Scented tobacco against the Colorado potato beetle: cultivation, reviews

Sweet tobacco, or Nicotiana Affinis, is an annual plant that belongs to the same family as potatoes and eggplants. In its native Latin America, this perennial can reach a height of one and a half meters. It has characteristics that distinguish it from other plant species.

Tobacco doesn't come in a wide variety of colors. It's widely believed that its cultivation is highly effective against the Colorado potato beetle, but, like any untested claim, there are diametrically opposed opinions. There are skeptics who don't believe in its effectiveness but haven't personally tested it, as well as ardent supporters and adherents whose reviews inform opinions on the method's effectiveness.

The Colorado potato beetle is a real scourge, capable of destroying a 100% potato crop if left unchecked and allowed to multiply unchecked. Trouble-free cultivation of this plant, which can beautify and enhance the surrounding environment, has a dizzying aroma, and a photo showing the variety of colors and shapes of this ornamental plant, suggests its easy use for decorative purposes.

Perhaps the secret to the successful use of fragrant tobacco, which enthusiasts have used to combat the Colorado potato beetle, lies in a particular cultivation method or a particular variety. Cultivated tobacco does not have all the properties of the native perennial, which contains different phytoncides.

However, the reviews are contradictory: some photos actually show beetles on bushes with bright flowers, while others see them calmly eating their potatoes, paying no attention to the tobacco. Some are convinced that the beetle from faraway Latin America, planted between rows, repels its fellow countryman with the phytoncides it contains.

Others dry and grind the plant into dust, which is used to make a beetle repellent. Trying these remedies and forming your own opinion is easy, especially considering that the tobacco plant delights the eye with its beauty and unforgettable aroma, which is simply intoxicating on a cloudy day or in the evening after the sun has set.

Fragrant tobacco and its unique characteristics

The classic Nicotiana Affinis has long been cultivated in its native habitat for its unforgettable ornamental and aromatic properties. It is grown as a houseplant in Argentina, Brazil, and Iran. This flower is renowned not only for its ornamental qualities but also for the nicotine content of its flowers and stems.

If we remember that modern insecticides contain nicotinoids, and neonicotinoids have also been developed, the idea of ​​using dried stems and flowers instead of chemical beetle control agents seems plausible and has the right to practical application.

Fragrant tobacco, in the form of crushed plant material diluted with water for spraying, seems a more likely method for controlling Colorado potato beetles than beautiful flowers planted between rows, to which the entire beetle would immediately move from the potatoes.

Over time, breeders became concerned with its ornamental qualities and adaptability. Crossbreeding and experimentation resulted in low-growing annual hybrids, heterotic, multicolored, capable of blooming throughout the spring and summer, and low-growing hybrids suitable for flowerbeds, balconies, and pots. However, if these hybrids were to be planted against the Colorado potato beetle, they would likely be less effective than their taller, semi-wild cousins ​​with their intoxicating aroma.

Perhaps the failures some gardeners have experienced in their fight against the Colorado potato beetle by planting beautifully flowering plants between potato rows can be explained by the heterotic loss of some of its original properties and the acquisition of others. This has made sweet tobacco a convenient ornamental plant, but also deprived it of its ability to poison the Colorado potato beetle.

Today, there are several hundred varieties of ornamental plants, the most interesting of which are recognized as:

• intense crimson Night Bonfire;
• rich lemon or bright yellow Sunny Bunny;
• salmon pink, a stunningly delicate shade of Ringing Bell;
• ultramarine tones, Fragrant Harbor;
• lilac-violet, Lilac Mist.

Their wild ancestor reached up to 150 cm toward the sky, possessed only a milky-white color and a hairy stem, and its flowers were no more than 8 cm in diameter and were collected in a panicle or racemose inflorescence. Unlike today's mostly self-pollinating hybrids, it responded to insects attracted by nectar specially produced at the bottom of the flower.

Growing and caring for the plant

Reviews of fragrant tobacco grown against the Colorado potato beetle indicate that this method is effective in central Russia and the Moscow region. Due to the cold climate there, uncharacteristic for a tropical plant, the plant is grown outdoors only from seedlings, and in a limited variety.

Seedlings are preferred in most regions, and only in the southernmost areas is it sown from seeds. According to those who use fragrant tobacco to combat Colorado potato beetles, they use seeds obtained from their own variety and don't particularly care for the decorative aspect. They are convinced that hybrids don't smell as pleasant or intense in the evenings and on cloudy days as varieties grown for several years without renewing the seed.

Planting of seeds is carried out as follows:

• purchased soil or self-prepared soil, mixed in equal proportions of humus, peat and simple garden soil;
• tobacco seeds (very small) are mixed with thoroughly washed fine river sand, and this mixture is poured onto the surface of the seeding container, only lightly pressing it down by hand;
• a layer of the prepared mixture, no more than 5 mm thick, is sprinkled on top and covered with plastic wrap;
• the boxes are kept in a warm place (temperature not less than 20⁰C), sometimes moderately sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle;
• picking is carried out no earlier than the appearance of the third leaf; during transplantation, a third of the root system is cut off;
• Planting in the soil is possible when the tobacco plants have reached a height of at least 13 cm.

If the plantings are done correctly, and the flowers create a natural hedge for the potatoes planted at the same time as the seedlings, gardeners report that the beetles completely consume the flowers and are no longer able to lay eggs. If necessary, more seedlings should be grown and planted to replace those eaten by the beetles. Any larvae that hatch from the eggs already laid will have to be dealt with manually.

Methods of using fragrant tobacco against potato pests

Folk remedies have one undeniable advantage: their targeted use, unlike insecticides, does not kill beneficial insects, including bees. If you plant potatoes correctly for several years in a row (rotating their planting sites and adding plants that are not eaten by the Colorado potato beetle) and planting fragrant tobacco in protective rows, the beetle population will decrease significantly within 3-4 years. And after a while, they will disappear completely. It will take some work, regularly replanting flowers to replace those eaten by the beetles, but it's worth it.

Not everyone is convinced of the effectiveness of this method, especially those who haven't tried it specifically. However, they also use tobacco dust, obtained by grinding dry plants, to kill the beetle.

To make a natural insecticide from tobacco dust, the plants are dried in a ventilated, semi-dark place until they are completely crisp, then ground into a fine paste. The paste is dissolved at a rate of 50 g per 1 liter of water (0.5 kg per 10 liters) and applied to the potato plot.

A valuable experiment is always worth trying, but even if it doesn't yield results, fragrant tobacco will delight you with its beautiful appearance and delightful aroma.