Planting pumpkin seeds outdoors. Pumpkin - planting, growing and proper care. Illumination of the site and the presence of groundwater

If you have a small plot of land, and you have not decided what to plant on it, be sure to add a pumpkin to the list. Caring for her is not difficult, but the harvest is rich. And about how to plant a pumpkin in open ground, I will tell you in detail in this article.

Growing pumpkins is easy

How to plant a pumpkin: site preparation

If you are interested in the richest harvest, then you need to choose the right place for planting. The ridge should be located in a warm place, on the sunny side. The soil can be any, but sandy or sandy loam is preferable, such soil warms up better. Best planted after winter wheat, corn or perennial grasses. You can also pick up ridges after a tomato, onion, potato, cabbage or carrot. It is not recommended to plant after cucumbers or squash. It is impossible to plant in the same place, you need to wait 5 years after the previous planting.

Preparing the soil for planting pumpkins

The land for planting is to be prepared in the fall, for this it is necessary to perform the following work:

Clear the land of plant residues.
Loosen shallow with a hoe.
After 2-3 weeks, the earth needs to be dug up, while collecting weed roots.
In the spring, before planting, dig again, with the addition of nitrogen fertilizers, after which the ridge is leveled with a rake.
High ridges are being made. The heavier the earth, the higher the ridge. A standard ridge should be 1-1.5 meters wide, 25 centimeters high. The width of the furrows between the ridges should be about half a meter.

Fertilizing before planting pumpkins in open ground

When digging the earth, be sure to fertilize the soil. Pumpkin after planting begins to grow rapidly, for this you need a lot of nutrients. The best option for fertilizer is humus or manure. A bucket of manure or humus is brought per square meter.

Pumpkin loves abundant manure fertilizer

With heavy soils to a depth of 10-15 centimeters, on light soils - 15-20 centimeters. If you do not have the required amount of manure, then you can only put it in seedling holes - 1..2 kilograms per hole. In addition to manure, 20 grams of superphosphate and 10 grams of potassium sulfate are also added. Or use complex fertilizers, a tablespoon per plant.

Planting pumpkin seeds

For a large area, you will need a seeder. For this, melon seeders SBN-3 and SBU-2-4 are used. At the first seeder, planting seeds in 2-3 rows, with an interval of 140 or 180 centimeters. For small gardens, they are not suitable, you have to plant the seeds by hand.

Important: Planting with seeds is carried out only in early varieties of pumpkin, such as nutmeg and hardbark. The remaining varieties are planted only through seedlings.

How to plant a pumpkin

If you are interested in a good harvest, you need to choose full-weight seeds. To select the best seeds, salted water is prepared, into which the seed is dipped, and the floating seeds are rejected. The rest is collected, washed and dried.

Pumpkin seeds keep up to four years

Seeds can be stored for up to 4 years. For a better shoot and a healthy harvest, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures:

warming up. This process will give good shoots, done at 60 degrees, within 2-3 hours.
hardening. The plant must endure temperature extremes, for this, the seeds are kept at a temperature of +1 degree for two days.
Increasing disease resistance. Diseases can damage shoots that have not yet grown strong, and to prevent this from happening, the seeds are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate, potassium cumate or wood ash infused in water.
seed germination. To do this, they are wrapped in wet gauze, in a couple of days the first shoots will appear.

Of all the gourds, the pumpkin is the most resistant to cold, so it is planted in late spring, when the possibility of frost is already excluded. If you hurry and plant early, then the seeds in the cold ground will simply rot, so they are planted when the soil temperature reaches +13 degrees. One plant needs 1-4 square meters of soil for nutrition.

Please note: For early varieties, the area may be less - for later varieties, more, so the distance between plants is very important.

For long climbing varieties, it is necessary to leave a distance between the holes of 1.5-2 meters, and between rows also up to 2 meters. Bush varieties are planted in a square of 80 by 80 centimeters. On light soils, planting depth should be 5-8 centimeters, on heavy soils 4-5 centimeters. From 2-5 seeds are placed in one hole, at a distance of three centimeters from each other.

Pumpkin should be planted at a distance from each other

Planting pumpkins through seedlings

This method is chosen for late-ripening varieties with a growing season of 120-140 days. To do this, the seeds are germinated in April or early May. The main thing is to calculate the planting time so that the monthly seedlings are already planted in the ground.

Pumpkin planting for seedlings is done in peat pots or cassettes

For planting seedlings, peat pots with a diameter of 15 centimeters are purchased and filled with soil. You can buy the land ready or prepare it yourself. To do this, take 4 parts of humus and mix with one part of soddy soil. The prepared soil is fertilized, a bucket will require 4 grams of ammonium nitrate, 4 grams of potassium salt, 5 grams of superphosphate. The resulting mixture is moistened and stirred. Seeds are sown to a depth of two centimeters and covered with a film. Germination temperature should be +18..25 degrees, after the appearance of the first sprouts, the film is removed, and the temperature drops to +15..20 degrees. To do this, the room is simply ventilated more often, if this is not done, then the seedlings will simply stretch out. Watering is also not done often, so as not to get pampered seedlings.

Important: The first top dressing is carried out a week after the emergence of sprouts. The second is produced before planting, any complex fertilizer is suitable for this.

Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out in warm weather, with frosts you will simply lose seedlings. The planting pattern is the same as when planting seeds. Holes are dug large to plant along with a clod of earth. Wells before planting are spilled with hot water. Deepen the seedlings to the leaves, this will allow additional roots to form. After planting, seedlings should be watered.

Video: Planting pumpkin seedlings in the ground

Pumpkin is an orange beauty that will decorate any garden. This healthy and tasty vegetable originating from Mexico has been widely cultivated in Europe and Asia since the 16th century. Thanks to its unpretentious nature, the pumpkin has taken root well in our territory. The pulp of the plant, in addition to a number of substances necessary for a person, contains a rare vitamin T. Due to the large amount of carotene, pumpkin helps to maintain and strengthen vision.

Pumpkin is delicious and low-calorie, everyone loves it. Doctors recommend including pumpkin in the diet of those suffering from cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the intestines, liver, obesity and anemia. Pumpkin seed oil is a non-allergic anti-inflammatory and revitalizing agent.

Many gardeners strive to grow pumpkins. Planting pumpkin seeds in open ground is a traditional way of growing, which, with proper care, allows you to get a rich harvest.

Before sowing pumpkin seeds in open ground, you need to make sure that the time and timing are suitable. Pumpkin is a heat-loving plant, the seeds of which may not sprout in unheated after winter or excessively wet and damp ground. Also, it is worth taking into account the possibility of the return of frosts after the first warming.

After the end of the frost, as soon as the air temperature rises to + 18 ° C, the time comes when you can plant a pumpkin. Seeds are planted in the soil when it warms up to 12-13 ° C at a depth of 7-8 centimeters. For the development of pumpkins, the optimum temperature is + 25 ° C. The plant stops growing if the air temperature drops to +14°C.

To get a good harvest, you need to start sowing pumpkins in May. Favorable days for planting seeds in open ground are different for each region: they depend on the climatic conditions of the area. In the northern part of Russia, the first days of June are favorable for sowing pumpkin seeds in open ground.

Residents of the southern regions can plant seeds in open ground in mid-May. Some gardeners in the southern part start planting seeds from May 10th. For those who live in the middle lane, the most favorable days for sowing pumpkin seeds in open ground come at the end of May, from about the 25th.

According to folk traditions, the best day for planting a pumpkin is Yuri's day, from the very morning. If circumstances do not allow planting seeds on this particular day, do not be upset. A pumpkin planted in moist, warm soil enriched with fertilizers, regardless of the planting day, will give an excellent harvest.

Site selection

Proper selection of a site for a pumpkin is an important condition for obtaining a rich harvest. It is advisable to place the bed in a warm area warmed by the sun's rays. Pumpkin also tolerates shading well. For the plant, the most preferred sandy or sandy soil, which is good because it warms up quickly.

Good predecessors for pumpkins in the garden are perennial grasses, corn or winter wheat. You can plant it after carrots, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, onions, peas, beans, peanuts, lentils, green manure. After cucumbers, zucchini, squash, watermelons and melons, it is advisable to plant a pumpkin only after 5 years.

Soil preparation

Fertile soil rich in nutrients is the key to a good pumpkin harvest.

Soil preparation for planting should be done in the fall:

Clear the area of weeds and plant debris.
With a hoe, loosen the ground shallowly.
After 2-3 weeks, dig the soil, collecting weed roots.

In the spring, the day before planting or on the same day, the earth must be dug up again. After that, the area is leveled with a rake.

Starting to develop actively, the pumpkin builds up the aerial part, so the plant needs a lot of nutrients. Digging up the earth, it is necessary to make fertilizers in it. The best option is rotted compost, humus or manure. They are applied at the rate of 5-10 kilograms per 1 square meter to a depth of 15-20 centimeters in light soils and 10-15 centimeters in heavy soils.

It is not always possible to make such an amount of manure. Then it can be put in the holes at the rate of 1-2 kilograms per plant. In addition to manure, it is worth adding 20 grams of superphosphate and 10 grams of potassium sulfate to each well.

Some gardeners add a handful of humus, a glass of ash and 50 grams of superphosphate to each well. You can use mineral-organic fertilizers (per plant - 1 tablespoon). All introduced components must be thoroughly mixed with the ground before laying the seeds.

Some gardeners grow pumpkins on compost heaps. This method allows not only to get a high yield, but also to improve the compost heap.

Planting pumpkins on compost is beneficial for several reasons:

The green mass of the pumpkin does not allow weeds to grow on the compost.
A pumpkin planted in compost helps to accelerate the process of decomposition of coarse plant residues (sunflower stems, cabbage stalks).
Covered with greenery, leftovers improve the appearance of the compost heap.
Pumpkin protects the compost from drying out.

Seed selection

There are more than three dozen varieties of pumpkin. Almond, Mozoleevskaya 49, Gymnosemnaya, Freckles are hard-bodied large-fruited varieties that ripen early and are stored for a long time. For winter storage, large-fruited varieties Smile, Winter Sweet, Crumb, Winter Dining Room are good. Early ripening portioned pumpkins are distinguished by their sweet taste: Butter crumpets, Amazon, Winter sweet, orange bush.

In the garden, you can grow many varieties of pumpkin from seeds. For seed cultivation, it is not recommended to choose only nutmeg varieties, since the seeds may simply not sprout. Pumpkin seeds can be stored for 1 to 4 years.

When choosing seed, it is necessary to pay attention to its freshness, checking in advance for germination. This is easy to do: just take a few seeds and germinate them on wet gauze. By looking at how many seeds of all sprouted, you can determine the approximate percentage of their germination. This will make it easier to know how many seeds to put in the holes later on.

For a good pumpkin harvest, you need to choose only full-weight seeds. To select the best, you need to prepare a 3-5% salt solution and dip the seeds into it. Those that have surfaced are unsuitable for planting, and the rest can be planted. These seeds must be collected, washed and dried.

Preparing seeds for planting

For growing pumpkins in open ground, it is important not only to choose the right seeds, but also to prepare them for further sowing. It takes a little time, but it has a positive effect on the harvest.

For friendly shoots, before planting the pumpkin, it is recommended to warm the seeds for 2 hours at a temperature of about 60 ° C. To prevent fungal diseases, after that they are kept in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours.

To ensure that the sprout easily penetrates the seed through the hard skin, a solution is used, for the preparation of which 2 tablespoons of wood ash are diluted in 1 liter of boiling water with stirring. The gauze folded in several layers is abundantly moistened with an ash solution and the seeds are wrapped in it for 12 hours.

Treated seeds can be immediately sown in the ground, or you can first germinate at home and then plant. For those who choose the second method, it is better to prepare a box of sawdust for this procedure in advance.

You can do it this way: place sawdust on the bottom of any convenient deep container, then pour boiling water over it several times and cover it with gauze in 2-3 layers. Having laid the seeds there, cover them with several layers of gauze and a layer of sawdust, and tighten the box with foil. In a home greenhouse arranged in this way, the seeds will germinate in 2-3 days and will be ready for planting.

You can do without these procedures, but the pumpkin ripening period in this case is significantly increased. Pumpkin, the seeds of which have not undergone pre-sowing treatment, in areas with a cool, short summer, may not have time to ripen before frost.

Technology of planting pumpkin seeds in open ground

Of all the gourds, pumpkin is the most resistant to cold, but it also loves warmth. It is better to plant it in late spring, when there are no frosts. In cold soil, seeds planted too early can simply rot. To feed one plant requires an area of 1-4 square meters. It may be slightly less for early ripening varieties and more for late ripening varieties.

For planting pumpkin seeds in large areas, a gourd seeder is used. In a conventional garden, seeds most often have to be planted by hand. Before planting pumpkins, rows are marked on the site and holes are made in them with a diameter of 30 centimeters.

If, after a snowless winter, the land in the area is dry, about 2 liters of water at a temperature of 50 ° C should be poured into each hole. Seeds can only be planted when water is absorbed.

Keeping the distance between plants when planting is very important. For long climbing varieties, 1.5-2 meters are left between holes, and 1.4-2 meters between rows. Bush pumpkin varieties can be planted in a nesting manner according to a pattern of 80x80 centimeters or 1.2x1.2 meters.

In light soils, seeds are sown to a depth of 5-8 centimeters, in heavy soils - 4-5 centimeters. It is recommended to lay 2-5 seeds in one hole: in large-fruited varieties, less can be, in nutmeg - more. Seeds are placed beak down at a distance of 3-4 centimeters from each other.

Sprinkling the seeds with fertile soil, the site is mulched with humus or peat chips. Experienced gardeners to accelerate growth install a home-made greenhouse made of film with slots over the planted seeds.

plant care planting field

Pumpkin sprouts should hatch a week after planting in the ground. Further plant care includes loosening the earth, regular watering, top dressing, disease and pest control.

Watering

Large pumpkin leaves contribute to the rapid evaporation of moisture, so the plant requires regular watering, and only with warm water. As the pumpkin grows, the amount of water for irrigation must be increased.

It is recommended to slightly reduce the amount of watering during the flowering period: the fruits will tie better. Renew the moisturizing of the pumpkin patch when the fruits begin to gain mass. Before harvesting, about 10 liters of water should be used to water one plant. When the pumpkins reach their full size, watering the plants can be stopped.

Loosening and thinning

The soil around the plants must be loosened and cleaned of weeds after rain or watering. With the advent of seedlings, the first loosening is carried out to a depth of 6-8 centimeters. It is better to loosen the aisles before watering to a depth of 12-18 centimeters in order to ensure the rapid penetration of water to the roots of plants. During loosening, it is recommended to lightly hill the plants, increasing their stability.

After the formation of two true leaves in seedlings, it is necessary to thin them out, leaving two sprouts of nutmeg or hard-bark pumpkin in one hole and one each of large-fruited ones.

When seedlings have 3-4 leaves, a second thinning is carried out. In order not to damage the root system of the remaining seedlings, it is not necessary to pull out extra seedlings. It is enough just to cut off an unnecessary seedling at the level of the ground surface.

top dressing

Pumpkin forms a large amount of vegetative mass (leaves, stems) and fruits, so it needs frequent top dressing, preferably with liquid fertilizers.

3 weeks after sowing the seeds in the ground, it is recommended to carry out the first top dressing with manure or chicken manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4. Such organic top dressing must be repeated 3-4 times a month. It is good to feed the pumpkin by dissolving a glass of wood ash in 10 liters of water.

When making the first dressing at a distance of 10-12 centimeters around the plants, it is necessary to make grooves 6-8 centimeters deep and pour the solution into them. For further top dressing, grooves 10-12 centimeters deep are located 40 centimeters from the plants.

After fertilization, the grooves are covered with earth. If cloudy weather lasts for a long time, it is recommended to spray the pumpkin with a solution of 10 grams of urea in 10 liters of water.

Pollination

If there are not enough pollinating insects on the land during the pollination of plants, you will have to do it yourself. To do this, you need to learn to distinguish between female and male flowers. The male ones have an elongated stem, while the female ones are located on the stem, they have an ovary under the petals.

At about 9 o'clock in the morning, it is necessary to pluck the male flower, cut off the petals and touch the pistils on the female flowers with an anther. If the male flowers have not yet opened, the male flowers of a closely related plant, such as squash, can be used to pollinate the pumpkin. The pumpkin harvest will be good, but it will no longer be possible to use seeds for sowing.

If you have a small plot of land, and you do not know what is best to plant on it, be sure to add a pumpkin to your list. Caring for her is not so difficult, and the harvest can be so rich that you will last for a long time. Pies, pumpkin jam, delicious porridge ... To provide yourself and all relatives and friends with this useful vegetable, you need to plant it correctly.

Growing pumpkins is easy

Site preparation

If you want to get a rich harvest, you need to choose the right site for the pumpkin. The bed should be located in a warm area, which is warmed by the sun's rays. But it also tolerates shading well. The soil can be any, but the most preferable is sandy or sandy loam. It is good because it warms up quickly.

Well, if before that winter wheat, corn or perennial grasses grew in the garden. You can choose a bed after other vegetable crops: onions, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, carrots. You should not plant it if cucumbers or squash grew here before, it is not advisable to do this in the place of cucumbers. On the same bed, you can again grow a pumpkin only after five years.

Corn is a good predecessor for pumpkin

Soil preparation

The land must be prepared in the fall. How to do it right?

Clear the area, remove weeds, plant debris.
Shallowly loosen with a hoe.
After some time, the earth must be dug up (2-3 weeks). Collect weed roots when digging.
In the spring, on the day of sowing or the day before, the earth again needs to be dug up. Nitrogen fertilizers are added at the same time. After that, the site is leveled using a rake.
Make raised beds. The heavier the earth, the higher the bed should be. The standard dimensions of a pumpkin bed are: width - 1-1.4 m, height should be at least 20-25 cm, and the distance between them - 50 cm.

Fertilization

When digging the ground, do not forget to fertilize the soil. The pumpkin begins to grow actively, its aerial part grows rapidly, so it needs a lot of nutrients. How to fertilize the earth? The best option is manure or humus, rotted compost. 5-10 kg of manure is applied per square meter. They are laid to a depth of 10-15 cm if the soil is heavy, and 15-20 if light.

It is not always possible to make such an amount of manure. Then it is placed only in seedling holes, 1-2 kg per plant. In addition to manure, it is worth putting a little superphosphate (20 g) and potassium sulfate (10 g) into the hole. Or use organo-mineral fertilizers, which apply 1 tablespoon per 1 plant.

Pumpkin loves abundant manure fertilizer

On the heap

If you rested in the village, you saw heaps of compost on which pumpkin grows. This is not only a way to get a high yield, but also to improve the compost heap. Why is it profitable to plant a pumpkin on compost:

No weeds. The compost is overgrown with grasses that need to be removed. If you plant a pumpkin on it, then its green mass will not allow weeds to grow.
Accelerates decomposition. Coarse plant residues, such as cabbage stalks or sunflower stalks, etc. are also laid in the compost. They do not decompose quickly, it takes 2-3 years. And pumpkin speeds up this process. If you plant this plant on compost, then they decompose faster.
The heap looks prettier because the remains are covered with greenery.
The compost does not dry out.

Pumpkin grows well on a compost heap

Planting pumpkin seeds

If the plot is large, you will need a seeder. The melon seeders SBN-3 and SBU-2-4 are used. The first seeder plants seeds in 2-3 rows, the distance between them is 140 or 180 cm. But this method is not suitable for an ordinary garden. Most often you have to plant the seeds manually.

Seeds are planted only early ripening varieties of pumpkin, or nutmeg, hard-barked. The rest - only through seedlings.

Training

How to plant a pumpkin? If you are looking for a good harvest, choose only full-weight seeds. To select the best, you need to prepare a 3-5% salt solution and dip the seeds into it. The ones that come up don't work. The rest must be collected, washed and dried. Pumpkin seeds can be stored for 1-4 years. In order for the seedlings to be friendly, the pumpkin has grown healthy and strong, pre-sowing seed preparation is necessary. How to do it right?

warming up

This is necessary to get friendly shoots. They need to be kept at a temperature of 60 degrees for at least 2-3 hours.

hardening

Pumpkin must be resistant to sudden changes in temperature. In order for the plant to better tolerate cold, the seeds are hardened. They are kept at a temperature of + 1°C for 48 hours.

disease resistance

Diseases can destroy plants that are not yet strong. To prevent this, the seeds must be processed:

- cresacin;
- potassium cumate;
- Greek;
- wood ash - for 1 liter of water 2 tbsp. ash. It must be insisted for 1 day, strained and immersed in a gauze bag for 1 day. Then rinse with water.
- Potassium permanganate. It should be pink. Water should be changed after 4 hours, treated for 12 hours.

Germination

Seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth, making sure that it does not dry out. After 2-3 days, sprouts will hatch.

Pumpkin seeds keep up to four years

Landing

Pumpkin is the most resistant to cold, if we take all gourds, but it also loves warmth. Therefore, it should be planted in late spring, when there are no frosts. If planted too early, the seeds will simply rot in cold soil. Therefore, planting pumpkins in open ground occurs when the soil temperature should be 13 ° C at a depth of 10 cm.

One plant has a feeding area of 1 to 4 square meters. For early-ripening varieties, it may be less, for late-ripening - more.

Therefore, the distance between plants is so important. If these are long-climbing varieties, then a distance of 1.5–2 m is left between the holes, and 1.4–2 m between the rows. 2 by 1, 2 m. With light soils, the planting of seeds is deep - 5-8 cm, with heavy soils - 4-5 cm. From 2 to 5 seeds can be put in one hole: less for large-fruited, more for nutmeg. They are placed at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other.

Pumpkin should be planted at a distance from each other

Through seedlings

If you want to grow late-ripening varieties that mature in 120-140 days, the crop will only mature if you plant seedlings. Planting seeds is carried out in April (end) or May (beginning). It is important to calculate the planting time so that after a month (25-30 days) it can be planted in open ground.

Growing seedlings

Buy peat pots (diameter 10-15 cm), fill them with peat soil. You can prepare the land yourself. To do this, take 4 parts of humus and mix it with one part of turf. Fertilizers must be added to the soil. For one bucket you will need ammonium nitrate (4 g) + potassium salt (4 g) + superphosphate (5 g). All this is moistened, mixed. Seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm, covered with a film.

Pumpkin planting for seedlings is done in peat pots or cassettes

The first time the temperature is 18-25 degrees. After 4-5 days, you will see sprouted sprouts. The film must be removed, the temperature should be lowered to 15-20 degrees. To do this, ventilate the room more often. If this is not done, then the seedlings will stretch. Water the seedlings infrequently so that the plant does not grow pampered. Don't forget to feed. The first is done 8-10 days after the sprouts have hatched.

Feed with a mixture of darin. The second time feeding is needed before planting, any mineral fertilizer will do. For 1 liter of water put 3-4 g of fertilizer.

Landing

You can plant a pumpkin on the street only when there is stable warm weather. If frost suddenly occurs, all your work will be lost. Seedling holes are arranged in the same way as described above. I make the holes large to fit the plant with a clod of earth. 1-2 liters of warm water are poured into each well in advance. Seedlings are planted deep, falling asleep with earth to the cotyledon leaves. Then additional roots are formed. Then the seedlings need to be watered. If you are planting seedlings on a compost heap, the distance between plants should be 70-80 cm.

Pumpkin does not seem to be a difficult plant to cultivate, as it grows even in a compost heap. But there are several rules on how and when to plant a pumpkin in the ground, without which the vegetable will grow small and unsweetened. To get a large fruit is the work of a gardener and compliance with technology.

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Ways to plant a pumpkin

Depending on the location of the beds for the pumpkin and on the desired timing of the harvest, one or another planting method is chosen:

seedling method;
planting in open ground with seeds;
planting in compost.

When planting a pumpkin, you need to focus on the climatic conditions of your region. Plant later in cold regions and earlier in hot regions. Pumpkin ripens in 95 days - early ripe, late in 140 days.

seedling method

In some regions, in the open field, the pumpkin does not have time to ripen during these periods. Therefore, gardeners choose a seedling planting method.

Planting seeds in open ground

In this way, early-ripening pumpkin varieties are sown. In regions with a hot climate, mid-ripening ones will also have time to ripen.

Planting in compost

If there is no place to plant, you can plant it in a compost heap. Pumpkin accelerates the process of decomposition of coarse fibers and decorates this place with its leaves. Pumpkin in this place grows no worse than in the garden.

The technology of growing pumpkins in compost is no different from other methods. The pumpkin will also need timely watering and additional mineral supplements. She will receive organic trace elements from the compost heap.

When and how to plant a pumpkin for seedlings?

Seedlings should be strong enough for transplanting into open ground, but not older than 50 days. Focusing on these terms, gardeners begin to grow seedlings.

Landing dates

It is necessary to plant seeds for seedlings 30–40 days before planting seedlings in the ground. Usually pumpkin seeds are planted in the second half of April.

Seed preparation

Seed preparation process:

Seeds are soaked in warm water for one day. Seeds that are viable will swell and sink. The rest will remain floating - they do not need to be planted.
Soak the seed material in a root-forming solution: Zircon, Epin.
Leave the seeds in a damp cloth until roots form.

The technology of planting seeds for seedlings at home

Before sowing seeds at home, you need to prepare the soil and containers:

for a pumpkin, you should buy special land;
if it is not possible, the land can be taken from the garden, it must be disinfected and fertilized;
Separate containers for pumpkins are immediately chosen; the culture does not tolerate transplantation well.

For pumpkins, peat pots are best suited, they can be planted immediately in the ground. Peat gives the plant additional trace elements when decomposed.

Before planting, containers with soil are watered with warm water. Hatching seeds are planted in pots to a depth of 6 centimeters. And put in a warm place. Before the first shoots, the pots can be covered with a film. After the emergence of seedlings, the film must be removed and the seedlings placed in a sunny place.

Seedling care at home

Pumpkin seedlings develop well at an air temperature of 18 to 23 degrees.

You need to water the pumpkin as needed: about once a week. The first time seedlings are fed a week after germination. The plant needs organic fertilizer: manure, chicken droppings. The second time the vegetable is fed a week before planting in the ground. Suitable complex mineral fertilizer.

How and when to plant seedlings in the garden?

When the air temperature of the earth warms up to 15 degrees and the risks of frost have passed, the seedlings can be planted in the ground. Seedlings should have 3-4 adult leaves.

10 days before planting, seedlings need to be prepared. It is taken out in the daytime to the street, in partial shade. And at night they take them back to the house.

Depending on the size of the fetus, one of the planting methods is chosen:

1 meter by 1 meter;
1.5 meters by 1.5 meters.

The earth in the garden is dug up and plentifully watered with warm water. Then holes are marked and seedlings are planted in them. Seedlings are planted to the depth of the first leaves, this will increase the root system of the future vegetable.

Rules for planting pumpkin seeds in open ground

It is necessary to observe the terms and technology in order to properly plant pumpkin seeds in the soil. The quality and size of the future crop depends on this.

Landing dates

Seeds are planted in open ground and in a compost pit, depending on weather conditions. But later than June it is not necessary to plant a pumpkin - it will not have time to develop.

Pumpkin seeds are planted in late May - early June, when the air temperature rises above 18 degrees, and at night does not fall below 5 degrees.

Site selection

The place for the garden should be chosen sunny. There should also be enough space for the pumpkin to develop, it is a spreading plant.

Seed and soil preparation

A bed for planting a pumpkin needs to be dug up to the depth of a shovel bayonet and cleared of weeds from this place. Then organic fertilizers are applied to the soil.

For 1 square meter of beds you need to make:

8 kilograms of decomposed compost;
20 grams of potash fertilizer;
30 grams of superphosphate.

If the earth is cold, you need to warm it up before planting the seeds, covering it with a transparent film.

If seeds are purchased from garden stores, they do not need to be pre-treated. Seeds collected from last year's harvest should be soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes.

Then the seeds need to germinate:

put them in a damp cloth;
cover with foil to create a greenhouse;
put in a warm place above 20 degrees.

To speed up the process, a rag is moistened in a root-forming solution: Zircon, Kornevin.

Before planting the seeds, you can check them for germination. This will ensure a good pumpkin harvest.

The technique of checking seeds can be viewed on the Blooming Garden! channel.

Landing technology

Before planting the seeds, you need to water the bed with hot water - 80 degrees.

Then you need to prepare the wells:

hole size - 30 centimeters;
depth - 6 centimeters;
the distance between the holes is from 80 centimeters.

2 to 4 germinated seeds are placed in the wells. Then they fall asleep with loose soil. If the earth is dry, it must be additionally watered with warm water.

Outdoor pumpkin care

Pumpkin care in the open field should be carried out regularly. If a lot of vegetable crops grow in the garden, it is convenient to make a watering and fertilizing calendar so as not to miss anything.

Watering

Before watering, each plant must be loosened to a depth of 10 centimeters. You need to water only with settled and warm water.

The plant is watered once a week, the volume of watering is 30 liters per bush. The volume of water should be reduced to 15–20 liters when the fruits begin to ripen.

top dressing

Two weeks after germination, you need to start feeding the plant. Then it needs to be fed every 2-3 weeks.

It is better to feed the pumpkin with liquid fertilizers. To do this, grooves are made around the plant up to 8 centimeters deep and fertilizers are poured into them.

Fertilizers for pumpkin:

manure contains a maximum of useful substances for the development of pumpkins;
chicken manure contains calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus;
ash, composed of potassium and magnesium;
dry nitrophoska;
ammonium nitrate;
cowshed, similar in composition to manure.

If it rains on the street for several days in a row, it is necessary to spray the pumpkin with a solution of urea. Spray the plant only when the rain stops.

Topping

Pinching pumpkins is important in order to grow sweet and large fruits. It is important not only to remove excess branches, but also dry, rotting antennae.

Pinching rules:

you need to start pinching the plants no earlier than the first fruits appear;
pinch the lashes at a distance of 5-6 leaves from the fetus;
for growing a large pumpkin, you need to leave no more than 4 ovaries;
2-3 fruits should develop on the main stem;
on one side - 1 fruit.

Harvesting

In order for planting pumpkin seeds in open ground to be successful and your garden bed to be dotted with large orange fruits by the end of the season, you need to know the basic principles of caring for this melon crop. This popular and common plant is not capricious, but errors during sowing can significantly affect its yield.

How to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground?

Pumpkin appeared in the Old World thanks to enthusiasts and sailors who dreamed of growing wonderful fruits of exotic plants they liked on their home garden. For this reason, the popular herbaceous culture differs from the European flora growing in temperate climates in a more thermophilic disposition. To obtain good yields, rules have been developed for planting pumpkin seeds that allow you to avoid mistakes associated with freezing of crops, death of sprouts from pests, drought and diseases.

Several types of pumpkins have been bred - nutmeg, large-fruited and hard-barked. The Muscat variety has an excellent taste and is used in the preparation of culinary dishes. She loves heat very much and in cold regions it is grown mainly by seedlings. The large-fruited variety in the open field is very productive, famous for its delicious seeds, its fruits are stored for a long time after harvesting. Hard-skinned pumpkins have a table purpose, they are valued for their rapid maturation and tasty pulp.

Harvest varieties of nutmeg pumpkin:

Golden pear;
Arabatskaya;
New;
Vitamin;
Pearl;
Gilea;
Butternut.

Promising varieties of hard-barked pumpkin:

gymnosperms;
Bulgarian;
Gribovskaya bush;
Spaghetti;
Almond;
Danka Polka;
Country.

Large-fruited pumpkin for open ground:

Titanium;
Russian woman;
One hundred pounds;
Marble;
Smile;
Centner;
Chit;
Atlant.

The planned planting of pumpkin seeds in open ground will not give a good result if the bed with this crop is located in places where cucumbers or zucchini with squash were grown last season. The reason lies in common diseases and pests that infect the earth and, even after high-quality digging, do not die in winter. Without a good crop rotation, with the advent of heat, they greedily pounce on fruit plants, significantly reducing yields.

The best predecessors for pumpkins in the open field:

If the timing of planting pumpkin seeds in open ground is not observed, then in our climate, weak sprouts can easily suffer even from a slight spring frost. You should accurately calculate when the threat of late frost disappears in your area. We start working on the beds with the arrival of stable heat, depending on the region, we sow pumpkin plants from May to mid-June. A productive crop grows well at 25°C, when the temperature drops to 14°C and below, the development of green mass in melons stops.

Acquired seeds do not always have acceptable germination. Often, unscrupulous traders sell expired material in a package with a beautiful photo that does not correspond to the declared varietal characteristics. The best option is to plant pumpkins with your own seeds in open ground, which allows you to save a lot of money in a large garden. You need to know the rules for their collection and storage methods so that spring work in the garden goes well and gives an acceptable result.

Harvesting pumpkin seeds:

In order to have fewer problems in open ground under adverse conditions and increase germination, it is advisable to germinate pumpkin seeds on their own before planting. After this procedure, they sprout together, strong shoots die less from pests. The germination process takes place in several stages:

Planting pumpkins in open ground with seeds in spring

More often, gardeners use a wide-row sowing method. The depth of laying pumpkin seeds in the open field depends on the composition of the soil and moisture. In light soil, it is up to 8 cm, in heavy soil - no more than 5-6 cm. The scheme and rules for planting pumpkins depend on the average size of the lashes: corn, shade-tolerant varieties with long stems are suitable for this purpose in open ground. It goes well with beans, peas or beans. Try to separate the beds with different types of gourds. For example, zucchini, or squash are able to pollinate with pumpkins, losing their taste.