Features of the cultivation of fragrant tobacco from seeds through seedlings

There are plants that can decorate any area or home collection of flowers.

Fragrant fragrant tobacco - one of these species. Consider how to grow it yourself.

Sweet Tobacco: Short Description

There is a plant from South America. In nature and warm regions is a perennial, but as an ornamental plant in temperate latitudes only one season blooms. Belongs to the family Pasanova.

Branched erect stem on average reaches 80 cm in height. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, this figure can vary from 0.3 to 1.5 m. The leaves of the plant are large (the basal leaves have a rounded shape, whereas the stem leaves are longer). The average size of the flowers is 6-8 cm. They are distinguished by their star shape, and the tube is rather long. The most common color is white, but there are varieties with yellow, pale green and red colors of different shades.

Tobacco fragrant love for the smell, exudes when it blooms. In flowering period (from June to October) flowers bloom in the darkfilling the air with a delicate scent. In the bright hours the plant is "closed". This does not apply to hybrid varieties of red - they are constantly revealed during this period, but they do not smell. White flowers, on the contrary, give the most powerful scent.

Popular among domestic flower growers are the varieties "Winged", "Green Light", "Maju Noir", "Aroma Green". From hybrids prefer tall (from 80 cm) lines "Ringing bell" and "Dolce Vita".

Growing seedlings of fragrant tobacco

This plant is considered exotic for our latitudes, so its cultivation requires some preparation. Let's see where to start.

Timing and seed preparation

Suppose we are ready to take on fragrant tobacco, more precisely for its cultivation from seed, but when to plant this plant?

For a given culture, the usual time is March, April. Some gardeners sow in the last decade of February. This is also permissible, but only providing all the conditions for full growth and appropriate care.

The seeds of fragrant tobacco are very small (almost 7000 pieces per 1 g of them). The handling of such material is simple: many dry seeds are placed in the ground. You can also pre (for a day or two before sowing) put them in warm water, throwing a couple of potassium nitrate crystals there. Such measures will stimulate growth.

Soil for growing seedlings

Before sowing fragrant tobacco, look at the soil. The soil must be nutritious. “Store” substrates will do, but you can tillage the soil from the site yourself (ignite for disinfection). For better drainage, add some sand (not more than 1/3 of the total volume), which loosens the layer.

Immediately before planting the soil is moistened.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

As already mentioned, the seed material is very small, which is why accuracy is important when working. The process of sowing fragrant tobacco looks like this:

• seeds spread evenly over the entire surface of the soil;
• pips slightly pressed into the soil (maximum depth - 5 mm);
• after that, crops are not covered with earth;
• The pot or box is covered with a transparent film or a lid and placed in a place with a constant temperature of +20 ° C.

Conditions for germinating seeds

Described thermophilic culture not easy to tolerate drought. Therefore, the first task in its cultivation is to provide a suitable light and irrigation regimes. For the first two weeks after sowing, the pot is left covered with foil. If you put it on the sunny side, moisture will be regulated without much intervention. Top dressing and capital watering at this time are not carried out. Another thing - the cultivation of fragrant tobacco from seeds in cold regions. As with the early planting, additional lighting and watering may be needed.

The phytolamp will perfectly cope with the first item, although luminescent old models will also fit. As for watering, it is done only a spray gun (no watering cans), which will not give a big pressure and will not wash immature seeds.

Care of seedlings

On the second or third week after planting shoots appear. To strengthen them you need:

• remove the cover;
• slightly reduce the temperature (usually the pot is simply transferred to another room);
• moderate watering (at this stage it is impossible to over-wet the soil);
• reduce the light intensity, as the shoots differ in their resistance to shade.

Of course, on the plot with young shoots there should be no weeds. This is true for plants sown in greenhouses.

After this, sowing of fragrant tobacco on seedlings proceeds to the next stage and we are preparing for a picking.

Picking seedlings

Around the 20th day, the first leaves unfold. When they are already two or three in one run, they make picking. This procedure is familiar to all gardeners:

• Half an hour before the picking, the tobacco is watered to soften the old soil.
• Holding the plant by the leaves, it is undermined by a small shovel. Grasping the fragile stem is undesirable.
• After the flower is extracted, the main rhizome is carefully pruned to about a third.
• In the new pot make a small hole. The recess should not exceed 5 mm from the so-called growth point (this is a seal that is visible slightly above the rhizomes).
• Seedlings sprinkled, slightly clamping the layer of soil itself.

After such an operation should moderate watering the plants at room temperature. Fertilizing in the next week do not, the seedlings so far must germinate in a new place without recharge.

Note that right after the picking, fragrant tobacco suffers a little shock, and such a landing, as well as care, requires some skills.

Transferring new packaging to heavily shaded places is not particularly desirable; after all, it can be harmful to heat-loving shoots. It is important not to miss the moment of growth, that is, not to wait until the seedlings are thorough strengthened. Yes, they are fragile, but at the same time adapt faster (do not tighten the pick). Often when transplanting plants disinfect. For hybrid varieties, this is mandatory, because young seedlings cannot fight bacteria themselves. A weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 ml of product is dripping per liter of water) will prevent the appearance of rot and fungi on the roots.

Plants can be hardened by carrying out on a balcony or an open veranda.

Planting of seedlings of fragrant tobacco in the open ground

There comes a crucial moment: fragrant tobacco in the form of seedlings finally fully strengthened, preparing to land in the ground. How to do this process quickly and efficiently - read on.

Timing and location selection

Very often, plants are planted in open ground, making sure that there is no further frost. But in fact this is not enough, because the soil should still warm up.For most of the varieties we have, the best time for such a planting will be the end of May is the first days of June.

The soil itself must be fertilized. Salted and "heavy" soils are excluded. Tobacco neighbors in the area can be any garden crops. There are no requirements for the "predecessors" either.

Plants at this point should have a fairly powerful (0.5 cm) stem.

Thinking where to plant fragrant tobacco in the garden, look at the half-shaded locations. Permanent sun flower is undesirable (it closes faster and generally fades).

Scheme and process of landing

Everything is simple here:

• Seedlings stop watering for 2-3 days before transplantation.
• A couple of hours before the "relocation" plants abundantly moisturize.
• Carefully removing the seedlings from the pot, it is placed in a wet well (pour about 0.5 liters of water).
• In the center of the hole make a groove, where the plant is placed. The distance between adjacent seedlings should be in the range of 25-30 cm.
• Roots sprinkle with wet soil and crush a new layer, after which dry soil is laid on top.This way you can retain moisture.

It is noticed that tobacco easily endures the landing even during the flowering period.

Care and features of growing fragrant tobacco

We figured out when and how to plant fragrant tobacco. The next step - care and feeding.

Regular watering

Open ground normal watering interval is one week. For southern regions with arid climate, the periodicity will be more “dense” - the earth should not shatter.

Already flowering plant does not require frequent watering. In this regard, tobacco is ideal for giving, because the flower endures a lack of watering, although you should not abuse it.

Weed control and soil loosening

No different from the same works with other cultures. Weeds are best removed immediately after watering in order to pull them out with the roots. With a dry soil make weeding. If there was wheatgrass on the plot, you will have to dig up and remove its roots before planting. Of course, it is long, but effective.

Chemistry that infects weeds is harmful to surrounding plants and is used in extreme cases.

Loosening is good to do after each watering or rain: the soil must breathe, like rhizomes.

Fertilization

Top dressing done 3-4 times per season. Pros know that you can not get involved in nitrogen alone. They build up green mass and leaves, but not flowers. Otherwise, the same fertilizers are used as for other garden flowers. Suitable potassium compounds - potassium magnesia and potassium sulfate. Superphosphate in the form of granules is also nothing. Chloride compounds are contraindicated.

Feeding is performed during growth, budding and flowering. The dosage is calculated depending on the type of drug (read the instructions).

After this treatment, you can collect seeds in reserve in August. They are placed in a dry, cool place.

Disease and Pest Resistance

Considering how to grow flowers in the case of such a plant as fragrant tobacco, we note its resistance to all sorts of sores. This view is phytoncide, that is, it can repel pests not only from oneself, but also from growing crops.

Unfortunately, no disease is complete. For example, you should remember the powdery mildew that affects the leaves of the plant. On the outer side of the sheet there are vague spots (occasionally with a border), which eventually merge into one large center. Leaves can curl and fall off. Flowers are also deformed.

With this disease struggling such means:

• Brewing ash (2-3 liters of boiling water add 0.5 ash and stir, after which the composition is poured into a 10-liter container, diluted with cold water).
• Garlic decoction. For 10 liters of water, take 75 g of minced garlic and bring the mixture to a boil. After cooling, the plants are sprayed.
• Iodine milk: 9 liters of water / 1 liter of skim milk plus 10 drops of 5% iodine.

Diseases like root rot, bacterial ryabuhs and fungus can disturb the flower only when the neighboring flowers are very contagious, tobacco itself can cope with them.

The same story with pests. When planted in the open land, young plants are often attacked by an earthen flea. It is eliminated by sprinkling the plant with ashes (several times per season).Occasionally there are starving Colorado beetles, which have to push manually. Aphids do not tolerate ammonia, but with it you need to be very careful: because of the nitrogen base, large doses of this agent are undesirable for flowers.

We hope we have completely answered the question of how to plant fragrant tobacco, and its fragrant flowers will delight you in summer evenings.