Grow pumpkin plants

Herbaceous annual plant pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) is a member of the genus Gourd of the gourd family. This plant is considered a gourd, it comes from Mexico. The pumpkin has been growing in the Oaxaca Valley for at least 8,000 years. Already before the advent of our era, such a plant spread in North America in the valleys of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Such a culture was brought to Europe by sailors from Spain in the 16th century, since that time it has been widely grown in Asia and the Old World. India, China and Russia are the champions in growing such a crop. nine0003

Such a delicious vegetable is very useful, its pulp contains a large amount of useful substances necessary for the human body, and it also contains the rarest vitamin T. The vegetable also contains pumpkin seeds, which include oil, which has an anti-inflammatory and regenerating effect, and also it does not cause allergic reactions.

Contents

• 1 Cultivation brief
• 2 Pumpkin characteristics
• 3 Growing pumpkins from seeds
  • 3.1 seeds of seeds
  • 3.2 Growing pumpkin seedlings
  • 3.3 Piking
• 4 Planting pumpkin
  • 4. 1 At what time to plant
  9000 4.2 Suitable soil 9000 4.3 Growing garbage
  • 4.4 Rules for planting in open soil
• 5 Pumpkin care
  • 5.1 How to water
  • 5.2 Loosening the soil
  • 5.3 Thinning
  • 5.4 Feeding of pumpkins
• 6 pests or pumpkin diseases with photos and names
  • 6.1 diseases
  • 6.2 Pests
  • 6.3 Processing
• 7 Collection and storage of pumpkins and pumpkin varieties
  9000 8.1 Cucurbita pepo)
  • 8.2 Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata)
  • 8.3 Large-fruited squash (Cucurbita maxima)

Brief description of cultivation

1. Fit . Sowing seeds in open soil is carried out after it warms up to 12-13 degrees, they should be buried in the ground by 70-80 mm. Sowing pumpkins for seedlings is carried out in April or the first days of May, and the plant is transplanted into open soil in the last days of May or the first - June.
2. Primer . Any one is suitable, but the pumpkin grows better on nutritious soil, which should be dug up in advance and all the necessary mineral fertilizers and organic matter should be added to it. nine0010
3. Watering . When seedlings are planted in the ground, they should be watered once a day until they take root. Then watering should not be very frequent until the size of the ovaries is equal to the fist. If in the summer it rains systematically, then the pumpkin can not be watered at all. After the fruits begin to gain weight, it is necessary to gradually increase the abundance of watering to 10 liters per 1 adult bush.
4. Fertilizer . 7 days after planting the seedlings in open soil, they are fed with a solution of mullein or chicken manure. After that, once every 4 weeks, the bushes are fed with organic matter, while there should be 3 or 4 such top dressings.
5. Reproduction . Generative (seed) non-seedling method or through seedlings.
6. Harmful insects . Melon aphids, podura (or white springtails), wireworms, slugs.
7. Diseases . White rot, anthracnose, ascochitosis, powdery mildew and black mold.

Peculiarities of the pumpkin

The pumpkin taproot is creeping and pentahedral. On the surface of the rough shoots there is prickly pubescence, their length varies from 5 to 8 m. The alternately arranged long-petiolate leaf plates have a heart-shaped five-lobed or five-parted shape, their length is about 25 centimeters, and on their surface there is a pubescence represented by short hard hairs. Each leaf axil contains a spiral tendril. Large unisexual single flowers have an orange or yellow color. The female flowers have short pedicels, while the male flowers are long. Flowering begins in June or July, cross-pollination of flowers. The large fleshy fruit is a false pumpkin berry, which has a spherical or oval shape, inside there are many seeds that ripen in the last summer or first autumn weeks. The length of whitish-cream seeds is 10–30 mm, while a protruding rim runs along the edge, the outer shell is woody. nine0003

How to grow a pumpkin. Garden World website

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Growing pumpkins from seeds

Sowing seeds

You can grow pumpkins from seeds through seedlings, and they can also be sown directly in open ground. But it should be borne in mind that such a variety as nutmeg pumpkin can only be grown through seedlings. Sowing in open soil is carried out only after it warms up at a depth of 70-80 mm to a temperature of 12 to 13 degrees. Before proceeding with sowing, the seeds and the plot must be subjected to thorough pre-sowing preparation. To begin with, the seed is heated, for this it is 9-10 hours are placed in heat (about 40 degrees), after which it is placed in an ash solution for 12 hours (2 tablespoons of wood ash per 1 liter of freshly boiled water), due to this, the embryo will pass much faster through a fairly thick and strong peel. Then it should be heated in the oven, after which it is wrapped in several layers of gauze, which must be well moistened in a solution of wood ash. If pre-sowing treatment is not carried out, then the pumpkin will ripen later. If the summer in the region is short and cool, then if the pre-sowing treatment of seeds is neglected, then the pumpkin simply does not have time to fully ripen before the onset of frost. nine0003

Before planting pumpkins, rows should be marked in a previously prepared area, after which planting holes should be made, which should be up to 0.3 m in diameter. If there was very little snow in winter, then the soil in the area may be too dry. In this case, 1.5–2 liters of tepid water (about 50 degrees) should be poured into each hole. After the liquid is completely absorbed into the ground, 2–3 seeds should be sown in each hole, while they are buried in medium loamy soil by 50–60 mm, and in light soil by 80–100 mm. From above, the seeds need to be covered with nutritious soil, and then the bed is mulched, for this, humus or peat chips are used. The row spacing should be approximately 200 cm, while the distance between the holes in the row should be at least 100 cm. It is recommended to place the landing holes on the site in a checkerboard pattern. In order for the seedlings to appear as soon as possible, the area should be covered with a film to fix it, soil is poured onto the edges. nine0003

If everything is done correctly, the first seedlings should appear after 7 days, after which the shelter must be removed. When the plants form two true leaf plates, they will need to be thinned out, while no more than two seedlings should remain in one hole. Extra seedlings should not be pulled out, instead they are cut off at the level of the ground surface, this will avoid injury to the root system of the remaining shoots. If the return spring frosts have not yet been left behind, then a wire frame should be installed on the garden bed, on which the film is stretched. nine0003

Growing pumpkin seedlings

Seedlings for seedlings should be sown 2-3 weeks before planting in open soil. After pre-sowing preparation, the seeds that have hatched must be sown one at a time in peat or plastic pots, which should be 10 to 15 centimeters in diameter. ½ of them must be filled with a substrate, which consists of soddy soil, humus and peat (1:2:1). Seeds from above must be covered with the same substrate, but it must be mixed with 10-15 grams of wood ash and with a solution of mullein (5%). The substrate must be moistened, then the container must be covered with a film on top. nine0003

Often, when growing seedlings in room conditions, it is very stretched. How to prevent this? Crops must be placed in a well-lit place, protected from direct sunlight, while the air temperature can vary from 20 to 25 degrees. After the seedlings appear, the pumpkin will need the following temperature regime: in the daytime - from 15 to 20 degrees, and at night - from 12 to 13 degrees. After 7–10 days, the elongated shoots are subjected to the following procedure: the subcotyledonous section of the plant must be rolled up into a ring, after which it is covered with moist soil along the cotyledon leaf plates. Watering should be moderate, while water should not stagnate in the soil mixture. During the cultivation of seedlings, the pumpkin needs to be fed 2 times, using a complex mineral fertilizer for this. The composition of the nutrient solution includes 1 bucket of water, 17 grams of ammonium sulfate, 20 grams of superphosphate, 1 liter of mullein and 15 grams of potassium sulfate. 500 ml of solution is taken to feed one plant. Before transplanting the bushes into open soil, they will need to be hardened off. To do this, they are transferred to a balcony or veranda, at first you need to open the window for 1-2 hours, while the duration of the procedure should be gradually increased. When two days remain before planting the seedlings, the window will not need to be closed at all. nine0003

Picking

Pumpkin seedlings should not be dived, because during transplantation, the root system can be easily injured. In this regard, it is imperative to use individual cups for sowing seeds.

How to plant a pumpkin??? A simple but very effective method for harvesting!!! See this video on YouTube or the first - June. Pumpkin is a melon crop, in this regard, it needs a lot of sunlight, so you need to choose a southern site for planting. Best of all, the bushes grow at an air temperature of about 25 degrees, but if it is colder than 14 degrees outside, then the growth of the pumpkin stops. The best predecessors of such a crop are green manure, onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, soybeans, peas, beans, beans, lentils or peanuts. And it is not recommended to grow it in those areas where potatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, watermelon, melon and pumpkin grew before. nine0003

Suitable soil

This crop can be grown in any soil, but sweet and very large, it can grow only in nutrient soil. The preparation of the site for planting should be done in the autumn, for this it should be dug up, while manure or compost should be added to the poor soil (from 3 to 5 kilograms per 1 square meter of plot), and if the soil is acidic or heavy, then lime or wood ash (from 200 to 300 grams per 1 square meter of land), and from 15 to 20 grams of potash and 25 to 30 grams of phosphate fertilizer must be applied to any soil. In spring, when the snow cover comes off, so that the soil does not dry out too much, it should be harrowed, after which it is loosened a little and all weed grass is removed from it. Before sowing seeds or planting seedlings, the soil should be dug to a depth of 12 to 18 centimeters. If for some reason the site was not prepared in the autumn, the necessary fertilizer should be applied to each hole during planting. nine0003

Growing pumpkin in a greenhouse

Only in very rare cases is this crop grown in a greenhouse from start to finish. Most often, only seedlings of such a plant are grown in a greenhouse, and then they are transplanted into open soil. For sowing pumpkins in a greenhouse, peat pots 10x10 centimeters in size should be used, as a result, it will be possible to avoid diving plants, since they react extremely negatively to this procedure.

Until the emergence of seedlings, crops should be kept at a temperature of about 26 degrees, and after that it is reduced to 19 for 7 daysdegrees, and then you should return to the previous temperature regime. When half a month has passed since the emergence of seedlings, they should be fed with a solution of mullein. Watering is carried out as needed, but it should always be plentiful. The soil should always be loose with an average moisture content. Planting of plants in open soil is carried out 1 month after the appearance of seedlings.

Pumpkin seedlings. Planting

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Rules for planting in open ground

How to place pumpkin bushes when planting outdoors is described above, but in this case, the planting holes should be deeper than when sowing seeds. The holes should be of such a size that they can completely accommodate the plant root system at a depth of 80 to 100 mm. If in the autumn the soil was not fertilized during the preparation of the site, then during the planting of seedlings in the soil in the spring, 50 grams of superphosphate, ½ a bucket of compost or humus and a couple of glasses of wood ash should be poured into each hole. In this case, the fertilizer should be thoroughly mixed with the soil. When fertilizing the soil, the holes need to be done even more. nine0003

Each hole should be poured with 1-2 liters of freshly boiled water, after it is completely absorbed, the plant should be transferred into it along with an earthen clod, while the voids should be filled with soil, and the ground around the bush should be well compacted. When the pumpkin is planted, the surface of the bed should be covered with a layer of mulch (dry earth or peat), thanks to which a dense crust will not appear on the soil.

Caring for pumpkin

When the pumpkin seedlings are planted in the ground, they will need to be watered, weeded, thinned, fed in a timely manner. And the bushes may also need artificial pollination, for this you need to pick 2 male flowers no later than 11 am. Remove all the petals on them, while the anthers of both flowers must be carefully drawn along the stigma of the female flower, and the last of the male flowers must be left on the stigma of the female. This method of additional pollination is used if there is a threat of incomplete fertilization of the ovaries, due to which the formation of fruits of irregular shape is observed. nine0003

How to water

Seedlings that have been recently planted in open soil need regular watering every day until they are well established. Then watering should become very rare until the moment when the size of the ovaries is equal to the fist. If it rains regularly in the summer, then you can not water the pumpkin.

After the pumpkin begins to gain weight, the bushes begin to be regularly watered again, while the volume of water must be gradually increased to 10 liters per adult bush. nine0003

Loosening the soil

When the pumpkin is watered or it rains, loosen the surface of the soil near the bushes, while pulling out all the weeds. The first time it is necessary to loosen the soil to a depth of 60 to 80 mm after the seedlings appear. The surface of the soil between the rows must be loosened to a depth of 12 to 18 centimeters immediately before watering, due to which the liquid penetrates the root system faster. While loosening the surface of the soil, spud the bushes a little, thanks to this they will become more stable. nine0003

Thinning

If the seeds were sown directly into open soil, then after the seedlings form 2 true leaf plates, they must be thinned out, while in 1 hole when growing large-fruited pumpkin, one plant should remain, and nutmeg or hard bark - 2 Repeated thinning should be carried out when the plants form the third or fourth leaf plate. However, it should be remembered that it is impossible to pull out extra plants in any case, otherwise the roots of the remaining seedlings can be easily injured. In this regard, excess plants must be cut at the level of the surface of the site. nine0003

Top dressing of pumpkin

For the first time, the pumpkin is fed with a solution of manure or chicken manure (1:4), fertilizers are applied to the soil 7 days after transplanting seedlings into open ground or 20 days after sowing seeds into the ground. Pumpkin should be fed with organic matter 3 or 4 times in 4 weeks.

Such a crop responds well to top dressing with a solution of garden mixture (from 40 to 50 grams per 1 bucket of water), while 1 liter of nutrient solution is taken per 1 bush. It is also recommended to feed the bushes with a solution of wood ash (1 glass for 1 bucket of water). Before you feed the pumpkin for the first time, a furrow should be made around the bush with a depth of 60 to 80 mm at a distance of 10 to 12 centimeters. The nutrient solution is then poured into this groove. With subsequent top dressing, the depth of the grooves should be from 10 to 12 centimeters, while about 40 centimeters should be retreated from the bush. After the nutrient mixture has been introduced into the furrows, they should be covered with soil. If cloudy weather sets in for a long time, the bushes should be treated with a solution of urea (10 grams per 1 bucket of water). nine0003

Pumpkin - growing and pinching

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Pests or diseases of pumpkin with photos and names

Diseases .

Black mold

If the bush is affected by black mold, then brownish-yellow spots form between the veins of the leaf plates, as the disease develops, a dark coating appears on their surface, which contains fungus spores. When the spots dry out, holes form in their place. Young fruits become shriveled, and their development stops. nine0003

Ascochitosis

If the bushes are sick with ascochitosis, then large brownish-yellow spots first form on the shoots, foliage and stem nodes, and then light spots form with chlorotic edging, and black pycnidia appear on their surface, which contain the bodies pathogenic fungus. The bush dries up and dies.

Powdery mildew

Powdery mildew is a fairly common disease. On diseased plants, a thick whitish coating is formed, which looks similar to spilled flour, while it contains spores of the fungus. The affected leaf plates dry out, and deformation and cessation of the development of pumpkins are also observed. This disease develops most rapidly in conditions of a sharp change in temperature and humidity. nine0003

Anthracnose

If the pumpkin is affected by anthracnose, then large watery spots of a pale yellow color form on the leaf plates. If the weather is too wet, a pink bloom forms on the surface of the veins of the leaf blades. As the disease progresses, pink spots appear on the petioles, foliage, pumpkins and shoots, while the affected areas turn black by autumn. With high humidity, the development of anthracnose occurs faster.

White rot

The development of white rot is observed on all parts of the bushes, while the root system is affected, the fruiting shoots dry out and the yield decreases. A flocculent coating of mold appears on the surface of a yellowed and browned pumpkin. Slime may form on the surface of the shoots.

When bushes are affected by gray rot, blurry spots of brown color are formed on its surface, which quickly merge with each other and affect the entire bush.

The development of wet bacterial rot most often occurs due to damage by podura or slugs to ovaries or young pumpkins in excessively dense plantings. nine0003

Pests

Pumpkin can be infested with aphids, podura, or white springtails, wireworms and slugs.

Slugs

Slugs gnaw at leaves, leaving only a net of veins. With prolonged rainy weather, there are a lot of such pests. In addition, they can live and damage various cultivated plants for several years.

Melon aphid

Melon aphid can injure flowers, stems, undersides of leaf blades and ovaries. The foliage becomes wrinkled and twisted. nine0003

Podura

Podura are very small white insects, with a cylindrical body length of about 0.2 cm, they feed on the underground parts of the bush, as well as seeds. Such a pest is most active in cool weather with high humidity.

Wireworms

Wireworms are click beetle larvae that damage the root neck of young bushes, which leads to their death. Such pests prefer to accumulate in wet lowlands. nine0003

Treatment

Pumpkins should be treated when symptoms of disease or pests appear. It is also recommended to regularly carry out preventive treatments, since it is much easier to prevent bushes from being affected by the disease than to cure diseased bushes.

In order to prevent pumpkin damage by fungal diseases, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of crop rotation and agrotechnical, and one should not neglect the pre-sowing treatment of the seed. If the first symptoms of the disease are noticed, then the bushes and the garden bed should be treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture (1%) or another fungicidal preparation. Also, in spring and autumn, the site must be sprayed with Fitosporin, which is able to protect the bushes from a large number of diseases. nine0003

To get rid of the slugs, they will need to be collected manually or you will need to make special traps. In several places on the site, bowls should be placed, which should be filled with beer, then they are systematically checked and crawled pests are collected.

In order to clear the area of ​​wireworms, you will also need to make a few traps. To do this, you need to dig holes half a meter deep, into which they put root crops cut into pieces (beets or carrots), from above the hole must be covered with wooden shields, boards or roofing material. It is necessary to carry out regular checks of traps, while the pests present there are destroyed. nine0003

To get rid of podurs, the soil surface near the bushes is powdered with wood ash. And to destroy aphids, you can use Karbofos or Phosphamide, and you can also use a soap solution (0.3 kg of soap for 1 bucket of water). You also need to remember that weakened and neglected bushes are most susceptible to pests and diseases.

Collection and storage of pumpkins

Pumpkins are harvested after the pumpkins have reached biological maturity, however, before harvesting the fruits, it is necessary to make sure that they are really fully ripe. It is possible to understand that the pumpkin is ripe by several signs: the stalks of hard-barked varieties dry out and corking is observed, while in nutmeg and large-fruited pumpkins, a clear pattern appears on the hardened bark. nine0003

Pumpkins should be harvested in dry weather after the first frost, after which the pumpkin leaves will die. Pumpkins are cut with a stalk, and then they will need to be sorted by size and quality. This must be done very carefully so as not to injure the fruit. Injured or unripe pumpkins will need to be processed, and those that are intended for long-term storage must be thoroughly dried in the sun or in a warm and dry well-ventilated room for 15 days, while the stalks should be grafted and the bark become very hard. Then the pumpkins are put away for storage. nine0003

Until the first frosts, pumpkins can be stored on a loggia, balcony or in a dry shed, while they are covered with a layer of rags or straw on top. After the air temperature drops to 5 degrees, the pumpkins should be moved to a living room, where it should be dry and warm, while the temperature should not be less than 14 degrees, under these conditions it should be stored for half a month. After that, the pumpkin needs to be removed to a cooler room (about 3-8 degrees), and the humidity should be from 60 to 70 percent, if everything is done correctly, they can lie there until spring and even until the new crop is harvested. To store pumpkins, you can choose an attic, a dry shed or a basement. If you store pumpkins in a warmer place (from 15 to 20 degrees), they lose about 20 percent of the weight, while there is a high probability that they will rot. If there are a lot of pumpkins, then for storage it can be placed on a rack, while its surface must be covered with straw. On them, pumpkins should be laid in 1 row, while they should not touch each other. They can also be placed in boxes, while sprinkling with dry moss. The storage must be well ventilated. Pumpkins can also be stored in the garden in dug trenches, the bottom and walls of which should be lined with straw, the layer thickness should be equal to 25 centimeters. With the first frost, the trench must be covered with soil, while making several holes for ventilation, in severe frosts they must be closed, and during thaws they are opened. If there are not too many fruits, they can be stored in a house or apartment, while choosing a dark place, the seeds will not germinate there, and the pulp will not acquire a bitter taste. The cut pumpkin is stored on the shelf of the refrigerator. nine0003

Pumpkin - harvesting

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Types and varieties of pumpkin

There are many varieties of pumpkin that are intended for cultivation in open soil, since it is very difficult to grow such a large vegetable in a greenhouse. However, in a region with a cool and short summer period, such a plant can only be grown in a greenhouse. Gardeners grow three varieties of pumpkin.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) or hardbark

The gourds of this herbaceous annual plant are smooth, large and rounded. As a rule, they have a yellow color, but there are varieties in which the fruits are painted in other colors. Fruit ripening occurs in September. The length of pale yellow or white seeds is from 30 to 40 mm, their skin is thick. If pumpkins are stored properly, they can last until the next harvest. The most popular are the following varieties:

1. Spaghetti . This variety is early maturing, while pumpkins ripen in 8 weeks. The boiled pulp of the fruit breaks up into rather long fibers, which are somewhat similar in appearance to pasta. Both cold and hot pulp is very tasty. nine0010
2. Gribovskaya bush 189 . This early variety is very popular. The pumpkin grows in a bush, on it, as a rule, a pair of fruits slightly ribbed at the stem, which have a teardrop shape, ripen, they weigh 6–7 kilograms. Ripe pumpkins have a rich orange color with green fragments. Sweet and juicy pulp is painted in rich orange color.
3. Almond . Climbing variety of medium maturity. Orange pumpkins are round and weigh about 5 kilograms. Juicy crispy and sweet flesh has an orange-yellow color. nine0010
4. Acorn . This early maturing variety can be climbing or bushy. Pumpkins are not very large yellow, green or almost black, outwardly they are similar in shape to an acorn. Low-sugar pulp is colored yellowish or almost white. This variety is also called Zheludev.
5. Freckle . Pumpkins of a bushy early variety are not very large mesh green in color, they weigh about 3 kilograms. The color of the pulp is yellow or orange, it is not too sweet, the seeds are small. nine0010
6. Bush orange . Intense orange pumpkins weigh about 5 kilograms, the core is sweet and soft. The fruits have good keeping quality.
7. Altaiskaya 47 . Such a precocious early variety of universal purpose is characterized by productivity, the fruits ripen in 8 weeks. Hard-skinned pumpkins are orange-yellow in color and weigh 2–5 kilograms. On their surface there are stripes of yellowish or brown-yellow color. The pulp of the fruit is fibrous. The grade differs in cold resistance and excellent keeping quality. nine0010

Muscat pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)

This pumpkin is native to Central America (Mexico, Peru and Colombia). On the creeping shoots there are alternately arranged long-leaved leaf plates, there is pubescence on their surface. Pumpkins are pinkish-brown or yellow, on the surface there are longitudinal spots of a light color. Dense fragrant rich orange flesh is tasty and tender. Small seeds of a whitish-gray color along the edge runs a rim of a darker color. This species has a variety, which is called chalmoid, since pumpkins have an unusual shape. Most popular varieties:

1. Muscat . Long climbing late variety with pumpkins weighing 4–6.5 kilograms. The pulp is juicy, dense and sweet, it is colored orange.
2. Palav Kadu . In such a climbing late-ripening variety, rounded large pumpkins are segmented in orange, their weight is about 10 kilograms. Orange juicy and sweet pulp is very tasty.
3. Pearl . This late variety has a mass of dark green fruits of about 7 kilograms. The bright orange flesh is very juicy. nine0010
4. Butternut . Climbing late variety with small pear-shaped pumpkins of pale orange or brownish-yellow color, they weigh about 1. 5 kilograms. The rich orange fibrous buttery flesh is sweet and has a nutty flavor.
5. Prikubanskaya . Climbing mid-late variety. Brown-orange smooth pumpkins have a pear-shaped shape, they weigh about 5 kilograms. On their surface are specks of orange or brown. Orange-red flesh is juicy, tender and sweet. nine0010
6. Vitamin . This is a late-ripening variety that matures in no less than 130 days. On the surface of dark green pumpkins there are yellow stripes, they weigh about 7 kilograms, their flesh is rich orange.

Large pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima)

This variety has the largest and most delicious pumpkins. There are varieties that have a sugar content of about 15 percent, this figure is higher than that of watermelon. The peduncle is cylindrical, rounded, the beardless stem is also rounded. Opaque seeds have a brown or milky white color. In this variety, compared to the rest, pumpkins tolerate low temperatures well and are best stored at room conditions. nine0003

1. Dawn . The lashes of such a mid-early variety are long and strong. On the surface of dark gray pumpkins there are spots of orange color, they weigh about 6 kilograms. The very sweet rich orange and dense pulp contains high concentrations of carotene.
2. Marble . A long-braided late variety with a high yield. Dark green tuberculate pumpkins are round in shape, they weigh about 4.5 kilograms. The sweet, crisp, dense flesh of bright orange color contains a large amount of carotene. nine0010
3. Candy . Climbing early variety. Orange-red large fruits of a rounded shape weigh about 2 kilograms. Juicy sweet and dense pulp is colored dark orange, it contains a large amount of vitamin C and sugars. This variety is frost-resistant and has a high yield.
4. Volga gray . Climbing medium ripening variety has round, slightly flattened grayish pumpkins, they weigh 7–9 kilograms. The color of the pulp varies from rich orange to yellowish, it is distinguished by medium sweetness. The grade is steady against a drought and differs in good keeping quality. nine0010
5. Smile . Early maturing variety has good keeping quality. There are whitish stripes on the surface of round deep orange pumpkins. The orange flesh is very sweet and crispy with a delicate melon smell. This pumpkin is resistant to low temperatures, and it can be stored at home for a long time.
6. Centner . A variety of precocious universal purpose. Very large segmented yellow fruits can weigh 60 or 100 kilograms. Sweet white flesh. This pumpkin is intended for cultivation in open ground, it is often grown for seeds. nine0010
7. Arina . An early ripe variety is characterized by unpretentiousness and disease resistance. Round grayish fruits are slightly segmented, they weigh about 5 kilograms. The yellow flesh is sweet and firm. The seeds contain a large amount of oil.

The Best Pumpkin Varieties ✔️ What types of pumpkins are suitable for the middle lane

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growing, planting, caring for outdoors

Growing pumpkins

Pumpkin in the old days was often planted in the farthest parts of the farmstead just for the reason that she almost did not need care. There it grew in breadth, occupying large areas. But in modern dachas, the plots are small - 6 - 10 acres. To give everything under the pumpkin is ridiculous. Therefore, many gardeners simply do not contact her. Meanwhile, these plants can be placed compactly.

In a barrel. Many gardeners on the site have a large metal or plastic barrel, which was purchased just in case, but never found a use. And it's a shame to throw it away. Do not need! You can plant squash there. It is enough to fill the barrel with fertile soil and sow the seeds. Shoots will not crawl around the site, they will hang from the barrel. It is not only economical, but also beautiful! nine0003

On a dunghill. As you know, do not bring fresh manure for vegetables - the roots will burn. Everyone except the pumpkin - it only benefits her. So, if you stocked up on organic matter, but there is no reason to use it yet, sow a pumpkin there.

Along the fence. You can run pumpkin lashes over the fence. But in this case, a problem arises: the fruits are heavy, they can break off the whips. Therefore, as soon as they begin to increase in size, they must be put in vegetable nets and tied to the fence. nine0003

So you can always find a place for a pumpkin. But still this culture has two conditions that must be met.

Fertile soil. In general, pumpkin grows well on any soil, except for strongly acidic and alkaline soils. But it is very desirable that the land be fertile, rich in organic matter. If the land is poor, when sowing, 0.5 buckets of humus should be added to the hole.

Sunny place. Pumpkin is photophilous and thermophilic (1), it should be grown in the brightest area - in the shade the harvest will be poor, or even no fruit will be tied at all. nine0003

Planting pumpkins

In the middle lane and regions where conditions are similar, all pumpkins are grown in the same way. Seeds are sown immediately on the beds after May 25 to a depth of 3-4 cm (2). 3 seeds are sown in each hole, and when shoots appear, one of the strongest plants is left. You can’t leave everything - they will interfere with each other and the harvest will be very small.

If there are few seeds, the variety is rare, then you can sow one seed at a time, but first they need to be soaked in hot water (about 50 ° C) for 3 - 4 hours (3) - this will save them from pathogens and help them germinate faster. nine0003

Hole spacing depends on variety. If the shoots are short, like those of zucchini (there are also such varieties), then the sowing scheme is 70x70 cm. If the stems are of medium length, there should be 1 m in a row between plants, and 1.5 m between rows. For varieties with long lashes - 1 5x2 m. The length of the shoots is usually indicated on the package with seeds.

Outdoor pumpkin care

Watering. It is needed only until the moment of germination. You can water a couple more times when sprouts appear (once a week). There is no need to water further - excess water on the soil surface can provoke diseases, and the roots of the pumpkin are so long that they can easily extract water from the lower layers of the soil. nine0003

Top dressing. If the pumpkin grows in fertile soil, additional fertilization is not necessary. If the land is poor, then during the summer it needs to be fed 3 times:

• 2 weeks after germination - mullein infusion (1:10), the norm is 1 bucket for 5 plants;
• when the 5th true leaf appears - 2 teaspoons of nitrophoska under each bush - scatter evenly over the soil surface and rake;
• when lashes begin to form - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water, the norm is a bucket per plant. nine0010

Optional: Feed once a month with ashes - 1 glass per plant.

Harvesting pumpkins

Don't rush to harvest pumpkins - the longer they lie in the garden, the tastier and healthier they will be. But it is important to pluck them before frost. In the middle lane, the harvesting period usually falls on the first half of September.

Pumpkins must be harvested on sunny days to keep them all winter long. If it was plucked in the rain, the fruit must be dried for 2 weeks in a ventilated room at a temperature of about 25 ° C before storage. nine0003

The fruit must be fully ripe at the time of harvest. If there are scratches on the peel, they can be covered with brilliant green so that they do not rot.

Cut the pumpkins so that the stalk remains (its optimal length is about 10 cm). Without a stalk, the fruit quickly deteriorates.

Rules for storing pumpkins

Pumpkins are perfectly stored in an apartment - in the villages they were put under the bed. This is the best place right now. If there is a pantry, then you can send it there. Or under the kitchen table. In warm conditions, the starch accumulated in the fruits over the summer turns into sugar. And the longer the pumpkins lie, the sweeter they become. nine0003

But there are 2 nuances that must be taken into account during storage: the room must be dry and dark. With high humidity and light, the fruits lie less and begin to rot.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about growing pumpkins with agronomist-breeder Svetlana Mikhailova.

How to choose a pumpkin variety?

Here, rather, you should be guided by your own taste, because pumpkins have different shapes and colors and can serve as decoration first in the garden, and then at home. But remember that butternut squash (they are usually pear-shaped) are always sweeter. And the small-sized fruits are convenient to use - they can be eaten at a time. nine0003

Which pumpkins keep the longest?

Most of the varieties sold in stores are of 3 types of pumpkin: large-fruited, hard-barked and nutmeg.

Large-fruited ones lie the longest - up to 6 months.

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