Fragrant tobacco: growing from seeds and care at their summer cottage
Fragrant tobacco will help to decorate the balcony and flower bed, growing from the seeds of which must be carried out every year. This plant comes from South America, from where it was brought to Europe by H. Columbus. And almost immediately received recognition from gardeners for abundant flowering and aroma. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, new varieties have been developed, of which there are currently more than 60.
Description of the plant
There are many varieties of scented tobacco with different colors of flowers:
- white;
- lilac;
- yellow;
- red and others.
Nowadays a lot of hybrid varieties are grown, having a wide palette of shades and their combinations. The flowers themselves are star-shaped, in diameter they can reach up to 8 cm.
Not all varieties of scented tobacco have a strong aroma, some do not smell at all. This feature is more inherent in hybrid varieties. In addition to the weak expression of aroma, or its complete absence, many hybrids still do not close during the day.
There is a pattern: the brighter the color of the flower, the less pronounced the aroma, and vice versa.
The flower is highly decorative. Fragrant tobacco on the balcony is a picturesque decoration of city apartments. When choosing a specific species, the height of the plant must be taken into account. This will allow you to create the most organic compositions.
There are such types of tobacco:
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Plant height, cm
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Features: location |
| Tall | Over 80 | Large plants are more suitable for planting near buildings, fences, for placing in the background landscape compositions |
| Medium-sized | 30-70 | Suitable for flower beds, growing in boxes on balconies, flower beds |
| Dwarf | Up to 30 | Well suited for growing near curbs. On window sills, balconies |
Preparing for growing from seed
It is an annual heat-loving plant. In this connection, planting scented tobacco in the ground is less preferable than growing seedlings. They begin to prepare the seedlings, taking into account the fact that before planting in the soil the seedlings must grow. The region matters. If the climate is warm, planting begins earlier, if it is cold, later.
When to sow scented tobacco for seedlings? For the middle lane, preparation begins from January to March. Transplanting into the soil is carried out after 50-60 days, when the earth warms up enough.
Preparation of containers
Low containers with sides of about 7 cm are suitable for germinating seeds. In such flat trays or containers, seeds germinate and grow best.
Land preparation
Planting scented tobacco seeds should be carried out in a well-drained soil. The soil should be fairly loose, moderately fertilized.
You can choose one of two ways to prepare the potting mix:
- Purchase a ready-made mixture in the store.
- Make it yourself from equal parts of rotted humus, land and peat. In addition to this volume, a small amount of sand is added (it should be 3 times less than each of the main components of the mixture).
Seed preparation
Since the seeds of fragrant tobacco are very small, it is recommended to mix them with sand before planting for even distribution.To improve germination, it is recommended to pre-wet the seeds for swelling.
Fragrant tobacco: growing from seeds
After the preparation has been carried out, you can start planting seeds in a container with soil mixture.
For growing scented tobacco from seeds:
- The planting material is distributed in containers, and slightly pressed against the soil surface, without crushing it with earth.
- Moisten the soil from above. It is recommended to do this by spraying with water to avoid washing out small seeds.
- Cover containers with glass or foil.
- Place containers with seeds in a warm, bright place.
- Until sprouts appear, every couple of days the earth is moistened, the glass is removed and put back in place.
- After the shoots have appeared, after 2 weeks the glass is completely removed.
A pick of tobacco seedlings is carried out after the appearance of 4 leaves.
Planting is recommended to be carried out by transshipment with a clod of earth. This is done after moistening the ground, showing maximum accuracy when working with sprouts.
In order for young plants to harden, the air temperature should be about + 18 ° C. Before transplanting, pinching the tops and fertilizing with fertilizers is carried out. After planting, it is necessary to keep the soil moist.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Towards the end of May, the seedlings of fragrant tobacco are ready for planting in the ground. By this time, the soil should be warmed up, and the probability of night frosts on the soil is reduced to zero.
Preparing for planting
Planting is carried out after preliminary preparation - hardening of seedlings. To do this, young plants are taken out daily for a short time for 10-15 days. An hour is enough at first. The length of time spent on the street gradually increases. How tobacco shoots look like is shown in the photo.
Site and soil selection
To grow scented tobacco on the site, it is advisable to choose a place where there are no drafts and bright direct sunlight.
An ornamental plant has only two soil requirements:
- The nutritional value of the composition of the soil mixture.
- Sufficient moisture.
If initially the soil in the allotted area is poor, it is necessary to enrich it compost or humus, and dig it up well.
Planting seedlings
In open ground, individual plants are not planted too close. There should be about 20-30 cm of free space between them. For tall varieties, this distance should be even greater.
Wells are prepared in advance and fertilizers (superphosphate) are applied to each of them. A young plant is placed in the hole by transshipment, along with a lump of earth. After falling asleep, the soil is compacted, and the plants are watered.
Plant care
Further care of the plants is quite simple. It includes regular watering, which is especially important in hot weather. Weed the tobacco as needed and remove wilted flowers.
Growing scented tobacco from seeds on site is beneficial for the soil and beneficial for plants growing nearby. This is due to the fungicidal property of the plant, which not only blooms beautifully, but also prevents pest damage.