Smoking tobacco "Citir"

Smoking tobacco "Citir" - Nicotiana tabacum L.
This early-ripening tobacco, originating from the famous Turkish variety Izmir, produces over thirty leaves with an exceptionally aromatic and sweet taste. Light green leaves 40 cm long and 20 cm wide are characterized by a very low nicotine content — less than 1%!
Plant height: 150 cm.

In addition to classic applications, tobacco is used for other purposes. For example: treatment with an infusion of tobacco leaves will help fight pests - aphids, thrips, etc., and dried leaves placed in a closet will scare away moths and carpet beetles.
SOWING: for seedlings in March-April. Sown superficially on a pre-moistened substrate. Crops are sprayed from a spray bottle with a fungicide solution to prevent diseases. At first, the crops are covered with glass or film, not forgetting regular ventilation. The optimal temperature for seed germination is +27+30°C. Crops are kept in the light; with a short daylight period, it is advisable to provide additional lighting. Crops are moistened from a spray bottle, or subsoil irrigation is organized. At the stage of the first pair of true leaves, pricking out into pots is carried out, trying not to damage the root system. After 45-50 days (in late May - early June, when the threat of return frosts has passed and the air temperature is constantly above +15+17°C), the formed (5-6 true leaves), pre-hardened seedlings are planted in a permanent place in open ground according to the 20x60 cm or 60x60 cm scheme.
The plant is heat-loving, so it is planted in a well-lit area.
Prefers light fertile soils (seasoned with well-rotted compost since autumn), with a low groundwater level.
CARE: regular watering, weeding, loosening. 1-2 moderate feedings with complex potassium-phosphorus fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season (excess nitrogen from fresh organics severely degrades smoking properties); 2 months before harvesting, feeding is stopped. For the active formation of green mass, all inflorescences (topping) and side shoots (suckering) are removed.
Harvesting begins when the leaf acquires a yellow-green color. The leaves reach technical ripeness not simultaneously: first, the lower ones are harvested, then gradually, as they ripen - the middle and upper ones. The entire harvesting period can take up to 30 days. Then the leaves are dried and fermented.