A step-by-step guide on how to grow Virginia 202 tobacco
Lovers of high-quality tobacco understand that products that are better collected in their beds cannot be found. Virginia 202 is so popular that it accounts for 70% of all tobacco grown. It has a low content of harmful resins and an unusual sweet taste. And thanks to its vibrant color palette - from lemon to orange - Virginia is called sunny tobacco.
Today we will tell you how to grow Virginia 202 tobacco yourself.
The content of the article
What kind of tobacco is this
Tobacco belongs to the genus of perennial and annual plants family of nightshades, the leaves of which contain nicotine.
Today smoking Virginia tobacco 202 is the most common variety with low resin content and pleasant taste.
History of origin and distribution
According to the traditions of the North American Indians, tobacco became known to people several millennia ago.
At that time his used not only for smoking, but also as a medicine and even in religious rituals... And tobacco smoke was credited with magical abilities. It was believed that inhaling smoke, a person is talking to God.
Before the discovery of America, the plant was unknown to the world. Christopher Columbus brought it from the New World to Europe.
The culture (virginia tobacco) is named after the British colony of Virginiawhere in 1612 the first tobacco crop was obtained. And since 1614, dried foliage from the colony was delivered to London.
It is interesting! Tobacco got its name from the island of Tabago, where nicotine plants grew.
Today Virginia 202 tobacco is grown all over the world with the exception of Antarctica.
Features, characteristics, description of the variety
The variety is intended for breeding in all climatic zones... Its main feature is the minimum content of harmful resins.
Plant color light green, oval foliage, elongated, growing up. Inflorescences are light pink, medium in size.
Good yield: one seedling forms up to 25 leaves 30-35 cm long. Thus, from 1 sq. m collect up to 1.5 kg of products. The taste is soft, delicate, sweet due to the high sugar content (up to 20%). Smoking resins have a light fruity aroma. Ideal for cigarettes and pipes.
In addition to smoking, tobacco leaves are successfully used in cooking.... Fragrant greens give an unforgettable sweet-fruity flavor to meat and vegetable dishes. The leaves are also added to homemade canned food - not only for long-term preservation, but also for the richness of the taste.
It is interesting:
Where to buy and how much do seeds cost?
Virginia seeds can be purchased at gardening stores or online stores - the demand for them is great. The cost of seed material depends on the manufacturer and varies between 100-300 rubles. The package contains 20 seeds.
Growing features
You can only grow Virginia 202 tobacco through seedlings... During the entire growing season, the plant grows a large number of stepsons.
Requirements for conditions
Sowing seeds begins in late March or early April... The seeds must be germinated, otherwise most of them will die in the ground. In case of insufficient lighting, the sprouts will stretch and weaken, which will lead to a decrease in plant immunity.
Preparation of soil and seed material, sowing seeds for seedlings
For germination, the grains are placed on a piece of gauzemoistened with warm water, and put away in a dark room for 1-2 days. As it dries, the gauze is moistened with a spray bottle.
The soil is purchased at a gardening store or prepared independently from turf soil and well-rotted humus in a ratio of 3: 1. The prepared soil is spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. After the soil is laid out in planting containers.
From containers most commonly used disposable plastic cups... They are pretreated with a solution of potassium permanganate and small drainage holes are made at the bottom. Then small pebbles, sawdust or crushed eggshells are placed on the bottom for drainage.
Before sowing, the soil is watered warm settled water, the seeds are neatly laid out on the surface, slightly pressed and sprinkled with earth on top. The seeded containers are covered with foil and left indoors at room temperature.
reference... With stagnant moisture, the risk of developing fungal infections increases.
First shoots and seedling care
First shoots appear in five days... At this moment, the film is removed, and the containers are immediately placed on the windowsill. Daylight hours for seedlings should be at least 13 hours. If the sunny day is shorter, add additional lighting, for example, fluorescent lamps.
Moisten the soil as needed with warm, settled water from a shallow watering can... The soil is kept moist, preventing it from drying out. After watering, it is loosened with an ordinary wooden stick.
When forming 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings dive, transplanting into large containers. The plant is considered unpretentious, therefore it easily tolerates a pick. Two weeks after the procedure, the seedlings are fed with organic compounds or mineral fertilizers. From organic matter, chicken manure is used in a ratio of 1:10, and from minerals, nitrogen is used to build up green mass. With poor growth of seedlings, two weeks later, additional feeding with chicken droppings is carried out.
A week before transplanting, the seedlings are hardened... To do this, young plants are taken out into the street in the daytime, initially for an hour. The time spent outdoors is gradually increased to 8-9 hours.
Transfer to soil
Before planting seedlings in a permanent place, rotted compost is introduced into the soil (for 1 sq. m. 1 bucket). When choosing a place for seedlings, corner areas are considered. Most importantly, they must be protected from high humidity and drafts. Also, many gardeners plant seedlings along the fence.
The holes are located at a distance of 25 cm from each other and a depth of 20 cm... A little compost is placed at the bottom of each hole and moistened. After transplanting, the beds are watered with warm, settled water.
Further tobacco care Virginia 202
The frequency of watering depends primarily on the climatewhere the culture grows. The first three weeks the plant is watered abundantly, but only with warm water. During abundant watering, control over the moisture level in the beds is mandatory. When moisture stagnates, the volume and frequency of watering are reduced.
At the age of one month the organic tissues of the seedlings are born. During this period, watered every four days, the amount of moisture consumed is 10 liters per 1 sq. m.
After two months, the culture does not need large volumes of water, therefore, watering is reduced.
After watering, loosening and weeding are carried out... Many pests and fungal spores multiply in weed grass, which increases the risk of diseases in plants.
One week after transplant on a permanent place, the seedlings are fed with nitrogen for a quick set of green mass. This is an important step in tobacco care.Fertilizer is applied in the evening after watering.
During the ripening period, the seedlings are fed with a full range of minerals containing phosphorus and potassium. This feeding can be alternated with organic matter (chicken droppings in a ratio of 1:10). At the time of ripening, the culture is fertilized at least twice.
About other types of tobacco:
Fragrant and delicious Havana tobacco for Cuban cigar lovers
Diseases and pests
The culture is considered to be well resistant to disease... However, the plant is not immune to powdery mildew and downy mildew (downy mildew).
These diseases of fungal origin spread rapidly during the warmer months.... First, the leaves get sick, and then the entire seedling. Dies up to 30% of plantings. In the fight against dew, the drug "Tsineb" is used. During treatment, watering is stopped, since the fungus loves moist soil.
Tobacco thrips pest sucks juice from leaves, which negatively affects the yield. In addition, this insect carries many diseases. For prevention, it is necessary to remove all weeds, since weeds become the favorite habitat of the pest. When it appears, insecticides "Aktara" or "Karate" are used.
Reference. Thrips is a pest of four hundred plant species. Distributed throughout the Russian Federation.
Harvesting
From mid-July they begin harvesting and drying tobacco Virginia 202. Tear off the leaves from the lower layer, otherwise it is possible to damage the leaf plate.
The main disadvantage of the culture is the content in the leaves of a large amount of chlorophyll (the pigment that gives the leaves a green color). For this reason, the foliage needs to be yellowed (tired) for 3-4 days. Simmering is carried out in conditions of high humidity (80-90%) and a temperature of 25-35 ° C.
Further processing
Before use tobacco is dried and fermented.
Drying
For drying, tobacco leaves are laid out on the surface with a layer not higher than 30 cm and dried for 10-12 hours. After that, the foliage is given a vertical position (for example, suspended from a rope). In warm and dry weather, the drying process does not exceed two weeks. After this procedure, the dried foliage is stored only in a stack.
Fermentation
Fermentation is carried out to reduce the nicotine content... This procedure is final in the processing of tobacco products, after which it is ready for use.
Virginia 202 tobacco fermentation requires two conditions: temperature + 50 ° С and humidity 50%.
The easiest way is to use the microwave... The dried leaves are placed in jars and kept in the microwave for 30 minutes at the lowest power. When the jars have cooled to room temperature, the procedure is repeated twice more.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let's start with the benefits:
- unpretentious care;
- excellent productivity;
- good disease resistance;
- the possibility of breeding in all regions;
- low nicotine content;
- the possibility of using in cooking.
Negative characteristics include high chlorophyll content, which is why tobacco languishing is necessary.
Reviews
Reviews of Virginia 202 tobacco are mostly positive. Everyone notes its unpretentiousness and excellent qualities..
Ivan, Dnepropetrovsk: “I love quality tobacco, so getting to know Virginia is a kind of miracle for me. It's easy to grow it, and what a result! I dry and ferment according to all the rules and enjoy the amazing taste ".
Yana, Togliatti: “I decided to plant it for the first time last year. Rather, for the sake of interest, to grow something new in your dacha. The tobacco turned out to be amazing, I smoke it myself with pleasure and treat my neighbor. For the whole season, I fed the plant twice and watered it often. In general, the care was not difficult, the seedlings did not hurt anything ".
Conclusion
Virginia 202 is indispensable for connoisseurs of real tobacco.Its unique sweet taste with clear fruity notes will satisfy any gourmet. It will not be difficult even for a beginner to grow it: the variety is characterized by excellent productivity and resistance to diseases.