Easy-care soft oriental tobacco Oriental
In modern cigarettes, there are a huge number of additives: for combustion, self-extinguishing, aromatic, etc. They may even contain no tobacco at all, but consist of pulp and paper industry waste impregnated with "syrups" and flavorings. Therefore, connoisseurs tend to smoke their own tobacco, which has a unique taste and smell.
In this article we will talk about the Oriental (Vostochny) variety - an unpretentious and soft tobacco, the conditions for its cultivation and methods of preparation for smoking.
The content of the article
Description and features of the variety
Tobacco variety Oriental (Oriental) comes from the Eastern Mediterranean... It is distinguished by its mild smoking and rich aroma.
In general, the concept of "oriental tobacco", or oriental ("oriental"), unites several dozen varieties.
Specifications
Plants reach a height of 1-1.2 m... Leaves are medium-sized with a small vein, from 5 to 20 cm, round or lancet in shape. Productivity - up to 40 leaves per bush.
The nicotine content is low and is 0.5-1.5%... For comparison, Virginia tobacco, which is part of almost all pipe and cigarette blends, contains 1-3.5% nicotine. The sugar content of the leaves is lower than that of other popular varieties.
The peculiarity of this tobacco consists of a protective film on the leaves, containing a large amount of essential oils.
It is interesting:
Taste and aroma qualities
The strength of the tobacco is small, when smoking, there is no tingling sensation on the tongue. The taste is soft, sweet and sour. The aroma is oriental spicy, musky, with notes of incense and cedar.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Oriental Tobacco Group
Adaptable to hot and dry climates allows you to grow oriental varieties in areas with similar conditions in our country.
The disadvantages include saturation. sugars and aromatic substances that can cause discomfort when smoked. For connoisseurs of strong tobacco, oriental varieties may seem too soft.
Growing regions
Oriental tobacco is grown in Turkey, Greece, the Balkan countries and Cyprus... Each region has a specific composition of aromatic substances, so tobacco varieties are often named after the area where they are grown.
Greek varieties
Basma variety (Basma) is considered the most flavored tobacco in the world. When smoked, the taste is sweet and mild. The nicotine content is about 1%.
Dubeck (Dubek) is a kind of Basma. Grown in Macedonia. The leaf is very aromatic and sweet.
Yenji (Yeniji) red-brown leaves. The taste is strong, distinct, with almost no aroma.
Turkish varieties
Izmir (Izmir) is one of the most famous oriental tobacco varieties. It is very sweet and has a light aroma. Used for the preparation of tobacco blends.
Samsun-Maden (Samsun-Maden) Turks consider the best tobacco. It is grown only on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. The leaf has a very thin and delicate structure.
Grown in the Balkan countries
In the former Yugoslavia they grow varieties Yakka and Prilep. These are varieties of Basma, but with a more delicate taste and aroma.
Bulgaria is famous for tobacco Jebel with a pleasant mild scent.
Growing and care
Growing tobacco on your site is no more difficult than growing tomatoes.
Where to plant
Sandy loam soils are suitable for growing Oriental (Vostochny) tobacco with a slightly acidic reaction (5.5-6.5 pH). It is not recommended to apply nitrogenous fertilizers, tobacco grows more aromatic and softer on poor soil.
The optimum temperature for growth is 20-25 ° C... The culture tolerates short-term drops in temperature up to 2 ° C.
Important!The plant is demanding on sunlight, the beds should be placed in well-lit areas.
Planting seedlings
The culture is grown only in seedlings.... For planting, they use land from the garden (preferably from under cucumbers) with the addition of a small amount of sand and peat. The soil is poured into a box with a layer of 4-5 cm, lightly tamped and watered. Tobacco seeds are evenly scattered on top, sprinkled with a layer of soil 2-3 mm high.
Before emergence, the boxes are covered with foil and put away in a warm place. Seedlings appear in 6-15 days. Then the film is removed and the seedlings are placed on the windowsill. For normal growth of seedlings, a temperature of 18-20 ° C is required. Water in moderation no more than once a week, preferably from a spray bottle.
After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves carry out a pick.
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Transfer to soil
Seedlings are planted in open ground late April - early May. Optimal planting pattern: row spacing - 60 cm, distance between bushes - 30 cm.
Watering after planting should be done no more than once a week.... After a month, the amount of moisture should be increased, since the bush is actively increasing its green mass. During this period, watered 3-4 times a week, 10 liters per 1 m². After another month, watering is minimized and watered in case of noticeable drying out of the soil.
Council. It is not recommended to plant tobacco after tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes.
Shaping and pinning
When flowers appear, they are broken (marching). Then pinch the top - completely break off with 1-2 small leaves.
Excess lateral shoots break off as they grow up to 10-15 cm.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are applied to the soil three times:
- Phosphate - before boarding.
- Nitrate - three weeks after disembarkation.
- Potash - 40 days after landing.
Harvesting
Harvesting begins 6-8 weeks after planting in the ground, the beginning of collection coincides with the beginning of flowering. The leaves are cut after they have stopped growing and have lightened a little. The collection is carried out in 5-6 terms. The lower leaves are cut at intervals of 4-5 days, the leaves from the upper tiers - every 10-15 days.
Processing features
Preparing tobacco leaf for storage and smoking is drying and fermentation.
Drying
After collection, the leaves are strung on a cord so that they do not touch each other. Hang in a shaded room without drafts and incubate for 2-3 days. During the languishing period, the leaves lose chlorophyll and turn light yellow.
The main drying is carried out in the sun within 20-25 days.
Important! When drying, do not allow precipitation to fall on the leaves. Correctly dried leaf is dry but elastic and does not break.
Fermentation
This procedure improves the tobacco taste, reduces the strength and the amount of resins.
The easiest way is to leave the sheet for 2-3 years.... The fermentation process is ongoing, and over time, the smoking properties of tobacco only improve. To accelerate the fermentation is carried out at 50-55 ° C and humidity 60-70%. At home, the procedure can be carried out in the oven.
Procedure:
- Too dry leaves on both sides lightly spray with water from a spray bottle.
- Fold the leaves into piles, cover with foil and leave for a day.
- Remove the midrib from each leaf and cut into strips about 2 mm wide.
- Fill 3-liter glass jars 2/3 full and screw the lids tight.
- Place the jars in the oven for 5-7 days, setting the temperature to 50-55 ° C.
- Take the tobacco out of the cans and dry it to the humidity usual for smoking.
Note!Store tobacco in an airtight container.
Reviews
Reviews of tobacco lovers are mixedbecause people prefer different characteristics of this culture.
Vladimir, Belgorod: “I grew the Oriental (Vostochny) variety. The result was good, the tobacco turned out to be soft and aromatic. This variety has one drawback - it is lean. Seeds are problematic to get ".
Alexey, Zaporozhye: “I planted it in 2017 for an experiment. The aroma is unusual, but the strength is zero. The smell in the evenings from the garden is powerful and at the same time delicate, you can just sit next to it and enjoy ".
Conclusion
Oriental tobacco (Oriental) has a mild taste and a spicy musky aroma. Even a beginner is quite capable of getting a harvest of this variety on his site.
Successful cultivation requires light sandy soil, sunlight, warmth, and moderate watering. Tobacco is cultivated only in seedlings, otherwise the leaf will not have time to gain strength and aroma in a short summer. Leaves begin to be harvested 6-8 weeks after planting in the ground. The collection is carried out in several stages. To obtain optimal smoking qualities, the leaf is sun dried, followed by fermentation.