How to grow tobacco in the country, rules for planting, care and harvesting

Undoubtedly, cigarettes are harmful to health, but nowadays their prices are sometimes even more dangerous than nicotine.

In order not to go broke on tobacco products, you should pay attention to a simple question: how to grow tobacco in the country?

Despite the apparent complexity, there is nothing supernatural about it.

Content:

1. Tobacco - description of the plant
2. How to grow tobacco in the country: where to buy seeds, in what month to sow
3. Technology for growing tobacco in open ground
4. How to grow tobacco in an apartment
5. Harvesting
6. Organizing proper storage

Tobacco - description of the plant

Tobacco belongs to the genus of annuals (sometimes perennial) herbaceous semi-artisanal crops, which is part of the nightshade family.

This plant comes from South America, from where it came to the European continent along with Spanish sailors and spread further throughout the world.

The attitude towards this plant as harmful did not develop immediately; at first it was even recommended for the treatment of certain diseases.

A distinctive feature of this plant is the high percentage of nicotine that is included in its composition. It is important to remember that this substance is addictive and has a negative effect on the respiratory system and circulatory system.

This is why cigarettes and cigars can be dangerous to the health and life of both the smoker and the people around him.

Other features of the shrub include:

• Plant height - no more than 80 cm;
• The stem is fleshy, straight and branched, round in cut, with large succulent petiolate leaves, which are collected in rosettes;
• The flowers are tubular, open in the evenings and last until dawn, sometimes they can be seen on cloudy days. They have a strong specific odor;
• Flowering begins in June and continues until cold weather. The inflorescences, depending on the variety, may vary, but will always have a paniculate shape;
• The fruits are multi-seeded capsules. When ripe, they open and release tiny brownish seeds with a high germination rate. The latter indicates the unpretentiousness of the plant;
• The root can reach several meters in length and is tap-like.

When growing this crop, it is important to consider that it is susceptible to many pests. The most common are the tobacco moth or the Colorado potato beetle, which can completely destroy the crop if the lesions are not eliminated in time.

Tobacco used for smoking is distinguished by wide and smooth leaf blades. This shape allows them to be rolled into plates after drying and then smoked.

How to grow tobacco in the country: where to buy seeds, in what month to sow

Tobacco is not a rare plant. It is grown both for cigarettes and as an ornamental plant., so finding seeds is not that difficult. You can buy seeds at any specialized store, or order them online.

However, in the second case, you should be extremely careful, as there is a danger of running into scammers and wasting your money.

It is recommended to sow seeds for seedlings for subsequent replanting in open ground in early February.To do this, you need to prepare a substrate - light and loose soil with an equal ratio of earth and sand. It is worth preparing the soil before the cold weather.

After sowing the seeds, it is recommended to water the soil and cover the box with seedlings with film to create a greenhouse effect. Already in the second week you can notice tiny shoots. At this stage, it is recommended to remove the film, but it is important not to damage the sprouts.

You can plant seedlings in open soil only after it has completely warmed up outside.

Temperature fluctuations and frosts can destroy seedlings before they germinate.

Technology for growing tobacco in open ground

Growing this plant in open ground begins with growing seedlings.

To do this, you need to take into account several details:

• The purchased seeds should be placed on a moistened cloth, where they should be kept for 24 hours until they swell. You can add a couple of drops of tartaric acid or a couple of crystals of potassium nitrate to the water with which the napkin is moistened, which will make it possible to speed up the process of seedling formation;
• After swelling, it is recommended to wash and dry the seeds. After this, the seeds are again placed on a moistened cloth in an enamel or ceramic bowl. The container should be placed in a warm place, not forgetting to moisten the napkin on which the seeds are placed from time to time;
• A week later, after the first sprouts appear on two-thirds of the seeds, they need to be dried and carefully sprinkled with dry sand. It is this mixture that needs to be sown in a container with a previously prepared substrate to a depth of no more than 8 mm. It is worth planting in separate cups, cassettes or pots, which is due to the dislike of all nightshades for transplants;
• The planted seeds are covered with film on top and placed in a warm place where direct sunlight does not penetrate, maintaining the temperature at 23-28? C;
• After the first shoots appear, it is important not to forget about regular watering. After the seedlings have the first few leaves, the frequency of watering should be increased and the temperature reduced by several degrees;
• Twice a day, it is recommended to remove the film and ventilate the seedlings, providing access to fresh air.
• After the fourth leaf appears on the sprouts, they can be transplanted into a large container by pouring a fertile mixture under the earthen ball.
• You can plant seedlings in open soil by the end of the month. Visually, this can be determined by the height of the sprouts (they must reach at least 14 cm) and five true leaves. During this period, the root system of the plants should already have developed sufficiently so that the seedlings can be planted without risk.

When transplanting, it is important to consider that:

• A week before planting the seedlings, they need to be taken outside for a while to harden off. For the first time, a few minutes will be enough, but gradually it is recommended to increase the duration of time spent outside;
• Two days before planting, you need to stop watering, and a few hours before planting, water generously;
• Before planting, select a well-lit, draft-free area with light, loose soil, to which you need to add a little ash or mullein;
• Prepare shallow holes located at a distance of half a meter from each other. Pour half a liter of water into the bottom of each and, after it is absorbed, place the seedling in the hole and sprinkle it first with wet soil and then with dry soil.This will help protect the plant from excessive evaporation of moisture.

Growing it in a summer cottage is not difficult, but it requires compliance with some nuances. First of all, it is important not to forget about regular watering and systematic loosening of the soil around the bush to remove weeds.

In addition, it is important not to forget about the need to apply mineral and organic fertilizers. It is recommended to apply fertilizing for the first time on the second day after planting. The second time - in the third week, the third time - in the sixth week after transplanting into open soil.
The last point that you should pay special attention to when growing is topping.

After the plant produces flower arrows, you need to break off half of them. This activates the growth of stepchildren, which should also be removed.

A lot of useful and interesting information about growing tobacco, watch the video:

How to grow tobacco in an apartment

After the seeds germinate, they are not planted in open soil, but transplanted into a pot.

To do this, after the seeds germinate, you need to:

• Moisten the soil and sow the sprouted seeds superficially, carefully pressing inward no more than 3 mm. In this case, you should act extremely carefully so as not to break the roots;
• Caring for seedlings on a windowsill is no different from caring for plants planted outside. It is important to remember about systematic watering and maintaining a constant temperature of no more than 20 C;
• Avoid drafts that can harm the seedlings;
• When replanting, use the transshipment method together with a ball of earth. The plant does not tolerate transplants well, which can damage the root system, so transferring it to a new pot should be done with extreme caution.

Growing a shrub in an apartment is not difficult and, with proper care, it will look no different from one grown outside.

However, it is important to remember that such a plant does not receive all the nutrients that a bush grown outside receives. The latter affects the quality of the final product, significantly worsening it.

Harvesting

The harvesting process can take several weeks. Correctly assembled sheets are the key to the quality of the final material.

To achieve maximum effect you must:

• Start collecting sheets from the bottom ones, which by then should turn yellow and dry. Leaf blades must be intact;
• It is recommended to spread the collected product under the roof itself, in a thirty-centimeter layer, for half a day so that the collected material completely withers;
• The dried product should be strung on a thread and hung in a well-lit place, away from moisture and drafts. If this is not done, the harvested crop may spoil. The key to quality cigarettes, cigarettes or cigars (depending on plans) is well-dried raw materials;
• After the harvested crop has dried, the threads, with everything strung on them, can be folded in four until completely dry;
• When the raw material is completely dry, you need to put it in piles like sheets of paper and carefully smooth out all the wrinkles.
• A properly harvested harvest is the key to a quality product. It is important not to relate to this stage of tobacco production; this is one of the main points that you should pay special attention to.

Organizing proper storage

In the fall, after the entire harvest has already been harvested and dried, it is worth taking care of the safety of the resulting product.

• To ensure that tobacco does not lose its taste and smell, you should pay special attention to its storage conditions:
• Dried raw materials must be moved to a darkened room with a fixed temperature of 25-30 C;
• Ensure good ventilation, avoid air stagnation;
• During the process of drying tobacco, fermentation occurs, as a result of which its properties improve. Under natural conditions, this process occurs as a consequence of long-term storage, but it can be accelerated. It is enough to briefly place the dried leaves in an oven preheated to + 50 C.

In order for the fermentation process to be as effective as possible, it is important not to forget about some features.

So, in order for the process to be complete, it is recommended:

• Select dried leaves; it is important that there is not a trace of greenery on them. But if such stains still exist, it is not necessary to throw everything away; it is enough to cut out the damaged areas. The formation of greenery is associated with a high content of chlorophyll, which is not fermentable;
• Selected leaves should be sprayed with a small amount of water from a spray bottle, stacked one on top of the other and wrapped in plastic. Leave the soaked plates for a day;
• Every other day, sort through the stacks and carefully cut out the midribs of each leaf. In this case, it is worth paying special attention to their condition and level of readiness for further fermentation. So, the plates should not be too wet, but at the same time they should not crumble when bent. The finished sheet should be dried, but flexible. If they are too wet, they need to be dried, and if they are dry, on the contrary, moisten them and cover them again with film;
• When the harvest is ready, it is recommended to cut the plates into strips and place them in glass jars. Ultimately, each jar should be no more than two-thirds full and sealed with a twist lid;
• The chopped records should be mixed in a jar by shaking it and begin preparing the oven;
• After it warms up to + 50 C, put the jars in it.

Fermentation takes place over a week. At the same time, it is important not to forget about the need to remove the jars from time to time and shake them. This is necessary for a more even distribution of the cuttings and their drying.

If traces of liquid appear on the glass of the jar, it is recommended to open it and dry the leaves additionally, and then start fermentation again.

During normal operation, already on the third day you can smell a honey or fruity smell - evidence that fermentation is proceeding normally and does not need adjustment. After finishing, it is recommended to pour the tobacco out of the cans and dry it a little. This product should be stored in any airtight container.

There are not many rules for storing the finished product, but if you do not follow this simple list, there is a danger of letting all your efforts go down the drain. Therefore, you should not treat this stage of cigarette or cigar production negligently, since errors at it can destroy all previous achievements.

Tobacco is not a fancy crop, the cultivation of which requires special skill and dexterity; to care for it, it is enough to approach the matter responsibly. You can grow a bush on a windowsill, but it is worth remembering that the quality of cigarettes from such a plant will be significantly inferior to those grown on the street.

Let's watch another interesting video: