Description of the fragrant tobacco plant, how to plant and care for it in the garden, recommendations for reproduction, protection from pests and diseases, curious notes, species and varieties.
Fragrant tobacco (Nicotiana suaveolens) is also found under the name Ornamental tobacco and belongs to the Solanaceae family, which combines dicotyledonous spine-petal plants. Their corolla has petals that have edges more or less spliced together. The native lands of growing varieties of tobacco fall on the territory of South America, where most of them are distributed. You can also find some of them in the North American expanses, in Mexico, on the Australian continent and even on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. This type of tobacco, along with Sander Tobacco (Nicotiana x sanderae), is used as an ornamental crop throughout the world.
| Family name | Nightshade |
| Life cycle | Mostly annuals, sometimes perennials |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed (growing seedlings) |
| Landing period in open ground | Seedlings are planted in mid to late May (early June) |
| Disembarkation scheme | When planting, a minimum distance of 20-30 cm is maintained between seedlings |
| Substrate | Lightweight, not too nutritious |
| Soil acidity, pH | Neutral or slightly alkaline - 7-7, 5 |
| Illumination | In the bright sun or in partial shade |
| Moisture indicators | Watering is plentiful and regular, the soil should not dry out too much |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.2-0.9 m |
| Color of flowers | White, yellow, red, pink |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Racemose or paniculate |
| Flowering time | The entire summer period until cold weather |
| Decorative time | Summer-autumn |
| Place of application | Flowerbeds, mixborders, border landscaping and container growing, rock gardens or rockeries |
| USDA zone | 4–9 |
The generic name for these plants was given back in the 16th century, in honor of Jean Nico (1530-1600), who at that time served as the French ambassador to Portugal. This prominent politician brought tobacco seeds in 1560 to the territory of England and the French state of South America and began not only to trade them successfully, but also to propagandize in every possible way. The name is close to the Russian language "tobacco", according to one of the versions it is associated with the island on which the plant grew in large quantities - the island of Tabago. And already in the middle of the 18th century the same term "Nicotiana" was used by the outstanding flora taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in his scientific works. As for the specific name "fragrant", it is associated with the aroma that the flowers exude, blooming.
All representatives of the genus of tobacco, like the fragrant species, are annuals, although perennial specimens are occasionally found. They have a herbaceous or semi-shrub form of growth. The height can vary from 20 to 90 cm. At the same time, there is a sticky, glandular pubescence on the surface of the foliage and stems, which protects the plant from the scorching sun. Stems grow erect and branched. The foliage is arranged in the next order. The sheet plate can be solid or has a corrugated notched edge. The leaves are either completely devoid of petioles (sessile), or they are very short. In the root part of the shoots, a root rosette is collected from the leaves. The shape of the leaves at the bottom of the stem is rounded, but closer to the top, the outlines become narrower. The color of the foliage is rich, dark or light green.
During flowering, racemose or paniculate inflorescences are formed, collected from flowers with an elongated tubular corolla of the correct shape. With full disclosure in diameter, the flower reaches 8 cm. The buds begin to bloom with the arrival of the evening, a strong aroma hovers around the plantings of fragrant tobacco all night. The color of the petals directly depends on the variety, white, red, yellow, crimson or pink tones are included here, but only the white color scheme is natural. It is curious that the paler the color of the flower, the stronger its smell is heard. The flowering period begins with the onset of summer and can be extended to the autumn cold.
After the flowers are pollinated, the fruits will ripen in the form of a polyspermous capsule, which has an ovoid shape. The seeds are small (so in 1 gram there can be 6500-8500 pieces), their color is brown, germination is not lost for eight years.
Since difficulties arise only with watering, mostly fragrant tobacco is considered an unpretentious plant. It is used when planting in groups with other horticultural crops. If the variety is tall, it will look great in the background of the flower bed. Cultivars with low stems are used for landscaping curbs and are grown in garden containers. Plantings of Nicotiana suaveolens can be used to decorate rockeries and rock gardens.
Planting scented tobacco and outdoor care rules
- Selection of a landing site. Although the plant can easily adapt to various growing conditions, it is better for it to choose a flower bed in the sun or in partial shade. You also need protection from direct midday rays in the summer heat and gusts of wind that can break the shoots. It is good if the shading is created by openwork foliage of trees or tall shrubs. The thick shade negatively affects both the growth of scented tobacco and its flowering. If we take into account its natural growth, then the inflorescences of a bright color will look fresh and colorful even on a flower bed in a southern location, where direct sunlight will constantly fall.
- Priming when growing scented tobacco, you can use any, since in this regard the plant is rather picky. Soil with high nutrient values can even lead to disastrous results when leaving. If the substrate on the site is too poor or depleted, then it is recommended in the autumn period (or 1–2 months before planting the bushes) to add a small amount of humus or compost, and then dig up the soil. The soil mixture should easily pass air and water to the roots, therefore, when planting, it is necessary to mix a dense substrate with sand or organize drainage.
- Planting scented tobacco. It is best to plant seedlings in open ground when it warms up well and passes the danger of morning frost (mid-late May or early summer). The distance between the dug holes should be at least 20-30 cm. If the variety is distinguished by high stems, then this distance will need to be increased, since the plants will need a lot of space for shoots. All due to the fact that at first the seedlings will begin to stretch upwards together, but then they will take a creeping shape. When planting species with high stems in the hole, you can install a support to which they will tie over time. When the planting recess for the seedling is dug, a drainage layer of broken brick or expanded clay is first laid in it, and just before planting, a little superphosphate mixed with the excavated soil is introduced into the hole. After that, a plant is placed in it (without destroying the earthen coma by the transfer method), then it is filled to the top with the remaining soil mixture, which is squeezed a little. The planted bushes are watered abundantly.
- Watering. The plant, despite its southern origin, is not drought tolerant. The moisture content of the soil is the most important factor in the care of scented tobacco. Watering should be regular, frequent and abundant. Drying of the substrate, and even more prolonged, will have a detrimental effect on the bushes. But in principle, in this regard, one should be guided by the weather conditions and the rate at which the soil will dry out. During the heat and summer drought, watering is carried out daily. It is understood that flooded and waterlogged land will also be unfavorable for growth. It is best when humidification is performed in the morning or evening hours, so that the sun does not dry out the earth so quickly, and the roots are saturated with moisture.
- Fertilizers for scented tobacco. To support these flowering shrubs during the growth and flowering period, it is necessary to carry out regular feeding. In order for the flowering time to be long, and the number of buds to be large, it is recommended to use fertilizers for flowering plants twice. For the first time in the budding phase, you need to use potassium and magnesium preparations (for example, Kalimag). The second application of dressings should be carried out when the first buds open - full mineral complexes are used (for example, Kemira Universal or Nitrofoska). It is better to dilute the funds in water for irrigation. Do not abuse nitrogen preparations, as foliage will build up, and flowering will become scarce. If scented tobacco grows on highly nutritious soil, no fertilization is required.
- General advice on care. Since fragrant tobacco forms new buds and flowers bloom for a rather long time, faded inflorescences do not affect the growth of new ones in any way, so they can not be removed. However, in order for the bush to look neat, and the wilted large flowers are very clearly visible, you should regularly remove them from the branches of the plant. This summer is often planted in the foreground of a flower bed, so it is worth taking care that it does not look neglected. So that after watering or rain, the top layer of the soil does not become a dense crust that does not allow air and moisture to pass to the roots, loosening should be carried out and at the same time weeds should be got rid of.
- Fragrant tobacco after flowering. When autumn comes, if the most spectacular specimens stand out, it is recommended to transplant them into pots. Plants are carefully removed from the soil and planted in containers, the size of which will correspond to the root system of the bush. The soil mixture can be used mixed from garden soil, river sand and compost (peat). After planting, all stems are cut to 1/3 of their length. The pots should be placed in a room with good lighting and constant temperatures (18–20 degrees). Watering is performed when the topsoil begins to dry out. With the arrival of spring, when the soil warms up, you can plant the bushes of fragrant tobacco again on the flower bed. However, it is important not to damage the root system, which will braid the earthy ball during this time.
Recommendations for the propagation of scented tobacco
It is possible to get new bushes with fragrant flowers only by sowing seed. And although fragrant tobacco has the property of abundant self-sowing, after our winters, seeds rarely give strong young plants, and flowering in this case will be late.
The most effective way is to grow scented tobacco seedlings. Sowing time should be in late February and early March. Before sowing, the seed is prepared - wrapped in wet gauze for several days. In this case, it is important that the seeds not only swell, but also do not hatch. Sowing should be carried out in seedling boxes using light soil. As the latter, you can use peat-sand, combining equal parts of the components and adding garden soil. Due to their small size, seeds are distributed over the surface of the substrate and are not deeply buried in the soil. You can dust it with the same soil on top.
After sowing, the container is covered with plastic wrap or glass is placed on top, which will help create the conditions for a mini-greenhouse. The temperature during germination should be maintained in the range of 18–20 degrees; a well-lit place for seedlings is selected. Every day, the shelter must be removed by airing. If it is noticed that the soil has begun to dry out from above, then it is sprayed from a spray bottle, since abundant watering has a detrimental effect on young plants.
As soon as it is noticed that shoots of fragrant tobacco have appeared (after 10-14 days), it is recommended to lower the temperature to 16 degrees. The shelter can be removed and grow seedlings. As soon as a pair of real leaves unfold on the seedlings, a pick is carried out - transplanting in separate containers (pots with a diameter of no more than 7 cm and peat-sandy soil). In order to subsequently expose less stress to the root system, it is recommended to use cups made of peat. In this case, the seedlings are not removed, but the pots themselves are installed in the ground.
When mid-May comes, you can transplant the seedlings to a prepared place in the flower bed. If plastic cups were used, then they can be cut lengthwise into several parts so that the earthen lump does not collapse and plant is carried out. After the seedlings adapt to the new place and harden, pinching the tops of the shoots is performed to stimulate branching.
Important
Before the seedlings of fragrant tobacco are transferred to the open ground, it is necessary to start hardening the plants 14 days in advance. The containers with the seedlings are first exposed to the air for 10-15 minutes and every day this time is increased until Nicotiana suaveolens are outside around the clock.
Less effective is the method of sowing seeds directly into the soil. In this case, sowing should be carried out starting from the 20th of May, but at the same time, the bushes of scented tobacco will develop more slowly and will bloom later.
Potential pests and diseases when caring for scented tobacco
Gardeners can be pleased with the fact that this plant has increased resistance to various diseases. And harmful insects cannot harm fragrant tobacco. This is due to the fact that this representative of the flora includes many phytoncides, which serve as a deterrent for pests. At the same time, the plantings of Nicotiana suaveolens protect not only themselves, but also other horticultural crops, so many growers alternate other flowers with plantings of scented tobacco.
However, there is information that sometimes the bushes of scented tobacco suffer from the Colorado potato beetle, after all, it resembles the same family as tomatoes, potatoes and other nightshades. Therefore, you will have to spray with special means, for example, Karbofos.
Curious notes on scented tobacco
This variety appeared on the territory of European countries much later than the makhorka species (Country tobacco - Nicotiana rustica) and other representatives of the genus, which were actively used for smoking. And only in the 80s of the XIX century, on the flower beds of Europe, they began to delight with the flowering planting of fragrant tobacco, which is also called winged tobacco (Nicotiana alata) or Athenian tobacco (Nicotiana affinis).
Types and varieties of fragrant tobacco, photo of flowers
Scented tobacco refers to some varieties of ornamental tobacco that are also used for cultivation in gardens. Among them are:
Forest tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris)
in height, the stems can be measured in the range from 80 cm to 1.5 m. Shoots grow straight, during flowering, snow-white drooping buds with a fragrant aroma open. The native area of natural growth falls on the territory of Brazil. Due to the rather high stems, this species is recommended for decorating the background of flower beds or in mixborders. To date, breeders have developed a series of varieties intended for cultivation in garden pots, since their stems do not grow more than 20 cm in height.
Winged tobacco (Nicotiana alata)
he is Athenian tobacco (Nicotiana affinis). Perennial with a herbaceous growth, which is used as an annual crop in central Russia. The height of the shoots varies in the range of 50–100 cm. The leaf plates are medium-sized, their shape is elongated or lanceolate. All aerial parts of the plant are covered with pubescence, which is composed of glandular hairs. When flowering, racemose inflorescences are formed, formed from flowers with a tubular corolla. The color of their petals is whitish, carmine or cream. There are specimens with snow-white petals decorated with red strokes. The length of the flower is 7.5 cm, while the limb reaches 5 cm. In the main species, the flowers begin to open at sunset. But after lengthy breeding work, varieties were bred whose flowers are pleasing to the eye even in the daytime. There are also varieties whose stems do not need to be tied up, since they do not reach a height limit of more than 50 cm.
The specified species during cultural cultivation is represented by varieties and forms, varieties Large-flowered tobacco (Nicotiana alata var. Grandiflora), in which the corolla of the flower can have white or scarlet, dark or bright red, pink or mauve, purple hues. The height of the stems of some plants can be 1.5 m, but there is a varietal group Canacharacterized by undersized shoots (only 40 cm).
The most popular varieties are:
- Evening Breeze whose stems do not exceed 60 cm. Flowers are painted in red-crimson color.
- Red Devil - the bush is compact, which does not grow higher than 40 cm. Flowers may not close buds in the daytime, petals are dark red.
- Crimson Rock … The bush is characterized by a height of about 45-60 cm. The flowers have corollas of a crimson-red tone. Fleuroselect award winner.
- White Bedder) in height will not exceed half a meter in stems, during flowering, snow-white buds are formed, during the day you can admire the opened flowers.
Sander tobacco (Nicotiana x sanderae)
is a hybrid obtained by selection, bred at the beginning of the 20th century, through crossing of species Forgeta tobacco (Nicotiana forgetiana) and Winged tobacco (Nicotiana alata). The size of the corolla in flowers is larger than that of the latter variety, but alas, they have no aroma. Petals in a spectacular carmine red shade. The hybrids of this species, classified as the first, are combined into a series with the name Taxido and are distinguished by low-growing parameters, not exceeding a height of 20 cm. These plants are intended for growing not only in flower beds, but also in garden containers.
The most famous varietal forms are:
- Taxido Lime, with inflorescences of a yellow-lemon shade.
- Taxido Saman-Pink characterized by flowers with salmon pink petals, the most popular variety among florists.
Fragrant tobacco video:
