Pumpkin turkish turban description. Growing pumpkin from seeds in the open field

Pumpkin Variety - Luffa, Ornamental Pumpkin

Luffa in my garden

Part 10 - Growing melons in a greenhouse. Greenhouse melon

The same vegetables that we habitually call pumpkins - winter pumpkins - are left on the beds for as long as possible, allowing them to ripen properly. Indeed, with each warm day, the pulp of the pumpkin becomes sweeter, and the skin is coarser - which gives these vegetables a very good keeping quality.

‘Bush orange’
Therefore, when the fruits on the vines of decorative pumpkins from a mixture of seeds begin to set, I check almost every day what kind of miracle is growing this time.

Sowing seeds and growing luffa

When choosing a place for a decorative pumpkin, two conditions should be observed.
After drying the fruits of the luffa, as a result of their cleaning, I received not only washcloths, but also a large number of seeds. I specially counted: 312 seeds were obtained from a medium-sized fruit. Multiply 32 by 312, it's fun ...
Green trellises from a variety of pumpkins look very fun and elegant. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that the varieties are well pollinated among themselves and pumpkins grown from their own seeds next year do not always repeat the external data of the selected fruits. But something new may appear ...

The fruits of one of the most decorative varieties of hard-bore pumpkin are distinguished by a very unusual shape - zucchini

Unusually varied in fruit shape. The following varieties are available:
Quote:

When the time comes, the pumpkins are cut from the stems, leaving a stump of 4-5 cm. If the autumn is dry, then the pumpkins can be left to lie down in the beds for 4-7 days. But if there is a threat of rain or frost, pumpkins should be removed to a dry place. At a temperature of 10-14 ° C, winter pumpkins are perfectly stored until the new year. Interestingly, the longer the pumpkin lies, the tastier it becomes - due to the fact that the starches contained in it pass over to the sugars.
No special

Luffa harvest

Elena Chernysheva
First, it is necessary to choose a sufficiently reliable support for it, since by the end of summer the stems and leaves of the creeper form a large green mass.

What to do with so many seeds - I don't know yet. I will exchange for the seeds of others interesting plants ([email protected]).

We are grateful to the company "Benary" (Germany) for the provided photos of varieties of decorative pumpkins.

Interest in exotic plants

Krukneka,

Cucurbita
Mandarin is a rounded orange ball-shaped pumpkin with a smooth skin. For example, the variety "Little Orange" ("Kleine Orange") with bright orange fruits up to 8-10 cm in diameter.

"Ornamental pumpkins are edible only at an immature young age. Later, when
Most species of large-fruited (late-ripening) pumpkins in central Russia do not have time to fully ripen. Therefore, they are harvested in the fall, before the onset of frost, slightly immature, and then ripened indoors - usually 2-3 months. The fact that the pumpkin is fully ripe can be recognized by the dried and lignified stalk.

Pumpkin care

Www.beautytime.ru

The second condition is to plant a decorative pumpkin in a sunny place (light partial shade is permissible). That is, of course, you can plant it near the northern wall of the house, but then you should not count on an abundance of flowers and, even more so, fruits.

Now I "fired up" with a new idea: to grow lagenaria to make natural maracas out of its fruits (since we play music a little).

Also called

Decorative pumpkin as a liana

Melanosperma)
Warty - similar to her, but not with a smooth, but with a rough, tuberous surface. Variety "Little warty" ("Kleine Warzen") has fruits 10-15 cm in diameter.

The crust will coarsen and the seeds will ripen, there is simply nothing to eat in these berries. "

What does a decorative pumpkin need?

When cooking pumpkin, be careful when you remove the hard, smooth skin - it is very slippery for a knife!

Not required - it is enough just to provide a piece of fertile soil in the garden for this vegetable. Each plant needs a space of at least 50 sq. see

All about pumpkin

What does a decorative pumpkin dislike?

Of annual climbing plants decorative pumpkins are really one of the most unpretentious. Even a novice gardener can grow them. Their only drawback is absolute non-frost resistance: even with a slight frost at -1 degrees, the plant dies. That is why it is recommended to grow decorative pumpkins through seedlings. However, the least time consuming and easiest way is to sow their seeds directly into the ground in mid-May. If late spring frosts, the emerged seedlings can be covered plastic bottles or film.

In addition, beninkase, trichozant and cyclanter are of interest.

I started to grow Luffa in the garden for an absolutely "non-romantic" purpose. From its fruits I wanted to get a natural washcloth (my friends and I go to the steam room on Thursdays).

Crank
.

And
Small orange

Decorative pumpkins and children

Cut and fry nafig !!! try if you can eat it deliciously nafig !!!

Nowadays, decorative mini-pumpkins are in vogue, with which summer residents are happy to decorate their homesteads. In general, various crafts are made from these pumpkins, decorative ornaments for home - after all, ripe fruits have a thick and strong crust, the pulp is almost absent. But very young, these pumpkins, in principle, are edible. True, their taste characteristics are significantly inferior to varieties specially bred for consumption.

Fill the soil with plenty of compost. It is convenient to plant pumpkin near the partition that encloses the compost heap - and you can save space and provide additional nutrition for the plant. Just don't plant a pumpkin directly on compost heap- it can accumulate nitrates if there is too much nitrogen in the soil.

On the website Gardenia.ru

In addition to frost, ornamental pumpkins do not like a lack of moisture and poor soils. The more often you water and fertilize it (especially organic fertilizers), the better it will grow.

About varieties of decorative pumpkin

For sowing in the next gardening season, I already have the seeds of plants: momordiki (yellow cucumber), chufa (ground pistachio) and several "exotics" of other species.

I ask you to be ironic about my story about growing luffa, because I am "no" gardener. Nevertheless, I managed to get a harvest of fruits from several luffa seeds, and at the same time observe all the stages of development of this wonderful vine and capture it in the photo.
(Cucurbita pepo var.giraumon
All these pumpkins are exclusively for decorative purposes, they are not edible, but they are an excellent material for children's crafts, you can cut lanterns from them, make candlesticks, practice artistic painting and burning a pumpkin. They will complement still lifes and floristic compositions, serve as a decorative element in kitchen design.

Pumpkin texas
Small warty

Most likely not Some ornamental pumpkin varieties - those that have a reddish bark or have a ribbed or warty surface - should not be eaten, they taste bitter.

Pumpkin - harvest in large format

Pumpkin likes when there is a lot of light. Young plants are thermophilic and the growing season is quite long - so be sure to grow seedlings if you want to harvest pumpkin in your garden.
Say a word about your beloved pumpkin !!!
That's the whole secret!

The fruits are removed in a state of full maturity, with a hardened skin, cut off with a stalk, and dried. Unripe pumpkins with a part of the tops are hung for ripening in a dry, ventilated room.

Small two-tone pear

It doesn't taste good.

It is worth adding, however, that even decorative pumpkins, not to mention ordinary ones, usually have delicious seeds. In general, the seeds of all varieties of winter pumpkin are very useful. Scoop the seeds out of the cut pumpkin with a spoon. They are dried, lightly fried and eaten neat, or as an addition to salads and muesli.

Seedlings are sown in early May, and the harvest can be harvested, depending on the variety, in 2-5 months.

There are many good varieties and all of them, regardless of size, are very useful! It is a pity that some gardeners ignore it on their plots, arguing that the pumpkin takes up a lot of area. But, if you reasonably approach the planting of pumpkin, then you can place the beds with pumpkin near fences, vertical structures. A pumpkin is essentially a liana, and it climbs perfectly to the height of a building without taking up a useful area! Don't give up on pumpkin, sow it for your health! Find out a little more about pumpkin in the post.

Pumpkin care

Yuri Andreevich Kulbaka (Ukraine) I bought a packet of five Luffa seeds in the "Seeds" store. Sometimes these are real twins of ordinary zucchini both in shape and in taste. And sometimes - bizarre vessels with a swan neck, like the "Cou-Tors Hative" variety. The peel is rough, bubbly, bright golden orange. The length of the fruits is up to 20 cm. For eating, young fruits, 10-15 cm long, are used, which are cooked like zucchini.

There are other types of small pumpkin that are not only decorative but also edible.

Small two-tone

Try pickling like cucumbers, I somehow planted a decorative pumpkin and twisted it ...

There is no point in leaving pumpkin seeds for sowing - this vegetable is pollinated, so anything will grow from its own seed, but not the original species. So it is better to buy seeds of your favorite pumpkin varieties in the store - especially since they are well stored, so you can even buy a few bags "in reserve".

Summer pumpkins

Pumpkin - harvest in large format

These small fruits of cheerful colors look very cute on the plant itself, but very often a decorative pumpkin is grown in order to collect ripe fruits in autumn, dry them and use them to create original compositions(for example, with dried flowers). In addition, these pumpkins can be used to create real works of art. To do this, any pattern is applied to dried pumpkins with special paint, and then varnish to fix the paint.

Gardenia.ru "Floriculture: Pleasure and Benefit"

In early May, when the garden soil warmed up enough, I planted the seeds directly in the ground at a distance of 1 meter from each other.

Co-Tor Haytiv

Large-fruited turban

Pear-shaped - with smooth pear-shaped fruits 10-12 cm long. Fruits are yellow, orange, but the most spectacular are two-colored, as, for example, in the variety "Klein Birne Bicolor", which has a clearly defined green part of the fruit, or in the variety "Little two-color" ("Kleine Bicolor" ), where the underside of the fruit is green with white stripes.

Harvesting pumpkin

Decorative ones bloom and bear fruit better than anyone else, it is a pity that, according to the stories, no one will eat them in adulthood ... And that would be great - just a couple of bushes and a whole train of pumpkins!

A series of messages "Melons cultures":

Is the ornamental pumpkin edible?

Most amateur gardeners are accustomed to decorating their plots with a variety of flowers, but it is worth noting that original vegetables will do it just as well. So the decorative pumpkin grown from seeds is gaining more and more fans among gardeners. Its sprouts quickly form living green fences, and bizarre bright fruits adorn the site until late autumn.

Choosing a variety

In specialized stores and on the market, decorative pumpkin seeds are sold in the form of assorted varieties of different varieties, which makes it possible to get many unusual fruits at once. The variety of shapes and colors is limitless. The most common and popular, among this relatively new culture in our area, are the following varieties:

pear-shaped. The name speaks for itself - the shape of the fruit is very reminiscent of a pear. Color palette this species is not uniform - there are both monochromatic and two-colored. Moreover, the latter have a clearly defined border between different colors;
tangerine. Distinctive features in this group are very rich orange color, rounded shape, rather smooth peel, small size pumpkins;
star-shaped. The fruits of this variety are similar to starfish and small squash. They have a slightly flattened oblong shape with unimaginable colors - green, white, yellow, or a combination of several colors at once. The maximum fruit size is 15 cm;
Warty. Pumpkins of this variety have a pear-like or round shape. They are covered with many bumps that resemble warts. And the variety of colors and their combinations can only be envied: yellow, white, fiery orange, green;
turban pumpkins (popular name - fungus or turkish turban). The fruit of this variety often has a smooth skin of bright orange or green marbled color. The color of the main part of the pumpkin and the "turban" is different in most cases;
vicoliate gourd is a typical decorative gourd. Her characteristic features are very beautiful lobed leaves and variegated green fruits with a white stripe or speck;
lagenaria (bottle, dish pumpkin, gourd) refers to a decorative type for its unusual shape and green marble color. This variety is used for decoration, cutting out dishes, original vases, boxes, etc.

Planting from seeds

In order for decorative pumpkins to delight others with their beauty, not so much effort is needed. First of all, they should be planted in sunny areas or light shade on fertile soil. It is advisable to germinate the seeds just before sowing. This is best done in a warm, dark place (closet, closet, etc.). These ornamental crops can be grown both from seedlings and by sowing seeds directly into open ground.

For seedlings, seeds are sown in late April or early May. The seeds that have hatched are planted in deep peat pots and placed in a greenhouse or on a windowsill. Plants can be transferred to open ground in early June, when the probability of frost decreases. Sowing seeds directly into open ground is carried out at the end of May. It is also advisable to germinate them first. Slightly hatched seeds should be planted in shallow holes at a distance of about 30 cm.

Video "Collecting pumpkin seeds"

Care and cultivation

Most exotic pumpkin varieties are not demanding or need special care... It is quite enough to properly prepare the seeds, and then water the plants in time and fluff the soil around the root. Also, fertilizing plants with organic fertilizers will not be superfluous. Usually, the first feeding is carried out two weeks after germination, and the next one during the formation of the ovary. To stimulate the growth of side shoots and form a more lush "hedge", you can pinch the one-meter shoots.

A strong support should also be provided for a decorative pumpkin, since most of its species are climbing plants, and during the period of active growth, the stems, leaves and fruits are quite heavy. Many gardeners grow this crop near gazebos, verandas, fences and other structures, thus providing natural support and without the hassle of creating additional supports.

Protection from pests and diseases

If not cared for properly, this magnificent plant can be infested with diseases and pests. The most dangerous for pumpkin plants are slugs, aphids, powdery mildew, white and root rot, bacteriosis. At the first sign of illness, you need to take decisive action to keep the pumpkins healthy.

Powdery mildew - white or grayish powdery spots on the leaves and stem, which gradually grow over the entire surface of the affected plant and it dries up. The disease is actively developing with a lack of sunlight and sudden changes in temperature. To combat this disease, various chemicals are used, and the affected fruits and plants are necessarily destroyed.

White rot is extremely dangerous for both the plant and its fruits. The affected areas become wet, covered with a cotton-like neoplasm. High humidity air contributes to the development of this disease. If signs of white rot are found, all affected parts are carefully cut out and processed (sprinkled) with chalk or charcoal.

Root rot appears at the base of the stem and root. The disease is caused by soil fungi that attack the plant under poor plant growth conditions. You can prevent the development of this disease by disinfecting the seeds before planting. To save an already affected plant, and this is possible only at the initial stages of the disease, you need to add new soil, peat and humus.

Bacteriosis most often affects the leaves, but it is also dangerous for the stems and fruits. Appears as angular spots Brown color... Bacteriosis develops especially actively in a warm and humid environment. For the prevention and treatment of the disease, a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid is used. The leaves and stems of the pumpkin are treated with it.

Slugs are dangerous for almost all vegetables. They appear en masse in rainy years. Adults attack plants at night. To protect the pumpkin and other plants on the site, you can treat them with a mixture of slaked lime and ash (1: 1).

Usually, their summer cottage is decorated with all kinds of flowers. Although unusual-looking vegetables can perfectly cope with this task, arousing the admiration of passers-by and neighbors. Such an interesting culture is the decorative pumpkin. It is capable of climbing up on any vertical support, forming a green wall with large yellow flowers and small bright bizarre fruits. What kind of it exists today we will figure it out.

"Country hobbies"

Decorative pumpkin, varieties

The culture is not only original, but also useful for any summer resident.

Firstly, this is a worthy decoration of the site: wide green leaves on long cuttings, strong whips, large bright flowers, and closer to autumn, no less bright unusual shape fruits - all this beautifies and pleases the eye, delights friends and neighbors.

The ornamental pumpkin grows quickly, is a development champion among annual vines. By the middle of summer, it forms a gorgeous green screen. Scourges reach 4-6 m and are perfect for vertical gardening of arbors, verandas, trellises, mesh fences. The liana acquires the best decorative effect in August, when the green wall is decorated with bright original fruits.

Secondly, this arouses increased interest among children and they are happy to plant and grow this crop in their children's garden and are waiting with great interest for the appearance of outlandish toy pumpkins.

Thirdly, we get amazing materials for crafts. Well-ripened and properly dried pumpkins are a source of various fantasies and ideas.

Varieties

Usually they sell a mixture of seeds, and therefore for the gardener, the final result is always a pleasant and sometimes unexpected surprise. Rattles, Souvenir, Artist, Surprise... A gardener who has bought these varieties is always looking forward to the appearance of fruits.

On sale there are selected varieties with the characteristic features of this culture - this is for those who do not like surprises and want to get pumpkins of a certain shape.

Turkish tulip with bright orange and other colors of turbid fruits.

Orange with small pumpkins weighing 200-300 g, resembles this fruit in shape and bright orange color. The fruits look spectacular against the background of a green wall.

Baby boowith unusual weakly ribbed white pumpkins up to 10 cm in circumference, with white flesh.

Stars with pumpkins in the form of multi-colored stars.

Kleine bicolor has pear-shaped pumpkins with a contrasting color: the bottom of the fruit is dark green with bright light lines, and the top is rich yellow.

Sweet dumpling form rounded flattened and ribbed pumpkins weighing up to 500 g, painted white or light yellow, between the ribs bright green stripes with white specks.

Cobra variety has pumpkins in the form of bottles of fancy spotted colors.

decorative pumpkins

Fruit shape

Decorative pumpkins, the types of which are divided according to the shape of the ovaries into:

bverrucous covered with various tubercles. Moreover, they can be different shapes: round, pear-shaped with rich orange, green, yellow and even two-color;
stellate with fruits similar to starfish, crown and about 15 cm in size, flattened or elongated in shape and color white, green, yellow, or their combination;
tangerine with a rich orange color, pumpkin up to 10 cm in size, slightly ribbed, rounded and similar to tangerines;
pear-shaped pumpkins are pear-shaped with different colors.

All kinds of cultural forms cannot be classified due to their diversity. There are monochrome, spotted, striped, ribbed, smooth, elongated, curly.

stars

Growing an ornamental plant

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The wide variety of pumpkin varieties amazes any gardener or gardener. They differ from each other not only in color and shape, but also in taste. In addition, there are varieties that can be used indoors as decor. They can be round, flat, grown in the shape of a pitcher or guitar, and their colors are also varied: green, yellow, gray, orange, striped or speckled.

The variety of species makes it difficult to choose, and therefore below are the main pumpkin varieties with detailed characteristics that will allow you to focus on the crop option that will bring a good harvest.

Features of culture

A crop such as pumpkin was first grown in South and Central America. Only in the 16th century did it become popular in Europe. Today it can be found on almost any continent, it is able to withstand different climatic conditions, and therefore it is so famous and widespread. In the climatic conditions of Russia, there are three main types of pumpkin: nutmeg, large-fruited and hard-barked.

As for the structure of the plant, then root system its pivotal and very powerful, capable of penetrating into the soil up to two (sometimes even 4-5) meters deep, while the main roots (adventitious and lateral) are located at a depth of 50 centimeters. This characteristic of the rhizome of the plant indicates that it branches over an area of up to 4-5 meters in the soil space, supplying the plant with the necessary minerals and vitamins from the soil.

The pumpkin shoot comes in a variety of shapes. It can be branching, single-stemmed, creeping. His maximum length is 10 meters. The stalk lashes can also be varied depending on the cultivar.

The leaves of the plant are capable of reaching a width of up to 25 centimeters, which must be taken into account when choosing a place for planting a pumpkin. They are also different in shape, structure and color, and most importantly, their number can be very diverse, for 1 pumpkin there can be up to 30 square meters of leaves.

Many novice gardeners believe that the flowers of a pumpkin plant should have a bright color, however, this is false information. Inflorescences often form in different conditions, which undoubtedly affects their color - it can be bright yellow, pale orange. The fetus itself is formed in the period 30-50 days after fertilization and can vary in weight.

The smallest pumpkins weigh just over 4 kilograms, but large fruits can weigh up to 10 kg. It is also worth noting that you should not be afraid to pluck a slightly unripe fruit: pumpkin is a culture that can gradually ripen at home if stored correctly.

Varieties

The pumpkin culture is divided into 2 main types: climbing and bush pumpkins, the structure of which is easy to determine by growing side loops. Two different subspecies are used in garden plots for different purposes. So, if there is a need to plant greenery in a spot, a bush pumpkin is more suitable, while a climbing culture will allow the formation of plants up to 2.5 meters in length or height.

The second variant of the plant is usually used to create large living green screens in or around the house.

The flowering of the culture occurs in July, it is in this month that you can observe incredible beautiful flowers plants. But sweet fruits appear in the second half of August; as they ripen, they become more and more saturated in color. Below are the most common pumpkin plant varieties in garden plots, which are very popular both among professionals and beginners who are just mastering gardening or dacha business.

Melon pumpkin

Melon pumpkin is a juicy, aromatic culture that has an amazing taste. It is easy to distinguish from others - its smell is similar to that of a ripe melon. Such a pumpkin firmly ranks second in popularity among summer residents, since its characteristics are impressive: the shelf life is long, this culture is unpretentious in cultivation and subsequent care, and the taste indicators will surprise even gourmets. Full ripening period is up to one hundred days, and the fruits are orange, slightly pink in color and flattened.

The weight of one fruit can reach up to 30 kilograms. In the process of caring for a melon pumpkin, you can notice that it is very resistant not only to arid regions, but also to slight frosts (2 degrees of frost on the soil for such a plant is quite comfortable conditions). Many people note that this variety can be eaten even raw.

Nut pumpkin

Nut pumpkin - this culture is also known under such names as "Moskhata" or "Butternat". This variety was grown by crossing several varieties of pumpkins: Muscat and African. The ripening period of the culture is 3 months. The most the best option will leave no more than 5 fruits on one plant, so they can grow and nourish as much as possible useful substances... One fruit usually weighs just over 1 kilogram and looks like a large squash.

The variety owes its name to its taste characteristics: it has a nutty aroma, but to achieve it, it is necessary to properly care for the plant. You can pick the fruits even before their final ripening, they will be able to "reach" at home, especially if a cold snap is expected (this variety does not like frosts).

Like the previous variety, butternut squash can be eaten without additional heat treatment.

Gymnospermous pumpkin

Gymnospermous pumpkin - despite its unattractive appearance (yellow-green fruits), this variety deserves attention. The weight of the grown fruit is up to 7 kilograms, and the peel differs in that it is quite thin. In order to prevent the peel from hardening, this pumpkin should be planted separately from other varieties in order to avoid pollination from them, due to which the skin can become denser.

The first fruits can be harvested after 4 months, and they are stored for two months. Not only in cooking, you can use the pulp of this pumpkin variety, it is widely used in medicine and cosmetology.

"Rossiyanka"

"Rossiyanka" is a cold-resistant culture. Matures in 3 months, has beautiful colour- orange or yellow-orange. Fruits grow up to 4 kilograms in weight (up to 5 fruits per plant). Due to its bright pulp, this variety is often used to make various candied fruits or jams. The only and very big disadvantage of this variety is its short keeping quality, the shelf life is very short, but the harvest is quite large.

"Sweetie"

"Sweetie" is one of the most beloved varieties of all summer residents due to its characteristics, fruits and storage. After 3 months from the plant, you can collect 6, and sometimes 8 large fruits. The weight of one fruit is 2-2.5 kilograms, but the largest pumpkin of this variety, which was grown, weighed about 100 kilograms!

You can store such a fruit until January, and the longer the shelf life of the pumpkin, the richer its taste. It is necessary to transport such a variety very carefully, since the skin of the fruit can be damaged quite easily. They use "Candy" both raw and processed. The biggest lovers of this variety are children, for whom you can make excellent mashed potatoes from pumpkin.

"Bottle"

"Bottle" - the homeland of this variety are America and Africa, and it gained its popularity in Central Europe. The length of the stem of the plant is very long - up to 15 meters, the leaves are corrugated, and the flowers hide in the leaf axils during the daytime. The fruits of the plant can have various shapes: pear-shaped, oval, round. Also, this variety is often called "Lagenaria" or "Dish" pumpkin. Fruits on one plant are formed up to 10-15, the weight of each can reach up to one and a half kilograms.

"One hundred pound"

"One hundred pounds" - this large-fruited culture has a main stem up to 7 meters in size, spherical or oval fruits, each weighing up to 20 kilograms. The slightly sweet taste does not make it very popular, but this variety copes well with pests, and therefore is in demand among novice gardeners and those who grow the plant for forage purposes.

"Matilda"

"Matilda" is another selection variety, the fruits of which appear after 3 months and weigh up to 3 kilograms. You can store such fruits for up to 4 months, but it is not possible to use the seeds of a grown plant for subsequent planting.

"Spaghetti"

"Spaghetti" - this variety got its name due to its unusual characteristics. During the cooking process, the pulp of the fruit breaks down into fibers, which in appearance are very reminiscent of long pasta. Delicious and unpretentious variety that produces up to 4 fruits per plant.

Honey pumpkin

Honey pumpkin - already from the name it becomes clear that this is one of the sweetest varieties of this culture, which can be consumed unprocessed. This is an early ripening variety that fully ripens in 3 months, has a very pleasant unique aroma, crunchy flesh and a beautiful bright juicy color.

Marble pumpkin

Marble pumpkin is a mid-season variety that forms fruits within 4 months. The very shape of the fruit is slightly flattened, weighs up to 10 kilograms, which is appreciated among gardeners. Despite the not very attractive appearance (the skin of the fruit is grayish or green), the taste of this variety is pleasant and rich.

Large-fruited

A giant or large-fruited pumpkin has its own characteristics. Its stems are cylindrical, slightly pubescent (this is immediately striking). Kidney-shaped and rounded leaves are also inherent in this type of pumpkin. The appearance of the plant is very attractive. Large juicy green leaves are combined with flowers painted in bright yellow shades.

Already based on the name, one can understand that the fruits of such a plant will be larger than that of other varieties, and this is indeed the case. Fruits differ in color, but not much. V to a greater extent pale pink or gray fruits are formed, having a rounded or flattened shape.

Nutmeg

This type of pumpkin is special in that it is an intermediate option between large-fruited and hard-bore pumpkin, it has its own specific morphological characteristics... The leaves of this type of culture are slightly softer than their counterparts, darker and have white spots. The flowers have a subtle orange color and petals that are slightly pointed. Among all varieties given view pumpkin has the maximum variety of growing fruits: from yellow to pink and even brown shades.

One of the most interesting subspecies of this variety is the turban pumpkin, the fruits of which are formed in the form of a turban and can be different even on the same plant. In addition, the taste of small varieties of turban pumpkin is different - the pulp may taste a little bitter, but this is why it is attractive to gourmets.

Figurative

One of the most unusual species pumpkins. Its peculiarity is that the seeds inside the fruit have an unusual and unusual color for gardeners - black (they resemble watermelon seeds, although there are several times more of them). Therefore, it is often called black seed pumpkin. And it is called figurative because of the leaves that grow elongated and similar to figs (although much larger).

Usually fruits weigh up to 4 kilograms and have the shape of an elongated oval. However, there are specimens grown under special conditions, climate and plant care methods that reach 20 kilograms! Gardeners love this type of pumpkin for its pleasant and tasty white pulp, which can be eaten not only thermally processed, but raw too.

The variety is late-ripening, and harvesting begins only after the very first frost, when the leaves on the plant completely fall off. This variety is useful from a medicinal point of view. So, for diabetics, this product is ideal, since the pulp is not so sucrose, it is saturated with a sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins. Raw figleaf gourd seeds are used as an anthelmintic.

Wax

In India, Asia, Indonesia, Latin America and China, the waxy gourd, also called Benincasa, is grown. Despite such widespread prevalence, in the territory of the Russian Federation, this variety is not very popular among gardeners. Although he has his undeniable advantages before other varieties.

So, the fruits of this plant can be stored for a sufficiently long period, if you choose the right place: it must certainly be dark, cool (from 15 to 18 degrees Celsius). Subject to these conditions, the fruit can be stored from a year to one and a half years! No other variety can boast of such a characteristic.

A little experience in growing wax pumpkin in Russia allows us to draw the following conclusions: the maximum weight of the fruit reaches 5 kilograms, the fruit itself is covered with a wax layer. The pulp of this culture is often used for medicinal purposes. So, in China, taking the pulp by mouth is an excellent diuretic, as well as a way to reduce fever and temperature.

It is also used externally, it is able to anesthetize parts of the body (bruises, bruises, minor cuts). The Chinese believe that the consumption of raw seeds promotes calming, relaxation, getting rid of insomnia and stress, moreover, it can prolong human life.

Often such a pumpkin is prepared very in an unusual way- it serves as a form for baking various dishes, which are impregnated with a unique pumpkin aroma during cooking.

Decorative

Due to the fact that there are a lot of pumpkin varieties and they all differ in color, shape, texture, experienced gardeners often use them not only as a culinary dish, but also as a kind of decorative element. Among those who like to use this culture in everyday life, the following types and subspecies are popular.

Warty varieties- have an uneven surface, due to which they are very textured and unusual. In some varieties, the roughness is so strong that the fruits resemble different shapes.

Orange- bright, juicy, spherical even shapes, orange and yellow - attract attention and make the decor more creative and unusual.

Watermelon- indeed, they resemble in their texture and shape a ripe summer watermelon. Striped fruits will become a bright decorative accent in any room where they are used. And at the dacha or garden plot they will definitely become a source of pride for their owners.

Tiger- are similar to a tiger due to the characteristic pattern over the entire surface of the fruit. Typically, such beige or yellowish pumpkin varieties are often placed at the entrance to the house, decorating them with additional decor (similar colors such as "zebra" are also especially popular).

Pear-shaped- perhaps the most popular for use as decorative material both indoors and outside - in the garden, summer cottages, on the territory of cottages.

Which one to choose for different regions?

Since different varieties of pumpkin have various characteristics in terms of resistance to cold temperature regimes, require different amounts of moisture, grow in different soil conditions, then the regions of their presence and distribution are quite obvious. Below is a description of a wide variety of pumpkin varieties that are ideal for growing in a particular region of Russia.

This must be taken into account when choosing a crop for planting, so as not to be disappointed in a poor harvest.

For the Urals and Siberia, the following varieties are suitable for growing.

"Smile"- juicy and sweet pumpkin, tolerates cold weather well, can be stored for a long period of time, ripens in August.

"Freckle"- melon aroma and taste, the plant is very resistant not only to cold temperature conditions, but also to its changes, so you can safely plant this variety in areas of Siberia.

"Healing"– early variety pumpkin, which is not afraid of frost or dry weather. Ideal for cooking cereals.

Growing a plant in the middle lane and in the south is possible if you use all subspecies of butternut squash. The most popular pumpkin "Vitaminnaya", whose name was not invented in vain. It really is a storehouse of useful elements, vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the body of every person.

"Dachnaya"- ripens early, according to many experts, it has a pronounced vanilla aroma, attractive to gardeners, is not afraid of rain, drought and coolness, can be stored for a long time.

In landscape design, various vegetable crops... Landscape decoration is a whole art. The Provence style has become very popular in garden or summer cottages, in the territories of cottages, as well as at home. The pumpkin fruit is often a key figure in this unusual design.

The variety of their shapes allows you to create whole sculptures that attract attention, as well as use them as an addition to the already existing garden decor. Pots are made of them, used as a basis for lamps, vases, etc.

In a spacious room or to decorate a courtyard area, vegetable crops are often used to add a special atmosphere to the design. The most popular in this case are those pumpkin varieties that are stored for a long period of time. This ensures a long period of decor presence.

Pumpkin fruits are often used as birdhouses. They decorate the area next to the house, and serve as a feeder for birds that fly to the site in search of food. You can develop creativity and decorate the birdhouse, for example, paint it in colors that will attract birds and look harmonious in the garden or summer cottage. Many people decorate pumpkin nesting boxes with leaves, branches, and other natural attributes to make it as comfortable as possible.

The most popular way to use a pumpkin as a decoration is to create a small carriage from it, which will organically fit into the landscape of any territory. The main thing in this case is that the pumpkin is attractive in appearance. By decorating it with small wheels, fabrics, other materials and even patterns, you can get the perfect result.

Many people make compositions from several pumpkins at once. The pumpkin caterpillar is especially popular. For its formation, several varieties and types of pumpkins will be required, which will be slightly, but differ in size.

If the garden already has installed decorative figures, then such a composition will be a very good addition to them.

The pumpkin can also be used indoors. Caskets, creative but short-lived vases, clocks are made from it. Even a pepper shaker and table salt shaker can be made from a small pumpkin. Often in the house you can see a candlestick made with your own hands from a small pumpkin. He looks like a Halloween figure, only without the sinister mask.

Also, the fruits of this culture are used to create attractive, but not functional decor items. Peculiar figurines in the shape of spiders (for which it is necessary to attach several legs on a spring to the fruit), small molds hung around the house - all this allows you to get positive feedback on the interior of the room. You can also use pumpkin vines to decorate your home; they can significantly transform the appearance of a building and give it sophistication.

How to choose the best varieties pumpkins, see the next video.

author Elena Chernysheva

Almost anyone who first sees a decorative pumpkin with its emerald leaves, huge yellow flowers and original miniature fruits of various shapes and shades, usually wondering with delight: "Oh, what is this?"

The decorative pumpkin is not only an original plant, but also very unpretentious and, most importantly, extremely practical: with the help of its antennae, this vine can climb up to 4 m in just one summer, decorating an arch, a gazebo, a fence or a wall of a house.

Is the ornamental pumpkin edible?

So: while the fruits of the decorative pumpkin are still small, their skin is soft, you can eat them. But why? Indeed, even at such a young age, they are very much inferior in taste to their closest relatives from the same pumpkin family: zucchini, zucchini, squash and real large pumpkins. So, save the decorative pumpkin for decoration, and rather eat something else!

Decorative pumpkin as a liana

The ideal place for planting a decorative pumpkin is next to a vertical support (for example, a chain-link fence or the southern wall of an outbuilding). That is, for a decorative pumpkin as a support in the garden, everything that you want to decorate with something is suitable.

What does a decorative pumpkin need?

When choosing a place for a decorative pumpkin, two conditions should be observed.

First, it is necessary to choose a sufficiently reliable support for it, since by the end of summer the stems and leaves of the creeper form a large green mass.

What does a decorative pumpkin dislike?

Of the annual climbing plants, decorative pumpkins are indeed one of the most unpretentious. Even a novice gardener can grow them. Their only drawback is absolute non-frost resistance: even with a slight frost at –1 degrees, the plant dies. That is why it is recommended to grow decorative pumpkins through seedlings. However, the least time consuming and easiest way is to sow their seeds directly into the ground in mid-May. If late spring frosts are expected, the emerging seedlings can be covered with plastic bottles or film.

In addition to frost, ornamental pumpkins do not like a lack of moisture and poor soils. The more often you water and fertilize it (especially with organic fertilizers), the better it will grow.

That's the whole secret!

Now let's talk a little about the fruits of the pumpkin, because of which it, in fact, is called decorative. Their size rarely exceeds 10-15 cm, and the shape can be round, star-shaped, bottle-shaped, in the form of a boletus mushroom, etc. There are pumpkin varieties with both smooth and bumpy skins, the shades of which vary from white to yellow, orange or green. The striped, spotted or two-colored fruits of the decorative pumpkin look the most amusing.
These small fruits of cheerful colors look very cute on the plant itself, however, very often a decorative pumpkin is grown in order to collect ripe fruits in autumn, dry them and use them to create original compositions (for example, with dried flowers). In addition, these pumpkins can be used to create real works of art. To do this, any pattern is applied to dried pumpkins with special paint, and then varnish to fix the paint.

In order for the pumpkins to be stored for a long time, two rules must be observed: they must be fully ripe, that is, with a very coarse and thick skin, and also plucked before the first autumn frost.
In addition, so that their color (if you do not paint the fruit) does not fade so much, it is better to store the pumpkins away from direct sunlight.

Decorative pumpkins and children

If you want to introduce your child to gardening, then there is nothing better than growing a decorative pumpkin with him!

Firstly, it has very large seeds, and even the smallest child can handle planting them.

Secondly, the decorative pumpkin grows at a tremendous rate (especially if the summer is hot and watering is sufficient), and the baby will be able to quickly see the results of his labor.

Thirdly, small children are very fond of fiddling with water, and therefore they love to water everything. And for a decorative pumpkin, frequent watering is just necessary!

And, finally, absolutely all children like its miniature, very bright and unusual fruits: there is something in them toy-doll. In addition, the fruits can be dried and painted with special paints and varnish (adult help is needed here). Your child will be happy to show them off to friends and family. By the way, even the most primitive children's drawings look very unusual on small pumpkins!

About varieties of decorative pumpkin

Until recently, only a mixture of different varieties of ornamental pumpkin could be found in stores. Sometimes we came across a series of varieties selected according to a certain criterion (for example, "Mosaic" and "Starfall", produced by the "NK" corporation).

Then the firm "Poisk" pleased the gardeners not with mixtures, but with individual varieties of decorative pumpkin. For example, in the "Shahrezada" series you can find such varieties as a bright orange "Turkish turban", multi-colored "Stars" and "Baby creamy white", and in the "Kaleidoscope" series - varieties "Two-color ball", "Orange ball" and Warty Mix.
When it comes to different types of garden flowers, I am categorically opposed to buying all kinds of seed mixtures. As a rule, both rather interesting specimens and absolutely banal ones (and there are most of them) grow out of them. That is, when planting seeds from a mixture into the ground, one cannot assume what will grow as a result. But in the case of decorative pumpkin, I am just an active supporter of mixtures of varieties! The fruits emerging from such mixtures are so unusual and varied that the cultivation of a decorative pumpkin also becomes a very reckless occupation: it is always terribly interesting what the result will be from such identical (at first glance) seeds!
Therefore, when the fruits on the vines of decorative pumpkins from a mixture of seeds begin to set, I check almost every day what kind of miracle is growing this time.

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