Yes, oddly enough, a pumpkin is a berry, although we used to believe that it is a vegetable. An amazing plant that has been known since ancient times. Mexico is considered its homeland, where it was cultivated for 5 thousand years BC. e. In Russia, the pumpkin appeared in the 16th century, because of its unpretentious nature, it took root very well in our territory. In appearance, she is an orange beauty, but sometimes green.
In autumn, the markets are full of pumpkins of various shapes and sizes: round, oblong, in the shape of a guitar. There are large and small fruits. Everyone loves pumpkin. It is tasty, low-calorie, he althy. It contains as many vitamins as there is, perhaps, in no other product. It contains potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, fluorine, silicon. And the presence of vitamin E in it, which is able to rejuvenate and restore the body, made it even more significant. Therefore, doctors advise including pumpkin in the diet of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, liver disease, intestines, anemia and obesity. A huge number of culinary recipes for preparing delicious food from this wonderful product are known. Is it possible for a pumpkin in a garden to grow the same as we see it on the market? Of course, if there is a plot, precioustime and desire. In this case, it is necessary to take into account some points.
When to plant a pumpkin
It is the knowledge of all the nuances of growing a vegetable that can ensure a good harvest. In the spring, as soon as the earth warms up a little, frosts end, the air temperature will be around +18 degrees, the time comes when it is already possible to plant a pumpkin. After all, you should definitely consider that it is a heat-loving plant. And if you dip the seeds into the cold ground (when it is still impossible to plant a pumpkin), all your efforts will be in vain. At first, when the nights are still cold, you even need to cover the area where you landed with a film.
Procurement of seeds and varieties
A good gardener attaches great importance to the selection of seeds, and sometimes he himself makes the harvesting of those. Selected mature pumpkin should be stored in a cool, dry place. After using this fruit, the seeds must be cleaned of pulp, dried and only the most dense, ripe and he althy ones should be selected. If future seedlings are stored in a damp place, they may not sprout at all. Or, instead of a large berry, only a flower will show off in your garden. There are more than 30 varieties of pumpkin. Large fruits with a hard bark: Almond, Freckle, Gymnosperm, Mozoleevskaya 49. They ripen early and are stored for a long time. Round fruits: Baby, Winter sweet, Winter dining, Smile. These pumpkins are good for winter storage. Portion pumpkins: Butter crumpets, Winter sweet, Amazon, Orange bush. Weighing up to 5 kg. Early ripening, sweet. Usually gardeners take varieties that arethe region took root.
Where to plant
When to plant a pumpkin, we know. Now we need to choose a landing site so that the lady who came from the Southern countries would like it, since she is a lover of the sun, water, air and freedom. Planting it in the shade means giving up the harvest. It is necessary to plant a pumpkin on loosened, well-heated soil. It's great if this land is mixed with compost (vegetable waste with manure). It retains moisture and warmth. Compost is easy to make. In autumn, you need to collect all the fallen leaves, branches from trees, dry grass, and manure into the pit. Under the rain and snow, this goodness vanishes. In the spring, loose earth is added to it, mixed, all this is distributed among the beds. Better yet, plant pumpkin seeds or seedlings directly into this hole with ready-made fertilizer.
Seedlings should be planted in pots or plastic boxes. When seedlings appear, after 20 days you can plant on the beds. Distribute with an interval of 80 cm. When planting, do not damage the seedlings, otherwise they will get sick, act up, and may even die.
Care and feeding of pumpkins
The branches and leaves of the pumpkin are strong, juicy and tenacious, growing rapidly up to one and a half meters in width. Pollination of flowers - the end of July or the beginning of August. One plant can have one or two fruits. The excess thread must be removed. A pumpkin is considered ripe when the stalk is completely dry.
Good, ripe fruit (see pumpkin photo) can be stored in a cool dry place until spring. Once a week, the beds where the seeds or seedlings were planted must be fedinfusion of manure, sometimes sprinkled with ashes. If the seeds are planted on compost fertilizer, then top dressing is not needed. It is enough to water simply with water.
It remains to wish all summer residents success and a good harvest!
