In order to grow a giant pumpkin fruit, several conditions must be met.
One of the first is to choose the desired variety, in which the formation of large fruits is inherent in genetics. Basically they belong to the large-fruited pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima).
In the last century, the largest pumpkins in our country grew varieties of Stopound (8-12 kg). Today she is being overtaken Big Max (up to 18 kg), Mother-in-law (15-20 kg), Merchant's wife (35-55 kg), BigMax and Titan (up to 50 kg), Atlant (60-70 kg). The leader in terms of fruit size - grade Centner, which, with intensive care and favorable conditions, produces orange segmented oval fruits weighing up to 100 kg.
By the way, the world record was set by the Swiss farmer Benny Mayer, who grew a pumpkin weighing 1053.6 kg in 2014.
More representative fruits give cultivars of the species Cucurbita maxima, zoned in Peru, Bolivia, the southern states of the USA and India.
That is, for the formation of large fruits, pumpkin requires warmth and an abundance of moisture. In addition, pumpkin loves loose, fertile soil - its roots are weak and grow not in depth, but in breadth. To feed the plant, they must easily and quickly occupy a large area.
Therefore, pumpkins grow better in a garden bed, generously filled with manure, or on a compost heap.
The listed varieties are medium and medium late (120-130 days). Therefore, even in the south of the country, they do not have time to fully realize their potential before the cold weather.
The way out is to cook seedlings on the windowsill in individual cups, or in early April, under additional shelter, sow a pumpkin in a greenhouse (greenhouse), and with the arrival of stable heat, release its stems into the street.
So, by the way, it is easier to water and feed the plant: the pumpkin does not like to be pulled at its leaves. This should be done regularly - at least once a week, alternating clean water with infusions of manure, herbs, ash and solutions of complex fertilizers.
The listed varieties of large-fruited pumpkin form long lashes. They need to be evenly distributed so that parts of the plant do not shade each other.
To improve the nutrition of the lashes, the nodes of internodes (with an interval of 1-1.5 m) are sprinkled with compost or steamed sawdust - adventitious roots grow under them. If you want to grow a very large fruit, only one ovary is left on the plant. The rest are removed.
Giant fruits are good for making juice (up to 40 liters) and candied fruits (up to 25 kg from a pumpkin that has gained 80 kg).
But they are inconvenient to use in cooking, and it is difficult to find storage space. In addition, too large fruits do not differ in taste, since they are poor in sugars and vitamins. And if you need pumpkins for food, and not to participate in the Hampshire Swim, the Pumpkin Grower Championship or making a carriage for Cinderella, grow pumpkins with fruits weighing up to 5 kg.
Record-breaking pumpkins: 10 secrets from Bulgaria
Oversized vegetables usually raise the suspicion that they are genetically modified or overfed with nitrates. But this is always the case, says the well-known Bulgarian gardener and seed grower Hristo CHRISTOV, who has been growing gigamp pumpkins for many years.
He raised his first giants in 2005 - 235 kg each. But don't think that everything is due to the Bulgarian climate. Just the same in Russia and the middle lane, the climate is more favorable for growing giant pumpkins. They do not like when the high temperature lasts for a long time: optimally - no more than +30 degrees, in our country it is usually higher than +33 degrees.
By the way, the largest pumpkins (up to 500 kg and heavier!) Are obtained in southern Canada, northern Europe and the United States.
And although the summer of 2007 was hot in Bulgaria (it reached +39.3 degrees!), I watered pumpkins well and set a country's record - the biggest one weighed 270 kg!
To get giant pumpkins, you need a sunny large area - no partial shade and thickening! Only for the fruit I provide a place of 1-1.5 sq.m. All in all, a plant needs 20-30 sq. M.
- I grow pumpkins through seedlings. I plant her in the garden with the first real leaf. A month before planting, I fill the holes with a depth of 40 cm with the extracted top layer of soil, mixed 1: 1 with semi-rotted manure or compost.
- Usually the stem grows in the opposite direction from the first leaf. Knowing this, I plant the seedlings so that the stem is oriented in the direction I need (where there is a place).
- I spud the nodes on the stems for the growth of additional roots with moist soil. I pollinate pumpkins by hand, rubbing the female flowers with two or three male flowers of the same variety. The most suitable period for pollination of flowers is from June 15 to July 15.
- After pollination, I measure small fruits daily to determine which grows faster. All other ovaries are removed, i.e. I leave only one on the bush.
- The bushes must be shaped according to the Christmas tree type. On the plant, I leave the main stem and side lashes, which I lay perpendicularly (to facilitate care). Shoots of the second order are removed when they reach a length of 2-3 cm. I pinch the main stem when after the fruit it grows 4-6 m (see Fig.
- In pumpkins, the stalk usually grows at an acute angle to the stem, and the fruit can crush it. Therefore, when it reaches the size of a soccer ball, I move the pumpkin a little every day at noon (by 2-3 cm) until the stalk is at right angles to the stem.
- Watering is essential for maximum results. I rarely water the seedlings for the first three weeks. Further (especially in the heat) - more often, while watering not only at the root, but also the entire area under the plant. The norm is 30-40 liters of water per week per 1 sq. M.
- If the soil is fertile, you can do without top dressing. If not, the scheme is as follows:
- before flowering - with a solution of mineral fertilizers in the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium 1: 3: 1;
- after flowering - with a solution of mineral fertilizers in the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium 3: 1: 3;
- after leaving one fruit - with the same solution in a ratio of 2: 1: 4.
5 secrets to growing a giant pumpkin
He began to lead his own garden not so long ago - about seven years ago. During this time I learned a lot and continue to experiment with pleasure. Once I read about "pumpkin dad" Benny Meyer, who managed to grow the world's largest pumpkin weighing 1056 kg! I also decided to show off my pumpkin giant in the garden. I was pleased with the result - my orange miracle weighed 200 kg!
- Warm bed
I have been preparing the landing site since autumn. I allocated a sunny 6 × 6 m area protected from the wind for the garden bed.In the center of the site I dug a square depression (1.5 × 1.5 m) 25-30 cm deep.At the bottom I laid humus mixed in half with fallen leaves and healthy vegetation leftovers from the garden. He sprinkled it with earth, dug it up a little. The result was a bed about 25 cm high filled with organic matter. I watered it and left it until spring. When the snow melted, I covered it with a black film.
- Seed sandpaper
At the end of April, the edges of Titan pumpkin seeds were carefully cut off with sandpaper and soaked for 5 hours in a solution of potassium humate (according to the instructions). On the bottom of the bowl he laid wet moss, on it - seeds, covered it with a thin layer of the same moss and put it in a warm, bright place for germination. Sprayed periodically with warm water. On the bottom of the pots for seedlings with a diameter of 12-15 cm I laid on a strip of film, brought the edges out.
He filled the containers with garden soil, poured abundantly with warm water. I sowed the germinated seeds to a depth of 2.5 cm. When the sprouts appeared, I fed the seedlings for the first time with a complex mineral fertilizer according to the instructions, the second time I fed the plants in the same way a couple of days before planting. In the second half of May, when the ground warmed up well and the threat of return frosts had passed, he abundantly watered the seedlings.
I dug holes along the depth of the seedling containers, spilled them with a solution of complex mineral fertilizer (according to the instructions). The seedlings, together with the soil lump, were carefully pulled out over the edges of the film. On a prepared warm bed, I planted only one - the strongest plant. I planted the rest on another site.
- Mandatory "haircut"
Taking care of a giant pumpkin is no more difficult than any other pumpkin. The main thing is to feed on time, protect against diseases and pests, and more importantly, to form the whips correctly.
I released the main lash of the record-breaking pumpkin to 7.5 m (3 m after the formation of the fetus). After that, he cut off the top and dug it in with earth. The bush itself formed in the form of a triangle, the base of which is the root of the plant.
The first secondary lashes were released by 3-3.5 meters. Each subsequent lash was made shorter than the previous one by 1-1.5 m.
All the third lashes, growing out of the sinuses of the secondary lashes, were immediately cut off.
When 3 fruits were formed on the main lash, all the other ovaries were immediately removed.
And when the pumpkins reached the size of a soccer ball, he left one, the smoothest and fastest growing. I cut the rest.
- Sunburn under an umbrella
Throughout the summer, the growing fruit was sheltered from direct sunlight. The fact is that under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the peel of the fruit quickly hardens, becomes not so elastic and does not allow the pumpkin to grow further. As a cover, I first used spunbond on the arms. And when my experimental pumpkin grew a lot, I had to install a beach umbrella.
The pumpkin is recognized worldwide as a valuable vegetable plant. Pumpkin dishes are easy to digest, contain many beneficial substances for the body and are very affordable. But neither the majority of housewives who add pumpkin to porridge, make delicious juice or delicious jam for the winter, nor gardeners know that very different interesting cultures are combined under one name.
Moreover, these plants not only belong to different species, but also have completely different purposes.
Classification of pumpkin varieties
The genus Cucurbita, which unites numerous varieties of pumpkin, includes 18 species, most of them have no culinary value, and some are used as forage, decorative and industrial crops.
The main center of origin and distribution of pumpkin plant species is Central and South America, where these plants were familiar and used by people in ancient times. However, some of the subspecies come from the Asian region and Africa. Currently, thanks to the development of ties between countries and continents, gardeners have access to all species diversity, and on their site you can try to grow the most unusual plants.
And the most famous cultivated food types in the world include:
- large pumpkin or Cucurbita maxima;
- hard pumpkin or Cucurbita pepo;
- or Cucurbita moschata.
At the same time, two types, namely large-fruited and hard-bore pumpkin, are also grown for livestock feed.
One of the large-fruited subspecies is the spectacular pumpkin shown in the photo, reminiscent of Turkish hats and grown as an ornamental crop. But the beloved by many and, although they are eaten in the form of greens, also belong to pumpkins and belong to the Cucurbita pepo species.
With a lot of common features and properties, cultivated types and varieties of pumpkin, as in the photo, have a number of differences in the appearance of the green parts of plants and fruits, as well as in their quality.
If we look at the stems, then in a large-fruited pumpkin they will be almost rounded, and in a hard-bore with clearly distinguished edges.
You can recognize a plant belonging to the species Cucurbita maxima by the almost flat leaf plates, while in the butternut squash, a notch in the center is clearly visible on the leaves. And the leaves of a hard-bore pumpkin are covered with a rough, thorn-like pile.
- Fruits of hard-barked and large-fruited pumpkin most often have a rounded or elongated shape, and the seeds are located in the middle of the fruit in volumetric cavities.
- In the pear-shaped butternut pumpkin, the pulp occupies almost the entire volume of the fruit, and there are very few seeds, and they are closer to the expanding end.
Cultivated in Russia and all over the world, pumpkins can have a climbing or bush shape. Moreover, the subgroup of bush pumpkins, as in the photo, includes zucchini, and zucchini, and cut from a plant at the age of 6-14 days.
So what is good about this or that type of pumpkin? What are its characteristic features and characteristics? To understand all the variety, photos of types and varieties of pumpkin will help.
The name of this type of pumpkin speaks for itself.
Large-fruited pumpkin varieties are popular with gardeners all over the world, but you can get the most outstanding specimens only during a long warm summer. Under favorable conditions, the weight of pumpkins reaches several hundred kilograms, and gourmet varieties accumulate up to 15% sugar.
It is not surprising that the pumpkin of the Cucurbita maxima species received the greatest distribution in its homeland, in Peru, as well as in the southern states of the United States, Bolivia and India, where many interesting local varieties were obtained. It is interesting that large-fruited pumpkins, even belonging to the same species, amaze with their shapes, colors and even sizes. Along with giant plants, there are dwarfs that give very modest fruits, like the already mentioned turban pumpkin, in the photo.
A striking representative of the large-fruited species in Russian beds can be considered such a well-known variety as the "Hundred-Pound" pumpkin, in the photo, even in the middle lane it grows to 10-15 kg, and in warmer regions pleases summer residents with fruits of 35-50 kg. The pumpkin variety stands out for its thin orange bark, loose yellow-orange flesh and resistance to common crop diseases.
Among the large-fruited record holders are the pumpkin varieties "Titan" and "Kupchikha", who have not let gardeners for many years.
But the hybrid "Teshenka" only recently appeared in the gardens, but has already established itself as a high-yielding crop, yielding fruits weighing up to 20 kg. The pulp of such pumpkins is rich in carotene, has a decent taste and does not lose quality during long-term storage.
Hard Bark Gourd (Cucurbita rero)
This type of wild-growing pumpkin was once discovered by the Indian tribes of Central America and has become one of the most popular, if not iconic, plants in the region.
The annual vegetable plant, now in dozens of varieties and varieties, is grown everywhere from southern Mexico to the central United States. Climbing and bush plants are present in the culture, and some of the subspecies are decorative pumpkins, as in the photo, used to decorate the garden and interior.
Cucurbita pepo, as a species, is subdivided into several distinct varieties, among which are: hard pumpkin, squash and squash.
The hard-bore pumpkin got its name due to the coarse, very dense layer of the bark, which gains strength as the fruit ripens. This is the earliest species in Russian gardens, but pumpkin lovers should take into account that the pulp of this type of fruit can be quite coarse, so you should be especially careful when choosing varieties for cultivation. Today, summer residents are offered many interesting hybrids and varieties of pumpkin, among which there are plants of a very unusual type and properties.
The early ripening hard-bore pumpkin of the "Spaghetti" variety ripens in 65–80 days and during the growing season forms a long-leaved plant with oval yellowish or cream-colored fruits. The weight of the pumpkin is from 800 to 1.5 kg, but the main feature of the variety is hidden under the hard bark. This is a low-juicy pulp that breaks down into individual fibers, the appearance of which gave the name to the variety. The sweetness of this pumpkin, in the photo, is not great, but the variety is loved by vegetarians and adherents of proper nutrition for the opportunity to feast on unusual vegetable "pasta".
The Amazon is an early-ripening pumpkin variety, the main value of which is portioned small fruits weighing about one kilogram. Juicy orange pumpkin pulp is rich in sugar and carotenes, valuable for baby and diet food. At the same time, a productive variety can be attributed to bush pumpkins with short, barely developed lashes.
A characteristic feature of the culture is the oil-rich, tasty seeds without a hard surface shell. The pumpkin, in the photo, is unpretentious, but it cannot be stored for a long time due to the danger of seed germination inside the fruit.
The ultra-early ripening variety of bush pumpkin "Smile" easily tolerates frosts, is harvestable and is valued as a source of sweet portioned fruits with pulp that smells like real melon.
A typical example of bush pumpkin varieties are squash and squash grown in every garden, as well as zucchini, popular today, with fruits of all shades of yellow and green.
Butternut squash can be safely called the most delicious of all cultivated species. It is not surprising that the seeds of this particular culture were found by archaeologists during the study of the oldest settlements in South America.
By morphological characteristics, namely by the appearance of stems, leaves and flowers, this type of pumpkin occupies an intermediate position between Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita pepo. But the flesh of the fruit is strikingly different in appearance and taste, because on average it contains up to 11.5% sugar, is dense, oily and has a subtle pleasant smell.
True, it is more difficult to grow the fruits of butternut squash than large-fruited or hard-barked. Plants are demanding for heat and moisture, and pumpkin varieties are mid-season or late. There are six subspecies of butternut squash in the world. But the most popular are pear-shaped pumpkins, due to the taste and consistency of the pulp, called "butternut" - butternut.
For Russian summer residents, breeders offer fairly cold-resistant pumpkin varieties of this type, which yield sweet, delicious fruits in 90-120 days.
An early ripe variety of nutmeg pumpkin "Sugar mace" forms climbing plants, on which up to 8 fruits weighing one and a half to two kilograms can ripen at the same time.
A feature of the pumpkin variety, as in the photo, is the unusual shape of the fruit, and their rather quick ripening. Sweet and juicy pulp, rich in carotene, vitamins and can be used for making juices, baby food and other types of culinary processing
The Pearl pumpkin ripens three weeks later. The fruits in this case have the classic shape of a pear-shaped pumpkin and reach 3–6 kg in weight. The rich orange pulp contains a lot of sugar and carotene, which makes it suitable for baby and medical nutrition. Plants tolerate dry periods well, and fruits can ripen in indoor conditions.
"Pineapple" butternut squash is a mid-season hybrid with long lashes and pear-shaped delicacy fruits weighing up to 2.5 kg. The bark of pumpkins of this variety, as in the photo, has a creamy or yellowish tint, and the pulp can accumulate up to 10% sugar. The nutmeg pumpkin is versatile and disease resistant.
The Peruvian jungle is home to another type of pumpkin, which, unlike the plants already described, is a perennial crop.
Outwardly, a green pumpkin, on the surface of which a whitish bizarre pattern is clearly visible, looks more like an unripe watermelon in cut. The oval or elongated fig-leaved pumpkin has a rough white or yellowish flesh with a sweetish aroma and taste. The seeds also resemble watermelon seeds both in shape and in a hard black shell. Plants are vigorous, climbing, individual shoots up to 10 meters in length.
Green pumpkins of this type are used in vegetable garnishes, subject to heat treatment, and mature ones are raw materials for confectionery and alcoholic beverages. Despite its tropical origin, this type of pumpkin, as in the photo, is easily grown even in the North-West of the country.
Wax gourd (Benincasa hispida)
Elongated green pumpkins of this species were originally known only in the Southeast. But today the first varieties of pumpkin of the genus Benincasa hispida appeared in Russia. Fruits of a dark green hue have an unusual dense bark that feels like wax.
The Chengzhou waxy gourd variety produces fruits that are ready to harvest 125-130 days after sowing. Pumpkins ripen on long, powerful lashes. The weight of each fruit reaches 6-15 kg, and its length ranges from 25 to 50 cm.
The milky pulp of this type of pumpkin can be used boiled, stewed or fried. For culinary purposes, both green pumpkins that have not reached ripeness and ripe fruits are used. As it ripens, pumpkin accumulates some sugar, but it cannot be compared to butternut squash. But the wax pumpkin is the record holder in terms of shelf life. Without loss of quality, fruits can lie for up to 2-3 years.
Choosing the best pumpkin varieties today is not an easy task. More than a hundred varieties of pumpkin have been bred by breeders. Each species has its own advantages and weaknesses. Pumpkin varieties are adapted for different regions of the country, are demanding in different ways to climatic conditions and have different taste qualities.
We will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the most common varieties and select the best pumpkin varieties according to several indicators.
The main varieties of pumpkin
To understand the variety of varieties that exist today, you need to know their types. They are usually divided into four groups:
- Muscat varieties... These are the varieties that have a reputation for being the tastiest, but they are the most sensitive to heat. In the conditions of our country, such varieties simply do not have time to ripen if grown from seeds. But growing from seedlings gives a satisfactory harvest. Butternut squash seeds are brown, sometimes with a yellow tint.
- Large-fruited varieties... The sweetest pumpkin is large-fruited. The seeds of such a pumpkin are white and very tasty. Such a pumpkin is well stored, but takes up a lot of space, and its fruits are heavy. This makes it difficult to transport the crop, so summer residents who do not have personal transport often choose varieties not from this group.
- Hard varieties... This group includes not only pumpkins, but also squash and squash. The fruits of this group are small, they grow well in temperate climates and ripen quickly. By the end of August-September, the fruits of these pumpkins are ready for consumption. They are also appreciated for the fact that a medium-sized pumpkin is convenient for harvesting, transporting and storing crops. Her seeds are creamy in color, very tasty.
- Decorative varieties... The fruits of this type are not used for food because of the bitter pulp. But hard, well-dried fruits are used in the manufacture of various crafts, and pumpkin whips with velvety dark green leaves and bright large flowers serve as an excellent decoration for the estate.
The sweetest pumpkin
A lot of the flavor of pumpkin is determined by its sweetness. The sugar content in a vegetable depends on many factors: the quality of the soil, the number of sunny days during ripening, watering, and many other factors. Still, the most important factor here is the quality of the variety. The sweetest pumpkin varieties belong to the group of large-fruited varieties. Here are the names most beloved by gardeners in our country:
- One hundred pound- this variety enjoys long-deserved fame. The plant has long, strong lashes and large fruits. The fruit can reach 120 kg, but most often its weight is from 7 to 10 kg. The flesh of this pumpkin is loose, yellow with an orange tint. Hundred-pound sugar does not accumulate very much, so the species is used as fodder. But her resistance to disease is very high.
- Marble- a variety, the fruits of which are medium-sized (about 4 kg), and the whips are long. The skin of the fruit is gray, gray-green or green with specks or streaks of a lighter shade. The fruits are flattened. The pumpkin pulp is orange, bright, crunchy when raw and very sweet in taste. But even in baked form, Marble pumpkin does not disappoint. Her yield is high. Fruits are well stored, are not prone to decay.
- Variety Smile suitable for gardeners who cannot allocate a large area for a vegetable. The plant was originally bred by breeders as an ornamental plant, but after improving varietal qualities, the taste of the fruit also improved significantly. A smile refers to early varieties, the harvest ripens in 3 months. The yield is high, about 10 pumpkins per root. The size of the pumpkin is small (about 2 kg). Pumpkins are flattened in shape, have a bright orange color with white stripes. They are very decorative. The pulp is orange, sweet, with a melon smell. Fruits can be stored in an apartment for up to 160 days.
- Sweetie- mid-season species with small pumpkins (1-2 kg) of a bright orange or almost red hue. One plant produces many pumpkins that mature in 116-120 days. The pulp is rich in ascorbic acid and is one of the sweetest. The plant is frost resistant.
- Atlant... Unlike the previous variety, Atlant is a giant even by the standards of large-fruited pumpkins. The average weight of the fetus is about 20 kg, and records are up to 70 kg! Pumpkins are orange in color, oblong in shape with a small but pronounced division into segments. Pumpkin pulp Atlant - delicate and sweet taste. The species is resistant to disease, and its fruits hardly rot during storage.
- Melon... Melon pumpkin got its name for its aroma, similar to the smell of melon. Rounded large orange fruits can reach up to 30 kg by weight. Good taste makes it optimal for use in baby food and for making juices. Other advantages are productivity, unpretentiousness, resistance to rot during storage.
Butternut squash came from South America, but has firmly won back its place in the gardens of our country thanks to its delicious pulp, rich in vitamins and microelements. Muscat fruits are great for making crafts. For example, the famous symbol of the Halloween holiday, tradition says to make it from the butternut pumpkin.
The most famous and common types of the nutmeg group include:
- Golden pear... The vegetable got its name for the unusual shape of pumpkins, resembling a drop. This variety is relatively new, but it has already won the recognition of gardeners. Small (up to 2 kg) fruits ripen in about 3 months. Due to its small size, the Golden Pear is easy to collect and store, and its disease resistance makes growing this plant easy. The pulp of the fruit is sweet, with a nutty taste. The dense juicy pulp can be eaten both raw and baked.
- Arbatskaya... If the previous variety is a novelty, then Arbat pumpkin is a choice that has stood the test of time. The pumpkin is pear-shaped, elongated, yellow with an orange tint. The fruits ripen rather late, they can reach up to 20 kg in weight. The crop is well stored and is suitable both for food and for livestock feed.
- Vitamin... Late variety with large pinkish-brown oval pumpkins covered with greenish spots. The plant is vigorous, each root producing 4-5 long, thick lashes. The flesh is almost red. It contains a lot of carotene and is very sweet. The crop is well kept without requiring special conditions.
- Prikubanskaya... An old, well-proven species with well-developed agricultural technology. Fruits are relatively small (2-3 kg), pear-shaped, divided into segments by shallow grooves. The advantages of the vegetable are stable yield, resistance to decay, tasty, juicy pulp of a bright orange hue.
- Butternut- perhaps the most classic representative of the nutmeg varietal group. For a bright, pronounced flavor of a nut in the pulp, this species is also called nutmeg or nutmeg. The plant has long, highly branching lashes. Small pumpkins resemble an elongated pear in structure. The skin of the fruit is brown and the flesh is bright orange, fibrous, oily to the touch and very good in taste. The crop ripens rather late. No cellar required for storage.
Variety Butternut
Something about unusual varieties ...
Of course, the classic varieties are a reliable, time-tested choice that guarantees a good harvest. But a good gardener is always by nature an experimenter, looking for something new and not stopping at the previously achieved successes. For exotic lovers, pumpkin is an excellent and very grateful object. Russian and foreign breeders have created and introduced into practice unusual types of vegetables.
Mirani di Chioggia- a variety of butternut pumpkin, which appeared on Italian soil, but recently - in domestic gardens. The plant looks very unusual thanks to the flattened bluish-green fruits that sit on long thick stalks. The surface of the fruit is segmented and covered with numerous tubercles. The cut of the fruit looks very decorative due to the contrast of the bluish-green skin with the yellow-orange color of the flesh. The seed nest is small, the flesh is dry, firm and sweet. The pumpkin crop of this variety can be stored for up to 6 months!
There is and gymnospermous pumpkin... As the name implies, the seeds of this variety do not have a shell, so they are very good to use in confectionery, and just for food. Fruits are mid-season, fairly resistant to rot during storage. The pulp is not very sweet, but it is quite good for food.
This variety is quite capricious, the seeds often rot and do not germinate well, since they do not have a protective peel. Therefore, it is better to grow such plants from seedlings. The area for gymnosperms should be set aside from pumpkins of a different variety, since cross-pollination gives disappointing results. This vegetable also does not welcome moisture and drought. Getting a crop of this species is not an easy task even for a pumpkin breeding connoisseur.
Variety Spaghetti also an unusual look. The pulp of this vegetable, when cooked, breaks down into fibers that resemble vermicelli; hence the name. The variety is early ripening, the first pumpkins will be ready by the end of August. The fruits are similar in color and shape to the melon, are small (about 1 kg), which makes harvesting and transportation easy. The pulp is not juicy, but sweet, with a vanilla aroma.
Arina- It is a light gray or white pumpkin of a rounded shape with a smooth or slightly segmented surface. The pulp is sweet in taste, dense, yellow in color. The vegetable is well stored, high-yielding, resistant to many diseases characteristic of a vegetable. The peculiarity of the variety is its seeds, rich in oil. They can be used in traditional medicine.
As you can see, pumpkin is a very diverse horticultural crop with a wide variety of qualities in different species. Among the variety of varieties, any gardener will pick up something to taste. But whichever species you choose, remember to follow the agrotechnics required for the variety. The pumpkin is a very grateful plant that will repay a little care with a good harvest!
In the comments I found a request to tell you about the sweetest pumpkin varieties... I wondered how to do it? You can rewrite the Catalog, you can add your own experiences, but it will be boring. Therefore, let's not start about the sweetest pumpkin varieties talk, but about sugar.
In the old days, grandfathers ate.
No matter what they wrote about the history of sugar, people were not familiar with it. The prices were enormous because the raw materials were transported from afar. In Balzac's short stories, the hostess of the salon sometimes could afford to offer sweet water to a particularly honored guest. What can we say about the peasants. Only under Peter the Great were the first attempts to produce sugar from imported semi-finished products in Russia.
Therefore, pumpkin chicks and dried berries were sweet food for our grandfathers and great-grandfathers. They knew how to cook a fig. That is why they were healthy.
Natural berry, fruit or vegetable sugar is usually fructose. Carbohydrate useful for the body. Sucrose is also useful if it is obtained from natural cane or sugar beet - he chewed a piece of beet or a sliver of cane, fulfilled the needs.
Because you can't get a lot of sugar from a sliver. Surplus consumption appeared because sugar became available in any quantities. Two to three teaspoons of sugar in a glass of tea is the norm. Those who drink tea without sugar look like aliens in the eyes of their neighbors.
And in vain.
Alternative.
There is a choice - to grow those varieties of vegetables, berries and apples that contain more sugars. The most important crop is pumpkin, because it can be kept fresh throughout the winter, and eaten both raw and boiled.
Each package of seeds indicates that this bag contains the seeds of sweet pumpkin.
But the gardener is not always satisfied. Why?
Because pumpkin is a simple culture only at first glance. How are we used to growing it? Chosen the sweetest pumpkin varieties, seeds were scattered on the potato field during planting of potatoes and that's it. We are waiting for the harvest.
Sometimes a lot of fruits will grow, so let's say that the year is fruitful. But more often there are not fruitful years.
It's just that everyone has long forgotten that pumpkin is a thermophilic culture. Breeders taught her to grow even where there is little heat. But the character of the pumpkin has not yet been changed.
When the pumpkin loses its sweetness.
Pumpkin seeds do not like to sprout if the temperature is below 12 degrees. If a cold snap came, albeit temporarily in July or August, then the flowers of the fruit may not set more. Ripening will also be somewhat delayed. But the main thing is different - pumpkin loses sugar. The sugar content decreases. Even the sweetest pumpkin varieties will not produce sweet fruits.
Of all the pumpkin seeds, only watermelon may not respond to drought. For him, even soil drought is not very terrible, because he knows how to extract water from deeper subsoil layers than a pumpkin.
Even atmospheric drought is destructive for pumpkin, because the area of leaf blades is large, therefore evaporation is also great. And the roots are not deep. Pumpkins are very fond of moisture, and when there is not enough moisture, the fruits grow small.
The pumpkin does not need excess moisture, its reaction to waterlogging is the loss of sugar. The air is dry - sugar loss. And the pulp becomes not tasty.
In our cold climate, we try to plant pumpkin seeds in a warm garden bed. And then we are surprised that the watermelons are not sweet. And they don't like dung. Pumpkins are more patient, they can, with good watering, give a bountiful harvest on a heap of humus. But there will be less sweetness in the fruits.
Conclusions.
Pumpkins should be grown on light-textured soils, warm and with good, but not excessive moisture. This is where the humus or compost pile is very good.
And now for the sweetest pumpkin varieties.
Large-fruited pumpkin.
Winter sweet. The variety was created in the Kuban. The pulp is sweet, orange or bright yellow, firm. Recommended for the North Caucasus and the Lower and Middle Volga.
Baby. The creator of the variety VNII of irrigated vegetable growing and melon growing. We dare where the homeland is! The pulp is sweet, but not juicy, brittle, bright orange. Recommended for growing in the Lower Volga regions.
Large-fruited. Bykovskaya melon station. The pulp is light orange, sweet, thick. Recommended for growing in the North Caucasus and the Lower Volga regions.
Therapeutic. She was born in the Kuban. This pumpkin is recommended to grow in the Urals, Western Siberia and Eastern Siberia. The pulp is orange, juicy, sweet. This pumpkin will endure the July cold snaps with lingering rains.
Russian woman. Variety of VNIIssok selection. I grow this pumpkin every year. One fruit for a family of two with visiting grandchildren is enough for two cereals. This pumpkin variety gives a good harvest every year. In the current dry summer, the variety has produced quite a decent amount of fruits in terms of weather conditions. Approved for cultivation in the Central region, that is, in Moscow and its surrounding regions.
There was less sweets than usual. This pumpkin variety has orange pulp, crumbly, thick, tender, quickly cooked, boiled well, without fibers and sweet. In the photo, see how it looks.
Nutmeg pumpkin.
Prikubanskaya. From Krasnodar. Recommended for the North Caucasus. The pulp is sweet, tender, juicy, red-orange.
The pumpkin is hard-baked.
Almond. She has 7-8% sugars. Perhaps this particular variety produces the sweetest fruits.
It is necessary to check all varieties, look for the one that will be sugar in your climate and with your weather surprises. I grow another pumpkin. Hokkaido. This name is Japanese, and the selection is Russian. Turbid pumpkin, portioned, as I say, for one porridge. Bright orange pulp, sweet, beautiful, tasty.
Good experiments. Write in the comments what the sweetest pumpkin varieties you grow.
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There are a large number of pumpkin varieties with different ripening times and with different flavor characteristics. Ornamental and forage varieties of this plant are also grown.
Groups of varieties by growing season
Varieties with early and medium early ripening are very popular - the harvest can be harvested about 3 months after the emergence of young shoots (80-98 days). Typically, the fruit is small to medium in size. Plants are characterized by optimal frost resistance. The best yields are given by such varieties as:
Smile
Amazon
Russian woman
Gribovskaya bush 189
Curative
Description of the variety Gribovskaya bush 189
The plant of this variety is compact in size. The skin of the fruit is green with dark green stripes on its surface. Near the stalk, the fruits sometimes have a ribbed structure. Average weight of pumpkins (2-7 kg). The pulp has a rich color and a pleasant taste. The variety can be stored. Plants are resistant to fungal diseases.
Plants are considered mid-ripening, which takes 100-120 days to ripen. The fruits are well kept. The most popular varieties:
Ogurdynia
Gilea
Honey beauty
Chit
Variety Almond: a short description
Pumpkins have a rounded-elongated shape. Their average weight is 2-5 kg. Juicy and sweet pulp is not satisfactory. The fruit can be stored even longer than six months (up to nine months).
Late pumpkin varieties often delight with large fruit sizes. The harvest is subject to long-term storage. It takes 120-145 days to ripen. The best varieties:
One hundred pound
Kavbuz
Titanium
Winter sweet
Pumpkin Titan: variety description
The plant forms long lashes (about 3 m in length). Fruit weight can be impressive (some grow up to 100 kg). The shape of the pumpkin is round. The orange peel covers the bright flesh with few seeds. Taste characteristics are excellent.
Pumpkin varieties suitable for outdoor use
In the open field, you can grow varieties that are resistant to low temperatures. The most noteworthy are:
Butter nut
Gribovskaya winter
Spanish guitar
Altair
Kherson
South
Station wagon
Khutoryanka
Description of the variety Spanish guitar
This butternut squash has an extremely delicious dessert flavor. In shape, the pumpkin resembles a guitar (it narrows towards the center, and expands towards the edges). The variety is characterized by a low seed content. The skin of the pumpkin is quite thin, but dense at the same time.
Middle lane: the best pumpkin varieties
Varieties for the Moscow region and for the middle lane, as a rule, have early, mid-early and medium ripening periods. Pre-grown seedlings are planted in the ground. The best representatives:
Pearl
Arina
Gribovskaya bush
Spaghetti
Mozolevskaya
Crookneck Scrooge
Volzhskaya gray
Chit
Curative
Description of Healing pumpkin
This variety gives good yields of early fruits. The rind is light gray and decorated with a mesh pattern. There is a bright pulp under it. She is juicy and sweet.
Pumpkin: varieties for Siberia
Pumpkin varieties with a short growing season are considered ideal for Siberia. This category includes:
Dachnaya
Pearl
Smile
Freckle
Russian woman
Russian woman: description of the pumpkin variety
This variety forms lashes of medium length and is distinguished by good resistance to unfavorable natural factors. The dark orange pulp tastes like a melon. The fruits are large. They are characterized by good keeping quality.
Pumpkin: varieties for the Urals
In the Urals, varieties are grown with a short growing season and good resistance to environmental factors. The grades have the best recommendations:
Atlant
Aport
Barn
Miracle Yudo
Bambino
Vitamin
Titanium
Gribovskaya winter
Curative
Loaf
Description of the variety Shrub orange
Shrub orange is an early variety with good yields. Plants are compact, with short whips. The pumpkins are flattened-rounded, with an orange peel. Fruit weight is average (about 5 kg). The pulp is delicious.
Sweet pumpkin varieties
Sweet pulp is one of the factors in choosing a pumpkin variety. Some fruits are similar to melon in taste - they are used to make desserts and even jams. Noteworthy:
Atlant
Chit
Large-fruited
Azure
Curative
Marble
Russian woman
Smile
Winter sweet
Honey beauty
Description of the honey pumpkin variety
Some gardeners believe that this variety leaves behind any sweet pumpkin varieties. Vegetation takes only 85 days. The pulp is aromatic, sweet, crunchy. It can be eaten even fresh. Delicious juice is obtained from pumpkin. Fruit weight is average (about 4-6 kg). The variety is characterized by excellent keeping quality.
Large pumpkin varieties
When optimal conditions are created, the weight of a large-fruited pumpkin can reach 100-150 kg. However, such record holders are not always needed - "giants" are raised for the sake of another record. For food use and winter storage, fruits that are more modest in size are suitable. In our country, such large pumpkin varieties as Titan, Large-fruited and Atlant are grown. Pumpkin seeds are in demand:
Big Max
Centner
Winter sweet
Big Max: variety description
Fruits of this variety can weigh up to 40 kg. They are not only large, but also very tasty - the pulp is dense, sweet, aromatic. The rind is light orange in color. Fruits can be stored.
Butternut pumpkin varieties
It is believed that it is the butternut squash that has the sweetest and most aromatic pulp. The only disadvantage can be considered only increased thermophilicity with a sufficiently long growing season (in a short summer, the fruits do not have time to ripen properly). However, plants can be grown through seedlings, and for ripening, it is enough to put them in a dark, warm and dry place. The most popular varieties:
Vitamin
Muscat
Butternut
Gilea
Plavkadu
Arabat
Polyanin
Pearl
Description of the Arabat pumpkin variety
Cylindrical pumpkins weigh 5-9 kg. With good care, this figure can increase to 40 kg. The peel is orange, but it has a slight grayish tint. The bright pulp has excellent taste characteristics.
Pumpkin varieties for seeds
In some cases, pumpkin is grown for healthy and tasty seeds. The best varieties that yield a large number of seeds:
Volzhskaya gray
Danka Polka
Sweetie
Centner
Danae
One hundred pound
Gymnosperm
Danae
Description of the Danae variety
This variety has an important advantage - it not only yields a lot of seeds, but also allows you to do without peeling (the seeds are devoid of a hard shell). The pulp pleases with excellent taste characteristics. The plant has a medium-early ripening period. The spherical fruits are covered with a dark green peel with a reticulated pattern (when fully ripe, it becomes orange in color). Their average weight is 5-7 kg.
Pumpkin: varieties for storage
The following pumpkin varieties are best stored:
Kherson
Zhdana
Slavuta
Mozolievskaya 15
Arabat
Gilea
Polyanin
Ioannina
Polyanin: description of the variety
The Polyanin variety is characterized by good transportability. The fruits can withstand long-term storage. They are cylindrical in shape. The rind is light brown. The surface is divided into segments The pulp has a firm structure and a pleasant sweet taste. The average weight of pumpkins is 4 kg.
This healthy vegetable culture is always loved by the people. Many pumpkin varieties can be called the best - it all depends on which characteristics are in priority.
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