Pumpkin kolobok planting and care in the open field

In central Russia and in other territories with a similar climate, pumpkin varieties grow: large-fruited and hard-bore. In the southern regions, butternut squash grows. Sometimes gourd is found. Growing pumpkin outdoors is not as difficult as inexperienced gardeners imagine it to be.

Growing pumpkin outdoors

Meet the pumpkin!

Pumpkin is a well-known annual plant with a powerful root system, wide leaves, and long sturdy stems. The taproot can penetrate three meters deep into the soil, and the lateral roots spread over an area of ​​up to four meters, in search of moisture and nutrition.

The stem of the plant "crawls away" from the base by more than seven meters. The pumpkin has large flowers of yellow or yellow-orange color, which are located alone (the plant is dioecious). On the main stem, from the tenth leaf onwards, fruits are formed.

Pumpkin Russian woman

Table pumpkin Sweetie

Hokkaido pumpkin

Almond pumpkin

Pumpkin varieties and their features

Hardcore	This pumpkin is fast-growing and has a high yield. It has coarser fiber than the pulp of a large-fruited variety, and it does not last very long (up to four months) without changing the taste and nutritional characteristics.
Large-fruited	This pumpkin is a real giantess, record-breaking fruits reach 60 kg. The yield is also high. And the shelf life of the fetus is up to nine months.
Nutmeg	This pumpkin can lie absolutely unchanged in a cellar or other cool and dry place for up to two years. Late-ripening variety.

What a pumpkin loves

Pumpkin loves warmth, does not tolerate cold combined with dampness.

The place to grow the pumpkin must be sunny.

Important! The temperature that pumpkin seeds need for germination is up to + 30 ° C. At lower temperatures, they will germinate for a very long time and slowly. And at less than + 10 ° С they will not rise at all.

The entire growing season for pumpkin takes place at an optimal temperature of + 25 ° C.In this case, it builds up a rich orange pulp, fragrant, dense but juicy, and a wide leaf apparatus (up to 40 m² per plant).

Pumpkin in the garden

The pumpkin loves moisture, without a sufficient amount of which the largest fruits are not formed. If, at the beginning of flowering, the pumpkin suffers a drought, the flowers may fall off, and the ovary will not form.

Pumpkin is a light-loving culture. It must be grown in sunny and calm areas (melon is ideal).

Melon

How to grow a pumpkin from seeds

The easiest way to grow pumpkins is to use the traditional seed sowing method. Only the seeds for sowing must be prepared.

Choosing pumpkin seeds

It all starts with the selection of seed materials. Only the largest seeds of selected quality should be taken for sowing. Thin, frail, dryish, not full should be discarded. The calibrated seeds begin to prepare for sowing.

We take only the best seeds

Seed preparation

The best way to prepare pumpkin seeds for sowing is to germinate them. This process continues until the seeds hatch. For germination, pumpkin seeds are immersed in water with a stable temperature of + 40 ° C (permissible up to + 50 ° C, it is impossible below forty). In this state, the seeds should spend at least three hours.

How to germinate pumpkin seeds

Advice! How do you get that temperature? put a bowl with germinated seeds on a radiator or other heating device, place in a yogurt maker or multicooker in the "Yogurt" mode.

Then the swollen seeds are wrapped in a well-moistened cotton cloth and left at the temperature of the living room until they are pecked. The fabric needs to be checked and re-moistened all the time to keep the seeds from drying out.

Since pumpkin is a heat-loving plant, it is recommended, especially in the middle climatic zone, to increase the cold resistance of the seeds before sowing. To do this, after pecking, they must continue to be kept in a damp cloth, but already in the lower drawer of the refrigerator, for three to five days.

Due to the heat-loving nature, it is not worth sowing seeds in open ground, first it is better to grow pumpkin seedlings.

Growing pumpkin seedlings

Seedlings are needed in order to get a bountiful and early harvest. And also so that the seeds that have hatched do not die from the cold, if the sowing is carried out at a time when cold snaps are still possible. Seedlings do not have to be grown at home - you can do this in a special nursery or mini-greenhouse. But best of all, "under supervision", to grow pumpkin seedlings on the southern windowsill of the apartment. At room temperature, which is nevertheless closer to the expected pumpkin + 30 ° C than the temperature in a spring greenhouse, the process will go faster and better.

Important! Despite the powerful and sturdy appearance, pumpkin seedlings do not tolerate transplanting well. Therefore, it is better to grow seedlings in peat pots.

To grow seedlings, you will need peat-peat or ordinary pots with a size of at least 10x10 cm in an amount half as much as the number of seeds. There is no need to try to grow a "pumpkin forest", remember about the 40 m² food area that the pumpkin can cover. Two plants, with a sufficiently spacious arrangement, a large amount of heat, light and moisture, with regular feeding, will give a larger yield of fruits in terms of number and size than ten located in the same space.

Planting pumpkin seedlings

Important! Pumpkin seedlings should be at home or in a greenhouse before planting in the ground for at least three weeks. Therefore, seeds are sown based on this calendar indicator.

Seedling soil

Pumpkin seeds are sown in normal fertile seedling soil, consisting of peat and sand. No special additives are required. Fertilizers do not need to be applied to the soil either. If growing seeds in peat pots, simply fill them with soil. If grown in plastic containers, add 3 cm of sawdust to the bottom.

Sowing seeds

Sprouted in the above way and hardened seeds are sown in pots in pairs. Later, the weak seedling can be removed by simply pinching off the stem. Sowing depth - 2 cm. Seeds are covered with peat. Watering is carried out before and after sowing.

During the first three days after sowing, the temperature should be + 25 ° C ... + 30 ° C.

Seedling care

Seedlings of pumpkin seedlings

Seedlings should appear on the fourth day. After that, the temperature must be lowered and maintained within + 18 ° C ... + 25 ° C for a week, then reduced again to + 15 ° C ... + 18 ° C. This is necessary so that the pumpkin seedlings do not stretch out, grow strong and squat ...

Pumpkin seedlings

Watering the seedlings is carried out regularly, but it should not be excessive. Stagnant water is prohibited. Ideal soil moisture and air humidity will contribute to the formation of hardy and abundantly fruiting pumpkin plants in the future.

Water your pumpkin shoots regularly

Two weeks after germination, top dressing is carried out. To do this, the mullein must be diluted in a ratio of 1:10 with water and poured into each pot, or under each plant in the greenhouse, 100 ml of nutrient solution after watering. If there is no mullein, feeding is carried out with nitrophos according to the instructions.

Video - Growing pumpkin seedlings

Readiness and disembarkation

A properly grown seedling looks like this:

• low stem, thick and strong;
• short internodes;
• three well-developed true leaves with a rich green color.

In this state, pumpkin seedlings can be planted in open ground under a temporary film shelter on the 22nd day after sowing with germinated seeds in pots.

Planting seedlings

Before planting, the holes are watered with hot water. If the seedlings are in a peat-baked container, they do not need to be removed, just slightly destroy the walls and bottom of the pot.

After planting, the plants are watered with warm water and protected with a film cover until stable warm weather sets in.

Growing pumpkin in a greenhouse

Soils suitable for growing pumpkin

This plant is most suitable for fertile soil, which has a fairly loose structure, well warmed up. It is on such a land that the fruits of the pumpkin will reach record sizes.

Important! Pumpkin will grow worst of all on moist and clayey soil. Acidic soils are not suitable for the plant categorically - they must be treated with lime (liming under the predecessor) or add wood ash.

When growing pumpkins in your summer cottage, try to comply with the following requirements.

1. Disembarkation from the south side of the house along a wall or fence. The structure and the fence will protect from the wind during the day and give the plants the heat accumulated during the day at night.
2. Pumpkin whips may well be directed at a house wall, fence, barn roof. Closer to the sun, the fruits will ripen better.
3. If there is a compost heap on the south side, it is ideal to plant the pumpkin next to it, directing the whips there.

Growing pumpkin on a compost heap

Soil preparation

To successfully grow a pumpkin, in the fall, having removed the predecessors, it is necessary to start preparing the soil.

1. Apply organic and mineral fertilizing to a clean, free from plants and weeds area (5 kg of humus, 15 g of potassium chloride and twice as much superphosphate per m²). If there is no humus, manure can be applied in the fall - 7 kg per m².
2. Dig the area 20 cm deep.
3. To lighten the soil structure, if necessary, add river sand (coarse grain) and peat.
4. Deacidify the soil with wood ash.
5. Loosen, stir if possible, pour over with hot water.

In the spring, there is no need to dig up the upper soil layer, it is enough to remove the weeds that have appeared and level the area with a rake. In this state, the soil should be from March to May - the time for planting pumpkin seedlings.

Prepare the soil for pumpkin planting

Two days before planting the grown seedlings, the soil on the garden bed must be dug up to 12 cm (half a shovel bayonet), ammonium nitrate must be added - 20 g per m² and holes must be made.

On light-textured soil, the holes can be shallow - up to 25 cm. If the soil is heavy, the depth of the hole should reach 40 cm. A little compost and a layer of dry leaves are placed on the bottom.

The scheme of the formation of beds for planting pumpkin

The distance between plants in a regular garden is about a meter. If possible, it can be doubled.

Pumpkin predecessors

This question is relevant because the culture is demanding of its predecessors.

Potatoes, cabbage, onions, legumes, root vegetables.	Cucumbers and zucchini, squash, as well as melons and watermelons.

Pumpkin care

The pumpkin does not need anxious and specialized care, but there are some activities that should not be neglected if you want to get a large harvest of large fruits.

Pumpkin, flower

Watering

The main care measure is the adjustment of irrigation. The pumpkin, like a pump, pumps out all the moisture from the ground, and then evaporates it through the leaves. Thus, the roots and stems get a little. Therefore, the moisture level in the soil must be constantly replenished.

Advice! It is especially necessary to water the pumpkin abundantly when it begins to bloom and fruit. The water temperature should not be lower than + 20 ° С (warmed up in the sun). In no case should you water the pumpkin with cold water in the heat - the plants may die.

After watering, every other time you need to loosen the soil near the base of the stem. Weed as it grows.

If the summer turned out to be dry, then before flowering the pumpkin can be watered more often.

Top dressing

You need to feed the pumpkin often, otherwise you will not be able to get large fruits. The first top dressing in the open field is after the formation of the fifth leaf. The second is when the whips begin to form. Then - every two weeks.

You can feed with nitrophos, starting from 10 g per plant and increasing the dose by 5 g with each feeding. You can add dry granules or prepare a solution.

During the fruiting period, a glass of ash is added to each feeding.

You can feed the pumpkin throughout the growing season with mullein solution.

How to shape a pumpkin

How to shape a pumpkin

The plant is formed in one stem, in extreme cases, in two - this contributes to high yields. To do this, after the appearance of extra shoots from the sides, they are all removed, and extra ovaries are also plucked out, leaving no more than three on each lash.

By the way! On the shoots of the second order, the pumpkin can bear fruit after the second leaf, but they will grow small and tasteless, so it is worthwhile to pinch the shoots of the plant.

Video - Pumpkin: growing and pinching

Powder

Another agrotechnical technique that contributes to crop yields is the powdering of the lashes. As soon as the lashes have reached a meter length, they must be carefully untangled, laid in a given direction and sprinkled with earth in two or three places. This is done so that the wind does not break the whips and leaves, breaking the ovary. But the main thing is that in the internodes pressed to the ground, additional roots are formed, which will nourish the plants and contribute to the increase in fruit.

Garden care

A few more tricks

1. Scourges that have climbed onto a fence or roof must be controlled. When pumpkins begin to ripen on them, secure them by placing them in ordinary shopping bags and securing them to additional fasteners. Otherwise, heavy fruits will slide down, breaking off the stems.
2. It is undesirable, especially in wet weather, for the fruits to lie on bare ground. When they are medium sized, place planks or other breathable material underneath them.

Pumpkin pest control

Video - How to properly grow and care for a pumpkin

Harvesting pumpkin

Among the inhabitants of garden beds, pumpkins are not the last in popularity, but in terms of ease of care and ability to store for a long time, they have no equal at all. Perhaps that is why gardeners often do not pay due attention to culture, letting the growth and development of powerful plants take their course.

As a result, due to poor pollination or mistakes in grooming, the harvest is not as plentiful as desired. The fruits are not pleasing in taste, they rot at the stage of the ovary and are poorly stored.

How do you grow a pumpkin that is truly delicious? What activities does culture care include? And what are the signs to look out for when watching a pumpkin grow?

Pre-sowing activities

How sweet and juicy the pumpkin grown on its site will be, also depends on the seeds chosen for sowing and the preparation they undergo before sowing.

Seeds obtained from fruits grown in their own garden are necessarily pickled before planting, disinfecting them from diseases and pests with the help of a solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are in the liquid for up to 30 minutes. After that, a viable seed is selected by immersing a 25% saline solution:

• Empty, insufficiently ripe seeds will give themselves away when they float to the surface.
• Submerged - ready to give healthy large shoots.

Selected healthy seeds are washed in clean water for about 3 hours, dried at 55–60 ° C and bubbled for 18–24 hours.

How a pumpkin grows: necessary conditions and features

In order to grow a sweet juicy pumpkin on your site, you must adhere to the rules of crop rotation and crop requirements for the conditions in the beds. As a rule, plants from the pumpkin family can return to their previous growing time only after 4–5 years. And the best harvest can be obtained by planting seeds after legumes or crucifers.

How to grow a pumpkin in a summer cottage, what conditions does this culture need? Pumpkins of all varieties, be it zucchini plucked in the green phase, or late-ripening nutmeg varieties, are very demanding on lighting conditions.

With a lack of sun, the number of ovaries decreases, the plants stretch, the risk of fungal diseases, rot and pest attacks increases.

At the stage of active growth, that is, from the moment the first shoots appear to a few true leaves, the plants should be exposed to light from 9 to 10 hours. This mode will bring the formation of female flowers closer. The optimal daylight hours for an already fruiting pumpkin is 10-12 hours.

A video about growing pumpkin in the open field tells in detail about agricultural technology and the tricks of growing this valuable vegetable crop. In household plots, where it is often assumed to water pumpkins in the open field, the culture is cultivated in wide beds, up to 3 meters.

Arrangement of high ridges will help to get an early harvest even in adverse weather conditions and protect the fruits from rotting in a rainy, cold summer.

For climbing pumpkin varieties, rather large gaps between plants are needed from 150 to 300 cm.

Bush forms are more compact and do not require large areas to feed the fruits, so the distance between pumpkins in this case is reduced to 70-100 cm.

One of the most effective ways to grow sweet, juicy pumpkins on your site can be considered to be used for planting in open ground, not seeds, but seedlings. If the seeds are sown in peat pots or large tablets, when they get into the ground, the root system is not injured, which means that you can wait for the harvest 3-4 weeks earlier:

• Planting in open ground is carried out when the soil is sufficiently warmed up. Zucchini and most common hard-bore gourds are grown in soil temperatures of 12-14 ° C.
• And for the most thermophilic nutmeg gourd, the soil should be warmed up to 15-16 ° C.

Outdoor pumpkin care

Even short-term frosts are destructive for seedlings, when the temperature on the soil drops to minus marks. For normal growth and fruit formation, pumpkins need a temperature in the range of 22-28 ° C. If the air is cooler, the development of the plant slows down, the rate of appearance of flowers and ovary decreases.

A film or covering material will help protect young seedlings from the manifestations of changeable weather at the beginning of summer.

Sowing seeds or planting seedlings is carried out on a covering spread on the ground, in which cross-shaped cuts are made. They are expanded as they grow. As a result, due to less moisture evaporation and 4–5 ° C higher soil heating, pumpkin develops faster and bears fruit more readily. Labor costs for pumpkin care are also reduced.

As long as the plants are small, it is imperative to keep the soil loose and prevent the crust from disturbing the penetration of moisture and oxygen. As a measure of pumpkin care, it is useful to mulch the space between plants on the ridges with sawdust, sand, if the soil is clay, or straw. During the second loosening, carried out 30 days after germination, weeds are removed and the growing lashes are laid out.

Loosening and weeding is convenient to carry out simultaneously with watering, while cultivating the soil should not be deeper than 5–7 cm, so as not to damage the surface roots.

How often to water the pumpkin outdoors?

The pumpkin root system is designed in such a way that even in dry periods it is able to provide the plant with the required amount of moisture. A well-visible hard pile covering young stems, cuttings, leaf plates and even partly corollas of flowers helps to avoid drying out of the green part.

And yet, the crop needs a lot of moisture, and the schedule of rare but abundant watering should be consistent with the development of the plant and the care of the pumpkin plantings. Before the first loosening and hilling, depending on the weather, pumpkins are abundantly watered once or twice. And then they take a break for 2-3 weeks to stimulate active formation and growth of roots.

As soon as female flowers appear on the plants and the formation of fruits begins, the pumpkin should be watered more often, for example, after 7-10 days.

This mode is maintained while the pumpkins are poured and added in size. In August, pumpkin watering becomes less frequent. Such a measure is intended to force the fruits to accumulate sugar and form a strong bark, which will have to withstand winter storage. Watching how the pumpkin grows, 20-25 days before harvesting, watering is stopped altogether.

As a result, pumpkins are watered 5 to 10 times during the growing season. Top dressing, combined with watering, is carried out at the time of the first hilling, during the flowering of plants and at the beginning of the mass formation of the ovary.

Mineral fertilizers are used to a limited extent, alternating with organic matter. Plants show a good reaction, especially in areas with poor soils, to feeding with ash, herbal infusions and regular care of pumpkins.

Why does the pumpkin rot in the garden?

Flowering pumpkin begins 50–55 days after germination. The first to open on plants are male flowers, which in climbing varieties account for up to 90% of the total, and in bush pumpkins about 50-60%. If you observe how pumpkins grow, female flowers, after pollination of which an ovary is formed, can be seen only 7-10 days later than male ones.

Since pumpkins are pollinated by various groups of insects, in unfavorable conditions, for example, in cold, rainy or windy weather, the probability of transferring pollen from a flower that lives only one day to another flower drops sharply. As a result, pollination does not occur at all, or the weakened ovary dies off along with the corolla of the flower.

In some cases, this is the reason why pumpkins rot in the garden and yield drops. The situation can be corrected by conducting artificial pollination. To do this, the petals are carefully removed from the plucked male flower and the pollen is transferred to the female flower with gentle movements. It is better to carry out this procedure in the early morning, protecting the pollen from moisture.

Experienced gardeners note that the timely removal of wilted flowers and an unformed ovary helps to protect plants from attack by pests and the development of putrefactive bacteria that can affect already ripening fruits.

Pumpkins do not tolerate waterlogging of the soil. Therefore, the health of plants and fruits also depends on how often you water the pumpkin in the open field. It is especially dangerous if fruits that have already gained weight are lying on the cold, moisture-saturated ground on rainy days. Strong, moisture-resistant supports should be placed under such pumpkins in advance, which will not injure the bark.

Pinching pumpkin outdoors

The reason why pumpkins rot on the beds may be excessive planting density, and on bush varieties - an abundance of ovaries that interfere with each other's development.

In order to thin the pumpkins, ensure better penetration of air and light to all parts of the plants, as well as stimulate the ripening of already formed fruits, the culture must be shaped. It is not required to form bush varieties. In this case, only remove the excess ovary, leaving 3-4 fruits per plant, and make sure that wilted flowers do not cause rotting of cuttings, stems and fruits.

In the open field, pinching of climbing pumpkins is carried out in July, when there are 1-2 ovaries of 10 cm in diameter on the lashes. The lash is shortened after 4–6 leaves behind the last of the fruits. The maximum load per bush is calculated based on the characteristics of the variety and the weight of the mature pumpkin. Usually, the larger the fruits, the less they should remain after the plant is pinched in the open field.

All blank, empty shoots are cut out, and only a couple of the strongest ones are left from the side ones, shortening them to 50 cm.

In order for the pumpkins to grow in size to receive additional support, together with the pinching, several internodes of the decomposed lashes are sprinkled with soil and moistened. Within 8-10 days, strong roots are formed under the soil, feeding the lash. This measure in an open place will protect the plant from the wind, and the whips and fruits from damage.

Growing and pinching a pumpkin - video

Growing pumpkin outdoors

Pumpkin (Latin Cucurbita) is a vitamin-rich vegetable with a pleasant mild flavor and is used in many dietary dishes. Cultivation of a culture requires compliance with certain conditions and rules, which we will consider in more detail.

Preparing and planting pumpkin in open ground

Growing pumpkin is possible in two ways:

• Planting non-dived seedlings;
• Sowing prepared seeds.

Presowing seed treatment

Growing pumpkin in the open field begins with the preparation of seeds, which are soaked in water, preferably in sodium humate or potassium humate, for a day. Taking the seeds out of the water, they are covered with a damp cloth or gauze for two days, leaving in a shaded place at temperatures up to plus 23 grams. Celsius. The fabric is constantly moisturized. It is not recommended to take seeds from the harvest of the year before last - there may be poor germination.

Pumpkin seeds after germination

For the treatment of diseases, the seeds are immersed in a 30% sodium chloride solution (2 tablespoons of salt per 100 ml of water). Healthy and strong specimens will sink to the bottom, and weak ones will float up and are subject to rejection.

After germination, the sprouts are placed in plastic cups or pots up to 10 cm in diameter, with prepared soil: a peat mixture mixed with sand and garden soil (1: 1: 1).

Growing and caring for pumpkin seedlings

Transplanting and growing pumpkin in the open field in the Moscow region occurs after the appearance of three full-fledged leaves. On average, the seedlings should be about a month old.

Site selection and soil preparation

The plot allocated for the cultivation of pumpkin is chosen far from upright crops, with a flat surface and good access to sunlight. The land is pre-fertilized: per 1 sq.m. take 2 buckets of humus, 0.5 buckets of wood chips, 1 liter of wood ash and 200 g of nitrophoska.The soil is dug 50 cm deep and beds are formed up to 70 cm wide.

Preparing the beds for planting pumpkin

Pumpkin seeds or seedlings are planted in warm soil from mid-May, while the air temperature should exceed the average daily plus 10 grams. Celsius. If the seeds are planted earlier, then they will not be able to develop properly and will rot.

Growing pumpkin outdoors in an area where potatoes, melon, sunflower or watermelon were previously grown is not recommended. In one place, the pumpkin is planted with a break of five years. Sandy loamy, light and medium loamy soils with a neutral Ph 4.5-5 are most suitable for growing pumpkin.

Pumpkin planting technology

Holes for seeds or seedlings are made along the entire bed at a distance of 0.9-1 m from each other and to a depth of 5-7 cm.At least 2 liters of water are poured into each hole, the temperature of which should not be lower than plus 50 grams. Celsius, after which they start sowing.

Sowing pumpkin in open ground

Top mulch with sawdust, straw or peat. Growing pumpkin outdoors in Siberia is slightly different: it is recommended to sow 2 seeds per hole. After their germination, a weaker plant is selected and removed.

Seedling pumpkin after planting in open ground

The agricultural technique for growing pumpkin in the open field includes additional cover for the planted seeds with a film, which is carefully fixed along the perimeter of the garden bed. The covering material creates greenhouse conditions and helps protect seedlings from possible frost.

After the sprouts have reached 50 cm in height, the film is lifted by pulling it over a wire frame. In mid-June, the material is filmed.

A film without a frame left in the garden can be used in place of mulch, which will help facilitate caring for the pumpkin as it grows. In the covering material, with this use, cross-shaped incisions are made for the sprouts.

Pumpkin cultivation and care - film mulching

Planting and growing pumpkins in the open field video

Pumpkin care rules

Caring for pumpkin in the open field does not cause difficulties, as it consists in timely watering and feeding.

Fertilization

Top dressing should be applied no more than once every 2 weeks. Fertilizing pumpkin in the open field with minerals is performed twice: when five leaves appear (10 g of nitrophoska per plant in dry form); when lashes appear (15 g of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water for each bush).

Feeding pumpkin with wood ash (1 cup per 1 plant) and mullein (1 liter of mullein per 10 liters of water) is also effective. Mullein is introduced at the beginning of the growing season (1 bucket for 6 plants) and during fruiting (1 bucket for 3 bushes).

Top dressing of pumpkin in the open field

All dressings are introduced into a ring-shaped ditch, increasing the depth from 8 to 15 cm as the pumpkin grows.At the seedling stage, a deepening is dug at a distance of 15 cm, after 2 weeks it is increased to 40 cm.

Watering the pumpkin

Before watering, the soil is loosened 10 cm deep, trying not to catch the root, and cleaned of weeds. Watering pumpkins in the open field is carried out only with warm water, 50 gr. Celsius, do not use cold artesian or well water.

Timely abundant irrigation during flowering is especially important: moisture is necessary for the formation of female inflorescences. Water consumption during this period is about 30 liters per plant.

During the ripening of the fruits, the amount of water when watering is reduced, since excess moisture reduces the shelf life and reduces the sugar content of the fruits.

Growing pumpkin video

Forming pumpkin lashes

The formation of a pumpkin during cultivation allows you not to waste energy on extra ovaries and shoots, due to which larger fruits grow with better taste characteristics. While the main stem has reached a length of 1.5 m, it is pinched. Leave only 2 lateral shoots up to 70 cm long. On each of them, a fruit ripens.

Scheme of the formation of pumpkin lashes

To speed up the filling of fruits, the shoots are pressed to the ground, sprinkled with a small layer of soil at a distance of up to half a meter from the main shoot for rooting. A piece of plywood or glass is placed under each forming pumpkin to protect against fungal diseases that begin to develop on the fruits from damp soil.

Pinching and caring for a pumpkin in the open field video

Protecting pumpkin from diseases and pests

The most common pumpkin diseases are fruit rot, powdery mildew and mosaic. Most often they appear due to increased dampness - a favorable environment for the development of bacteria and fungi. Of the pests, the spider mite most often affects the pumpkin, as well as the melon aphid.

Powdery mildew

When the first symptoms of a fungal disease are detected on the leaves of the pumpkin, they are fought by spraying with a solution of 3 g of potassium permanganate or 2 g of copper sulfate, dissolved in 10 liters of water. They are treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid during the formation of ovaries and leaves. For prevention, regular watering is carried out, crop rotation is observed and the remains of diseased plants are destroyed.

Powdery mildew on pumpkin leaves

Pumpkin mosaic

A dangerous viral disease, infected plants are removed and burned away from the site. Preventive measures: destruction of weeds, disinfection of garden tools, destruction of parasites, timely removal of affected areas.

Pumpkin mosaic in the initial stage

Fruit rot

The decayed areas are carefully removed with a knife and the wound is wiped with fresh aloe juice. The rubbed area dries up, and the pumpkin continues to develop.

Pumpkin Fruit Rot

Insect protection methods

Aphids are fought by removing weeds, spraying with soapy water (200 g of grated soap per 10 liters of water) or 10% karbofos in a proportion of 60 g per 10 liters of water.

Spraying spider mites is helped by spraying with onion infusion of 200 g of husk per 10 liters of water or 20% chloroethanol solution (20 g per 10 liters of water).

Harvesting and storage conditions for pumpkin

To prevent the pumpkin from spoiling in the garden, you need to harvest on time. The moment of ripening can be recognized by the following signs:

• The peduncle becomes rough and rough;
• Foliage and whips turn yellow and dry;
• The skin coarsens and takes on the typical pattern of the variety.

It is necessary to harvest before stable frosts. Pumpkin pruning occurs with a stalk up to 6 cm. The cut fruits are placed in a dry, warm room. For a week, the pumpkins ripen, and the stalk dries up.

Storing pumpkin in a heated room

With the onset of frost, unripe, unpicked pumpkins are mulched with straw or agrofibre.

Outcome

Compliance with all the conditions and rules for caring for a pumpkin will allow you to grow a rich harvest. Delicious and healthy vegetables can be stored well until the New Year without any processing. Pumpkin can be used for main dishes, desserts, soups, canned, or used as a Halloween lantern.

The chemical composition of pumpkin is rich in vitamins and minerals that are useful for the normal functioning of human organs. This explains the popularity of growing vegetables in the garden beds. Culture enjoys success among farmers for industrial cultivation... In this review, we will talk about the features of planting pumpkin seeds and seedlings in open ground and further care.

Terms for planting pumpkin in Belarus, Ukraine, Leningrad region and other regions

A crop is planted after the soil is completely warmed up, and the average daily temperature does not fall below + 10 ° C. If, when sowing in spring, the temperature is below + 13 ° C, then the germination process slows down, which threatens seed rot. In the middle lane, the best dates for planting seeds fall in the second decade of May. According to folk traditions, the sowing day coincides with the church holiday - St. George's Day, but you should not rely on the landmark date without taking into account the weather conditions.

The pumpkin is planted in open ground in late spring

In the southern regions, as well as in Belarus, Ukraine, Donbass, where weather conditions permit, pumpkin can be planted at the end of April. According to the lunar calendar, this period coincides with the growing moon, which is favorable for the development of fruit-tops.

Most popular varieties

For Moscow region

Premiere

Table pumpkin Premiere

Cold-hardy crop with a sprawling long lash and sweet-tasting large fruits hanging over mature up to 6 kg. The culture is unpretentious to the type of soil, its fertility.

Dachnaya

Pumpkin grade Dachnaya

Culture with an early ripening period (75-85 days). The vegetable is characterized by a sweetish taste with hints of vanilla. Ripe pumpkin weighs 3-4 kg. Duration of storage of fruits is more than 4 months.

For the Urals

Russian woman

Pumpkin Russian woman

The plant is resistant to garden diseases and frost. The pulp is juicy and sugar, for which it is appreciated by culinary experts. The mass of the Russian pumpkin exceeds 2.7 kg. The ripening period of the crop is 110-130 days. The ripe fruit is orange.

Pearl nutmeg

Pumpkin nutmeg pearl

Butternut squash ripens in 100 days the weight of the pumpkins is about 5-7 kg. The taste is full-bodied with a nutmeg note. The plant is cold-resistant, tolerates drought and heavy rainfall, has a strong immunity.

The best varieties of Siberia

Freckle

Pumpkin variety Freckle

Plant with vegetation days. The pulp is very juicy and sweet, tastes like a melon. Even after heat treatment, it retains a crispy structure. Pumpkin weight does not exceed 3 kg.

Smile

Pumpkin Smile

Shrub variety. The culture easily tolerates temperature extremes and withstands frost, shows resistance to a humid environment. The variety is distinguished by its excellent taste and long shelf life (up to the next season). The duration of the growing season is 90-110 days, fruit weight - 2.1-3 kg.

Correct planting of a plant in open ground

The key to yield is correct planting, which includes the preparation of seeds and soil, as well as the process of laying planting material in the hole.

Seed preparation: check for germination and germination

Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds

Seed material must first be checked for germination and sorted, leaving only healthy specimens. 3 days before the start of sowing, the grains must be germinated in wet gauze or sawdust. To speed up the germination of seeds at home, they are placed in a solution of sodium or potassium humate for 2 days. The container should be kept in a room all this time, where the temperature regime is 20 ° C.

The soil

The soil must be prepared before planting. To do this, they dig it up, apply fertilizers: potash, phosphorus, compost or manure. It is better to use complex ones, they enrich the soil with various nutrients. For example, 2 buckets of humus, ½ buckets of sawdust, 1 kg of ash, 1 glass of nitrophoska are introduced per 1 m2.

The depth of digging the soil should be at least 35-50 cm. To disinfect the site, it is necessary to pour hot water over it.

Where to plant a pumpkin in the country? A sunny, well-ventilated place is chosen for landing. Precursors such as potatoes, sunflowers, melons, and watermelon will not work. But after legumes, tomatoes and beets, the plant will feel great. The same site should also not be used for disembarkation, the break should be 4-5 years.

Planting seeds and seedlings in the country

The distance between the holes should be at least 60 cm, because the lash of the plant is actively developing and spreading over a large space. When determining the scheme, it is better to be guided by the characteristics of the variety. More often, gardeners use this planting option:

• embedment depth seeds - 8-10 cm (on light soils), 5-6 cm (on loams) with the sharp side down;
• interval between holes in a row - 60-80 cm;
• distance between rows - 1 m.

Pumpkin is not recommended to be planted next to potatoes.

For spreading lashes, the scheme is used: 1x1.5 m. To protect the planting from spring frosts, it is recommended to cover the bed with a film.

Experienced gardeners use the lunar calendar when planning planting work in the garden. The dates indicated in it affect the speed of plant development. It is recommended to plant a pumpkin on the growing moon:

• in March begin to plant seeds for seedlings (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23);
• in April sowing is permissible in open ground (17-22, 24-29);
• in May (16 - 21, 23 - 28 numbers).

In addition to 3-4 seeds, organic fertilizers are introduced into each hole: manure, humus or peat. To moisturize, use warm water (2 liters per hole).

In the Leningrad region, the Moscow region, in the Urals, in Siberia, pumpkin is grown in seedlings. The technology of planting young plants in the ground does not differ from planting seeds.

But what to do if the pumpkin seedlings are strongly elongated?In cases of excessive activity of seedling growth, when the stem becomes thin and unnecessarily long, the first thing to do is to transplant the plants into larger pots, providing the necessary space.

Growing at home and further care

At home, pumpkin can be grown on almost any soil. The culture shows tolerance to adverse weather conditions, even when it has begun to germinate. But these facts do not mean that the culture does not need to be cared for.

How long will the seeds germinate?

The timing of seed germination depends solely on the temperature regime. If the night indicator does not fall below 12-14 °, the seeds will begin to sprout in a week. Even if the weather is cool, after a month, 2-3 leaves are already developing on the shoot.

Pre-planting soaking of seeds in growth stimulants will help speed up the germination process. In addition to special products, aloe juice, infusion of wood ash, potato juice, honey solution are used.

Watering rules

Watering the pumpkin during flowering is especially important: moisture is necessary for the formation of female inflorescences

The pumpkin needs watering, but in moderation. Excessive moisture will provoke the pulling of the seedlings. It is better to water the soil after loosening and weeding. The culture tolerates drought well, but the reaction to cold water from the main line can be negative. Therefore, experts recommend using the settled liquid from the well.

Top dressing

The plant is very fond of feeding. Already a week after germination of seedlings, the first complementary food is introduced. The plant gets ideal nutrition from the mullein solution. Nitrophoska is considered no less effective (15 grams per bucket of water). She and carry out subsequent feeding with an interval of 10-14 days.

The correct formation of the seedling is expressed in a low but strong stem, short internodes, the presence of 3 leaves after a month.

Forming pumpkins

Scheme of the formation of pumpkin lashes

As soon as 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings, you need to thin out the garden bed. When growing large-fruited pumpkin, only one sprout is left, nutmeg and hard bark - 2 seedlings each.

The developing lash should also be shaped by removing excess ovaries and lateral shoots. This is done in two ways: in one stem and in two. In the first case, it is recommended to leave only 2-3 ovaries, on which there are 3-4 leaves. In the second method, 2 fruits are left on the main stem, and one on the side shoot. Without such a procedure, the fruits will be small and not very tasty.

Pests and prevention

Pumpkin is considered an unpretentious plant, however, this culture is also threatened by pests. Reducing productivity, and sometimes destroying young shoots can:

• slugs;
• melon aphid.

When signs of an invasion of pests are detected, special preparations are used (Actellik, Fufanon, Tsitkor, etc.). Products made from biological components are safer. In efficiency, sometimes folk methods are not inferior, among which deserve attention:

• decoctions and infusions from pharmacy chamomile;
• infusions of potato and tomato tops;
• decoctions of wormwood and other aromatic herbs;
• wood ash;
• tobacco dust;
• slaked lime, etc.

Working solutions are used for spraying plants, and powders are used for dusting. The procedures are repeated 2-3 times at intervals of 7-10 days.

For an instant reaction to an invasion of pests, it is necessary to make it a rule to inspect the beds with a regularity of 1 every 3 days. Then you can localize the problem and save the harvest.

Harvesting

You can determine the maturity of a pumpkin by the following criteria:

• the peduncle becomes more rigid, the surface is corked, its woodiness occurs simultaneously with the stem supplying food;
• the leaves on the whip dry up, change color to yellow;
• whatever the original peel color, after ripening, reflects the texture pattern more vividly;
• if you run your fingernail over the crust, no trace is formed;
• when you press your fingers on the fetus, feel hard;
• ripe product is covered matte bloom;
• when tapped, audible ringing knock;
• when harvesting the peduncle is easy to remove.

It is necessary to harvest the pumpkin before stable frosts.

To ensure the crop has a long shelf life, it is necessary to pluck the fruits carefully, taking care not to damage the rind. Scratches should be sealed with a bactericidal plaster so that microbes do not penetrate into the vegetable.

The fruits removed from the garden are placed in a dry room, where they ripen for about a month.

The main guarantee of a good harvest is correct selection of seeds and timely care. Self-grown pumpkin diversifies the menu for households, enriches the body with nutrients.