In our society, the word shag is associated with tobacco. But actually this is a different plant. Moreover, it is used not only for smoking. Although its powdered leaves and stems are used to make cigarettes, chewing and snuff powder.
Solid benefit
Shag seeds are used to make oil for the paint and varnish and soap industries. It also produces nicotinic and citric acid. In addition, the drug from shag is used in garden areas in order to get rid of pests. The Indians prepare from it a decoction that neutralizes snake venom and cleanses wounds from infection. Shamans with her help cast out evil spirits. It turns out shag is a plant that can be beneficial, and not just spoil the health of those who smoke.
Where does he live and how does he look
She came to us at the beginning of the XVII century. Prior to this, in the XVI century, shag spread to Europe, where it was brought from Florida. It got its name in the VIII century. Raw materials from this plant were supplied in large quantities to the Dutch city of Amersfoort, where smoking powder was made from it for the whole of Europe. And the often repeated phrase “tobacco from Amersfoort” was transformed into the name that is already familiar to us. It is grown in our country in the south and in the middle lane, as well as in Algeria, India, Poland, Tunisia, the USA and other countries. This plant is unpretentious and able to take root on any soil, although the best for it are sandy, loamy, podzolized areas fertilized with organic fertilizers. It has round leaves with a fleecy, resinous surface, as well as yellow or white tubular flowers with a pungent odor. In height, it can reach 1 meter. Shag is a plant that does not tolerate frost. It dies even at -2 degrees.
Down the stairs
Although we are accustomed to the fact that shag is smoked by those who do not have the financial means to buy cigarettes more expensive, in the VIII century even Peter I was fond of it. His environment was shared by the royal addiction to destructive fun. Therefore, shag was smoked by members of the upper class, and different varieties of this plant were offered to choose from. But it was available to ordinary people, who did not have money to buy finished products for smoking. Therefore, ordinary people adapted to do "self-roll." For this, scraps of thin paper were used. Gradually, in order to make more profit, manufacturers of the smoking mixture began to make it not from leaves, but from stems. Therefore, those who could afford it switched to tobacco. Makhorka faded into the background because the raw materials from which it was now prepared contained much less nicotine. Nowadays, smokers prefer tobacco. But shag contains less harmful resins and additives and, thus, less harm to human health. Yes, and is cheaper.
Growing shag
In the field, they try to plant it after legumes, vegetables, perennial grasses, corn, winter bread, root crops. The soil must be fertilized with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Plant it by sowing or using seedlings. Seeds are lowered into the ground to a depth of 1 centimeter, and they are used both sprouted and dry, which allows you to get a crop, even if some of them die from adverse environmental conditions. If all the conditions are met, then the chemical composition of this plant will meet the standards, which means that it will make an excellent shag. At home, you can also engage in its cultivation and production for your own needs.
Try it yourself
To plant shag, you need to select its seeds. They can be bought at a store for gardeners. Common varieties are considered local Pekhlets, Pekhlets 4, Datura 4. Makhorka is an unpretentious, but not resistant to frost plant, therefore, if you plan to plant it not in the apartment, but in the garden, choose the right month for planting. The best one is one in which there are definitely no frosts in your strip, starting in May. In colder regions, greenhouses should be used. The soil on which the shag will grow must be fertilized and moistened. Poor in composition and dry soil will not allow to obtain high-quality raw materials.
Get ready in advance
Engaged in the cultivation of shag at home, it is better not to sow, but to plant previously obtained seedlings. Thus, you will know exactly which plants are able to survive, and you won’t have to wait for the seeds to germinate in the ground, and the optimal time for planting will be lost. In the apartment, use drawers or pots mounted on the windowsill on the south side. Germination of seeds begin in March, then in May you can already plant seedlings in the street.
What's next
They are placed at a distance of 25 centimeters from each other. The ground between them must be regularly loosened, fed, rid of weeds. Watering should be rare, but plentiful. When flowers appear, they stepchild. With proper care, a crop that can be harvested after 70 days will be good. Now you need to properly dry the plants, after collecting in the correct order. Start from the bottom leaves, then move on to the rest from bottom to top. They are laid in a layer of not more than 30 centimeters and kept in the shade for 12 hours. Then, for preliminary drying, string on a cord and hang in an open, protected from rain place for 2 weeks. Then they are removed from the ropes, laid in closed rooms until the fall. Then it remains only to grind the raw materials and use for their own needs.
Shag is a plant that helped our people in difficult times. And now those wishing to get its natural smoking mixture, which differs in quality from purchased cigarettes for the better, can start cultivating it.