Scented tobacco is a plant with a delicate and enchanting aroma, the tenderness and sweetness of which can be compared to a night violet. Its relatively small flowers are painted in a wide variety of shades. Among the gardeners there are many of his passionate admirers who decorate their garden plots with him every year.
Description
Fragrant tobacco, the photo of which is located below, belongs to the nightshade family. Its stems are thin, branched and erect with large oblong-rounded leaves. The height of the plant depends on the variety and can vary from 20 cm to 1 m.
The flowers are small, only 7-8 cm in diameter, have the shape of an asterisk, planted on a long tube, collected in paniculate inflorescences. The variety of shades is amazing! They can be white, crimson, yellow, pink, cream, as well as purple and even greenish. Hybrid varieties of scented tobacco are represented by a wide range of red shades.
Interestingly, there is a connection between the smell and color of flowers. It is expressed in the fact that bright flowers are practically odorless. To a greater extent, this applies to hybrid varieties that do not close even during daylight hours. The most pleasant and rich aroma is either in white flowers or in pastel colors. In bright daylight, the petals are closed. Only at dusk they open up and fill the surroundings with their unique fragrance.
Growing
It should be noted that fragrant tobacco, planting and caring for which is quite simple, can be bred even by an inexperienced amateur gardener. The process of sowing seeds is simple. This is usually done in late February - early March.
To do this, you need a container, it must be filled with a substrate, which includes garden soil, peat and humus. Seeds are evenly distributed directly on the surface of the soil, watered with lukewarm water, and then covered with a film or lid. The temperature in the room where the container will be located should not be less than 22 ⁰C. If everything is done correctly, after 13 or 14 days the first shoots will hatch, after which the covering material must be removed.
Before planting tobacco seedlings in open ground, you need to harden them by taking the containers to fresh air every day. Landing in the ground will be possible only after stable warm weather is established, which usually occurs already at the end of May.
Plant care
This process is also very simple and basically boils down to the fact that scented tobacco needs to be watered periodically,loosen the soil under it and remove the weeds. In addition, do not forget about fertilizing with mineral fertilizer. If you have free time, it would be nice to remove already faded or dried flowers. So tobacco bushes will always look well-groomed and fresh.
Useful properties
The plant has excellent immunity, which helps it survive in the fight against diseases and various pests. Fragrant tobacco contains a huge amount of phytoncides that repel most insects and bacteria. That is why this flower is recommended to be planted next to vegetable crops, as its beneficial properties extend to neighboring plants.
