the surface and level, while maintaining a distance. If this is not done, then the shoots will shade each other. Despite the small size, the seeds from above must be covered with earth. The layer should be no more than 0.6-0.7 cm. Close the container with glass or transparent plastic and put it in a bright place with a high temperature of 26-28 degrees.

Once a day, you need to remove the condensate that will collect on the inside of the glass or turn the glass over to the other side. If you notice that the soil has begun to dry out somewhat, you can sprinkle it with a spray bottle. Shoots appear in 8-10 days.

After the sprouts have hatched, the temperature should be lowered to 19 degrees. If this is not done, then the seedlings may stop and no longer grow. The cover must be removed after 4-5 true leaves appear, and the seedlings can already be picked. If the seedlings were in separate cups, then you can not do this.

For the first two or three weeks, it may seem that the seedlings do not grow at all and are in one place. However, this is not the case at all, it is just that at this time root system grows and only after its complete formation, the above-ground part becomes stronger and gains all power. So that small bushes do not fall off and do not lie on their side due to the weight of their own leaves, you can spud them or sprinkle a little soil on the roots.

A very important factor is the monitoring of soil moisture, because if it is too wet, you can earn a black leg and, accordingly, the complete destruction of all seedlings. Growth needs bright light from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. To do this, you can and should use the backlight lamps. It is strictly forbidden to put seedlings in direct sunlight, because small and thin leaves immediately burn.

3 weeks before transplanting seedlings into open soil, it is necessary to feed the seedlings with any potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. Tobacco is very thermophilic and at temperatures below 4 degrees, may die. Therefore, seedlings should be planted in the soil at the end of May, when all frosts are behind.

Planting seedlings in the ground

Tobacco is planted according to the scheme that must be followed. The size of the hole is 35 cm by 55 cm (the principle is the same as for seedlings of pepper or tomato). From 0.6 to 1.5 liters of clean, settled water is poured into the planting hole. Then they make a talker from the earth and plant a plant bush. It will be very favorable for further growth if it is deepened by 5 cm, thus additional roots will be stimulated.

To determine whether a plant is ready for transplanting into open soil, its leaves can be counted (there should be 5-7 of them) and at the same time they should be well developed. It is better not to touch the seedling by the leaves. because they are very delicate and thin. If even a small scratch forms on the leaf, then spores of the fungus and various bacteria can penetrate there. Therefore, it is better to use the transplant method along with a clod of earth.

On the 4th day after the tobacco is transplanted into the soil, it must be fed with organic fertilizers. No more top dressing is necessary, since it is the minerals that remain in the sheets and then enter the lungs along with tobacco smoke. Smoking tobacco can be bitter and have an unpleasant odor if organic matter that is rich in nitrogen gets there.

A long and powerful root can find useful substances at any depth. If during the growth of tobacco it is very hot and the sun bakes, then it is very important in the first weeks to make an artificial shade for small sprouts. It can be a canopy made of lightweight non-woven material or gauze, and you can also use metal arcs and cover them with a cloth. The main thing is not to remove the light, but to avoid sunburn.

Tobacco care in the garden

There are several pest control options.

• You can manually collect all the pests. This method is acceptable if you only have a few tobacco bushes.
• Various insecticides can be used. The method will be more justified for a large plantation.

In order not to add unnecessary chemicals to nicotine, the area where tobacco grows should be kept clean and all weeds should be removed in a timely manner.

If the plants are unhealthy, then the most common cold snap below 15 degrees can completely destroy the entire plantation. It will depend on the health and general condition of the plant whether it will withstand the temperature drop or not. If the bush is very weak and frail, then most often it will not be able to live up to its so-called technical maturity. There are several ways to get rid of the disease:

If you follow the advice, then all actions must be carried out under a magnifying glass, since grains of sand with their sharp edges can scratch the seeds. Separate wet seeds with a needle.

It is impossible to grow tobacco in your garden in those beds where nightshade crops are already growing, because in this case there is a risk of earning various viral diseases from their relatives.

On soils that are poor in fertilizers, it will be necessary to fertilize with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers three times per season. At the same time, it is very important not to violate the dose and the recipe, because if there is an excess of minerals in the soil, the tobacco will become very rough and will smell bad.

So that during the growing season the leaf does not fade and does not become unsuitable for smoking, it is necessary to destroy all weak sheets in time.

Harvesting and drying

With quality care and compliance with temperature growing conditions, good tobacco can reach 2.5 m in height, and in this case there will be more than twenty leaves. Collected leaves should be left for drying indoors, the humidity in which will be high (about 90%). If an attic or a barn is used for these purposes, then additional water containers must be installed there. Thus, the raw material must be cured. However, it should not dry out and become brittle. After drying is done, we will get another product, which we call smoking.

In order for it to become of better quality, as well as to acquire a bright and rich aroma, and the necessary strength, it must be fermented. It is easy to do this on the Internet You can find more than one recommendation on this issue. There are a lot of different tips and recipes and you can use completely different technologies and additives. Most common:

• cognac;
• cocoa.

After the tobacco is processed in this way, its taste will be of high quality and unusual. By following the growing instructions, and by properly making and fermenting, smoking tobacco can serve as an unusual and a wonderful gift for those who love good, and most importantly, high-quality smoke.

Growing tobacco at home will bring a pleasant feeling to the gardener. And let the Ministry of Health warn ...

Before you start growing smoking tobacco in your country house, answer this question for yourself: why do you need it? In order to get shag or insecticide to repel garden pests? Both the first and second goals of growing tobacco are hardly expedient.

It is not safe to grow a self-rolling garden for self-rolling. By growing tobacco, drying its leaves, can you independently determine the content of nicotine in them? Of course not. And it, depending on the variety, cultivation techniques, raw material processing technology, can range from tenths to four percent or more.

With a low nicotine content, smoking homemade cigarettes will not bring satisfaction to heavy smokers, and a high percentage of nicotine will adversely affect health. The uncontrolled use of tobacco dust, tobacco infusions to control garden pests is also unsafe for people.

It is worth remembering that tobacco belongs to nightshade crops and therefore it is not easy for him to find beds on which potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, physalis, petunia have not been grown for several years.

Belonging to this family is fraught with viral diseases that can spread from tobacco to your favorite garden crops and vice versa.

But having warned about the negative consequences of growing tobacco, it's time to talk about the agricultural technology of this crop.

Growing smoking tobacco through seedlings

Tobacco has over fifty species, but only two are considered cultivated. The plants of one are the raw material for the production of shag, the plants of the other - tobacco. Makhorka can be grown throughout Russia, but tobacco is only south of the 55º parallel.

From such small seeds, such a huge bush grows.

An adult plant grows up to one and a half meters. The stem is straight. Leaves entire, oval. The flowers are collected in a paniculate inflorescence at the top of the stem. The fruit is a multi-seeded capsule. The seeds are very small: there are 10-15 thousand of them in one gram. The root system is branched, deeply penetrating into the soil.

Most varieties belong to plants of a long day: they pass to the phase of flowering and fruiting at 15-16-hour daylight hours.

At what temperature to grow. Tobacco is thermophilic. Even in the southern regions of the country it is grown through seedlings. Sowing begins in early March in a mixture of humus, garden soil and sand (2: 1: 1). In the pre-emergence period, the temperature is maintained at 27-28 degrees. For seedlings that are born, it is lowered to 18-20 degrees. Provide good lighting.

Seedling care. Water the seedlings without waiting for the soil to dry out. But a week before transplanting into open ground, watering is reduced, and two days later it is stopped. By the time of planting in open ground, seedlings should have 5-6 true leaves, be 12-15 cm high.

Landing in open ground

Hardened seedlings are planted outdoors after the threat of frost has passed. The site is prepared in advance, choosing a place protected from the wind. Tobacco grows well after green manure (cereals, legumes).

It is not recommended to grow it after potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, physalis, return to its original place earlier than in 2-3 years. Tobacco responds positively to humus and compost introduced before planting (2-3 kg per sq. M).

Seedlings ready for planting.

Seedlings are planted in pre-watered soil, deepening the stem by 3-4 cm. You can go deeper, but do not cover the growing point. 4-5 plants of large-leaved or 6-7 medium-leaved varieties are placed per square meter.

In the initial period of growth, the soil on the site is moistened, increasing the rate of water consumption as the plants grow. On light soils, water more often than on heavy soils. By the time of harvesting, the intensity of watering is reduced. After each watering, the aisles are loosened.

Tobacco is thermophilic, but temperatures above 35 degrees are unfavorable for it: young plants may die, and adults retard their development.

Tobacco nutrition

In the first half of the growing season, tobacco needs enhanced nitrogen nutrition. But overfeeding with nitrogen reduces the quality of raw materials: it turns out to be coarse, burning, and smells unpleasant. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied before planting seedlings - 2-3 tbsp. spoons per sq. m.

Phosphorus and potassium are needed throughout the growing season. Phosphorus promotes earlier flowering, leaf maturation. Excess phosphorus leads to premature aging of the leaves. Tobacco also needs good potassium nutrition, but again without excess.

Tobacco plantation.

Excess potassium reduces the quality of tobacco: its smell becomes unpleasant. Usually potassium sulfate, superphosphate is applied for autumn digging - up to 0.5 cups per square meter. m.

When planting, you can make complex fertilizers dissolved in water (2 tablespoons per sq. M), containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

For top dressing, you can use organic infusions. They are brought into the grooves made by a hoe in the middle of the row spacing.

To get good raw materials, plants stepchild during the growing season (remove lateral shoots) and top (cut off inflorescences).

When tobacco is removed - samosad

Harvesting begins when the leaves turn a light yellowish tint. The first to break out the lower leaves - 3-4 from each plant. The second collection is increased to 3-5, the third - up to 5-7 leaves. Then the number of harvested leaves begin to reduce.

Drying tobacco leaves.

The leaves are harvested in the morning after the dew has dried and in the evening. Before harvesting, the lowest (seedling) leaves are removed. Broken leaves lay plate to plate, petiole to petiole. Then, using a large needle, the leaves are strung on twine so that they do not stick to each other.

The first phase of drying the leaves is carried out at a temperature of 25-35 degrees and an air humidity of 75-90 percent. After the leaves turn from green to yellow, they are dried in the sun.

Infusion for pest control

0.5 kg of dried tobacco leaves pour 10 liters of hot water, insist for two days. Before spraying, add 40 g of laundry soap dissolved in water, dilute it by half with water and treat the plants against aphids, leafworms, spider mites, onion and cabbage moths, and slugs.

Unfortunately, in Russia there is a huge percentage of people who smoke. People cannot give up their harmful addiction, which harms not only the smoking person, but also his environment. According to VTsIOM data, about 1/3 of all Russians smoke. 75% of men and 21% of women smoke regularly. This is a horrendous statistic. The worst thing is that in recent years the percentage of women who smoke has increased.

We urge you to stop smoking. This habit is killing you from the inside.

This article is dedicated to smokers who can not give up smoking. Who have already tried repeatedly to quit and have tried all the ways. There is a wonderful solution for you - growing tobacco at home. This is a very exciting and interesting thing. Subject to all the rules of cultivation, the finished product is of very high quality. This is not comparable to what we buy in stores under the guise of tobacco and cigarettes.

Tobacco companies openly poison smokers by adding poisonous chemicals to cigarettes in order to reduce the final cost of the product. At the same time, the price of tobacco products in stores is increasing every month.

For reference . The cost of 1 pack of cigarettes is from 1 to 5 rubles per pack.

From all this we can conclude. Tobacco companies poison smokers for huge money, making fabulous capital!

A bit of math. In 2016, the average price for a 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 that money can be put to good use.

Benefits of growing tobacco at home.

Growing and processing tobacco in a vegetable garden does not incur any costs (other than the initial cost of buying seeds). After you have received the 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 huge amount of tobacco, which will not only be enough for yourself, but you can also treat your friends.

But most importantly, the product will be natural, which means it will not be so harmful.

Tobacco growing is a hobby during which a person takes a break. 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 figure it out.

How to start growing tobacco in the garden?

How to start growing tobacco in your garden? This question is asked by many novice tobacco growers. Let's try to figure it out. It is necessary to determine the variety, prepare containers for planting seedlings, prepare the soil for planting seedlings.

Variety selection.

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 beginner tobacco growers, universal varieties are best suited, such as Virginia 202 or Herzegovina Flora.

Virginia 202.

Photo: Tobacco Herzegovina Flor.

Tobacco Herzegovina Flora is Stalin's favorite tobacco variety. Iosif Vissarionovich himself spoke about this, smoking a pipe. Herzegovina Flor is a very common variety. It has very good taste and aroma. The leaves are of moderate strength. Great for growing beginners.

Planting tobacco seeds for seedlings.

Tobacco is native to South America. The plant is thermophilic and ripens rather late. Therefore, in Russia, tobacco should be planted first on seedlings. Planting time for seedlings is early spring. Tobacco seedlings can be planted throughout March.

Seeds should be planted in small containers. Disposable cups are very good for this purpose. A hole is made in the cups from the bottom to create drainage. Lay 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 on fertile soil. It is advisable to buy a special universal soil for seedlings in the store. With this soil, you need to mix the usual disinfected earth from the garden in a ratio of 1 to 1. A little wood ash should be added to the resulting mixture. The earth must be disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.

He will go directly to the agricultural technology of planting. There are several points here. Tobacco seeds are very small and inconvenient 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, evenly pour the seeds into the container. Sprinkle earth on top with a layer of no more than 1 millimeter.

Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap 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.

Care of seedlings of tobacco.

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 appearance of the first shoots, you need to remove the film and put the container with seedlings on a bright windowsill, preferably on the south side. If this is not done, then the seedlings will stretch out a lot and will grow very poorly.

Constantly you need to monitor the moisture content of the soil, as soon as it is dry, it should be watered with settled water at room temperature. It is highly recommended not to water the plants with cold water.

Periodically, containers with seedlings need to be turned to the sun on the other side. This will ensure uniform growth and prevent stretching.

Picking tobacco into separate cups.

Tobacco pick

Tobacco pick- 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 quickly enough and the seedlings begin to interfere with each other's growth. As a result, the seedlings are very weak and elongated.

Leaving after picking.

Tobacco seedlings should be dived when 2-3 true leaves appear. By this time, the plants will begin to grow closely in one container. Plants are dived into disposable cups, 1-2 pieces per cup.

A photo

After picking, it is advisable to water the tobacco every day until it is accepted in a new place.

A photo

2 weeks after picking, tobacco seedlings should be fed. Both organic and mineral fertilizers can be used. The most important thing is that they have a lot of nitrogen. Liquid chicken manure is great. Use it in proportions 1:10 with water. If the growth of 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 the second feeding is not necessary.

Photo: Growing tobacco for smoking

Before planting in open ground, seedlings should be slightly hardened. First, just open the window in the room with seedlings more often, and a week before planting, take it out to the balcony or veranda. Do not water for a week.

Growing mode of tobacco seedlings

Tobacco is a rather thermophilic culture. Therefore, when growing, one should adhere to a certain temperature. The ideal temperature is 18-24 degrees. It should be adhered to.

Planting tobacco in open ground.

Photo: Growing tobacco from seeds in a smoking garden

An important procedure is planting tobacco in open ground.

Tobacco seedlings are grown on windowsills 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 immediately in open ground. When planting, it is very important to follow all the measures of agricultural technology so that the plants begin and immediately start active growth.

First of all, you need to decide on a place. It is best to make the bed at a slight slope to avoid excessive accumulation of water. The place should also be protected from strong winds.

If you have a small area and there is no way to allocate a whole garden for tobacco, then you can plant plants right along the fence in one row. It will turn out a kind of living fence, which will look very nice.

For tobacco, it is absolutely not necessary to plow the soil. The site will only need to be well cleaned of weeds and loosened a little with a Fokin flat cutter.

Previously, the area for tobacco needs to be fed. Well-rotted compost is best suited for this purpose. 0.5-1 bucket of compost is added per 1 square meter of area.

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. Holes need to be dug in the garden. They should be quite deep - 20-30 centimeters. At the bottom we pour a little rotted compost and pour it very abundantly with warm water (at least 0.5 buckets of water per 1 well).

Watering tobacco in open ground.

Watering after planting in open ground. Immediately after planting seedlings in open ground, tobacco is abundantly watered with warm water. Then water about once a week.

Watering, a month after planting. Plants become most demanding on moisture a month after planting in open ground. It is through this time that a very active formation of the organic tissues of the plant begins. During this period, tobacco should be watered every 3-4 days at the rate of 10 liters per 1 square meter of land.

Watering 2 months after planting. From now on, watering should be minimized. Moisture becomes less important, and the weather outside is already getting wetter, especially at night. Water only when the soil is noticeably dry.

These tips are not universal, they are just general recommendations. You always need to focus on the weather conditions and the climate of your area.

Top dressing of 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 amount of nitrogen to start growing 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.

Feed tobacco 7-10 days after. As a fertilizer, you can use any complex, with a priority nitrogen content. Perfectly suited for these purposes. For top dressing, 1 tablespoon of fertilizer is mixed in 10 liters of water and watered under the root.

Pasynkovanie and topping tobacco.

Photo: Tobacco cutting in the garden

Stepsons 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 this procedure is performed earlier, then there is a high probability that they will grow again. There is no need to do double work, especially if you have planted a lot of plants.

It is most convenient to remove stepchildren with scissors.

Tobacco, usually begins to let stepsons from the moment the flowering begins. You need to watch and not miss the moment.

Tobacco cutting is the removal of flowers at the bud stage. This procedure is also done in order to get more product sheet. Due to topping, tobacco leaves become much stronger, the nicotine content in them increases.

Flower stalks should be removed at an early stage of budding.

Harvest of tobacco.

Photo: Mature tobacco leaves

Determining the ripeness of a tobacco leaf is very simple. The central vein becomes white. The edges of the leaf become slightly yellow, and the middle becomes a dull green color. It is very important not to miss this period and pick the leaf, otherwise it will overripe, its quality will deteriorate greatly.

Tobacco is harvested from the bottom up as the leaves ripen.

Growing tobacco in a smoking garden is a very entertaining and exciting business. Once you have harvested and tasted it, you will no longer want to buy poison in the store.

Video.

Video: Growing tobacco from A to Z. A very visual video about growing tobacco at home from seeds:

This is a whole film dedicated to the cultivation of tobacco.

Another video:

Growing is not difficult, knowing some secrets. It will be more difficult with its post-harvest processing.

This article will discuss how to grow and at home.

Varieties of tobacco for home cultivation

Consider the most famous varieties of tobacco for smoking, the cultivation of which is easy to do at home:

cultivation

Consider how to grow tobacco at home. First you need to germinate, grow and prepare.

Soil preparation

Loose and fertile land is considered the best option for tobacco growth. Seedlings are good to grow in. before sowing, seeds are prepared by cleaning from. And also fill up a nutrient layer 10 cm thick of sand (4 parts) and (3 parts).

seed germination

Seeds are best used when germinated. Therefore, about 4 days before sowing, they must be soaked in cloth in warm water. It is recommended to add tartaric acid or and leave for a day. This results in faster seed germination and higher yields.
After that, the seeds are washed, removing excess water, and put in a warm place to germinate. Use enamelware, which is not recommended to be covered. The cloth must be moistened periodically. Approximately on the 4th day, the seeds begin to peck. Make sure that the sprout is not longer than the seed - they can break. After most of the seeds have hatched, they are dried to a loose state, mixed with very fine sand or humus.

Important!If it is not possible to sow sprouted seeds immediately, then they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days at a temperature of + 1-2 ° C.

Sowing seeds

This procedure is carried out as follows:

1. Before sowing, it is necessary to moisten the top layer using 1 liter of water per square meter.
2. Seeds must be sown superficially. It is important to scatter them evenly - 4 g per 1 square meter.
3. Next, you need to carefully press the seeds into the nutrient layer by about 3 mm.
4. Then watering should be done. This must be done carefully so that the seeds do not go too deep into the soil.
5. The temperature in must not exceed 20 °C.

Growing seedlings

During the maturation of tobacco, it is necessary to make three top dressings, using with a high content,. The plants are fertilized for the first time at the beginning of the ripening period, the next top dressing is carried out after 15 days, and the third - 7 days after the second.

pruning

Tobacco trimming includes trimming and pinching.

Vershkovenie is the removal of inflorescences. Thanks to this, nutrients will not be spent on flowering, but will go to the development of the leaves.

After the flowers are removed, additional lateral processes begin to actively grow. They also need to be removed (stepping).

Diseases and pests

This plant can be sick or affected by insects:

• - the data eat the leaves, which is very dangerous for tobacco. To prevent the appearance of thrips, it is necessary to treat the soil with Hexachloran dust 30 days before planting tobacco. Also, 3 times per season, the bushes should be treated with "Rogor" or "Metation";
• - sticky discharge appears on the bushes. It is necessary to fight with this "Rogor" or;
• - mostly seedlings are sick, but adult bushes can also be affected. The leaves wither and dry, and the roots die off if the disease is running. It is necessary to water the land with "Benlat" at the first symptoms of the disease. And for prevention, they treat the soil with this preparation immediately after planting tobacco;
• - the main stem becomes thin and dies. The disease manifests itself at high humidity and with an excess of nitrogen in the earth. For the purpose of prevention, seedlings are sprayed with an 80% solution of "Cineba";
• - a white coating appears on the leaves, the leaves turn brown and their aroma is lost. Helps with this disease

Growing tobacco is a multi-component process that includes growing seedlings, preparing the soil, transplanting seedlings, choosing the right fertilizer, studying the features of caring for plants planted in open ground, knowing the rules for drying leaves and their subsequent storage. Compliance with these rules will allow the owner to get a good harvest of tobacco.

For centuries, farmers and gardeners have grown tobacco at home for personal use and sale. Although the vast majority of tobacco today is grown and supplied by large corporations, you can still do this process yourself, for this you just need to acquire patience. Tobacco cultivation, although a legal activity, can be quite stressful in terms of growing and caring for this plant, so you need to follow clear instructions for growing this crop so that you can get quality, and most importantly safe products, from your own production.

So, you need to know that tobacco leaves will grow in almost all types of soil. Tobacco is an extremely hardy plant. He can easily grow where you define him. Quite calmly it will exist with other crops. Tobacco will grow best and delight you with quality foliage on soils enriched with organic fertilizers and nitrogen. It is worth noting that the quality of tobacco products will also depend on the structure of the soil itself on which the plant will be cultivated. So on lighter soils, tobacco will produce light green tobacco products, while growing this crop in heavy soil will reward you with a darker color of tobacco and the strength of the future raw material.

To achieve the best results, tobacco is grown in a moderately humid and warm climate zone.

Tobacco is a thermophilic plant, and requires a constant warm temperature of at least 3-4 months, between the cultivation period and harvest. For best results, the tobacco should be matured in a period without heavy rains. Since excess moisture leads to damage to the plant, the tobacco becomes thin and begins to hurt. The ideal temperature for growing tobacco is not lower than +20 and not higher than +30 degrees.

Growing seedlings of tobacco

For effective plant growth, tobacco must be sown in specially prepared small containers, pots, with holes at the bottom, for good soil drainage. You need to plant seeds in sterile soil, prepared on your own or purchased in a specialized store. Keep the plant moist, but do not let the water stagnate, in a pot. So, the seedlings should be in a warm room for 6 weeks from the time of planting the seeds before they are planted in open ground. During this time, your tobacco will grow and get stronger.

Soil for seedlings

Water the soil frequently to keep the soil moist but not soggy.

The soil in which tobacco is grown must never dry out completely.

• Be especially careful when watering young seedlings, as the pressure of the water can uproot your tobacco and cause the plant to die.
• If possible, water the seedlings from the bottom. If you used a flower pot with holes in the bottom, place the pot in a container of water without submerging it completely. Leave it there for a few seconds so that the soil is saturated with life-giving moisture, then pull it out and let the excess water drain. So you can water the seedlings without wetting the leaves and save the plant from diseases.

Transplanting seedlings into a large container

Transplant your seedlings to a larger pot after three weeks.

By this time, your seedlings should be large enough to transplant into a larger pot if you've watered and cared for them properly.

• Transplanting seedlings into larger containers will allow your tobacco to develop a healthy and strong root system.
• In order to understand if your seedlings are ready to be transplanted into another pot, try to grab them with your fingers, if the stems are too thin and will not survive the transplant, wait, wait for the required size of the seedling.
• Transplanting open-rooted (no soil) tobacco plants directly from seedlings into open ground is an easier method, as it involves only one transplant. However, once you plant a bare, unrooted seedling, it may go into "transplant shock" and some or most of its largest leaves will turn yellow and wilt. After a week, the tobacco seedling will begin to gain strength, but it is best to avoid plant shock when transplanting. Since this will save you time and give you a strong plant with a good root system.

When your seedlings grow up, you need to apply fertilizer.

Fertilizer should be enough to get your plants strong before planting outdoors after about 3-4 weeks.

• If you notice that your seedlings are starting to turn yellow or look stunted, another dose of fertilizer may be needed. Do this wisely, as excessive use will harm the plants and may burn the roots of the tobacco.

Preparing the land for seedlings

Prepare your land for transplanting plants.

Make sure that the place allotted for tobacco is sufficiently warmed by the sun, the soil is well-drained and enriched with organic matter.

• Lack of sufficient sunlight dooms plants to poor growth and eventually death. Especially if you are going to use tobacco for making cigars, you will not get a decent quality tobacco leaf in a shaded area.
• You also need to check the pH level of your soil. Tobacco grows well in moderately acidic soil, otherwise the plant will not give you a decent tobacco raw material. The soil itself for planting tobacco should have a pH of 5.8. Weak growth and some leaf damage may occur if the soil pH is 6.5 or higher.
• Avoid when planting plants in open ground, contaminated soils. Nematodes that feed on tobacco immediately cause irreparable harm to the plant, they are quite difficult to destroy. Therefore, do not neglect the prevention and cultivation of the soil with special means.

Planting tobacco in open ground

Achieve the optimal distance between plants in the garden.

It is better to plant tobacco in open ground in the evening, or early in the morning, so that the plant has time to acclimatize to new temperature conditions. When planting plants from 20 centimeters, the distance between them should be at least half a meter. Tobacco can be planted both in rows and in a checkerboard pattern.

• Tobacco, as a plant, is not capricious, however, it is quite detrimental to the soil, the fact is that soil depletion will definitely occur. Therefore, if you do not want to spoil your garden plot, rationally alternate plants, observing crop rotation on your land. And also carry out annual enrichment of the soil, both with organic top dressing and with nitrogen-containing ones.
• After tobacco, corn or legumes can easily grow, with proper soil preparation. And the site will not be empty, while resting from tobacco.

Features of care

You need to water your young plants daily, but don't let the water stagnate.

After the tobacco has grown, watering can be reduced, and the plants should be watered three times a week to avoid over-saturation of the soil with moisture.

• Avoid excessive dampness in your beds, this will lead to rotting of the roots and deterioration of the quality of tobacco leaves. If your site is subject to droughts, install an irrigation system. But get optimal hydration. This will prevent the soil from drying out and save the plants from dying.
• When it rains, tobacco leaves collect moisture like a funnel, so watering at this time is optional.

Use a low-chlorine fertilizer for tobacco that contains only nitrogen in the nitrate form.

Fertilizers used for tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes are also suitable.

• Over-fertilizing plants will be a serious problem in the future, as it can lead to root damage. The choice of fertilizers, their quantity and purpose, will depend on the quality of your soil, the location of the site and climatic conditions.
• It is recommended to apply fertilizer and fertilize several times. Before planting tobacco and during the flowering of the plant. After the tobacco inflorescences are removed, top dressing is not required.

It is necessary to break off tobacco inflorescences, immediately during flowering.

This operation allows you to get thicker stems and leaves of the plant, and therefore better products in the future.

• Removing inflorescences is not difficult, just tear off the bloom or cut with scissors.
• Shortly after the tops are removed, the newly formed axillary buds must also be removed on each leaf. Remove them manually, otherwise they will reduce the yield and quality of the tobacco yield.

Monitor and care for plants, tillage from weeds.

It is necessary to produce inter-bed loosening for better aeration of the soil and penetration of moisture to the root, as well as hilling plants to strengthen the root system of tobacco.

• Tobacco roots develop quickly and the root structure is quite extensive, with small, hair-like extra roots that grow close to the soil surface. Be careful when weeding or loosening, as penetrating the soil too deeply can damage the roots of the plant.
• 3 - 4 weeks after planting tobacco, it is best to minimize the technical impact on the seedlings and control weeds, only by hand.

Purchase special pesticide sprays to control tobacco pests and diseases.

Common tobacco pests are tobacco aphids, field slugs, tobacco thrips, and pathogens.

• Tobacco is subject to contamination by many different diseases. Preventive measures can help in the fight against the disease, but there is no guarantee that they will be effective in any given situation.
• To combat pathogenic fungi, such as rot and mold, there are a number of specialized products that are applied to a young plant, protecting it from disease attacks. Keep in mind that some pesticides are specifically designed to control insects, while others simply kill the fungus, make the right choice and find the one that works best for your situation.

Harvesting

Harvest tobacco leaves gradually, waiting for the full ripening of each of them.

Your plants will be ready for harvest 3-4 months after planting.

Drying tobacco leaves

Hang your tobacco leaves in a well ventilated, warm area with a low humidity threshold.

It is important that the temperature during drying of the sheet should not fluctuate, drop below +18 degrees and exceed +28. This can cause uneven drying and spoil product quality.

Tobacco storage

Storing tobacco is a very difficult process, as it is quite capricious.

Decent aroma and proper taste can be achieved only under appropriate storage conditions, both tobacco and tobacco products. To determine the moisture content of tobacco. It is necessary to crush the tobacco leaf, with a lack of moisture it will crumble, and this should not be allowed. Tobacco should not be like gunpowder, but it should not be wet either.

For those who plan to store grown and prepared tobacco with their own hands for a long time, it is better to use glass jars with an airtight lid. You can also purchase a special storage container in specialized stores. In principle, you can use any suitable container, and even plastic bags with a zipper. Tobacco storage containers should be thoroughly washed, the presence of foreign smell in them is unacceptable. Subject to all the rules for sealing tobacco and storage conditions, it can be stored for up to 5 years, and over time, not only will it not lose its aroma and taste, but it will become even richer.