Planting pumpkin seeds in the ground. Pumpkin: planting and care. How and when to plant

Only an experienced gardener breeding pumpkin does not take much effort and time, but to please yourself in the fall with a good harvest will have to make a lot of effort.

When to plant a pumpkin?

Pumpkin is a plant that prefers to grow in the sun, so you do not need to plant seeds in a cold, unheated ground. A suitable date is mid-May, when the soil warmed up by the sun, and spring frosts passed.

Also, the landing time is determined by the climate of the region. For example, for planting seeds in the northern latitudes, the beginning of June will be successful days. For planting plants in the southern regions, the beginning of May is suitable. For residents of central Russia, the plant will take root after the May holidays.

How to plant a pumpkin?

Plant a pumpkin in 2 ways: seedlings and in the open ground. Pumpkin cultivation seedlings involves the harvesting of plant seeds from the fall. Around the beginning of April, the seeds should be examined for diseases, they should be a natural color.

For quick germination, they need to be soaked in warm water for several days. Swollen seeds form roots more actively and begin to grow. Soaked grains are planted in small plastic containers, at the bottom of which a hole must be present, otherwise moisture will remain in the soil, which leads to rotting of the seeds and the development of many diseases.

The soil should be soft, loose, without the roots of other plants. Grounding is done in the center of the tank, filled with water. In order to slightly disinfect the soil, it is good to treat it with a weak potassium permanganate infusion a couple of hours before planting.

Next, a seed is placed in the middle, slightly sprinkled with earth and watered abundantly. Better to put the pots further from the drafts, in a place where there will be a lot of sun, but we must not forget about the humidity and stable watering. If growing pumpkin seeds done correctly, the first seedlings will begin to appear a week after planting.

Grow pumpkin in the open ground even easier. To do this, you need to choose the right site for planting: where there are few drafts and a lot of light. It is important to observe the distance between the seeds to half a meter, as pumpkin is growing and it needs a lot of space.

A bed is formed in the bayonet of a shovel, stones, weeds are removed from the ground. If the land is fertile, then you can do without fertilizing, but if you want to get a plentiful harvest, it would be nice to add humus, peat, sawdust and ash to the soil.

Further, the land must be watered. Plant seeds are placed in separate pits, lightly sprinkled with soft soil and also sprayed with water. Further, the pumpkin needs to be watered 1 time every 2 days with warm water. The first shoots will begin to appear after a week.

What types of pumpkin are best grown?

Gardeners have installed several basic types of pumpkins:

Nutmeg pumpkin is the most delicious type of pumpkin, which contains a lot of nutrients for humans. This species requires heat and fertilized soil, does not always have time to ripen in the northern latitudes, so experienced gardeners give advice on growing nutmeg varieties in seedlings. Pumpkins have fruits of yellow-brown flowers with voluminous seeds inside. Among the nutmeg varieties, the Golden Pear variety can be distinguished - the fruits are more reminiscent of a huge drop of orange. The pulp is sweetish in taste, fleshy, has a mass of nutrients. Pumpkin no more than 2 kg is a variety that ripens 3 months after planting. Among nutmeg varieties, gardeners prefer to grow such varieties as “Arabian” pumpkin, “Vitamin”, “Pearl” and “Gilea”.

The large-fruited type of pumpkin is a pumpkin of huge size, with a sweet core and soft light seeds inside. Due to their size, many gardeners prefer to grow alternative pumpkin subspecies, as their preservation requires a large space. Pumpkin variety "Titan" - the name speaks for itself, gardeners grow specimens up to 150 kg! A variety with medium maturity, the pumpkin is saturated with an orange hue. To taste sweetish, with fleshy flesh. Ripening occurs 120 days after planting. Her one variety is “Rossiyanka” - it brings a regular crop, the finished fruits are perfectly preserved until the cold, has a pleasant aftertaste. Pumpkin weighing 2-6 kg, dark yellow color with soft and sweet pulp. Among the large-fruited pumpkin varieties, the following species are distinguished: "Hundred pound", "Marble", "Smile", "Baby" and "Centner".

Hard-boiled pumpkin species - these varieties are ready for use in late summer - early fall. They differ in creamy shades of fruits, with small seeds, sweet taste. Simply grow pumpkin "gymnosperm" varieties. Although its flesh does not have a sweet taste, but its seeds grow without a shell, there is only a transparent thin film. “Bulgarian” is a round-shaped variety with light gray or yellowish skin tones. The fruit mass is from 3 kg, has a pleasant aftertaste. Of all the hardcore varieties of pumpkins especially known: "Mushroom bush" pumpkin, "Spaghetti or vermicelli", "Almond", "Country" and "Freckle".

How to care for a pumpkin?

Pumpkin Care does not require special efforts and does not take much time. Throughout the summer, after the shoots have sprouted, the pumpkin needs a lot of moisture.

It is better to water it at night, so the water does not evaporate under the sun, but is absorbed into the ground and nourishes the roots. To keep the moisture longer, it is worth overlaying pumpkin bushes with mulch or dry grass.

Also, while the bushes are young, the earth around them needs to be loosened - this saturates the soil with oxygen and gives the root system air. In addition, when loosening, weeds are removed near the plant, capable of blocking sunlight and taking moisture.

Additional feeding pumpkin is needed when the soil on the site is infertile. Here humus, a solution of a barn, mineral and potassium fertilizers are perfect.

If top dressing was introduced into the pit before planting, then in summer it is better to forget about it. The plant is unpretentious to dressing and is able to please a plentiful harvest without additional fertilizers.

Features of growing in a greenhouse and open ground

Grow pumpkin it is convenient immediately in open soil, this method does not take a lot of time, and in terms of yield it is not inferior to similar planting methods.

What is worth remembering when growing pumpkins in the open ground is regular irrigation of the plant with water. In addition, after the pumpkin has formed the first 5-6 leaves, the bush needs the formation of the main lashes.

The side shoots are cut off, the inflorescences are tied. 3-4 flowers and 5-7 leaves remain on the stem. So the pumpkin will not spend energy on the growth of the lash, and will form fruits. You can save 2 main shoots, but no more than 4-6 leaves and 3-4 ovaries on each lash.

However, gardeners plant a plant in greenhouses. Pumpkin growing technology not much different from planting in open ground, the care of the plant is carried out identically.

When the pumpkin forms 5-7 leaves, it must be transplanted into the open ground, or just direct the whip into the open space, and leave the root part in the greenhouse.

Pumpkin cultivation a closed greenhouse allows you to increase the amount of yield, and accelerate its ripening. This method is used mainly in the northern latitudes.

Pictured pumpkin seeds sprouted

Pumpkin - a favorite culture of the gardener, special conditions for growing pumpkinsnot necessary . In addition, its fruits not only have a lot of useful properties, but also perfectly preserved in cold weather.

It contains a large amount of vitamins, micro-, macrocells, protein and useful plant fiber. Due to its properties, it is one of the components of a balanced diet for various diseases. In almost any garden you can see a growing pumpkin. If you plant seeds in open ground, provide proper care, you can collect a really rich harvest. Choosing the right place and meeting the planting dates are important factors for growing a thermophilic vegetable.

Soil selection and preparation

The birthplace of pumpkin is Mexico, so it loves warmth and tolerates exposure to sunlight. The leaves have a huge number of special hairs that protect the plant from burns. Seasonally warm, unshaded soil is perfect for planting. Weak lighting will lead to slow growth, thin shoots brighten, fewer flowers, therefore, fruits are formed. Most of all, the pumpkin is afraid of frost, in which the seeds simply rot, so it is better to start digging in the second half of May, when the average daily temperature is at 20 ° C.

Attention! In colder weather, germination is also possible, but proper development will not succeed.

It is useful for an experienced vegetable grower to understand the important properties of the soil, pumpkin grows best:

in a nutrient substrate containing a large number of organic compounds, minerals;
with neutral or weak acidity, a pH of about 6.5-7;
in loose, well-ventilated soil without the threat of water retention, rotting of the root system.

If the land of the existing site does not meet the stated requirements, you can try to maximize bring its characteristics to the recommended. With increased acidity, chalk or lime is used, heavy clay soils require fertilizer with humus or compost. It is best to do this in the fall, but if time is lost, and sowing is not far off, in the spring you can make leafy humus. For each square meter, about 6-8 kg of humus, 3 kg of wood sawdust, 200-300 g of nitrophosphate containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are needed.

After top dressing, the bed should be dug to a depth of about 50 cm, pour hot water. Thanks to such preparatory work, aeration of the soil is significantly increased. Good predecessors of pumpkins on the site are: pepper, garlic, onions, lettuce, cabbage, beets, radishes, and legumes. It is undesirable to plant after tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, corn, sunflower, any representatives of the Pumpkin family.

Seed preparation and planting

The emergence of sprouts can be accelerated if the seeds are soaked in liquid organic fertilizer "Potassium Humate" or "Humate of sodium" in about a day, covered with a damp cloth and left in a room with a temperature of at least 20-25 ° C. In order not to lose time and avoid planting poor-quality seeds that can produce too few sprouts or develop poorly, for a month they check their germination: they are moistened with water, laid out on a wet cloth until they hatch.

Fungal damage can be prevented by etching in a solution of 1 g of manganese in half a glass of water for 30 minutes.

The optimal planting time is the second week of May, depending on the established warm weather according to the 1 × 1.5 m scheme. The formed holes are impregnated with warm water, 3-4 seeds are placed, it can be at different depths, then in case of significant cooling and death of the upper ones, the remaining will sprout.

Attention! If the surface is too superficial, the pumpkin emerges in a “shirt”, seeds are visible from the ground, which the birds must pull out.

Under favorable conditions, germination occurs after 6-7 days. After the appearance of these 2-3 leaves, thinning is performed, weak small plants are removed. In a hole with large-fruited pumpkin, leave one, and with nutmeg and hard-bark no more than two sprouts. When the last species have 5 leaves, they re-thin out, excess shoots are carefully cut so as not to damage the main root system.

If you do not know how to plant a pumpkin from seeds, follow the advice of experienced farmers who recommend using a film to protect it from frost and keep moisture in the ground. A small incision is made above each plant that appears, and after eliminating the likelihood of cooling, it is increased to 15 cm. The shoots are arranged so that they spread on top of the film. This reduces the evaporation of water, slightly increases the temperature of the soil.

Secrets of Proper Growing

Pumpkin is a water-loving plant, so watering should be carried out in a timely manner, especially in a drought, to be quite plentiful. A well-developed root system that nourishes the shoots and fruits requires a large amount of water. Do not delay watering during the period of active growth, flowering, the formation of pumpkins. During high heat it is recommended to use water with a temperature of at least 20 ° C, preferably from clean wells, otherwise the plant may die. Weeds should not be allowed to grow, the soil must be loosened periodically, and then watered.

The grown vegetable should be not only beautiful and large, but also healthy. To do this, pumpkin is fed with various organic fertilizers, which are added before sowing, as well as during growth. Most suitable:

compost;
humus;
humus;
chicken droppings;
rotted manure.

To supply the soil with mineral components, complex fertilizers with nitrogen, potassium, phosphate are used, in the absence of those, ash is suitable as a substitute. In the spring, before planting on the future beds, siderata plants are planted that can improve the soil structure, enrich it with nitrogen, and inhibit the growth of wild crops. During the period of active vegetation, watering with organic raw materials will not be superfluous. Feeding begins after the formation of the first 3-5 leaves. In wet rainy weather, dry fertilizers are more suitable. A good option is to prepare a mixture, which is subsequently diluted in a ratio of 1:10 with water:

1 liter of mullein;
2-3 tbsp. tablespoons nitrofoski;
a bucket of water.

It is very important for the proper formation of the plant to remove excess shoots and ovaries. Pinch the main stalk up to a length of 1.5 m, leave several lateral shoots about 70 cm with a fruit set on each of them. As a result, each pumpkin will produce three pumpkins, which can be accelerated by pressing the shoots to the ground, covering 7-8 cm with a layer of earth to form roots. When germination occurs, these places will also need to be watered.

What you can face

Like many other crops, pumpkin is prone to certain diseases. Most common:

Powdery mildew - whitish spots on the upper and lower sides of the leaves, the plant gradually turns yellow and disappears, with inaction, the fruits deteriorate.

Olive spotting affects the whole plant, oily traces on the leaves turn into brownish sores, affected pumpkins are deformed, lose their useful qualities. The appearance of the disease is facilitated by severe differences in day and night temperatures.
Brown spotting - with a sharp change in weather, cooling, brown spots with a lighter center are noticeable in the affected areas, there is a loose black coating, a fungus develops.
White rot can affect leaves, stems, and the root neck. Tissue softening occurs. High humidity, dense sowing provoke the appearance of light gray plaque with subsequent dark dense formations.
Root rot can overtake a plant due to excessive irrigation, poor aeration of the soil, due to plant debris of a diseased crop.

Of the pests, slugs that spoil almost ripened fruits are the most annoying. It will be possible to reduce the likelihood of their occurrence if the earth near the shoots is sprinkled with tooth powder, wood ash, superphosphate. Some gardeners lay wet rags around the stems and collect them daily. In the fight against diseases and harmful insects, special preparations are often used that are commercially available. Compliance with the instructions for use makes their use quite effective.

Harvesting the long-awaited harvest is carried out in the first half of September. A drying stalk is a sign of ripening pumpkin. When cutting the fruit, leave about 7-10 cm of coarsened ponytail to extend the shelf life of the vegetable and prevent premature decay. The optimum temperature at which the pumpkin does not lose its properties is considered to be 7-10 ° C, it can lie until spring. If you adhere to the recommendations on soil preparation, observe the planting dates, ensure proper care, in the fall you will find a rich harvest with high nutritional value.

How to grow pumpkin: video

Pumpkin cultivation: photo

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 glasses, 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 shoots 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 real 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), at the end of 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.

In contact with

Pumpkin seeds are large, with a dense shell (but there is gymnospermous pumpkin). You can soak them in warm water (at least 20 degrees) before sowing. As soon as they hatch, immediately sow on the rib into the prepared, moistened soil, deepened by 5-6 cm, compact, cover with a film until seedlings appear. Pumpkin seeds will sprout in a week at a soil temperature of about 20 degrees. If the soil temperature is below 15-16 degrees, the pumpkin will not rise.

With the advent of a loop of shoots, the film must be removed. Plants need a lot of light and warmth. The best temperature for the growth and development of plants is 22-25 degrees. Immediately after expanding the cotyledon leaves, seedlings should be given weekly top dressing, best of all with Uniflor-Rost or Fertilizer, just like cucumber seedlings.

If the cotyledon leaves are curved or have a rusty yellow-brown spot (bacteriosis), seedlings should be discarded and discarded, leaving only the best specimens with beautiful, regular-shaped cotyledons. Watering should be done in very moderate and always warm water, at least 20-25 degrees .

Transplanting pumpkin seedlings

Planted Pumpkin Seedlings

Transplantation into place should be done no later than 20-25 days after emergence. Before transplanting, plants are well watered and planted together with a lump of land by transshipment in a prepared hole. Before transplanting seedlings to the garden bed, you should bring in a bucket of rotted manure or compost (in more detail), dig it down to a depth of 12-15 cm, make a hole, add 2 glasses of ash to it, add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of superphosphate and pour 5-8 liters of water. After planting the seedlings, carefully pour the soil around the plant to the cotyledonous leaves, lightly water so that the bed soil joins the lump of seedling seedlings (do not squeeze the planted seedlings). Mulch the soil under the plantings (you can just cover the soil with a newspaper). Do not water for 2 weeks. To pritenit for 4-5 days, having covered seedling with caps from the newspaper. If your seedling has grown and has 3-4 true leaves, then tear off the lower sheet when transplanting. If the weather is cold, then cover the planted seedlings with a spanbond directly in the newspaper caps.

Sowing pumpkin seeds in the soil

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You can sow pumpkin on a ridge prepared in advance with dry seeds after the threat of spring frost has passed. In this case, the soil should warm up to 15-16 degrees at a depth of 6-8 cm. In the North-West, for example, it will be after June 10th. You can sow much earlier, for example, May 10-15, but you must first warm the soil and cover the crops with film. As an insulation, you can use an old coat or padded jacket, a blanket or any unnecessary clothes, if possible, not synthetic. Textile trash is buried under a bed at a depth of 40-50 cm. Soil rich in organic matter is brought in from above.

Pictured are pumpkin seeds during planting

You can dig trenches from the autumn to the depth of two bayonet shovels and fill them with plant debris, weathered weeds, fallen leaves, you can. By spring, all this mass will settle, it is necessary to add fertile soil to completely fill the trenches.

Trenches can also be excavated in spring, but only on one bayonet of a shovel, and filled with dry hay or leaves completely, put soil dug from the trenches on top, compacted, watered, covered with a film for 10 days. As soon as the soil warms up to 15-16 degrees, you can sow the seeds.

When to sow pumpkin

Sprout on compost

It’s even better to plant a pumpkin on last year’s compost heap located in the sun, making in it recesses the size of a bucket. Pour into the recesses half a bucket of rotted manure or compost, add 3 tbsp. tablespoons of azofoski, adding 1 tbsp. spoon of potassium chloride-free fertilizer (or add a glass of ash and 1 tbsp.spoon of superphosphate), pour half a bucket of warm water and sow pumpkin seeds to a depth of 5-6 cm - 2 seeds per hole. Instead of azofoska, you can add 1 teaspoon of the powder fraction of the AVA fertilizer to the well when planting. Cover the whole bunch with old wrap.

You can sow very early. In the Northwest, for example, this can be done already in early May. The compost heap under the seeds will begin to decay and give heat to the roots of the pumpkin; the plant will begin to develop rapidly. As soon as the plants reach the film, it is necessary to cut holes in it and let them go up, add soil to the cotyledon leaves. If the weather is still cold (temperatures below 16-18 degrees) or the threat of night frost remains, you need to put arcs over the plants and cover them with a double spanbond. It is not recommended to cover the arcs with foil, because during strong daytime heat the plants under the foil can “burn out”.

When planting on a compost heap for the whole summer, neither feeding nor watering will be required, with the exception of prolonged drought. In this case, water is poured under each plant from the teapot into the hole in the film. The film is not removed from the heap all summer. With this method of growing pumpkin does not cause you any trouble.

Pumpkin sprouts

When planting pumpkins, you need a fairly large area of \u200b\u200bnutrition - the distance between plants is 1.2-1.5 m. There is an interesting way to grow pumpkins. In winter, peel from pumpkins and zucchini, as well as peel from bananas and peel of vegetables and fruits, potato peelings are dried on steam heating batteries and gradually put into open paper bags and stored until spring. Early in the spring, as soon as the soil thaws in sunny elevated places on the site, they dig a shallow hole 30 x 30 x 30 cm in size and pour out all these dried cleanings. Dry soil prepared from autumn is poured on top (with a layer of 15-20 cm) and covered with a black film. In early May, the film is removed and planted seeds (or seedlings) of pumpkins and squash. Landings are covered with double lutrasil. Put a film shelter on top. All shelters are removed as soon as spring frosts end. No fertilizing and watering is required for plants all summer.

In central Russia and in other territories with a similar climate, pumpkin varieties grow: large-fruited and hard-bodied. Muscat squash grows in the southern regions. Sometimes there is a gourd. Growing pumpkins in the open field is not such a complicated process as it is represented by inexperienced gardeners.

Pumpkin is a well-known annual plant with a powerful root system, wide leaves, long, sturdy stems. The core root can penetrate into the soil depth by three meters, and the side roots spread throughout the territory up to four meters, in search of moisture and nutrition.

The stem of the plant "creeps" from the base by more than seven meters. Pumpkin has large flowers of yellow or yellow-orange color, which are located individually (the plant is dioecious). On the main stem, starting from the tenth leaf and beyond, fruits are formed.

Varieties of pumpkins and their features

Grade	Features
	This pumpkin is quick-growing and has a high yield. It has coarser fiber than the pulp of a large-fruited variety, and it does not last very long (up to four months) without changing the taste and nutritional characteristics.
	This pumpkin is a real giantess, the record-breaking fruits reach 60 kg. Productivity is also high. And the shelf life of the fetus is up to nine months.
	This pumpkin can lie absolutely unchanged in a cellar or other cool and dry room for up to two years. Late-ripening variety.

What a pumpkin loves

Pumpkin loves heat, does not tolerate cold in combination with dampness.

Important! The temperature, which is necessary for pumpkin seeds to germinate, is up to + 30 ° C. At lower, they will germinate for a very long time and slowly. And at less than + 10 ° C they will not rise at all.

The entire growing season for pumpkin passes at an optimum temperature of + 25 ° C. In this case, it builds up a flesh of saturated color, aromatic, dense but juicy, and a wide leaf apparatus (up to 40 m² per plant).

Pumpkin loves moisture, without a sufficient amount of which the largest fruits are not formed. If the pumpkin suffered a drought at the beginning of flowering, the flowers may fall and the ovary does not form.

Pumpkin is a photophilous culture. It must be grown in sunny and calm areas (ideally melon).

How to grow pumpkin from seeds

For pumpkin growing, the easiest way is to use the traditional seed method of sowing. Only seeds for sowing must be prepared.

It all starts with the selection of seed. Only the largest seeds of selected quality should be taken for sowing. Thin, feeble, dry, not full need to be rejected. Calibrated seeds begin to prepare for sowing.

Seed preparation

The best way to prepare for sowing pumpkin seeds is to germinate them. This process is continued until the seeds hatch. For germination, pumpkin seeds are dipped in water with a stable temperature of + 40 ° C (permissible up to + 50 ° C, below forty it is impossible). In this condition, the seeds must spend at least three hours.

Advice! How to achieve such a temperature? put a bowl with germinated seeds on a battery or other heating device, put in a yogurt maker or slow cooker in the "Yogurt" mode.

Then the swollen seeds are wrapped in a well-moistened cotton cloth and left at the temperature of the living room until peeling. The fabric needs to be checked and moistened all the time again so that the seeds do not dry out.

Since pumpkin is a heat-loving plant, it is recommended, especially in the middle climatic zone, to increase the cold resistance of seeds before sowing. To do this, after peeling them, you need to continue to keep them in a damp cloth, but already in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, from three to five days.

Due to the thermophilic, it is not worth sowing seeds in open ground, first it is better to grow pumpkin seedlings.

Growing pumpkin seedlings

Seedlings are needed in order to get a plentiful and early harvest. And also, that the hatching seeds do not die from the cold, if sowing is carried out at a time when cooling is still possible. It is not necessary to grow seedlings at home - you can do this in a special nursery or mini-greenhouse. But best of all, “under supervision”, to grow pumpkin seedlings on the south windowsill of the apartment. At room temperature, which is nevertheless closer to the expected pumpkin + 30 ° C than the temperature in the spring greenhouse, the process will go faster and better.

Important! Despite the powerful and strong appearance, pumpkin seedlings do not tolerate transplanting. Therefore, seedlings are best grown in peat pots.

To grow seedlings you will need peat or ordinary pots with a size of at least 10x10 cm in an amount twice as small as the number of seeds. There is no need to try to grow a “pumpkin forest”, remember about the 40 m² feeding area that a pumpkin can cover. Two plants, with a sufficiently spacious placement, a large amount of heat of light and moisture, with regular top dressing, will give a larger yield and more fruit than ten located in the same space.

Important! Pumpkin seedlings should be carried out at home or in a greenhouse before planting in the ground for at least three weeks. Therefore, the seeds are sown based on this calendar indicator.

Seedling soil

Pumpkin seeds are sown in ordinary fertile seedling, consisting of peat and sand. No special additives are required. Fertilizers in the soil also do not need to be applied. If you grow seeds in peat pots, just fill them with soil. When growing in a plastic container, sprinkle 3 cm of sawdust on the bottom.

Sowing seeds

Germinated and hardened seeds are sown in pairs in pots as described above. Later, a weak seedling can be removed simply by plucking off the stem. Sowing depth - 2 cm. Peat is poured over seeds. Before sowing and after watering is carried out.

During the first three days after sowing, the temperature should be + 25 ° С ... + 30 ° С.

Seedling care

Shoots should appear on the fourth day. After this, the temperature must be reduced and maintained within + 18 ° С ... + 25 ° С during the week, then again reduced to the parameters + 15 ° С ... + 18 ° С. This is necessary so that the pumpkin seedlings do not stretch, grow strong and squat .

Watering seedlings is carried out regularly, but it should not be excessive. Stagnant water is prohibited. Perfect soil moisture and air humidity will contribute to the formation of hardy and abundant fruiting plants in the future pumpkin.

Two weeks after germination, top dressing is carried out. To do this, you need to dilute the mullein in a proportion of 1:10 with water and pour in 100 ml of the nutrient solution after irrigation in each pot, or under each plant in the greenhouse. If there is no mullein, top dressing is carried out by a nitrophosic according to the instructions.

Video - Growing pumpkin seedlings

Readiness and Disembarkation

Properly grown seedlings are as follows:

low stem, thick and strong;
short internodes;
three well-developed true leaves with a rich green color.

In this state, pumpkin seedlings can be planted in pots on open ground under temporary film shelter on the 22nd day after sowing with germinated seeds in pots.

Before planting, the wells are watered with hot water. If the seedlings are in peat containers, it does not need to be removed, only slightly destroy the walls and the bottom of the pot.

After planting, the plants are watered with warm water and protected with a film cover until stable warm weather occurs.

Soils suitable for growing pumpkins

This plant is most suitable for fertile soil, which has a fairly loose structure, is well warmed up. It is on this land that pumpkin fruits will reach record sizes.

Important! Worst of all, pumpkin will grow on moist and clay soil. Acidic soils are not categorically suitable for plants - they must be treated with lime (liming under the precursor) or wood ash should be added.

When growing pumpkins in a summer cottage, try to observe the following requirements.

Landing on the south side of the house along a wall or fence. The structure and the fence will protect from the wind during the day and give the plants the heat accumulated during the day at night for the plants.
Scourges of pumpkins may well be directed to the wall of the house, the fence, the roof of the barn. Closer to the sun, the fruits ripen better.
If there is a compost pile on the site on the south side, it is ideal to plant a pumpkin near it, sending lashes there.

Soil preparation

To successfully grow a pumpkin, in the autumn, having removed the predecessors, it is necessary to start preparing the soil.

Add organic matter and mineral dressing to a clean area free of plants and weeds (5 kg of humus, 15 g of potassium chloride and twice as much superphosphate per m²). If there is no humus, in the fall you can make manure - 7 kg per m².
Dig a site 20 cm deep.
To facilitate the structure of the soil, if necessary, add river sand (coarse grain) and peat.
Deoxidize the soil with wood ash.
Loosen, if possible, mix, pour hot water.

In the spring, the upper soil layer does not need to be dug up, it is enough to remove the weeds that have appeared and level the area with a rake. In this condition, the soil should be from March to May - the time of planting pumpkin seedlings.

Two days before the planting of grown seedlings, the soil on the bed must be dug up 12 cm (half a bayonet of a shovel), add ammonium nitrate - 20 g per m² and make holes.

Wells on light-structured soil can be shallow - up to 25 cm. If the soil is heavy, the depth of the hole should be 40 cm. A little compost and a layer of dry leaves are laid on the bottom.

The distance between plants in a normal garden is about a meter. If possible, it can be doubled.

Pumpkin predecessors

This issue is relevant, since culture is demanding of its predecessors.

Pumpkin Care

Pumpkin does not need reverent and specialized care, but there are some measures that should not be neglected if you want to get a large crop of large fruits.

Watering

The main care measure is watering adjustment. A pumpkin, like a pump, pumps out all the moisture from the ground, and then evaporates it through the leaves. Thus, the roots and stems get a little. Therefore, the moisture level in the soil must be constantly replenished.

Advice! Especially abundantly need to water the pumpkin, when it begins mass flowering and fruit formation. Water temperature should not be lower than + 20 ° С (warmed up in the sun). In no case should you water the pumpkin with cold water in the heat - plants can die.

After watering, once in a while, it is necessary to loosen the soil near the base of the stem. As weeds grow, weed.

Top dressing

You need to feed the pumpkin often, otherwise you will not be able to get large fruits. The first top dressing in open ground - after the formation of the fifth leaf. The second is when the lashes begin to form. Then - every two weeks.

You can feed with nitrophos, starting with 10 g per plant and increase the dose by 5 g each time you feed. You can add dry granules or prepare a solution.

During the fruiting period, a glass of ash is added to each dressing.

You can feed pumpkin throughout the growing season with a mullein solution.

The plant is formed in one stem, in extreme cases, in two - this contributes to high productivity. To do this, after the appearance of extra shoots from the sides, they are all removed, also the extra ovaries are plucked out, leaving no more than three on each lash.

By the way! On second-order shoots, a pumpkin can produce fruits after the second leaf, but they will grow small and tasteless, so it’s worthwhile to pinch the shoots of the plant.

Video - Pumpkin: Growing and Pinching

Powder

Another agrotechnical technique that promotes productivity is sprinkling of lashes. As soon as the lashes have reached meter length, they must be carefully untangled, laid in the specified direction and sprinkled with earth in two to three places. This is done so that the wind does not break the lashes and leaves, breaking the ovary. But the main thing is that in the internodes pressed to the ground, additional roots are formed that will nourish the plants and contribute to the increase in fruits.

Some more tricks

Scourges that climb a fence or roof must be controlled. When pumpkins start to ripen on them, insure them by placing them in ordinary string bags and securing them to additional fasteners. Otherwise, heavy fruits will slide down, breaking off the stems.
It is undesirable, especially in wet weather, for the fruits to lie on bare ground. When they are medium in size, place boards or other “breathable” material under them.