Planting pumpkins. Pumpkin planting and outdoor care timeline. Plant pumpkin seeds

Consider planting pumpkins in open ground step by step.

What seeds you throw into the earth - such a crop and you will get

Before planting, pumpkin seeds should be checked for germination. To determine the germination capacity, as many seeds are selected as it is not a pity, and they are germinated. The more seeds were taken, the more accurate the germination percentage will be. If 15-16 seeds sprouted from 18-20 seeds, then germination is 80%.

To prevent the development of fungal diseases, the seeds are etched in a bright red solution of potassium permanganate (1 g n 100 ml of water) for no more than half an hour.

Pumpkin - Planting and Care

Pumpkin is planted in two ways:

seedlings;
seeds in open ground.

Planting Pumpkin Seedlings

Consider the first method in more detail. So, the percentage of germination is known to us. Now you need to germinate the seeds. To do this, put a piece of gauze in a cup, moisten it with plenty of water and spread the seeds. It is advisable to place the cup in a warm place, but not near the stove or radiator. Excessive heat will cause seeds to boil before even biting.

While the seeds sprout, it's time to start preparing pots and a soil mixture. You can take disposable cups, cardboard boxes from ryazhenka and kefir, plastic bottles.

The bottom and top of the bottles are cut, cut into pieces 7 cm high and placed on a pallet. Old dishes and detergent containers are suitable as a pallet Palmyra.

Why is the bottom of the bottles cut off? The root system of a pumpkin is as fragile as that of a cucumber. Plants of the pumpkin family do not tolerate transplanting, unlike tomato. And planting pumpkin seedlings in containers without a bottom prevents the roots from being injured.

To prepare a light breathable soil mixture, peat, turf soil and humus are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1: 2. In prepared containers, half the earth is poured.

Three days later, seeds that bite down are sown with their beaks down into the ground, deepened by 5 cm. We place the container with seeds in a sunny place. Within a few days, the first sprouts will appear from the ground, which, at the age of 10-12 days, are neatly laid with a spiral and covered with prepared soil to cotyledon leaves.

Do not forget to open the pots so that the leaves of the seedlings do not close, otherwise more developed plants will not let the sun in to the rest.

We plant seedlings. A place for growing pumpkins is chosen sunny and protected from the winds. It is very difficult to get a good crop in the shade. The best predecessors are potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots and corn. Pumpkins are returned to their original place after 4 years. You need to prepare the soil in advance. Since the autumn, they have been digging the ground and making about 5 kg of compost.

In mid-May, when the threat of morning frost has already passed, pumpkin seedlings at the age of three real leaves are planted on the street. Before planting the pumpkin in the open ground, the seedlings are hardened, as young plants can die already at -1 0 C. For this, the plants are placed in a cool room for a week, for example, in a corridor or a veranda. In the afternoon, the breeze is carried out in the sun.

Pumpkin has a powerful root system. The nutrition area for each plant should be at least 1.5x2 m 2. Pumpkin is planted according to the scheme 1x1.5 m 2 - one meter between the holes and a half between the rows. Wells with a diameter of about 50 cm are made in the ground. Before planting a pumpkin, the wells are shed with warm water. Plant pumpkin seedlings in bottomless pots to a depth of 5 cm, carefully removing the tray. This planting method protects the roots from the bear.

Planting pumpkins in open ground with seeds

Now step by step we will consider the second method - growing pumpkins in open ground with seeds. At the beginning of May, seeds are sown in the ground according to a 1x1.5 m pattern. Wells are shed with warm water and 3-5 seeds sown. Seeds can be sown at different depths. If part of the seedlings die during return frosts, then the remaining seeds will sprout and yield a crop.

When planting pumpkin seeds, the depth of planting should not be less than 8-10 cm. When planting shallowly, the sprouts emerge “in a shirt”, that is, together with the seed coat. Birds pull out young sprouts, taking them for seeds.

Of all the seedlings, the most developed plant is selected, the rest are simply plucked. It is plucked, not pulled out. The root system of pumpkin develops very quickly both in depth and in breadth. The roots of the seedlings are intertwined. Pulling out weaker germs can damage the roots of well-developed plants.

Top dressing

When growing pumpkins in open ground, until the leaves close, the plants are regularly loosened and watered. Apply liquid organic or mineral dressings, but not earlier than 10 days after transplanting pumpkin seedlings to a permanent place.

Suitable organics are chicken droppings and mullein. Chicken droppings are poured with water at a temperature of 40 0, stirred until a creamy mass is formed and insisted until bubbles appear. It is not recommended to insist longer, otherwise there will be less benefit from fertilizer.

The finished infusion is diluted in water in a proportion of 1:20, that is, half a liter per bucket of water. Pre-spill the wells with water so that the chicken manure solution does not burn the pumpkin roots. Mullein infusion is diluted with water in a proportion of 1:10.

For mineral dressing take a matchbox of ammonium nitrate in a bucket of water.

Pumpkin Pests and Ways to Combat

The main pests of all gourds:

melon aphids;
a bear;
slugs.

Melon aphid is a small insect that damages the aerial part of the plant. The insect sucks the juice from the shoots and flowers. The leaves are wrinkled, the ovaries crumble. Soap solution helps against aphids. In a bucket of warm water, 100 g of laundry soap grated on a coarse grater are stirred and plants are sprayed.

The bear makes moves in the soil and gnaws the stems and roots of plants. In each well, when planting, you need to put several granules of Medvedox. You can lay boiled grain mixed with Bancol in the wells.

Slugs cause significant damage to the main young plants. Their invasion in the rainy period are massive. Several generations of slugs develop over the season. If there are a lot of slugs in the area, then wet rags are laid out and insects are wiped from them every morning.

Pumpkin Formation, Collection and Storage

Pumpkin forms many shoots, which is why it needs to be formed. On the main stem after tying 2-3 fruits, 5 leaves are counted from the last and a pinch is made. On the lateral shoots after the first ovary, 5 leaves are also counted and a pinch is done. Do not turn the lashes, but sprinkle them with earth. In places of contact with the soil, the roots begin to develop in the whip, which additionally nourish the plant. If you do not form a plant, then many small fruits are formed that do not have time to ripen. Under large late-ripe pumpkins lay boards to prevent decay of the fruit.

In late autumn, they begin to harvest. Pumpkins with the cuttings are harvested before the onset of frost, in dry weather. Compliance with pumpkin growing technology allows you to get delicious ripe fruits with high nutritional value. They are left to dry on the street under a canopy, after which they are transferred to a well-ventilated room. Store pumpkin at + 7-10 0 С. Well-ripened fruits can lie until spring.

One of the favorite cultures, which not only decorates the garden, but also the table, is a pumpkin. Among all garden vegetables, pumpkin is not picky, it is easy to care for, it is easy to plant. In order to get a good harvest, it is important to take into account a number of rules, you need to know when it is recommended to plant a pumpkin in the open ground, what time is better for planting seedlings, and how to care for the crop so that the seedlings do not wilt. Pumpkin is a useful vegetable, from which you can prepare many dishes, and experienced gardeners know that in order to grow a vegetable, you need to know when, at what time and in what soil to plant it.

Outdoor pumpkin

When is the best time to plant seeds?

If you decide to engage in the cultivation of various crops, you want to have not only a beautiful garden, but also a good harvest, then it is important to take into account the characteristics of each vegetable, how and when to plant it. Pumpkin is a favorite gardener culture. This vegetable loves heat, and plant it in open ground, which did not have time to warm up after winter, is not recommended. This negatively affects both seeds and seedlings. The stems of the plant will become thin and dry quickly. If you decide to plant a pumpkin in April, then consider the possible return of frost. For planting crops in open ground, the ground should warm up well. You cannot choose one period and a certain period, since it is important to take into account the region in which you live and its climatic conditions. For residents of the southern part, the right time for planting a vegetable in the ground is not earlier than the tenth of May. For residents of the northern side, the best time is early June, and for the middle lane no earlier than May twenty-fifth.

To get a good harvest, you need to prepare the seeds. You can plant those seeds that have previously been soaked in warm water (you need to soak for at least a couple of hours). Prepare the soil in advance, the soil needs to be fertilized. Large and deep holes are not recommended. It is better to put two, or even three seeds in a hole. After the stems appear, leave strong and durable, remove the rest.

When is it better to plant seedlings

Seedlings, like seeds, do not like cold soil. The harvest will be good, if the seedlings grow before this month, it can be longer. Such a landing will be optimal for gardeners who live in areas with fast-passing summers. When planting crops in the garden on May twenty-fifth, seedlings must be planted in the period from April twenty-fifth to May third. Initially, seedlings need to be planted in a container with peat. Professional gardeners use coconut tablets for planting seedlings, peat-friendly tablets are well suited. If you do not have such a capacity, take a plastic container. It is necessary to transplant pumpkin seedlings into the garden carefully, since the culture has a thin root, especially if the planting is made from a plastic container.

Pumpkin seedlings are ready for planting in the open ground

Crop care

In order to get a positive growth of culture, you need not only to know how to plant it, but also how to care for it. Basic planting rules and guarantees a good harvest:

Soil needs to be prepared. You can use natural fertilizers, chemicals. You need to plant a pumpkin in a place where the sun's rays penetrate well.
It is not recommended to plant a vegetable in a poorly heated ground. The soil should be dry, without snow, dirt, moisture. Please note that there may be frosts. During planting, the temperature of the soil should be at least fifteen degrees above zero. Estimated time is the end of May.
In the wells, before planting the pumpkin in the open ground, add fertilizer. This culture reacts negatively to acidic soil. You can use ash, humus, chalk. If you have a compost pit in your garden that you dug last year, then feel free to plant seedlings or seeds next to the pit.
Simple care of the crop is expressed in watering. When you have just planted, you need to water more often than during ripening or harvesting. The leaves and stems of the vegetable are able to accumulate moisture, which will be enough not to fade. During the ripening period, watering should be less than usual, as the pumpkin will be watery and lose its beneficial properties.
Many fruits on one shoot are bad, they will interfere, ripen each other. If you want the pumpkin to be large, leave two fruits on one stalk. For medium sizes, four fruits are possible.

When you are planning to plant seeds or seedlings, choose the right and suitable place. It is not worth planting a new crop on the site where the planting was carried out last year. Pumpkin will grow well in the place where last year potatoes, zucchini, and sunflowers were planted. It will be possible to plant the pumpkin in the place where it originally grew, in five years.

As a rule, pumpkin, like cucumbers, is immediately planted in the ground. However, if you want to get an earlier harvest and / or decided to play it safe, because If you live in a fairly cool region with a short summer, you can initially sow seeds for seedlings.

About when and how to plant a pumpkin for seedlings and grow at home - read on in the article.

When choosing pumpkin seeds, do not pay attention to the picture on the package. An orange and smooth-looking fruit is not in fact the best and certainly sweet.

Advice! Do not choose the largest varieties.

This is due to the fact that immediately the whole fruit is difficult to use somewhere, and after you cut it, a problem arises. In addition, pumpkin varieties of small sizes are better stored and have, as a rule, a sweeter taste.

In general, pumpkins exist in the following types and varieties:

The most delicious are nutmeg varieties, but they are the most heat-loving and late ripening.

Hard-tasting varieties also have excellent taste. They have the earliest ripening period.

Large-fruited varieties are also very sweet and cold-resistant.

Pumpkin planting dates: when to plant seeds on seedlings and in open ground

Planting pumpkins for seedlings should be 20-30 days before the expected date of planting in open ground.

The optimal age of pumpkin seedlings for planting in the soil is 20-25 days from the time of emergence (5-10 days - a reserve for seed germination).

Accordingly, the optimal time for planting pumpkin seedlings is mid-late April or even early May, depending on the region of residence and its climatic zone.

Naturally, in the Middle lane (Moscow region) this can be done earlier than in the Urals or Siberia, as well as in the North-West (in the Leningrad Region).

In the south of Russia, they usually plant directly in the ground, but if you decide to grow seedlings first, you can sow it already at the end of March.

According to the lunar calendar in 2019

If you are used to planting in accordance with the phases of the moon, then, according to the lunar calendar, in 2019, favorable days for planting pumpkins for seedlings are:

in March - 15-19, 23-25, 27-30;
in April - 6-9, 11-13, 20, 21, 24-26, 29-30;
in May - 3, 4, 8-10, 17-18, 21-23, 26-28, 31;
in June - 5, 6, 13-15, 18-20.

Adverse days (periods of the new moon and full moon), in which it is definitely not worth planting a pumpkin (and any other crops) for seedlings in 2019, are:

in March - 6, 7, 21;
in April - 5, 19;
in May - 5, 19;
in June - 3, 4, 17.

According to the lunar calendar, from the magazine "1000 Tips for the summer resident."

Preparing pumpkin seeds for planting

"Do not expect a good tribe from a bad seed."

Before planting, pumpkin seeds should be carefully selected (calibrated), discarding all damaged and bent specimens, leaving only the most big and plump.

Next, the seeds should be checked for their suitability for sowing (viability): pour into a container of water for 3-4 hours. Seeds that are drowned can be planted, and those that remain floating on the surface should be thrown away (they are light and empty).

Video: planting pumpkin seeds

There are several ways to directly prepare and process pumpkin seeds:

Soak in a damp cloth in ordinary hot water (50-55 degrees) for 1-2 hours.

And even better in one of the growth stimulants such as Epin or Zircon. In them, you can sprout.

Disinfect by holding for about 20-30 minutes in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate (1%, i.e. 1 mg per 1 liter of water), and even better in the solution. At the end of time, rinse under clean water and dry until the required flowability appears.

Advice! In addition to soaking, it is also possible to carry out the hardening procedure. To do this, you need to wrap the seeds in wet gauze and put in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. Then get out and put in heat for 10-12 hours. So repeat for 3-4 times (3-4 days), in other words, expose the seeds to temperature changes (stress), and then germinate.

Simply sprout! To do this, pre-disinfect, then wrap in a damp cloth (or put between cotton pads, napkins), put in a plastic bag (create a greenhouse effect) and put it in a warm place for germination, where the temperature is + 24..28 degrees. As a rule, after 2-4 days, the seedlings will hatch.

Another way to sprout pumpkin seeds is to sawdust sprouting. To do this, you need to pour the sawdust into a jar, pour them with boiling water and cover. Then wait a bit (so that the temperature drops to room temperature) and add seeds to the jar with sawdust. After that, put this jar in a plastic bag and put it in a warm and dark place until germination.

Video: sprouting pumpkin seeds, watermelon and melon

In order to awaken old pumpkin seeds, you can apply the method of temperature buildup. To do this, the seeds should be tied in gauze and alternately lowered into hot water (40-50 degrees), then into cold water (directly from the tap, although it is better to use thawed snow if you still have snow outside). So you need to do 4-5 times, keeping in water for 5-6 seconds. After the procedure, dry and immediately sow on seedlings or in open ground.

Many summer residents successfully plant a pumpkin and dry seeds, but in this case, the planting time should be shifted by 5-7 days, in other words, it is necessary to plant earlier.

Important! If you purchased dragee (processed) seeds, then they do not need any pre-sowing preparation, they should be sown dry.

How to plant a pumpkin for seedlings

So, you have decided on the time, prepared and processed the seeds. Well, it's time to plant a pumpkin for seedlings! However, first you need to select the appropriate landing tanks, the soil to fill them and actually land at the desired depth.

Landing tanks and soil

The containers for planting and growing pumpkin seedlings should be individual: pumpkin seedlings cannot tolerate picks, so special peat cups, ordinary disposable plastic (0.5 liter) containers, plastic pots or any other containers that are convenient for you will be perfect as containers. it is easy to get seedlings when planting in the garden. Moreover, their diameter should be at least 8-10 cm.

Alternative opinion! Many gardeners perfectly grow pumpkin seedlings in small, 0.2 liter cups. Naturally, planting is recommended earlier, when the first seedlings are formed in the seedlings, and the second true leaf begins to appear.

Pumpkin loves a nutritious land. The soil mixture can be prepared independently or you can buy ready-made soil for pumpkin crops (cucumbers, melons, watermelons).

If you decide to make it yourself, you can mix peat, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 or take peat, humus and rotted wood chips in equal proportions.

Direct planting seedlings

Phased instructions for sowing pumpkin seeds for seedlings:

Video: planting pumpkins for seedlings with germinated seeds

Video: sowing with dry seeds for seedlings

How to care for pumpkin seedlings at home

When the first shoots appear (after 3-7 days), the shelter must be quickly removed.

And before that, it is worth at least 1 time per day to open the containers for airing for 10-15 minutes and at the same time check them for seedlings.

After germination, it would be nice to put the container with the planting in a cooler place (where the temperature is 2-5 degrees lower, i.e. around + 15-18 in the afternoon and + 13-15 at night), and then (after 5-7 days) return to the previous temperature conditions (+ 20-25 in the afternoon, not lower than +15 at night).

Such a procedure (lowering the temperature) will help not to stretch young seedlings.

Lighting

For normal growth, pumpkin seedlings need good lighting, so you should set the containers on a brightly lit window sill, ideally on the south (southeast or southwest).

Full 12 hour daylight - your reliable protection against drawing seedlings.

Advice!If suddenly the seedlings begin to stretch, then be sure to pour a little earth into the cups.

Watering and feeding

Pumpkin loves moisture, so she needs regular watering. However, it should be performed in moderation without overfilling the plant. In this case, excessive drying of the soil should also not be allowed.

Water should be warm (at least at room temperature), settled or filtered.

After 1-1.5 weeks, as the seedlings appear, pumpkin seedlings can be fed for better growth (however, if you originally used fertile soil, then no additional fertilizing is needed). Alternatively, you can use nitrogen fertilizer (for example, mullein or the like), or even better, a complete complex type of nitroammophos or some special pumpkin (same Agricola).

Video: weekly growth of pumpkin seedlings

When and how to plant pumpkin seedlings in open ground

The signal for planting seedlings of pumpkin in the open ground is the appearance of sufficiently developed 2-3 true leaves and the achievement of seedling height of 15-20 centimeters.

As for the landing time, by this time the earth should warm up sufficiently (up to + 8-12 degrees), and the weather should become stable warm (above +10 degrees).

Like all pumpkin pumpkins, the pumpkin does not tolerate frosts, but can transfer short-lived ones (unlike other melons).

Depending on climatic conditions, as a rule, a favorable period begins in the second half of April in the Southern regions, in mid-May - in the Middle lane (Moscow region), in late May - in the Urals and Siberia.

Advice! It will be very prudent if, 5-7 days before the seedlings are planted on the bed, you will harden your plants, namely, you will begin to take them out onto the balcony (or loggia) or in the greenhouse, gradually increasing the stay time from 1-2 hours to the whole day.

It is optimal to plant a pumpkin on a garden bed in the evening or afternoon, in cloudy weather, when the sun has gone or hid behind the clouds.

Planting seedlings of pumpkins is carried out according to a certain pattern, as a rule, it is indicated on the packaging of seeds (most often at a distance of 80 to 150 cm from each other).

A place to grow pumpkins should be the sunniest.

A transplant into the ground should be done carefully, slowly getting seedlings together with a lump, and in no case damaging the root system of the plant. It is better to make a hole large enough: pour a mixture of humus and ash at the bottom, spill with warm water, put a seedling, and then fill it with garden soil. As soon as the landing is completed, the landing can be mulched with humus.

Video: planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground

Thus, even a beginner gardener can grow pumpkin seedlings at home. The main thing is to initially choose a good variety, determine the timing, prepare the seeds and plant them correctly.

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Pumpkin is a traditional food product on our table, very healthy, rich in vitamins. And this is an unpretentious plant that can be successfully grown in our climate. However, it is important to know the rules and nuances of working with this plant. Consider how to plant a pumpkin seeds in open ground.

Seed selection and preparation

Before talking about how to plant seeds in open ground, you need to consider how to choose the right seeds. Since all success depends on the right choice and their preliminary processing.

There are several ways: seeds can be bought at any store for gardeners, or you can collect seeds from pumpkins that you grow in your garden. Of course, the pumpkin must be fully ripe. It is not difficult to collect the seeds - for this you need to remove the seeds from the fruit, rinse them, dry them and put them in storage. It is recommended to store them in a bag made of natural fabric. This will be the seed.

It is noteworthy that the seeds are the more germinating, the more they are stored. Seeds that are stored for a year or two are considered optimal for planting. In general, they can be stored for four years, and all this time they will retain their germination capacity.

Next, the seeds must be sorted out - and this step should not be skipped, since large, full-fledged seeds will give you a healthy, strong plant. If the planting material is small, damaged, then it should not be used.

There is a simple and reliable way to determine suitable seeds - to do this, just soak them in salted water. Unsuitable seeds for sowing will remain on the surface of the water and should be discarded.

The next stage of seed preparation is germination and hardening. Soaked seeds need to be sprouted or wait until the sprouts begin to hatch. Then they are tempered. Why are they doing this? This development of seeds significantly reduces the growth period, and you can get your seedlings faster. Thus, you will significantly increase the chance to grow your own, even if the summer ends early.

In addition, hardening has a positive effect on seeds by strengthening the immunity of plants, making them stronger, stronger, and allowing them to tolerate changing weather conditions.

How to properly calcine the seeds so that it is easier for the sprout to break through the seed skin? To do this, pumpkin seeds need to be warmed up at a temperature of 50-60 degrees for 8-9 hours. The most convenient way for this is an oven. Please note that the seeds must be uniformly warmed up, so they must be turned over.

After that, they must be held in the ash solution. The solution is easy - 2 tablespoons of ordinary wood ash insist in a liter of boiling water. In this solution, the calcined seeds are kept for 12 hours.

Before planting pumpkin seeds in open ground, it is necessary to do another process with sprouted seeds - put in a refrigerator for 24 hours. And only after that you can proceed to planting.

Soil preparation

Experienced gardeners know that for a pumpkin it is necessary to choose a good place for its growth. It is advisable to choose a sunny place. Pumpkin loves fertile and loose soil, because its roots need air. As for acidity, the soil should be non-acidic. Ideal - loam and sandy loam. Remember that the soil must be fertile.

There is another important nuance that must be taken into account - a pumpkin (no matter which variety) is planted in the same place only after 5 years. Well, if before that perennial grasses, cabbage or legumes grew on this place, such soil is very good for pumpkins.

Preparatory work for planting pumpkins start in the fall. The site should be well prepared, namely to remove weeds, make compost and humus. Also, the site should be dug up. If you decide to plant the seeds in acidic soil, then it is better to add lime to it (you can also use dolomite flour). Remember to enrich the soil. If you could not do it on time, then fertilizer can be applied before planting.

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When to plant seeds

Now we will consider how to plant a pumpkin with seeds in open ground. As with most other crops, the period depends on the weather conditions in the region. If this is the southern region, then usually landing can begin in the first days of May; North - in the last days of May. If the weather in your region does not allow planting before summer, it is recommended to grow pumpkin not from seeds, but through seedlings.

Before planting the pumpkin seeds in open ground, make sure that the ground is warmed to a depth of at least 10 cm. If not (its temperature is less than +12 degrees), then the seeds will germinate extremely slowly. Moreover, they can rot.

And the fruits ripen in 3.5-4 months after the appearance of the first sprouts. If the seeds are pre-prepared, then they germinate up to a week; if not prepared, from ten days to two weeks. Consider all this to determine the timing of landing.

How to plant pumpkin seeds

First, holes are dug in a future pumpkin bed, hot water is poured into each of them (about a liter and a half). When the water is completely absorbed, you can plant seeds - 3-5 seeds in each. Then the holes must be sprinkled with earth. It remains to wait for the plants to sprout.

You need to leave only two plants - choose those that are in the best condition. A good pumpkin will grow from such plants. Plants must be regularly loosened and watered, fertilized with organic, for example, chicken droppings or mineral (ammonium nitrate) top dressing.

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

It would seem that it is not difficult to grow a pumpkin in open ground in the Moscow Region, and many gardeners after planting are limited to minimal attention and care for the vegetable. Indeed, early, but not the sweetest and longest stored pumpkins can be removed already in the last days of August and in September. But orange large-fruited beauties and fragrant nutmeg pumpkins with a dismissive 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 approximate the harvest time, properly care for the pumpkin in the open ground and 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 middle-season and late varieties pumpkins in the open ground near Moscow, planting is best done by the seedling method. To do this, large seeds filled for a couple of days before sowing are immersed in warm water 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 bite between the layers of wet tissue. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the moisture does not evaporate, because the dried germ of the germ of the sprout can die quickly.

Once the flaps have opened, the seed can be planted in the soil.

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

It is optimal to plant pumpkin for seedlings three weeks before the moment when young plants get into the ground. That is, the use of such a method of growing at least 10-15 days brings the timing of pumpkin harvesting in the suburbs.

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

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

Until seedlings appear, the pots are covered with a film and kept at a day temperature of 18–25 ° C. At night, the air can be 5–7 ° C cooler.
When sprouts appear above the ground, pumpkin seedlings to further harden and prevent stretching further lower the temperature of the content, 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 beginning of the development of true leaves, the temperature rises by 3-5 ° C during the day, and at night the air can warm up to 15 ° C.

Pumpkin seedlings for cultivation in the open field near Moscow need moderate, but regular watering. If there is not enough natural light, an additional illumination is arranged, which will also prevent the sprouts from stretching and weakening excessively.

At a weekly age, the seedlings receive the first top dressing with nitrogen, for which 250-300 ml of mullein solution or nitrophosphate in a concentration specified by the manufacturer is used per plant.

By the time the pumpkin seedlings grown for open ground in the Moscow Region fall into the soil, it has several real leaves of saturated green color and a strong, upright trunk. It's time, when pumpkin seedlings are planted in open ground, comes with the departure of spring frosts from the suburbs.

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

Outdoor Pumpkin Care

If you want to get an early harvest, as well as in case of the danger of flooding the pumpkin plot is used.

The simplest way is to plant a pumpkin on an embankment about 10-15 cm high. In this case, the soil warms up better and faster, and the plant, which has appeared under the new conditions, can easily transfer the 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.

Pumpkin care in the open field begins from the moment of planting and does not stop until the harvest. So that moisture evaporates more slowly from the soil surface, 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 is rainy, such protection will not rot the ovaries and already ripening fruits.

Equally important for getting an early harvest is the choice of a site for planting. Not only does the culture require nutritious, rich in organic matter loose soil, the ridges should 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 ground of the Moscow region, you can not do without regular top dressing. Moreover, it is better to make fertilizers not under the root, but at a certain 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 real leaves, such a deepening is done at a distance of 15–20 cm from the stem. Then the hole is made at a distance of 40 cm. So, all subsequent feeding is carried out with an interval of 7-10 days.

When applying fertilizers, you need to try so that the solution does not get on the flowers, leaves and other green parts of the plant, since this threatens with burns. At the end of the procedure, the gutter is sprinkled with soil. At the initial stages of pumpkin development in the open ground, 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 litter at the rate of 1:16;
diluted manure in a ratio of 1: 6;
1:10 herbal infusion, for example, on nettles;
synthetic nitrogen-containing fertilizers in the proportion indicated on the product.

As they grow, they are introduced, and nitrogen harvesting is practically eliminated by the harvest 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 ripen in the suburbs. Pumpkin also responds well to foliar top dressing, for which you can take ready-made means of universal action.

Caring for a pumpkin in the open field may not be effective if the plant is limited in receiving moisture. Watering, especially in the first time, before the pumpkin did not grow green mass, is extremely important. They may be rare, but not superficial. Roots located at a depth of up to 40 cm should receive as much moisture as possible to ensure the development of a large and abundant fruiting plant. At the same time, the water for irrigation is taken to stand and warm.

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

Being in conditions of artificial drought, the plant will determine that it is time for the pumpkins to ripen. And by harvest, the fruit bark will be firmer, the stalk will dry out and lumber, the flesh will become dense, with a high sugar content.

Outdoor Pumpkin Formation

When growing pumpkins in the open ground 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 it is possible to limit oneself to the removal of female flowers during the period when a sufficient amount of ovary has already formed on the plant, then with a pumpkin giving long powerful lashes it will be necessary to do otherwise.

At the moment when 5–6 true leaves are opened on the main shoot of a pumpkin, pinch the stem, which stimulates:

development of the side lashes of the sinuses;
an increase in the number of flowers, ovaries and ripe fruits.

This does not end the formation of the plant. When the number of ovaries with a diameter of about 12–15 cm 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 the side shoots and flowers are removed. At the end of the article, in a detailed video on the formation of pumpkins in the open ground, the entire sequence of actions is considered.

Along with the formation of pumpkins in the open ground, you can use the simple method to provide the plant with additional nutrition. As the lashes grow, they are evenly laid out in the area reserved for pumpkins, and the stems are sprinkled with soil and watered at a distance of 50-60 cm from the root. As a result, additional roots are formed in these places to help nourish ripening pumpkins.

The number of fruits on pumpkins grown in open ground near Moscow is determined by:

the maximum allowable load for the variety:
time remaining until the end of the growing season;
the degree of maturity of already set pumpkins.

When does a pumpkin ripen in the suburbs?

With proper care of pumpkins in the open ground, in the middle lane early and mid-ripening varieties mature well, yielding not too large fruits.

For gardeners, who are doing their best to grow large-fruited varieties and nutmeg pumpkins, famous for their delicious taste and aroma, it is important not to miss the moment of collection and know exactly how to determine that the pumpkin has ripened.

There are several signs of fetal readiness:

By the time of ripening, the pumpkin coarsens and becomes like a dry cork of a stalk.
Scourges and leaves begin to turn yellow and dry.
The bark changes hue, a pattern characteristic of the variety appears on it. Although there are plants that produce gray, green, and cream pumpkins, most varieties produce orange or all yellow tinted fruits.
Not only the skin color changes, but also its hardness. If the ovary of the bark can be easily damaged with a fingernail or a rough whip, then in a pumpkin ripened in the Moscow Region, the bark becomes extremely strong.

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

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

Therefore, no matter how the summer resident takes care of the pumpkin in the open ground, it is better to remove the ripened fruits at the first doubt in time for the first doubt. Frosts can cause serious damage even to mature fruits, reducing their quality and ability to be stored.

The pumpkins intended for storage are cut, leaving the stalk at least 4–6 cm long, sorted and left to dry. For 8-10 days in a dry, warm room or outside, under a canopy, if the weather permits, the fruits ripen, the bark hardens, the cut on the handle dries. If the nights are cold, as it 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 at room temperature, which may take from 10 days to 1.5 months.