How to grow a pumpkin in the country in the open field: directly into the ground or seedlings. Planting a pumpkin in the ground How to plant a pumpkin in open ground with seedlings

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

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

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

The pumpkin is planted in open ground in late spring

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

Most popular varieties

For Moscow region

Premiere

Table pumpkin Premiere

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

Dachnaya

Pumpkin grade Dachnaya

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

For the Urals

Russian woman

Pumpkin Russian woman

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

Pearl nutmeg

Pumpkin nutmeg pearl

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

The best varieties of Siberia

Freckle

Pumpkin variety Freckle

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

Smile

Pumpkin Smile

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

Correct planting of a plant in open ground

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

Seed preparation: check for germination and germination

Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds

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

The soil

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

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

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

Planting seeds and seedlings in the country

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

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

Pumpkin is not recommended to be planted next to potatoes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Growing at home and further care

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

How long will the seeds germinate?

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

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

Watering rules

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

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

Top dressing

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

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

Forming pumpkins

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

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

Pests and prevention

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

• slugs;
• melon aphid.

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

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

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

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

Harvesting

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

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

It is necessary to harvest the pumpkin before stable frosts.

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

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

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

The beloved golden fruit, whose homeland is Mexico, has long taken root in our country and is part of our culinary traditions. By the way, pumpkin sowing is also popular in China and India. What vegetable grower will miss the opportunity to grow such a beauty in his garden? But in order to do this, you need to know how to plant a pumpkin correctly, what factors should be taken into account if you are going to plant a pumpkin in open ground. How to plant a pumpkin in open ground, and how to take care of the plant in the future, read below.

Landing dates

The first question you need to figure out is when to plant a pumpkin in open ground? The planting dates for pumpkins, like all melons and gourds, are at the end of spring (at the same time sowing of all related crops begins). Therefore, it is necessary to place seedlings in the ground at the end of May - beginning of June. At a temperature of 25 degrees, the plant will actively develop, and at 14 it will stop growing and sowing will be in vain. Do not forget that if you want to get an early harvest, plant seeds for seedlings for a period of 25 days.

Seat selection

It is clear that the pumpkin will grow well in the South. But in any case, place the seedlings in a sunny place. Better to plant pumpkin instead of onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, legumes. Avoid places where potatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchini, melons used to grow. The neighborhood plays a very important role. Some plants can harm the pumpkin, while others can be harmed by the pumpkin itself. Therefore, the question will not be strange: what can be planted next to pumpkins?

You can plant leeks, beans, peas, or spinach nearby. Not recommended to be planted next to potatoes and radishes. It is better not to place beets, carrots, garlic nearby.

What is the reason for this? All melons and gourds abundantly absorb nutrients from the ground, as a result of which they do not allow their neighbors to fully develop. Can pumpkin be planted next to corn? Necessary!

It is better to place pumpkins not in windy places, but if you do not have any, then you can plant corn nearby - create a kind of fence from the wind.

Interestingly, the pumpkin itself cannot be planted after the pumpkin. This is due to soil diseases, the pathogens of which can persist and harm new related plants.

Soil preparation

In relation to the earth, this plant is not picky. But even good soil still needs to be cultivated in the fall. Dig up the area and mix the soil with organic fertilizers - potash and phosphorus. Already in the spring, after the snow melts, loosen the soil and clear the area of ​​weeds. Before sowing the pumpkin, dig everything up well again and apply nitrogen fertilizers.

Make the beds high. Standard sizes: in width - up to 1.5 m, in height - not less than 20 cm, and a distance - half a meter. Sowing can be carried out in different ways, but the most popular is wide row. The scheme for planting pumpkins in the open field differs depending on the variety. For example, a bush pumpkin is usually planted 70 by 70 cm, and a long-leaved pumpkin - 210 by 180 cm. The question "at what distance to plant a pumpkin" now will not baffle you.

How to choose a planting method

If the rate of fruiting is important to you, then you will have to think about choosing a method of planting a pumpkin and further care. Planting usually takes place either by seeds in open ground, or by seeds for seedlings. The second method is relevant for those who are concerned about how to grow a pumpkin in order to get fruits faster.

Features of planting seeds

How to properly plant pumpkin seeds? First of all, you need to get good seeds. But it is worth considering that not all varieties are sown in open ground. For this, for example, the nutmeg variety, which includes all honey varieties, is not suitable. Planted seeds of this type may simply not sprout. Be sure to pay attention to the freshness and germination of seeds. To do this, you can carry out a test seeding on wet gauze.

When the seeds are checked, you need to start preparing them. Warm them up at 60 degrees for about 2 hours, and then dip them in a solution of potassium permanganate. After these events, the seeds can be planted in the ground.

Features of planting seedlings

If you will grow seeds for seedlings, then all the above rules for preparing seeds are relevant in this case. Prepare a deep tray with sawdust: fill the wood with boiling water and cover with gauze. Place the seeds there. Then fill it with sawdust again and cover with foil. Thus, you have a home greenhouse. The sprouts will begin to be seen already on the 3rd day. Seedlings grown in 25 days must then be moved to open ground.

Further care

Planting a pumpkin in open ground provides for further plant care. Caring for her, like other melons and gourds, includes a number of activities:

• weed cleaning;
• step-by-step feeding: the first - with the appearance of the first leaves, the second - after the formation of ovaries;
• regular watering (especially during the flowering stage);
• pinching of long-growing varieties (there should be no more than 3 fruits on the shoot).

Now the question of how to properly plant a pumpkin in open ground will not bother young vegetable growers. After all, as it turned out, this is not a difficult and time-consuming business. Planting a pumpkin and caring for it in the open field can become not only a common household business, but also a favorite hobby.

Pumpkin is famous not only for its exquisite taste, but also for the content of a rare, but necessary for the human body, vitamin T. Any housewife who planted this vegetable knows that you can feed a huge family with a couple of such fruits, because not only pumpkin porridge is prepared from them, but and preserves, marmalades, mashed potatoes, pies, side dishes.

Video "Planting pumpkins in open ground"

In this video, you will hear helpful tips for planting pumpkins outdoors.

Pumpkin is used fresh, stewed, in the form of mashed potatoes, porridge, soup. It goes well with cereals and vegetables. You can make pancakes from it, stuff and bake in the oven, steam.

Planting a pumpkin

Three types of pumpkins are common in global agricultural production:

• large-fruited;
• firm-mouthed;
• nutmeg.

Numerous varieties of large-fruited pumpkin are used for livestock feed. The fruits of hard-bore pumpkin are gray-skinned, sweet, well stored in apartment conditions. Their flesh is edible raw.

In summer cottages, nutmeg pumpkin is often grown. The sweet and flavorful vegetable is eaten raw. Of the varieties zoned for most regions for planting pumpkins, Almond 35 and Volzhskaya gray should be noted.

Pumpkins grow in any climate, because of this, they give the impression of unpretentious plants growing in any vegetable garden. But it is not easy to get large and high-quality fruits by planting pumpkins in open ground. In our climate, pumpkins, like any southern plants, lack sunlight and the length of the growing season.

Pumpkin in a short time builds up a gigantic vegetative mass, so the soil must contain many nutrients. Do not plant pumpkin in shade. She needs a lot of light to grow quickly.

Do not plant the pumpkin next to raspberries - an aggressive bush will leave the pumpkin without sunlight and it will not set fruit.

The pumpkin can be planted with seeds in the garden bed. The best precursors for pumpkin are nightshade and cabbage vegetables. Planting the pumpkin in the ground near the south side of the buildings will protect you from the cold northeast.

Large pumpkin leaves are easily damaged by the wind. When the leaves are turned over, the plants slow down growth and development. To avoid this, summer residents plant tall crops around the perimeter of the pumpkin area, for example, beans, bell peppers or standard tomatoes. If the size of the plot allows, crops can be sown between the rows of the pumpkin.

The soil will have to be prepared in the fall - to make holes and cover them with fallen leaves. In the spring, the soil under the leaves will quickly warm up. It remains to pour a bucket of fertile soil into the hole and plant 3 seeds each. After the cotyledon leaves open, you need to leave one seedling (the strongest in appearance), and remove the rest. One month after sowing, each plant should have at least three leaves.

Processing the seeds before sowing with aloe juice helps to speed up the development of pumpkin. You need to squeeze out a few drops of juice, dilute with water 1: 5 and soak the seeds in the solution for one hour.

Aloe juice will help young plants grow faster. To do this, cut 3 large leaves from home aloe, squeeze the juice into a five-liter bottle, fill it with rainwater and leave to infuse for several hours. It is enough just once at the beginning of the growing season to pour a 100-gram glass of solution under each bush, and then water the plants with water. The pumpkin will bear large fruits and will ripen earlier.

The pumpkin will only thrive in fertile soil with a pH of 6.0-7.5. An indicator of a suitable ground for a pumpkin will be ordinary nettle - if a weed grows well on the site, then the pumpkin will feel great.

The acidic soils under the pumpkin have to be alkalized. For this, ordinary wood ash or fluff lime is suitable. They are brought into each well in 3 glasses and dug up.

When growing oil pumpkin, boron must be added to the soil - it increases the density of seeds and forms large kernels.

Pumpkin responds well to humic acids contained in manure. However, nitrogen is present in excess in manure, which leads to excessive growth of lashes to the detriment of fruit formation. Therefore, not fresh manure is introduced under the pumpkin, but lying in the heap for at least one winter, that is, humus - nitrogen has partially disappeared from this livestock product.

To increase the yield, add phosphorus to the hole, which is not in the humus.

Strictly observe the pumpkin planting dates. Plant the seeds when the soil warms up above 15 degrees. There are studies showing that planting pumpkin seedlings allows you to get a high yield, but the seedlings should be grown in separate cups, since the roots of the pumpkin do not like damage during transplantation.

Culture loves warmth. At a temperature of 0 degrees, it dies, even if it is a short-term morning frost. Among melons, pumpkin is the most moisture-loving. It tolerates well the close location of soil waters. In dry years, you can get an excellent harvest in such areas.

The cultivation of the land in autumn and spring for pumpkin is similar to the cultivation of the beds before planting other vegetables in the family. Anyone who has ever grown cucumbers, zucchini, watermelons or melons will be able to prepare the soil for pumpkins. Like cucumbers, pumpkin can be grown not only on the ground, but also on a pile of old humus.

In southern Russia, seeds are sown in April, in the middle lane - at the end of May. In Siberia, pumpkin is sown at the end of May, but it is taken into account that, if necessary, the seedlings will have to be sheltered from frosts, which are possible in the region until mid-June.

In the middle lane, and even more so in the south, there is no need to plant pumpkin seedlings. Seeds are sown in holes of 2-3 pieces. After emergence, the weak are removed, leaving one plant per meter. Seeds of large-fruited varieties are buried 10-12 centimeters, nutmeg seeds are planted to a depth of 8 centimeters.

Before planting, superphosphate and half a bucket of compost are added to the hole, stirring with the soil. After leaving, it will only consist of weeding and watering. In cold climates, gardeners will have to pinch and normalize the fruit so that the set pumpkins have time to ripen.

Pumpkin care

Mistaking the pumpkin as a minor crop and allocating its place in the backyard without watering or fertilizing, you will get a marginal harvest. Growing and caring for pumpkin in the open field, subject to the rules, makes it possible to get from large-fruited varieties, such as Volzhskaya gray, from 4 kg of fruits per square meter. Moreover, each plant can occupy an area of ​​up to 20 square meters.

For novice gardeners, shaping causes difficulties in growing pumpkin. If you do not form the pumpkin correctly, you will not be able to get large fruits. Plants can be formed into one or two lashes. In the first case, a single whip is left and all the side ones are removed at once as they appear. The first 3 ovaries are left on the lash. After the third, three sheets are left, and the rest is removed.

Some gardeners form their pumpkins in 2 lashes - the harvest has time to ripen. Forming a bush into two lianas, two fruits are left on the main whip, and one or, less often, two on the side. Three more leaves are left behind the last ovary and the tops are pinched.

Productivity increases with the use of filling the lashes with earth. Scourges that have reached a length of a meter or more are untangled, laid, directing growth in the right direction, and sprinkled with soil in two or three places. The technique makes it possible to fix the lashes on the surface of the soil, which protects the plant from the wind and helps to form additional roots.

The pumpkins are harvested when the fruit acquires its characteristic color and pattern. Unripe butternut squash can be ripened at home.

Seeds are removed from oilseed varieties immediately, poured into a glass container and poured with cold water for a day. If the fruits are overripe, the seeds should not be soaked to avoid germination. After soaking, the seeds are washed, separated from the pulp and dried in the oven until a thin transparent film covering the surface of the seed falls off.

Vertical Pumpkin Care

There is an opinion that creepers spread to the south, but this is not the case. The pumpkin grows in all four directions, capturing the adjacent territories. Under favorable conditions, stubborn plants can climb a vertical surface and braid a gazebo, shed or bush.

This can be used by summer residents who do not have enough space for pumpkins on the site. They need to plant not ordinary varieties, but curly ones, since the seeds have appeared on sale. To make the whips climb better, you can pull the twines for them, as for cucumbers. For a "vertical garden" varieties with large fruits are suitable - Spaghetti, Pearl, Russian pumpkin.

The new wax pumpkin is well suited for vertical culture. It has elongated fruits with a dark green, dense crust that feels like wax to the touch. Initially, pumpkins were grown in China and southeastern countries, but now they are gaining popularity in our country. The first variety of wax pumpkin that has become famous in our country is called Chardzhou.

The fruits of the wax gourd are ready for harvesting 125-130 days after sowing, so in the northern regions it is necessary to grow through seedlings. Plants form powerful long stems, fruits are elongated, up to 50 centimeters in length, the weight of each fruit is from six kilograms.

Wax gourd cannot match the taste of butternut squash, but it is a storage champion. The fruits, without drying out or decaying, can lie in the cellar for up to 3 years.

Another still rare pumpkin in our country is figurative. At home in Peru, it is a perennial crop, in our country it is grown as an annual. The pumpkin got its name for the unusual shape of the leaves. She has oval-shaped fruits of green color with a white pattern on the bark. The pulp is white or yellowish, sweet and tasty. Outwardly, the plant and fruits are similar to watermelons.

The length of the shoots of the fig-leaved pumpkin reaches 10 meters, and it is suitable for vertical gardening. Although the plant comes from the tropics, it grows in any region of the country where there is a pumpkin cultivation culture.

Growing pumpkin

Pumpkin loves feeding with ash. This natural fertilizer supplies the plant with potassium, which will be abundant in a properly grown pumpkin (see below for the chemical composition of pumpkin and its value for those who want to lose weight).

According to the technology of growing pumpkin, a month before the harvest, you need to stop watering, then the fruits will acquire firmness and will be well stored. If the fall is rainy, it is better to cover the plants with foil or put an awning over them. The fruits ripen three and a half months after planting the seedlings in the ground. If they did not manage to acquire the characteristic golden or gray color of the variety, they will acquire it later, after lying in the room for several weeks.

Seeds of the unusual Butternut pumpkin have recently appeared on the shelves of seed shops. The plant was bred in Israel, but they learned to grow it in our country too. The fruits of Butternut pumpkin are medium-sized (weighing up to 3 kilograms) and are pear-shaped. The peel is of an even dull color. If you cut the pumpkin fruit lengthwise, then the shape of the cut resembles a mandolin.

The seed chamber is located only in the expanded part of the fruit, because of this, the pulp of the Butternut pumpkin gives more than ordinary hollow pumpkins and zucchini. The flesh of this pumpkin variety is sweet, firm with a fresh fruity aroma. The variety is southern and in the middle lane, when sown with seeds in open ground, it may not pick up the sweetness that is characteristic of it. It is better to grow pumpkin seedlings, and the seeds can be taken from a purchased vegetable.

Pinch the Butternut pumpkin when the whips grow 1 meter. You need to leave no more than 3 lashes on each plant and direct in different directions. Pinching will help you get ripe, large and heavy fruits.

Pumpkins of all varieties are harvested when the stalks are corky and dry. By this time, a characteristic pattern for the variety should have time to form on the peel. Before the first freezing, fruits are harvested, even immature ones, and transferred to ripening in a warmer place, for example, in a greenhouse. Frozen pumpkins will not be stored and will quickly rot.

Pumpkins can be stored permanently in the cellar, hanging by the stalk, or in an apartment on the floor in a dark corner, but you need to keep in mind that mice love the pumpkin. Rodents gnaw through the flesh to get to the delicious pumpkin seeds.

When growing pumpkins for seeds, special oilseed varieties are chosen. The fruits of the varieties contain 1-2% of seeds by weight of the pumpkin. Oilseed varieties include Bulgarian, Ladies' marigold, Kherson watermelon, Ukrainian polycarpous, Muscat, Novinka, Polevichka, Valok. Oil varieties have a lower yield than ordinary varieties - no more than 800 kilograms are harvested per hectare.

There are bare-grain varieties that produce husk-free seeds. These are Styrian holozernaya, Holozernaya round and Golosemyannaya. Hull-free seeds are especially appreciated. In retail, they are 40% more expensive than ordinary ones, but it is more difficult to grow naked varieties than ordinary ones, since the seed quickly decays in the soil and has an extremely low germination capacity. Otherwise, caring for gymnosperms is no different from caring for conventional varieties.

Styrian Butter Gourd is an old variety used for pumpkin seed oil production. Pumpkin oil is used in cooking and cosmetology. The variety is prized for its high content of linoleic acid in the seeds, which gives the oil a nutty flavor and aroma. When growing pumpkin in the open field, the yield of the variety is 500-1500 kg per hectare, the weight of the fruit is up to 6 kilograms. The flesh of Styrian Butter Gourd is coarse fiber and is only suitable for livestock feed.

The planting scheme depends on the variety. When growing oil pumpkins, no more than one plant is left per square meter. A denser planting results in lower yields.

What is great about pumpkin is that it drowns out any weed that grows in the garden. This can be used during the introduction of fallow lands into the crop rotation. It is enough to plant a pumpkin in an abandoned area in the first year and it will clear the soil of weeds, blocking the light with powerful leaves. Without access to sunlight, many weeds will wither and die.

It is necessary to weed the garden with pumpkins at the first stage, when the plants sprout. When grown in the field, it is enough to pass the field lengthwise and across the field with a walk-behind tractor twice, while the plants form lashes. The pumpkins will then overtake and smother the weeds.

When growing pumpkin without manure and humus, you can use green manure, the best of which is the vetch-oat mixture. It is sown as soon as the soil warms up slightly. After the emergence of pumpkin shoots, vetch and oats are pruned with a weeder or Fokin's flat cutter.

As a result, the soil is enriched with nutrients, especially nitrogen, and the garden bed remains covered with a layer of green mulch, which helps to retain moisture. The mixture of oats and oats also prevents the establishment of annual weeds.

Pumpkins should not be sown in the same area more than once every 4 years. If the crop rotation is observed, the plants do not suffer from diseases and pests. Of the pests, the gourd aphid annoys the pumpkin more.

There is an interesting way to protect plants from insects. Aphids are afraid of shiny surfaces, so strips of aluminum foil are laid out between the plants to scare off plantings - this avoids spraying with insecticides. Of the diseases, pumpkin is most often affected by powdery mildew.

If you doubt whether it is worth growing pumpkin, then remember that the fruits of a healthy vegetable contain up to 6% carbohydrates (of which 5% are in the form of sugar), there are no organic acids and little fiber (less than 1%). The chemical composition allows the use of pumpkin fruits in dietary and therapeutic nutrition for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including pancreatitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) and hepatitis.

Pumpkin contains more pectin than apples and beets, so it removes a lot of toxic substances and harmful cholesterol from the body. It is also low in sodium salts and high in potassium, so it can be used to feed people with vascular, heart and kidney diseases.

Growing pumpkin outdoors

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

Preparing and planting pumpkin in open ground

Growing pumpkin is possible in two ways:

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

Presowing seed treatment

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

Pumpkin seeds after germination

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

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

Growing and caring for pumpkin seedlings

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

Site selection and soil preparation

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

Preparing the beds for planting pumpkin

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

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

Pumpkin planting technology

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

Sowing pumpkin in open ground

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

Seedling pumpkin after planting in open ground

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

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

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

Pumpkin cultivation and care - film mulching

Planting and growing pumpkins in the open field video

Pumpkin care rules

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

Fertilization

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

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

Top dressing of pumpkin in the open field

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

Watering the pumpkin

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

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

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

Growing pumpkin video

Forming pumpkin lashes

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

Scheme of the formation of pumpkin lashes

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

Pinching and caring for a pumpkin in the open field video

Protecting pumpkin from diseases and pests

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

Powdery mildew

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

Powdery mildew on pumpkin leaves

Pumpkin mosaic

Pumpkin mosaic in the early stages

Fruit rot

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

Pumpkin Fruit Rot

Insect protection methods

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

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

Harvesting and storage conditions for pumpkin

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

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

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

Storing pumpkin in a heated room

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

Outcome

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

Pumpkin is an unpretentious, common and easily cultivated plant. Refers to the genus of heat-loving herbaceous plants, distinguish between food and fodder pumpkin. The plant is grown by means of seeds. In the article we will look at how pumpkin seeds are planted in open ground, what factors should be taken into account to get a rich harvest in the country.

Factors affecting pumpkin yield

Pumpkin is a plant for which the length of daylight hours plays a huge role. Short daylight hours for a given vegetable crop are considered the main factor affecting yield. Consequently, the duration of daylight hours less than 12 hours is a favorable factor for the intensive growth of the root system, leafy shoots, which leads to an early transition to fruiting and a rich harvest.

Pumpkin culture prefers cleaned areas, therefore, seeds are planted in open ground after preparatory and preventive measures:

• to clean the soil by peeling from perennial weeds;
• after peeling, dig up the soil to a depth of at least 30 cm;
• stabilize the soil Ph level to a neutral composition;
• form a loamy soil. Such a soil easily passes and retains water, warms up quickly;
• exclude proximity to upright plants that can block sunlight.

For the fertility of the soil, not only fertilizer is responsible, but also the mechanical composition of the soil.

The sandy loam soil warms up well with the sun's rays, easily passes water, but does not hold it well, which leads to the leaching of nutrients from the soil layers in which the pumpkin root ovary is located. Before planting the pumpkin, this soil should be improved by increasing the ability to retain moisture.

In order for the soil to retain moisture, it must be mixed with light loamy soil with a volume of 30-40% of the volume of the improved soil.

Planting pumpkin seeds is carried out directly on the beds under the warm climatic conditions of a particular region. If the region is distinguished by the absence of a prolonged warm climate, then planting pumpkins in open ground can be carried out by seedlings.

Preparing pumpkin seeds for planting outdoors

Preparation is carried out with the selection of large and high-quality pumpkin seeds. Selected seeds must be processed in order to:

• disinfection;
• increasing the immunity of seeds against diseases;
• accelerate growth and development.

To destroy pathogenic microflora on the surface of seeds, several main methods are distinguished:

Substance name	Cooking method	Time of processing	Additional Information
Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate)	Mix 1 g of potassium permanganate with 100 ml of warm water	The seeds are soaked in the solution for no more than 30 minutes.	The solution should be bright red.
Formalin 40%	Mix 3 g of formalin with 300 ml of room temperature water	Seeds in a bag are soaked for no more than 5 minutes	After soaking, the seeds are left in a bag for 2 hours. After they take out and dry
Potassium humate	Dilute 0.5 g of potassium humate in a liter of water	Soak the seeds for 24 hours	After soaking, the seeds are covered with wet gauze for 2 days.
Sodium humate	Dilute 1/3 tsp. sodium humate for 2 liters of water	Soak the seeds for 2 days	At room temperature 20-22 ° С
Sun rays	Place the seeds in direct sunlight	Dry the seeds in the sun for 5-7 days	The seeds must be turned over once a day.

Cleaning the surfaces of pumpkin seeds increases their germination, improves the sowing quality of seeds, increases the rate of plant growth, and increases resistance to diseases and pests.

Pumpkin seeds, before starting to plant them, experienced gardeners check them for germination. For testing seeds, take as many seeds as you wish and germinate them. The more seeds were taken, the more accurate the germination percentage will be.

If out of 18-20 seeds 15-16 have sprouted, then germination is considered fruitful

Germination and hardening of seeds

Experienced gardeners do not recommend planting seeds in open ground. It will be right to germinate the seeds for a start. To do this, the best seeds, after treatment from pathogenic microflora, soak the seeds for 2-3 hours in warm water, the water temperature should be 50-55 0 С. After that, the seeds should be wrapped in a damp thin cloth and placed in a warm place.

The procedure for soaking the seeds is necessary for their quick germination, as well as in order to prevent pests from eating the seeds, since the seeds lose their taste after soaking.

It is recommended to pass the hatched pumpkin seeds through the hardening procedure. Basically, hardening is necessary for such pumpkin varieties, which are intended for cultivation in the southern regions of the country. For regions with cooler climates, such varieties are recommended to be hardened. The hardening procedure is carried out in two ways:

1. Swollen or already sprouted pumpkin seeds, without removing the damp cloth, are placed in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in the lower compartment in which vegetables are stored.
2. The germination procedure is carried out with sudden changes in temperature. For example, the seeds are kept in a damp cloth for 10 hours in a row at a temperature of + 18 + 20 ° C., Then the seeds are harvested for 2-3 hours in a cool place, the temperature of which is + 1 + 2 ° C.

It is known that pumpkin does not tolerate transplanting well; therefore, it is recommended that sprouted seeds be immediately planted in fertilized beds.

Tip # 1. For the northern regions, planting pumpkin seeds in open ground can be carried out in raised beds. Such beds are formed as follows: in the selected area, a layer of soil is removed 25-30 cm deep. In the resulting trench, organic fertilizer is placed in layers with soil. The bottom of the trench can be covered with branches, leaves, sawdust, and you can finish it with a layer of compost. The finished garden bed should be 30 cm above the soil level. An elevated bed is fenced off with pieces of boards and slate and covered with a thick film.

Under favorable conditions, seeds germinate on the 3rd day.

Presowing soil fertilization and sowing time

Seeds are sown after soil treatment. It is important to sow the seeds the same day after cultivating the soil. For processing use:

• manure / droppings;
• compost;
• mineral fertilizers;
• phosphate fertilizers.

Tip # 2. To set active growth and development of seeds, it is necessary to fertilize each square meter of the garden with the following composition: mix 2 buckets of humus with half a bucket of sawdust, add 1 liter of wood ash and a glass of mineral fertilizer called "Nitrofoska".

Before planting, the seeds are heated at a temperature of 40 degrees for 10 hours

Plant the seeds in warm soil. The optimum soil temperature for sowing should be at least 10-12 0 С, otherwise there is a risk that the seeds will start to rot due to the high moisture content in the soil. Gardeners, before sowing pumpkin seeds, are watered with hot water.

The best time to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground is the second half of May. This is the time when the seeds and young seedlings are no longer threatened with frost. The soil during this period contains less moisture and is warmed up enough for planting seeds.

Planting pumpkin seeds in open ground

Seeds are sown in the morning, in moist, warm soil enriched with fertilizers. Before planting seeds in the soil, it is necessary to form holes at a distance of about 1 m from each other. As for the row spacing, they are located at a distance of 1.5 - 2 m from each other.

The planting hole is watered abundantly with warm water. The seeds are placed in the holes as the water is absorbed to a depth of 9-10 cm. It is recommended to sow 3-5 seeds in each hole. The topsoil is sprinkled with fertilizers such as peat chips or ordinary humus. The fertilizer layer should not exceed 2 cm, as the sprouts are very weak and may not break through the thick layer.

When planting seeds, a planting depth of less than 7-8 cm should be avoided. Shallow planting of seeds results in “jacketed” shoots, along with the seed coat.

The pumpkin is very fond of fertilizers. During the period of growth and development, feed the plant every two weeks. The pumpkin is planted away from upright plants, and the beds are formed in open areas with direct access to sunlight.

Let's list the basic principles of caring for the growth and development of a pumpkin:

• selection of seeds;
• disinfection of seeds;
• germination of seeds;
• hardening of seeds;
• when sowing, fertilize and water the wells with warm water;
• plant seeds to a depth of less than 7-8 cm;
• cover with foil for optimal temperature conditions;
• the beds should be located on the sunny side.

The second stage of pumpkin cultivation is the proper care of the plant: feeding every 2 weeks, watering and forming ovaries.

Care and formation of pumpkin ovaries

The main care procedure is to form the correct growth and development of the plant. The main stem is pinched as soon as it reaches a length of 1.3-1.5 m and an ovary of 1-2 fruits is formed on it.

Lateral processes are left 50-60 cm long, provided that ovaries have formed on them

Timely plant pinching procedure helps to form 3 fruits on one plant: on the main stem and on two lateral shoots. The main task of the plant formation procedure is to remove excess shoots and processes of the plant. If you do not form a pumpkin plant, then many small fruits are formed on it, half of which die due to the lack of a sufficient amount of nutrients, the other half does not have time to ripen.

At the stage of ovary formation, the plant is watered only with warm water. At the time of the formation of the fruit, watering should be limited. Plant feeding before fruit ripening is required every two weeks. At the ripening stage, it is recommended to put glass under each ripening fruit so that it does not come into contact with the soil, and watering should be abundant, once a week, 20-25 liters of water per plant.

During the period of pumpkin growth, high-quality protection of the crop from pests is required. The following methods of pest control are distinguished:

Pests	Damage area	How amaze	Consequences of defeat	Method of struggle	Processing method
	Aerial part of the plant	Sucks the juice from the shoots	Leaves, ovaries die	Soap solution: Mix 100g of grated soap with warm water	Spray the ground part of the plant
Medvedka	The underground part of the plant	Gnaws at the roots	Root crop rot	The drug "Medvedoks"	Granules laid out in holes
	Ground part	Affect the stems, leaves	Leaves and ovaries die	Moisten the fabric with a solution of wood ash	Lay out wet rags

The following organic mixture is suitable as the main top dressing for a ripening crop: add manure to hot water, the amount of manure is determined by eye until the mass acquires a creamy consistency. The mass should be insisted until the first signs of fermentation appear in it. Then 500 ml of the finished mixture is diluted with a bucket of warm water.

Lateral whips in places of contact with the soil are sprinkled so that several more root systems are formed for additional plant nutrition

Types of sweet pumpkin varieties

Variety "Kroshka"- the fruits of this variety are small, 2-3 kg. It has a gray color and a flattened shape. From planting to harvesting is 3 months.

Variety "Atlant" refers to a late-ripening variety, the fruits are large in size, weight is 20 kg. From planting to harvesting is 4 months.

Variety "big Max"- refers to a late-ripening variety, the fruits are large in size, weight is 40 kg. From planting to harvesting is 5 months.

Variety "Almond"- the fruits of this variety are small - 5-7 kg. From planting to harvesting is 4 months.

3 mistakes when planting pumpkin seeds

1. Many gardeners refuse to test seeds for germination before sowing them in open ground. Old seeds are sown without getting the required number of shoots.
2. Seedlings may be weak if the seeds were sown in the soil after harvesting squash, squash and cucumbers.
3. If the ovary is small, it is better not to water the pumpkin, otherwise large lashes and leaves will grow, and the fruits will form small.

Answers to frequently asked questions from gardeners

Question number 1. What kind of pumpkin is only planted with seedlings?

Only nutmeg pumpkin is grown outdoors by seedlings.

Question number 2... How many plants can you leave in one hole?

When the plants grow and get stronger, 2 plants are left the strongest in the holes. Weak ones are pinched so as not to damage their common root system.

Question number 3. In what cases are pumpkin seeds sown not in the beds?

In light loamy soil.

Question number 4. What vegetables are considered to be the precursors of pumpkin?

The precursors of the pumpkin plant are tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions and potatoes.

Question number 5... Can seeds be heated in the oven?

It is possible, but the air temperature in the oven should be 30 ° C. After the oven, the seeds are wrapped in a light cloth in 3-4 layers, and soak for 5 minutes in a solution of ash. After the seeds are taken out and placed on the windowsill for swelling.

The nutmeg pumpkin variety is considered useful, but it is difficult to grow it, since this variety is considered thermophilic and late maturing. But, do not be upset, butternut squash can also be grown in a short summer:

• I keep the seeds of butternut pumpkin in a formalin solution for no more than 2 hours. Then I leave the seeds in direct sunlight for drying. I immerse dry seeds in warm water for 2-3 minutes, wrap them in a warm thin cloth and put them in a warm place.
• After a day, I harden the seeds, put them on the balcony overnight. I transplant the strongest and healthiest seedlings into boxes 40-50 cm deep with warm and insulated soil. I grow seedlings until July in greenhouse conditions, until the seedlings finally get stronger.
• I plant seedlings in open ground on raised insulated beds under a film in the first half of June.
• I shoot the film in early July. If the weather is sunny, then the pumpkin ripens without a film until mid-August.
• In the second half of August, I harvest the crop in an immature state and put it in a warm room. Butternut squash ripens within 25-30 days at a temperature of + 24 + 26 ° C.

Familiar in the garden space and culinary use pumpkin lends itself well to cultivation and care in various conditions, including open ground.

Pumpkin: a description of the garden culture

Smooth, bumpy or warty pumpkin fruits obtained as a result of natural farming are very diverse in shape, color and weight. The latter ranges from tens of grams to a centner. Growing pumpkin in the open field is facilitated by the peculiarities of its root system - the depth (up to 3 m) of the main root and a wide spread (up to 10 sq. M) active part, located in arable land 20-25 cm from the surface.

This gives a solid drought tolerance. Although varieties in the form of bushes have already become known in gardening practice, the classic pumpkin stalk creeps (crawls) along the ground, stretching up to four or more meters. The huge leaf surface consists of large, with elongated petioles, pumpkin leaves that do not have stipules. Each of the plants is a common home for male and female flowers.

The heterosexual flowers having the same red-orange color differ:

• flowering sequence (male ones appear first);
• place on the stem (female - higher);
• pedicels (for men - longer);
• the presence of sometimes inflorescences (only in males).

In addition, non-pollinated female flowers last longer. Pollination is carried out by insects (due to the natural severity of the pollen, which is not able to be carried by the wind) or manually by humans. The morning hours of the first days after watering or rain are most favorable for natural pollination.

The absence of bees due to cold, heat or prolonged precipitation leads to the fall of unpolished flowers. The ellipses of pumpkin seeds, rounded and pointed at different ends, are well known to numerous lovers of eating them. Germination capacity lasts up to four years.

In connection with the latter circumstance, it is possible to give an answer to the question of whether it is possible to sow pumpkin with fresh seeds: there should be more than the usual amount (after all, germination is slightly worse), and if we are talking only about a few seeds, then it is recommended to cut them with a sharp side, since the strong fresh shell prevents the sprout from penetrating.

Did you know?Of the eight hundred known pumpkin varieties in the world, only 200 are edible.

Features of growing pumpkin, how to choose a site for planting

In addition to natural attention to the light and temperature regime and the soil structure of the area where the pumpkin will grow, it is also necessary to take into account the peculiarities of its root system, which actively removes nutrients from the ground, and wide foliage that can drown out neighboring plantings.

Lighting requirements

Ideally, the pumpkin needs lighting, as gardeners say, full sun, that is, it should have at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. The result of this impact will be increased yields and improved fruit quality.

But she will also endure partial shade with dignity. This is used to maximize the exploitation of the available land, compacting crops of long-stemmed maize with pumpkin plantings. The shade of the pumpkin itself makes it very difficult for weeds to grow. In this sense, it can be used as a means to cleanse the soil.

Optimum temperature for seedlings or seeds

The general rule is that the extreme limit of the daytime air temperature when planting pumpkin seedlings was not lower than + 8 ° С(for seed planting - from + 13 ° С and above) subject to its reduction at night not lower than + 3 ° С. In other cases, the risk is not worth it.

What should be the soil for planting

Growing well in any soil, pumpkin prefers a soil rich in humus, moist but not too moist, with good drainage. To get this, before planting (sowing) the soil is mixed with a large amount of compost.

The soil for pumpkin can be both slightly acidic and slightly alkaline, but acidity (pH) 6.5 is recognized as optimal. You should not plant a pumpkin on the site where its relatives grew up before (cucumbers, zucchini, squash).

After other crops, the soil for pumpkin is suitable, and planting after potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, carrots, winter cereals (corn and wheat), various legumes and herbaceous perennials is very favorable.

Important!Do not be afraid of ground waters close to the ground (0.6 - 0.7 m) - they will not affect the yield of the pumpkin.

Planting pumpkin in the garden (planting timing, sowing technology, picking seedlings, seed preparation, etc.)

What is the best way to proceed when determining whether to plant a pumpkin with seeds or seedlings, the owner must prompt the climate of the area in which his site is located. That is, before sowing pumpkin directly into open ground or for seedlings, you need to devote some time to studying and assessing natural factors. It depends on the latitude in which month of the year the gardeners will plant the pumpkin. In particular, for the middle lane, this is the end of April.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Pumpkin seeds are planted directly in open ground in vegetable gardens where the July air temperature does not fall below 18 degrees. Before that, you need to make sure, after studying the forecast of meteorologists, that there is no threat of a quiet disaster, as recurrent frosts are sometimes called. After such a danger has passed, sowing is carried out. If the weather worsens, it is better to cover the crops with non-woven textiles.

Important!The day before planting, the seeds are warmed up and soaked in water with dissolved ash.

Once you have opted for the seedling method, care must be taken to properly germinate the pumpkin seeds for seedlings. So that the roots are intact when they are moved into open ground, planting pumpkin seeds for seedlings is done immediately in peat pots or just in paper cups.

When using seed boxes, a layer of sawdust is poured into their bottom, under a substrate made of a mixture of peat and soil, a few centimeters. Sowing is carried out three weeks before moving into open ground. In order for the pumpkin seeds to sprout well, the germination temperature in the first three days can be brought to 25 degrees, reducing it at night to a maximum of +15.

Planting pumpkin seedlings involves a number of prerequisites. When the prepared soil is not yet warmed up, pumpkin seedlings should not be planted. You can determine the optimal (12 degrees) soil temperature by simply inserting an ordinary household thermometer into it for 10 minutes. If it is lower, then make a cover of plastic (preferably black) film for the soil. If you can't stand time or there will be no other case for planting, then three (or more) liters of hot water can be poured into the landing holes.

Seedlings grown in peat pots are planted with them, burying 3 cm deeper than in greenhouse soil. Seedlings from boxes are placed in holes filled with water so that the roots, being located in the soil, avoid unnecessary bends.

How to properly care for a pumpkin

Pumpkin care begins with watering it immediately after planting. About a week later, it is advisable to mulch the soil surface with compost containing effective microorganisms, placing crushed nettles on top of its layer. Peat, humus, pine needles and even dry soil are also suitable as mulch.

An essential point of care is supporting loosening of the soil, which must be done at least every two weeks. This procedure is almost always combined with weeding. Immediately after planting, the loosening depth can be up to 12 cm, and by the end of the first month it must be reduced to 5-8 cm in order to avoid damage to the root system. In the absence of natural (insect) pollination, it is necessary to use the manual method - otherwise, decay of untied fruits occurs.

The operation, which should be carried out before noon, is quite simple: the anthers of each plucked male flower with the petals removed should be gently touching the pistils of one or two female flowers. When the weather improves, then to attract insects as pollinators, you can spray the flowering pumpkin weekly with honey water (one teaspoon of sweetness per 10 liters of water).

Important!To prevent the fruits from rotting, do the pollination yourself.

How to form a plant correctly

Pumpkin seedlings quickly become sprawling plants with long stems and large leaves. So that a powerful plant does not violate the boundaries of its growing territory, it is required to form a pumpkin, which is easy to do in the open field. For this, the technology of pinching a pumpkin is used, and it must be done while the plant is young. Pinching occurs by removing the apical bud (with part of the shoot).

Its purpose is the accelerated development of lateral shoots bearing a greater number of female flowers. In addition, excess young axillary shoots that have reached 5-7 cm are removed - this procedure is called pinching. It is carried out in the open field simultaneously with the removal of excess leaves and the direction of all processed pumpkin lashes in one direction. At the same time, leaving one ovary on each lash, excellent fruit sizes are obtained at the harvesting stage.

Watering and fertilizing pumpkin

The watering period for the pumpkin is the time of its flowering, the emergence and development of ovaries. At the beginning of fruit setting, the plant is watered moderately so that they do not grow too small. Then the volume of moisture, moreover warm (at least +20 degrees), is increased.

Warm significant watering promotes the formation of female flowers. Cold watering with well or artesian water can ruin the planting. When real foliage appears on the growing pumpkin, they begin to feed it with dry nitrophosphate (10 g for each plant) and 15 grams of nitrophoska diluted with water is given to each vegetable during the formation of lashes.

• - ash at the rate of 1 glass / 1 plant;
• - a solution (1: 8) of mullein at the rate of 10 liters for six plants, when the growing season began, and for three - during fruiting;
• - humus, rotted chicken droppings or manure, humus - you can by eye.

How to protect pumpkin from pests and diseases

Pests and diseases	Manifestations	Protection methods
Melon aphid	Rolling leaves, falling flowers	Spraying with infusion of celandine (or garlic, or onion husks) or a chemical solution (kemifos, actellik, fufanon). Autumn collection and elimination of plant residues, deep digging of soil
Slugs	Damage to young leaves (round holes and silvery stripes), later to ovaries	Soil loosening, thinning, weeding. Traps of cabbage leaves, watermelon peels, soaked rags, followed by destruction of pests in a concentrated saline solution. Superphosphate and other chemical protective bands around plants. Spraying with creocide solution
Powdery mildew	Drying of diseased leaves covered with abundant white bloom, spreading to the stems and petioles	Timely weeding. Warm watering. Removing diseased leaves. Spraying with chemicals (strobe, topaz) and treating the soil with them three weeks before harvest
Peronosporosis (downy mildew)	Growing and drying light yellow spots and gray-purple bloom on the leaves	Warming up the seeds before sowing. Spraying with chemicals (strobe, kartocid, copper oxychloride, cuproxate)
Anthracnose	Drying and forming holes on the leaves depressed spots with a pink bloom. Also appear on cotyledons and petioles	Removal of diseased plants. Spraying (Bordeaux liquid, copper oxychloride, abigalic)

In general, pumpkin is not very susceptible to harmful influences, but basic protection methods will come in handy in case of negative manifestations.

• Pumpkin seeds are dried in folk medicine, then oil is made from them. Pumpkin seeds are rich in glycosides and steroids, vitamin E, trace elements of potassium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, etc., vegetable proteins and sugars.
• Pumpkin pulp contains peptide fibers that help normalize the stomach and remove toxins from the intestines.
• It is recommended to use pumpkin for overweight people: low-calorie vegetable; vitamin T contained in pumpkin helps to accelerate metabolism and fast absorption of food; the diuretic property of pumpkin ensures the removal of excess fluid from the body.
• For kidney disease, pumpkin is recommended as a diuretic.
• Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene and lutein, which have a beneficial effect on human vision.

The pumpkin can be sown directly into the soil, or can be planted through seedlings. It grows best in well-warmed sunny areas. Preparing the soil for planting pumpkins begins in the fall. After harvesting the pumpkin precursors, the soil is freed of weeds and plant debris.

After that, the soil is loosened with a mill or a hoe, after two to three weeks it is dug up to 25 - 30 cm to a depth. During digging, the roots of dandelion, sow thistle, wheatgrass, May beetle and wireworm larvae should be carefully removed from the site.

Fertilizers are applied to the soil simultaneously with its digging. Due to the high growth rate of aboveground and underground organs, pumpkin has an increased need for nutrients.

The best fertilizer for pumpkin is manure. It is more expedient to use rotted compost, since there are many weeds in the fresh manure. 5-10 kg of manure are applied per 1 square meter of the plot.

Organic fertilizers are embedded to a depth of 10-15 cm (on heavy soils) or 15-20 cm (on light soils). With a limited amount of organic fertilizers, they can be applied immediately before planting the crop directly into the hole.

The day before sowing the pumpkin, the soil is dug up, nitrogen fertilizers are applied for digging at the rate of 15-20 grams of fertilizer per 1 square meter of the plot. After digging, the site is leveled with a rake and proceed to planting seedlings or sowing seeds.

Planting pumpkin seeds

For planting pumpkin seeds, it is best to select full-bodied seeds, which must be warmed up at a temperature of 60 degrees (2-3 hours). This is necessary for the friendly germination of seedlings. To ensure early germination, to acquire the resistance of the culture to unfavorable environmental conditions, the seeds are placed for a day in a solution of one of the growth stimulants before sowing:

• crezacin solution - one stimulant tablet is diluted per 100 ml of water;
• a solution of potassium humate - 4 ml of a stimulant is diluted with 200 ml of water;
• epin solution - 2-7 drops of a stimulant are diluted per 100 ml of water.

If you do not have these preparations, you can use wood ash to treat pumpkin seeds: for 1 liter of warm water, take 2 tablespoons of ash, insist for one day, stir the solution periodically, then filter and drop the seeds placed in a gauze bag into it. After that, the seeds are washed with water.

You can soak the seeds in warm water or in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After the seeds are soaked, you can start sowing them or germinating them. You can germinate pumpkin seeds in an apartment by wrapping them in a damp cloth and placing them in a saucer.

On the site, you can germinate pumpkin seeds in a box with scalded sawdust. Paper napkins (wet) in 23 layers are spread on the sawdust, pumpkin seeds are placed on them, then napkins again, then warm sawdust and everything is covered with foil. The box is left in a warm place.

Pumpkin sowing time

Depending on the biological characteristics of the pumpkin variety, as well as on the climatic conditions of the region, there are different periods of sowing the culture. Planting of a hard-bore and large-fruited pumpkin begins when the soil warms up to 10 degrees (at a depth of 10-12 cm), and the air temperature is 15 degrees. At earlier sowing dates, the plant should be provided with heat from biofuel, as well as protection from frost with a film.

When planting a hard-bore and large-fruited pumpkin with seeds in open ground, they must be embedded in the soil to a depth of 5-8 cm (on light soils) or 4-5 cm (on heavy soils).

Seeds of long-growing varieties of culture are sown in a row (the distance between the holes should be about 1.5-2 meters, and between the rows - 1.4-2 meters).

Bush pumpkin varieties can be planted using the square-nesting method according to the scheme: 80 * 80 cm or 1.2 * 1.2 m.The distance between the pumpkin seeds should be 3-4 cm.After the seeds are spread out in the holes, they should be watered with the mixture humus and soil in equal amounts.

Planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground

The ripening process of pumpkin from the moment of sowing is quite long, especially for late-ripening and thermophilic crop varieties. The process takes 120-140 days. In order to get an earlier harvest of the pumpkin, you can grow its seedlings. Window sills in the apartment are suitable for this, it is desirable that the window sills are well lit.

Also, seedlings are grown in greenhouses, greenhouses or under a film frame. Sowing seeds is best done in the last decade of April or early May. This ensures that the plant is ready to be transplanted outdoors.

Milk bags or hollow peat pots with a diameter of 10-15 cm can be used as containers for seedlings. Ready peat soil is poured into the container. Self-preparation of nutrient soil: take humus and sod soil in a ratio of 4: 1. 4 grams of potassium salt and ammonium nitrate, as well as 5 grams of superphosphate are added to the bucket of the mixture. After the mixture is moistened and mixed thoroughly (preferably 3-4 times). This mixture is poured into prepared containers and slightly compacted.

During sowing, the soil in containers is watered with warm water, a 2-3 cm depression is made in the center, into which one pumpkin seed is placed. The seed preparation process is the same as for sowing directly into open ground. The pots are covered with plastic wrap on top and placed on the windowsill for germination.

After sowing the pumpkin, the air temperature should be maintained within 18-25 degrees. As soon as the first shoots appear, the film is removed and the temperature is lowered by 3-5 degrees (this is done within 4-5 days). In an apartment, this can be achieved by airing the room. This protects the seedlings from pulling out.

If the seedlings are still stretched out, then on the eighth to tenth day after the emergence of seedlings, roll the hypocotyl knee in a ring and put it on the soil, covering them with earth until the cotyledon leaves. The field of this pumpkin seedling is grown at a daytime air temperature of 20-22 degrees, and at night 15-18 degrees. Watering the pumpkin should not be abundant and frequent. Excess moisture can lead to "pampering" the culture.

The plant should be fed twice. The first feeding is carried out on the eighth to tenth day after germination. Growing seedlings in a greenhouse will be better if you take 100 ml of slurry, chicken droppings or mullein and 5 grams of garden mixture for 1 liter of water, mix everything thoroughly and water the area with this solution.

The second top dressing is done with any complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 3-4 grams of fertilizer per 1 liter of water. It must be done immediately before planting the plant in open ground.

A few days before planting seedlings, it should be hardened. Plants ready for transplanting have a low and stocky stem with short internodes, and also have 2-3 well-developed dark green leaves.

Planting seedlings in the soil is carried out a little deeper than it sat in a pot, sprinkling it at the same time to the cotyledon leaves. This promotes the formation of additional roots. When planting, the roots are squeezed with soil, while preventing the formation of voids.

Seedlings planted in the ground are watered abundantly. This is necessary for better contact of the plant with the soil, to enhance the supply of water to the leaves. Sprinkle the soil around the plants with mulching material or dry soil only after the water has been absorbed. Mulch prevents the plant from forming an earthen crust.

In order for the resulting pumpkin fruits not to rot from soil moisture, they should be protected from this as follows: 4 stones are placed on the ground, on top of them there is a wide slab or board on which the pumpkin is laid. They do this only while she is still small.

As the individual fruits ripen, they are harvested. Immediately before the onset of frost, all pumpkin fruits should be removed.

Pumpkin must be present in the diet of every person. Remember this! We hope that thanks to our advice, you will grow a large and sweet pumpkin, from which you will prepare the healthiest dishes.

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It is difficult to imagine the garden beds of Russian household farms without such a culture as pumpkin. And in the gardens near Moscow, in the fall, among the dead tops, bright spots of these fruits of the most different shapes and colors are clearly visible.

It would seem that growing a pumpkin in the open field in the Moscow region is not difficult at all, and many gardeners after planting are limited to minimal attention and caring for the vegetable. Indeed, early ripening, but not the sweetest and longest-stored pumpkins can be removed in the last days of August and September. But orange large-fruited beauties and fragrant nutmeg pumpkins, with a disdainful attitude to agricultural technology, do not always ripen.

In order not to be left without the desired harvest, it is important to know how to bring the harvest time closer, to properly care for the pumpkin in the open field and to determine the ripeness of the fruit.

How and when to plant pumpkin seedlings?

To obtain a friendly and maximum early harvest, which is very important when growing mid-season and late pumpkins in the open ground near Moscow, it is better to plant seedlings. To do this, large, filled seeds are immersed in warm water for a couple of days before sowing and kept at a temperature of 45-50 ° C for about three hours. Then the seed is removed and at room temperature they are waiting for the seeds to peck out between the layers of wet tissue. In this case, it is important to ensure that the moisture has not evaporated, because the dried up germ of the sprout can quickly die.

Once the flaps are open, the seed can be planted in the soil.

But for pumpkins of late-ripening varieties and seedlings that are at risk of falling under spring frosts, it will be better to stratify the seeds in advance. For this, the seeds that have grown in the same humid environment are placed in the refrigerator. Here, at a temperature of 2 to 5 ° C, the planting material is hardened and spends 3-4 days.

It is optimal to plant pumpkin for seedlings three weeks before the moment when young plants fall into the ground. That is, the use of such a cultivation method for at least 10-15 days brings pumpkin harvesting closer to the Moscow region.

But it should be borne in mind that vegetable seedlings are difficult to transplant and all the gain in time can evaporate due to the long acclimatization of plants. Therefore, sowing is carried out in 10-centimeter peat pots filled with a peat-humus mixture with the addition of sand and garden soil.

This will be enough for the development of the seedling root system. If the seeds are planted in large sowing containers, it is better to make a 3-centimer layer at their bottom from the aged sawdust:

• Until the shoots appear, the pots are covered with foil and kept at a daytime temperature of 18-25 ° C. The air can be 5–7 ° C cooler at night.
• When sprouts appear above the ground, pumpkin seedlings are further lowered in temperature for additional hardening and to prevent stretching, now to 15-18 ° C during the day and 12-13 ° C at night. In such conditions, the plants are about a week.
• With the onset of development of true leaves, the temperature rises by 3-5 ° C in the daytime, and at night the air can warm up to 15 ° C.

Pumpkin seedlings for growing in the Moscow Region open field need moderate, but regular watering and. If there is not enough natural light, additional lighting is arranged, which also prevents the sprouts from stretching excessively and weakening.

At one week of age, the seedlings receive the first nitrogen fertilization, for which 250-300 ml of mullein solution or nitrophoska in the concentration indicated by the manufacturer is used per plant.

By the time the seedlings of pumpkin grown for open ground in the Moscow region fall into the soil, it has several true leaves of a rich green color and a strong, upright trunk. The time when pumpkin seedlings are planted in open ground comes with the departure of spring frosts from the Moscow region.

Between the plants of bush varieties, gaps of 70-100 cm are left, to ensure the nutrition of large plants that form powerful whips, it is better to leave 1.5 meters.

Outdoor pumpkin care

If you want to get an early harvest, as well as if there is a danger of flooding, the area for pumpkins is used.

The simplest way is to plant a pumpkin on a mound about 10–15 cm high. In this case, the soil warms up better and faster, and the plant that has found itself in new conditions is easier to transplant. The soil should be moist, nutritious and loose, and the planted pumpkin seedlings must be watered and covered with a film or non-woven material.

Outdoor pumpkin care starts from the moment of planting and does not stop until harvest. So that moisture evaporates from the surface of the soil more slowly, weeds do not grow, and the soil is warm, the beds around the sprouts are mulched with straw. In the summer months, if the weather turns out to be rainy, this protection will prevent the ovaries and already ripening fruits from rotting.

Of no small importance for obtaining an early harvest is the choice of a site for planting. Not only does the crop require nutritious, organic-rich loose soil, the ridges need to be well lit and protected from the cold wind. For varieties that form powerful lashes, hedges and walls of buildings become such protection and a kind of trellis.

For active and rapid growth of pumpkin grown in the open field of the Moscow region, you cannot do without regular feeding. Moreover, it is better to apply fertilizers not at the root, but at some distance from the plant, in an annular groove. Its depth increases from 8 to 12 cm as the bush develops. When the plant is still small, for the first feeding at the stage of several true leaves, such a depression is made at a distance of 15–20 cm from the stem. Then the hole is made at a distance of 40 cm. This is how all subsequent feeding is carried out with an interval of 7-10 days.

When applying fertilizers, you should try to prevent the solution from getting on the flowers, leaves and other green parts of the plant, as this can cause burns. At the end of the procedure, the gutter is sprinkled with soil. At the initial stages of pumpkin development in the open field, organic fertilizing is included in the care, which provokes the rapid growth of greenery. A week after planting, the seedlings are watered with a solution:

• chicken droppings at the rate of 1:16;
• diluted manure in a ratio of 1: 6;
• 1:10 herbal infusion, for example, nettles;
• synthetic fertilizers containing nitrogen in the proportion indicated on the product.

As they grow, they are introduced, and by the time of harvest, nitrogen fertilizing is practically excluded and the proportion of potassium in fertilizers is increased. Such a measure will not allow the fruits to accumulate nitrates, but it will make it possible to form well and bring closer the moment when pumpkins will ripen in the Moscow region. Pumpkin responds well to foliar dressing, for which you can take ready-made universal action products.

Outdoor caring for pumpkin cannot be effective if the plant is limited in moisture. Watering, especially in the early days before the pumpkin has grown green, is extremely important. They may be rare, but not superficial. Roots located at a depth of 40 cm must receive enough moisture to ensure the development of a large and abundantly fruiting plant. In this case, the water for irrigation is taken standing and warm.

A month before the pumpkins in the open field ripen or will be cut due to the onset of cold weather, watering is gradually reduced, and then completely stopped.

Under artificial drought conditions, the plant will determine when it is time for the pumpkins to ripen. And by the time of harvest, the bark of the fruit will be harder, the stalk will dry out and woody, the pulp will become dense, with a high sugar content.

Forming pumpkin in the open field

When growing pumpkin in the open field of the Moscow region, it is difficult to get a decent, early harvest, if you do not form and limit the plants in growth. If for bush varieties you can limit yourself to removing female flowers during a period when a sufficient amount of ovary has already formed on the plant, then with a pumpkin that gives long powerful lashes you will have to do differently.

At the moment when 5-6 true leaves are revealed on the main pumpkin shoot, the stem is pinched, which stimulates:

• development of lateral lashes from the sinuses;
• an increase in the number of flowers, ovary and ripe fruits.

This does not end the formation of the plant. When the number of ovaries about 12-15 cm in diameter reaches 3-5, depending on the variety, the growth point of this lash is removed, leaving 3 to 5 leaves above the last ovary. So that all the forces of the plant go to the already formed fruits, from this moment all lateral shoots and flowers are removed. At the end of the article, in a detailed video on the formation of a pumpkin in the open field, the entire sequence of actions is considered.

Along the way, with the formation of a pumpkin in the open field, you can provide the plant with additional nutrition using a simple technique. As the lashes grow, they are evenly laid out in the area designated for pumpkins, and the stems are sprinkled with soil at a distance of 50-60 cm from the root and watered. As a result, additional roots are formed in these places, which help to feed the ripening pumpkins.

The number of fruits on pumpkins grown in the open field of the Moscow region is determined by:

• maximum permissible load for the grade:
• time remaining until the end of the growing season;
• the degree of maturity of already set pumpkins.

When does pumpkin ripen in the Moscow region?

With proper care for pumpkins in the open field, early and mid-season varieties ripen well in the middle lane, giving not too large fruits.

For gardeners, who make every effort to grow large-fruited varieties and butternut pumpkins, famous for their delicious taste and aroma, it is important not to miss the moment of harvesting and know exactly how to determine that the pumpkin is ripe.

There are several signs that the fetus is ready:

• By the time pumpkins ripen, the stalk becomes coarse and looks like a dry cork.
• Scourges and leaves begin to turn yellow and dry.
• The bark changes color, a pattern characteristic of the variety appears on it. While there are plants producing gray, green and creamy pumpkins, most varieties produce orange or all shades of yellow fruit.
• Not only does the color of the peel change, but also its hardness. If the bark of the ovary can be easily damaged with a fingernail or a rough lash, then the bark of a pumpkin ripened in the Moscow region becomes extremely strong.

And although the most delicious fruits are those that ripened in the sun, it is important to harvest the crop before the onset of stable cold weather.

Do not forget that autumn in the Moscow region is insidious because the sun shines during the daytime, and the temperature is quite comfortable for pumpkins, and at night on the soil the September air cools down to very low levels.

Therefore, no matter how the summer resident cares for the pumpkin in the open field, it is better to remove the fruits that have not ripened in time at the first doubt. Frosts can seriously damage even mature fruits, reducing their quality and storage capacity.

Pumpkins intended for storage are cut, leaving a stalk at least 4–6 cm long, sorted and left to dry. For 8-10 days in a dry, warm room or outdoors, under a canopy, if the weather permits, the fruits ripen, the bark hardens, the cut on the cutting dries up. If the nights are cold, as happens when a pumpkin ripens in September or early October in the Moscow region, the fruits are covered with hay or non-woven material. Unripe pumpkins are ripened in room conditions, which can take from 10 days to 1.5 months.

Planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground - video