Content
It is not difficult to grow tobacco or makhorka; these crops have no more secrets than vegetables. True, you will have to tinker with the post-harvest processing of tobacco - fermentation to make it aromatic. But this is no more difficult than canning cucumbers. If you smoke, boldly follow the path of the ancient Indians, from whose "personal plots" tobacco came to us.
If makhorka grows everywhere: from the south of Russia to the Arctic, then tobacco is more thermophilic. He succeeds well south of 55 ° north latitude, approximately this line passes through Ryazan, Smolensk, Ulyanovsk, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo.
Tobacco varieties for cultivation
It is better to choose zoned varieties. So, Trapezond Kubanets and Trapezond 162 are recommended along with the North Caucasian for the West Siberian region. Sigarny 17 and Bryansky 91 are considered the best for the Central, and Trapezond 15 - for the Central Black Earth Region. Most varieties have been created and zoned for the North Caucasus, where tobacco is a traditional culture.
On a personal plot, I advise you to plant Trapezond 15 and Trapezond Kubanets. They ripen in 100 days, a month earlier than many other varieties. Plastic - quickly adapt to different climatic conditions, while maintaining good smoking properties.
Beds and tobacco seeds
The average smoker smokes up to 8 kg of tobacco per year. Based on this, we will determine the planting area so as not to look at the tobacco kiosk for a whole year.
Under favorable conditions, about 30 g of smoking tobacco can be obtained from one plant, and six to seven plants can be placed per 1 square meter. The planting density of large-leaved varieties is 70 x 30 cm, and the planting density of medium-sized tobacco and makhorka is 70 x 20 cm.It turns out that you need to grow 270-300 plants, occupying about 40 square meters. m. plot.
The seeds of the crops in question are as small as dust. In one gram there are about 12.5 thousand pieces of tobacco seeds, makhorka - 4 thousand pieces. To get the annual "norm" of a smoker, you need to sow only a quarter of a gram of tobacco seeds or three-quarters of a gram of tobacco seeds.
Sowing and planting tobacco
Tobacco and makhorka are grown through seedlings, with or without a pick. The seedlings are 40-45 days old. It works well in a greenhouse, greenhouse, on a sunlit windowsill in a room - in a flower pot or wooden box, where nutrient soil is poured with a layer of 8-10 cm.
It is easier to sow dry seeds, but better to sow seeds. In this case, 4-5 days before sowing, the seeds in a cloth should be soaked in warm clean water, you can add a few drops of tartaric acid or a few crystals of potassium nitrate to it. The soaking time is 24 hours. This accelerates the germination of seeds, reduces the time for forcing seedlings by 5-7 days. It develops better, the yield increases.
Then rinse the seeds, remove excess water and put on germination in an enamel or earthenware dish in a warm place, and it is better not to cover. Moisten the rag periodically. Usually on the 3-4th day the seeds are pecked: white "dots" appear. A sprout longer than the seed should not be allowed to form: such sprouts break off easily. When two-thirds of the seeds are nibbled, they must be dried to flowability, mixed with well-disinfected fine sand or crushed humus.If germinated seeds cannot be sown immediately, then they can be stored for a day or two at a temperature of plus 1-2 ° in the refrigerator.
Important! The seeding depth is no more than 0.3-0.5 cm for tobacco, 0.7-0.8 cm for tobacco. Sprinkle the seeds with humus and sand (3: 1). Water the soil before and after sowing through a thick strainer.
Watering small-seeded crops is a delicate matter. It is impossible to overmoisten, as well as overdry the seedlings. It is best to water a little, almost daily. Before the "cross" phase (cotyledons and two true leaves growing across) usually consume only 0.5 liters of water per sowing box; keep crops where it is warmer + 23 + 25 °. Then it is desirable to lower the temperature to 20 °, and double the watering until the “ears” phase (3-4 true leaves usually stick up). It is better to dive seedlings in the "ears" stage.
Sprinkle the seedlings with fertile soil two or three times and feed them with a solution of mineral fertilizers (for 10 liters of water, 30 g of ammonium nitrate, 20 g of sulphate or potassium chloride). You can use an infusion of chicken manure: pour 1 kg into 10 liters of water, leave for 10-12 days for fermentation, stir from time to time. Strain the fermented mass and add 4-5 parts of water to 1 part of the liquid.
Seedlings are planted with a height of 14-16 cm, having 5-6 developed leaves, not counting the cotyledons, a stem 0.3-0.5 cm thick and a well-developed root system.
Seedlings need to be hardened 7-8 days before planting, reducing watering and accustoming them to open air. 2-3 days before planting, watering not dived seedlings completely stop. Water the seedlings 2-3 hours before planting.
They start planting in the ground when the danger of spring frosts has passed, and the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm rises to 10 °, from about April 20 to May 25. Make holes along the prepared furrow, pour 0.5 liters of water into them and spread the seedlings. With your right hand, deepen the hole with a peg, place the seedlings vertically into it with your left hand, press the moist soil to the roots, and sprinkle dry soil on top so that the moisture evaporates less. It makes sense to plant extended seedlings deeper - additional roots will grow.
During the growing season, regularly loosen the ground, remove weeds, feed and water. You can feed based on the fertilization rates of tomatoes. Usually they are limited to two or three waterings per summer, spending 6-8 liters of water per plant. It itself will tell you: if the leaves have wilted a little, watering is needed. But it is better to underwater than overmoisten.
In flowering plants, break off the inflorescences (vershoking) and regularly remove the lateral shoots (pinching).
S. Cherkasov, candidate of agricultural sciences. The magazine "Household economy".
Tobacco growing, video
In our country, cigar or cigarette tobacco can be grown in open soil only in the southern regions. As for the northern and central regions, they will need greenhouse structures for this. But makhorka became widespread throughout Russia (with the exception of the Far North, of course).
Growing tobacco at home
Once growing tobacco at home for the purpose of its further sale, it was considered a common occupation for many families, and self-garden, as it was called, was a familiar commodity in the markets. This was largely due to the high cost of tobacco products, but later, when cigarettes became noticeably cheaper, this type of business began to decline. Be that as it may, even today the makhorka has a lot of admirers, so the question of how to grow it on your site is still relevant.
Cultivation of smoking tobacco - is it worth it?
Let's say you are a smoker and live somewhere in the southern part of the country. You have several acres of land on which you would like to grow tobacco. In this case, you should start with simple calculations: one cigarette contains about 1 g of tobacco (the lower the quality, the less), which means that its pack contains about 20 g. On average, a smoker needs one pack of cigarettes per day or from 6 to 8 kg of tobacco annually.If conditions are favorable, one plant can produce up to 30 g of tobacco, while 6-7 copies can be planted on 1 m². If the variety is large-leaved, then the planting density should be 30x70 cm, and if we are talking about makhorka or plants with medium leaves, then 20x70 cm. It follows from this that in total it is necessary to plant from 270 to 300 plants, which will require about 40 m² ... Moreover, the tobacco itself in this case will be extremely strong, so it will have to be diluted with the stems. If this suits you, if you considered everything to be quite appropriate, or if you plan to sell products, then proceed according to the step-by-step instructions given in this article.
All parts of the plant contain nicotine
Note! All parts of plants contain nicotine - a powerful cardio and neurotoxin that leads to short-term euphoria (most of this substance is in the leaves - from 0.75% to 2.8%).
Step-by-step instructions for growing tobacco
The article will focus on how to breed ordinary tobacco. If you give preference to Nicotiana rustica (this is the scientific name for shag), then you will not need most of the advice presented, since this variety is less thermophilic and easier to care for. In the regions of the middle lane, it is sown in May in open soil (under a film or any other covering material) so that it has time to develop and give a good harvest.
Growing tobacco on site
Traditionally, work should begin with the selection of planting material. There are tons of tobacco varieties available, but you should only choose local ones.
Table. Tobacco varieties released on the territory of the CIS
As for makhorka, we advise you to pay attention to such varieties as Datura 4, Pekhlets 4 and Pekhlets local.
Note! Then there is the Kentucky Burley, which has the advantage of being low in sugar, so the foliage doesn't ferment. Immediately after drying, the leaves are steamed and crushed for consumption.
Stage one. Germinating seeds
The cultivation technologies of tobacco and makhorka are in many ways similar, and the main difference lies in the same ripening period. So, makhorka ripens in 75-80 days, and tobacco, therefore, in 105-120 days. You also need to remember that seeds in this case are not grown in the garden, that is, in open soil - this should be done in a greenhouse or, alternatively, at home, using pots or seedling boxes.
Step 1. First, prepare the previously purchased seeds - soak them in a solution of tartaric acid (proportions - 3 ml per 1 g of grains) for 24 hours 2-3 days before sowing. The air temperature all this time should fluctuate within 25-30 ° С. This simple procedure will provide earlier ripening of seedlings (by about 7 days) and an increase in germination by 20%.
Tobacco seed
Step 2. After 24 hours, remove the seeds from the solution, dry them a little and place them in a ceramic / enamel bowl with a 3 cm layer.
Step 3. Keep the material in this form for several days, moisturizing and stirring at least 5-6 times daily. As for the air temperature, it should already be 27-28 ° C.
Stage two. Preparing the greenhouse
In view of the fact that it is more expedient to grow tobacco seedlings in a greenhouse, we will focus on this option. So, take care of the nutrient layer, consisting of humus and sand in a ratio of 3: 4. Cover the greenhouse with the resulting mixture in a layer 10 cm thick.
The greenhouse must be covered with humus and sand.
Seeds should be sown in the last days of February or early March, so make sure that the greenhouse structure is heated in addition. The area of the structure will be insignificant, so this will not cause any particular difficulties.
Stage three. We sow seeds and grow seedlings
Step 1. Immediately before sowing, moisten the nutrient layer (water consumption for irrigation should be 1 l / m²). Over time, by the way, the watering rate will have to be increased to about 4 l / m².
Step 2. Sow tobacco kernels superficially, spreading them evenly over the moistened soil. Consumption should be 4 g / m² (if sowing makhorka, then 20 g / m²).
Step 3. After sowing, gently press the seeds into the soil by about 0.3 cm (for tobacco, this figure is 0.7 cm), then pour water over it. Water with extreme care, otherwise the grains may go too deep.
Step 4. Reduce the air temperature in the greenhouse to 20 ° C.
Sowing tobacco seeds for seedlings
Further care for the seedlings consists in meeting several important requirements.
- Feed the plants regularly with a solution made from potassium salt, superphosphate and ammonium nitrate (20 g, 50 g and 30 g, respectively, for every 10 liters of liquid).
- The consumption of the ready-to-use mortar should be approximately 2 l / m² of soil.
- You can also use organic fertilizer - chicken manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 7.
- Reduce the frequency and amount of watering 7 days before the expected transplant date. Moreover, the last three days, tobacco seedlings do not need to be watered at all.
- Hardened and quality plants should have a firm stem that does not break when bent.
- Water the plants with plenty of water a few hours before transplanting to make them easier to remove from the soil.
Ready-to-transplant tobacco seedlings
After 40-45 days, when the height of the stems reaches 15 cm, the thickness is 0.5 cm, and on each plant there will already be several true leaves, transplant the seedlings into open soil.
Stage four. We transplant seedlings
During transplantation, the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm should rise to somewhere around 10 ° C (the specific indicator depends on the climatic zone).
How to properly transplant tobacco seedlings
Step 1. Make shallow holes first. The distance between them should be between 25 cm and 30 cm, and the row spacing should be at least 70 cm.
Step 2. Pour 0.5-1 liters of water into each well.
Step 3. Remove plants one at a time and transplant into holes. In fact, the technology is practically the same as when planting tomatoes. However, remember that any transplant is a shock to the seedlings, so try to keep the soil in which the plants grew on the root system.
Step 4. Before planting, dip each plant in a special mixture of clay and cow dung.
Step 5. Fill the holes with soil, carefully compact it.
Grown seedlings of tobacco in the open field
Stage five. Further care
In the future, regularly weed and loosen the aisles, and also apply top dressing. During the entire growing season, tobacco should be watered no more than 2-3 times (water consumption should be 8 liters per bush). Also periodically make pinching (removal of lateral shoots) and perching (breaking off inflorescences).
Tips for growing and caring for tobacco
Possible diseases
There are two of the most common tobacco problems. Let's consider how to deal with them.
- Aphid... Use Rogor-S to fight it.
- Peronosporosis... It can be defeated with a 4% suspension of zineba, introduced in a proportion of 5 l / 10 acres, or with a 0.3% polycarbacin solution.
Peronosporosis tobacco
Features of harvesting
Step 1. As soon as the leaves turn yellow, you can remove them, without fail, starting from the lower tiers. It is important that each leaf is intact and dry.
Step 2. Transfer all these leaves to the shade for 12 hours, placing them neatly in a 1-inch (30 cm) layer. During this time, they will be sufficiently attached.
Step 3. Next, put the leaves on the cords and hang to dry. If you are going to dry in the open air, then choose a suitable place for this, protected from precipitation and wind. If the weather is sunny, the leaves will dry faster, and the process will take no more than 2 weeks in total.
Drying tobacco leaves
Step 4. Take 5-6 cords with foliage, folded four times, and hang them on a special hook.This design is also known as havanka.
Step 5. Transfer one or more harbors to the drying room by hanging them on the bars.
Drying tobacco after harvesting on the harbor
Step 6. With the onset of autumn, remove the leaves, smooth them gently and put them in piles. That's it, the tobacco is already ready for use!
As you can see, there is nothing difficult in growing tobacco, the main thing is desire, as well as adherence to all the tips given in the article.
Video - How to remove and how to dry tobacco
Video - Film about growing tobacco from A to Z
Video - Features of growing tobacco
A plant like tobacco is not difficult to grow, but after harvesting it, fermentation is not a very fast process. But this is possible at home, and smoking tobacco grows almost everywhere, even in the Siberian garden. Growing tobacco at home on a windowsill is also not too troublesome for a beginner. The main thing is to provide him with proper care and conditions in the apartment.
Conditions for growing tobacco Additional lighting for tobacco
Before sowing tobacco on the balcony, you should remember that the plant is very picky about the choice of land, loves warm temperatures, but despite this it is unpretentious.
For scented tobacco, the content of minerals and salts in the soil, the presence of fresh air and heat are very important. Different plant conditions can affect the shades of the leaves and their length. And the aroma of smoking tobacco will depend on the humidity.
back to content ↑ Lighting
The plant prefers bright areas in the apartment with a lot of light and heat, so growing on the balcony in the warm season will be an ideal condition.
Temperature regime
The most ideal temperature in order to grow seedlings or the plant itself on the window is considered to be a temperature of 25 to 28 degrees Celsius. At lower temperatures, seedlings and mature plants of scented tobacco can stop growing or even die.
Capacity
In order to grow seedlings, the container must be large, this is mainly done in greenhouses or greenhouses. And at home, it is recommended to use a seedling box or a large pot; with strong thickening, a pick of plants is done.
Tobacco soil and fertilizer
The plant is planted in sandy loam soil with an abundance of potassium and nitrogen. It quickly pumps out all the nutrients from the soil. Therefore, scented tobacco must be fertilized often, doing it with mullein or bird droppings. If necessary, the soil is limed.
The optimal substrate for growing tobacco is soil with humus, garden soil and sand. They are mixed in a ratio of 2 to 1 to 1. Additionally, before planting seeds, the soil must be well watered.
They begin to feed the plant after planting on seedlings with the help of a slurry of manure and superphosphate. It can be processed using sulfur powder.
When the first inflorescences appear, the plant is treated with a solution of onion peels or garlic tincture.
A week after the first treatment, the bushes are once again treated with onion-based tincture. The third feeding takes place after another 7 days.
to the content ↑ Plant formation
Before growing a plant on the balcony, you need to properly prepare the seeds for planting. First of all, they are soaked on a wet cloth soaked in an antiseptic and left on the cloth for 24 hours. In this way, seed germination will increase.
After that, the seeds are washed, laid out on a saucer, and removed to a warm, bright place. The fabric is moisturized and sprouts await. The sprouts should not be larger than the size of the grains themselves, otherwise they will quickly break down and the plants will not take root and grow well.
Plants are transplanted after smoking tobacco has released at least 4 leaves. Before transplanting, the seedlings are watered and planted together with an earthen clod in a separate pot so as not to damage the root system.
It is recommended to plant seedlings in prepared holes, which are heavily spilled with water, a depression is made in them in the middle. Sprinkle the hole with wet soil on top, put a seedling in the hole and carefully sprinkle the root system with dry soil. This procedure will allow the roots to take root better and not lose moisture.
When the tobacco blooms, it needs to break off the inflorescences and remove the extra side shoots from time to time.
back to contents ↑ Planting instructions and care
Tobacco seeds remain viable for a long time, and therefore old seeds can also be used for planting. They will rise as quickly as fresh.
If the seeds are planted for seedlings to be planted later in the garden, then the age of the plants should be 40-45 days.
The planting principle, regardless of the future location of the plants and the planting site, is identical: the seeds are scattered over the soil, the soil is preliminarily watered. The maximum seed placement depth should not be more than 8mm.
They are slightly pressed into the soil, and lightly watered so that the soil does not erode and the seeds do not sink into the soil.
It is better to germinate tobacco on a damp cloth beforehand so that the seeds have germinated sprouts. So, if you plan to get seedlings, you can get it faster by 7-8 days. For planting and good shoots, you need a temperature above 25 degrees. When tobacco grows, the gardener needs to loosen it often, weed, water and fertilize as needed.
In order to calculate the amount of fertilizer, you can focus on the amount of fertilizer for one tomato bush.
Tobacco is watered infrequently, even on hot days it is enough to water it 3 times a summer, but at the same time watering should be abundant. It is better to let the plant suffer a lack of water than overflows. Their root system is powerful and the plant can take moisture from the soil for a long time. But before you pluck it and ferment it, the tobacco is well watered with settled warm water.
back to content ↑ Varieties of tobacco
There are several types of tobacco that can be successfully grown on a balcony or window.
- Variety "Kubanets". The average number of suitable leaves for processing is about 27 pieces. The time from planting the seeds to breaking it varies from 103 to 134 days.
- Meal 92. He practically does not get sick, ripens quickly (about 98 days pass from planting to breaking).
- Samsun 85. These bushes mature quickly and have a large number of leaves suitable for further processing (there are about 50 of them per bush).
- Jubilee new 142. Ripens quickly (the time from planting seeds to breaking is about 78 days). Nicotine in the leaves of this variety is from 2% to 2.1%. Unpretentious and practically does not get sick with diseases inherent in tobacco.
- Holly 316. The cultivar has a long growing season. It has a low nicotine content.
Similar articles:
Growing tobacco for smoking
Growing tobacco at home, the matter is quite simple, as it might seem to you at first glance. The main thing is the desire to work and have 1.5-2 acres of land available. This area will be enough for you to provide yourself with tobacco for a year. But over time, your appetites may grow and then you will look at your capabilities.
I myself started growing tobacco spontaneously. A friend asked him to order tobacco seeds for him on the Internet, since he was on "you" with the Internet. I thought about it and decided to order myself for a test. Here you can read about the description of the varieties of tobacco. And now the sixth year has passed since I will grow tobacco in the garden for smoking and believe me, I have never regretted it.
Pros of growing homemade tobacco
Smoking your own tobacco is much more pleasant than these store sticks with an incomprehensible filler. In addition to all this, you get an extensive field for experimentation from various varieties of tobacco, various mixtures of varieties of tobacco, various sauces with which you can ferment tobacco, that is, here your fantasies are not limited.
And now, smoking your tobacco and taking a sip of your homemade wine, you experience bliss and a sense of contentment.
I hope I convinced you to do this noble cause. You yourself will not regret it later. Also, you will receive savings in your budget, at today's prices for cigarettes, it will be significant.
If you have decided to grow your own tobacco, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the description of my experience on the pages of this site, and we will start with sowing seeds.
Growing tobacco in an apartment
Is it possible or not? People ask themselves this question. To be honest, you can't get anything good from this idea, except for the initial experience. No smoking qualities, but the bush itself looks cool in a pot and perfectly complements the interior.
Do you think growing tobacco at home is difficult? Not at all, just read the articles on this site, and most of the questions will disappear. The main thing here is not to repeat other people's mistakes, although after reading these articles, there will still be mistakes, but not so global.
If you have questions, ask in the comments or write to the mail.
