How to plant a pumpkin in open ground seedlings. Pumpkin gourds: planting and care in the open ground. Video: planting pumpkins sprouted seeds

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

Growing pumpkins is a snap

Site preparation

If you want to get a rich harvest, you need to choose the right site for pumpkin. The bed should be located in a warm area, which is heated by sunlight. But it tolerates shading well. The soil can be any, but the most preferred is sandy or sandy loam. She is good at warming up quickly.

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

Corn is a good predecessor for pumpkin

Soil preparation

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

1. Clean the area, remove weeds, plant debris.
2. Shred open shallow hoe.
3. After some time, the earth needs to be dug up (2-3 weeks). When digging, collect weed roots.
4. In the spring, on the day of sowing or per day, the land again needs to be dug up. At the same time, nitrogen fertilizers are added. After that, the site is leveled using a rake.
5. Make tall beds. The heavier the ground, the higher the bed should be. The standard sizes of the beds under the pumpkin: width - 1 -1.4 m, the height should be at least 20-25 cm, and the distance between them - 50 cm.

Fertilizer application

When digging the ground, do not forget to fertilize the soil. Pumpkin begins to grow actively, the aerial part quickly grows in it, therefore, 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 put only in holes for seedlings, 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 that add 1 tablespoon to 1 plant.

Pumpkin loves plentiful manure fertilizer

On the heap

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

• No weed. Compost overgrows with herbs that need to be cleaned. If you plant a pumpkin on it, then its green mass will not allow weeds to grow.
• Speeds up decomposition. Coarse plant debris, such as cabbage stalks or sunflower stems, etc., is also placed in compost. They do not decompose quickly, it takes 2-3 years. A pumpkin accelerates this process. If you plant this plant on compost, then they decompose faster.
• The pile looks prettier, because the remains are covered with greenery.
• Compost does not dry out.

Pumpkin grows well on a compost heap

Planting Pumpkin Seeds

If the plot is large, the seeder comes in handy. Used gourds seeders SBN-3 and SBU-2-4. The first seeder makes planting seeds in 2-3 rows, the distance between them is 140 or 180 cm. But this method is not suitable for a conventional garden. Most often you have to plant seeds manually.

Only early ripening pumpkin varieties are planted with seeds, or nutmeg, hard-boiled. The rest - only through seedlings.

Training

How to plant a pumpkin? If you are counting on a good harvest, choose only full-weight seeds. To select the best, you need to prepare a 3-5% salt solution and lower the seeds into it. Those that have surfaced are not good. 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, seedbed preparation is necessary. How to do it right?

Warming up

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

Quenching

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

Disease resistance

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

1. • crezacin;
   • potassium kumate;
   • hellenic;
   • wood ash - per 1 liter of water 2 tbsp. ashes. It must be insisted 1 day, filtered and immersed in a bag of gauze for 1 day. Then rinse with water.
   • Potassium permanganate. It should be pink. Water must 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, the sprouts will hatch.

Pumpkin seeds are stored for up to four years

Landing

Pumpkin is the most resistant to cold, if you take all the gourds, but she also loves warmth. Therefore, it must be planted in late spring, when there are no frosts. If you plant it too soon, 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 \u200b\u200b1 to 4 square meters. For early-ripening varieties, it can be less, for late-ripening - more.

Therefore, the distance between the plants is so important. If they are long-walled varieties, then between the holes they leave a distance of 1.5 - 2 m, and between rows - 1.4 - 2 m. When choosing bush varieties of pumpkins, the planting scheme is different: this is a nesting method, 80 by 80 cm or 1, 2 on 1, 2 m. In light soils, the seed planting is deep - 5-8 cm, in heavy soils - 4-5 cm. You can put from 2 to 5 seeds in one hole: for large-fruited seeds, less for large-fruited ones. They are placed at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other.

Pumpkin needs to be planted at a distance from each other

Through seedlings

If you want to grow late-ripening varieties that ripen in 120-140 days, the crop will ripen only if you plant seedlings. Planting of seeds is carried out in April (end) or May (beginning). It is important to calculate the planting period 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 ground. For one bucket you will need ammonium nitrate (4 g) + potassium salt (4 g) + superphosphate (5 g). All this moisturize, mix. Seeds are sown to a depth of 2-3 cm, covered with a film.

Planting pumpkins for seedlings is made in peat pots or cassettes

The first time the temperature is 18-25 degrees. After 4-5 days, you will see hatching sprouts. The film must be removed, lower the temperature to 15-20 degrees. To do this, ventilate the room more often. If this is not done, then the seedlings will stretch. Seedlings are not often watered so that the plant does not grow pampered. Do not forget about feeding. The first is done 8-10 days after the sprouts hatch.

They are fed a mixture of Darin. The second time you need feed before planting, any mineral fertilizer is suitable. 3-4 g of fertilizer are put on 1 liter of water.

Landing

You can plant a pumpkin outside only when the weather is stable and warm. If you suddenly freeze, all your work will be gone. Wells for seedlings are arranged in the same manner as described above. I make large holes to fit a plant with a lump of earth. 1-2 liters of warm water are pre-poured into each well. Seedlings are planted deep, falling asleep to the cotyledon leaves. Then additional roots form. Then you need to water the seedlings. If you plant seedlings on a compost heap, the distance between plants should be 70-80 cm.

In order for the pumpkin seeds to be planted in the open ground to be successful and your bed to be littered 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 widespread plant cannot be called moody, 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 their favorite exotic plants in their home garden. For this reason, a popular herbaceous culture differs from the European flora, which grows in a temperate climate, with a more heat-loving disposition. To get good yields, rules for planting pumpkin seeds have been developed, which allow avoiding errors associated with freezing crops, the death of sprouts from pests, droughts and diseases.

Several types of pumpkin were bred - nutmeg, large-fruited and hard-barked. The nutmeg variety has an excellent taste, it is used in the preparation of culinary dishes. She loves heat very much and in cold regions is grown mainly by seedlings. The large-fruited variety in the open field is very fruitful, famous for delicious seeds, its fruits are stored for a long time after harvesting. Hard-boiled pumpkins have a table purpose; they are appreciated for their quick ripening and delicious pulp.

Harvested varieties of nutmeg pumpkin:

• Golden pear;
• Arabat;
• Novelty
• Vitamin
• Pearl;
• Gilea;
• Butternut.

Promising varieties of hard-boiled pumpkin:

• Gymnosperms;
• Bulgarian;
• Mushroom bush;
• Spaghetti;
• Almond;
• Danka Polka;
• Country.

Large-fruited pumpkin for open ground:

• Titanium;
• Russian woman;
• Hundred pound;
• Marble
• Smile;
• Centner;
• Baby
• Atlant.

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

The best predecessors for outdoor pumpkins:

If you do not observe the timing of planting pumpkin seeds in open ground, then in our climate weak sprouts can easily suffer even from a weak spring frost. It should be accurately calculated when the threat of late frost disappears in your region. We begin work on the beds with the arrival of steady heat; depending on the region, we sow pumpkin plants from May to mid-June. A good crop grows at 25 ° C, with a decrease in temperature to 14 ° C and below, the development of green mass in melon stops.

Acquired seeds do not always have acceptable germination. Often unscrupulous merchants 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 the pumpkin with your own seeds in open ground, which allows you to save a lot of money on a large garden. You need to know the rules for their collection and storage methods, so that the spring work on the beds went well and give an acceptable result.

Harvesting pumpkin seeds:

In order to have less problems in unfavorable conditions under adverse conditions and increase germination, it is advisable to independently sprout pumpkin seeds before planting. After this procedure, they sprout together, strong shoots die less from pests. Germination process takes place in several stages:

Planting pumpkins in the open ground with seeds in spring

More often gardeners use a wide-row method of sowing. Depth of laying pumpkin seeds in open ground depends on soil composition and moisture. In light soil, it is up to 8 cm, in heavy soil - not more than 5-6 cm. The scheme and rules for planting pumpkins depend on the average size of the lashes: corn, for this purpose shade-tolerant varieties with long stems are suitable in open ground. It adjoins 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.

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 pumpkins with seeds, the seeding depth should not be less than 8-10 cm. With shallow planting, 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.

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

Dates for planting pumpkins in Belarus, Ukraine, the Leningrad region and other regions

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

Pumpkin planted in open ground in late spring

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

The most popular varieties

For Moscow region

Premiere

Pumpkin Dining Premiere

Cold-resistant culture with a spreading long lash and sweet-tasting large fruits, hanging in a mature form to 6 kg. The culture is unpretentious to the type of soil, its fertility.

Country

Pumpkin grade Country

Culture with early ripening (75-85 days). The vegetable is characterized by a sweet taste with hints of vanilla. Pumpkin in mature form weighs 3-4 kg.  Duration of fruit storage for more than 4 months.

For the Urals

Russian woman

Pumpkin Russian

The plant is resistant to garden diseases and frost. The pulp is juicy and sugar, which is appreciated by the chefs. The weight of the Russian pumpkin exceeds 2.7 kg.  The ripening period of the crop is 110-130 days. The color of the ripened fruit is orange.

Nutmeg Pearl

Nutmeg Pumpkin Pearl

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

The best varieties of Siberia

Freckle

Pumpkin Variety Freckle

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

Smile

Pumpkin Smile

Bush grade. The culture easily tolerates temperature changes and can withstand frosts, is resistant to humid environments. The variety is distinguished by excellent taste and a long shelf life (until the next season). The duration of the growing season is 90-110 days, fetal mass - 2.1-3 kg.

Proper planting in open ground

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

Seed Preparation: Germination and Germination Testing

Germinated Pumpkin Seeds

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

The soil

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

The digging depth of the soil should be at least 35-50 cm. To disinfect the area, pour it with hot water.

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

Planting seeds and seedlings in the country

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

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

Pumpkin is not recommended to be planted next to potatoes

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

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

• in March  begin to plant seeds on seedlings (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23);
• in April  seeding is permissible in open ground (17 - 22, 24 - 29 numbers);
• in May  (16-21, 23-28).

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

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

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

Cultivation at home and further care

At home, pumpkin can be grown on virtually any soil. The culture shows endurance to adverse weather conditions, even when it began to germinate. But these facts do not mean that culture does not need to be looked after.

How many seeds germinate?

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

Preplant seed soaking in growth stimulants will help speed up the germination process. In addition to special tools, aloe juice, infusion of wood ash, potato juice, honey solution are used.

Watering Rules

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

Pumpkin needs watering, but in moderation. Excess moisture will provoke stretching of the seedlings.  It is better to water the soil after loosening and weeding. The culture tolerates drought well, but the reaction to cold water from the central highway can be negative. Therefore, experts recommend using the settled fluid from the well.

Top dressing

The plant loves top dressing. A week after germination, the first lure is introduced. The plant receives ideal nutrition from a mullein solution.  Nitrofoska is considered equally effective (15 grams per bucket of water). It is followed by subsequent feeding with an interval of 10-14 days.

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

Pumpkin Formation

As soon as 2-3 real leaves appear on the shoots, you need to thin out the bed. When growing large-fruited pumpkins, they leave only one sprout, nutmeg and durum bark - 2 seedlings each.

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

Pests and Prevention

Pumpkin is considered an unpretentious plant, however, this culture is also at risk from pests. Reduce productivity, and sometimes destroy young shoots can:

• slugs;
• gourd aphids.

When signs of an invasion of pests are detected, special preparations are used (Actellik, Fufanon, Citkor, etc.). Safer are products made from biological components. Folk methods are sometimes not inferior in effectiveness, among which deserve attention:

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

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

For an instant reaction to an invasion of pests, one should make it a rule to conduct inspection of the beds with a regularity of 1 time in 3 days. Then you can localize the problem and save the crop.

Harvesting

The maturity of a pumpkin can be determined by the following criteria:

• the stalk becomes stiffer  the surface gets stuck, its stiffness occurs simultaneously with the stem supplying power;
• leaves on the whip drychange color to yellow;
• whatever the original skin color, after maturing, reflects the texture pattern brighter;
• if you run a fingernail over the crust, no trace;
• when you press your fingers on the fetus, hardness is felt;
• ripe product is covered matte coating;
• when tapping is heard sonorous knock;
• when harvesting the stalk is easy to remove.

It is necessary to harvest pumpkins before steady frosts

To ensure a long shelf life, it is necessary to pick the fruit carefully, being careful not to damage the peel. Scratches should be sealed with a bactericidal plaster so that microbes do not penetrate into the vegetable.

Harvested fruits from the beds are placed in a dry room, where they ripen for about another month.

The main guarantee of a good harvest are proper seed selection and timely care.  Hand-grown pumpkin diversifies the menu for households, enriches the body with nutrients.

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

Landing time

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

Seat selection

It’s clear that the pumpkin will grow well in the South. But in any case, place the seedlings in a sunny place. It is better to plant a pumpkin in place of onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, and legumes. Avoid places where potatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchini, and melons used to grow. Neighborhood plays a very important role. Some plants may harm the pumpkin, and some may harm itself. Therefore, the question will not be strange: what can be planted next to pumpkins?

Leek, beans, peas or spinach can be planted nearby. It is not recommended to plant next to potatoes and radish. Near it is better not to place beets, carrots, garlic.

What is the reason for this? All gourds abundantly absorb nutrients from the earth, as a result of which they do not allow their neighbors to fully develop. Is it possible to plant a pumpkin next to corn? Necessary!

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

Interestingly, you can not plant the pumpkin itself after the pumpkin. This is due to soil diseases, the causative agents of which can survive and harm new related plants.

Soil preparation

In relation to the earth, this plant is not picky. But even good soil still needs to be cultivated in the fall. Dig a plot and mix the earth with organic fertilizers - potash and phosphorus. Already in the spring, after the snow melts, loosen the soil and clear the area of \u200b\u200bweeds. Before sowing a pumpkin, once again dig everything well and apply nitrogen fertilizers.

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

How to choose a landing method

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

Features of planting seeds

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

When the seed check is done, you need to do their preparation. Warm them at 60 degrees for about 2 hours, and then dip them into a solution of potassium permanganate. After these measures, the seeds can be planted in the ground.

Features planting seedlings

If you will grow seeds for seedlings, then all of the above rules for preparing seeds are relevant in this case. Prepare a deep pallet with sawdust: pour wood with boiling water and cover with gauze. Lay out the seeds there. Then again fill with sawdust and cover with a film. Thus, you have a home greenhouse. Sprouts will begin to be seen already on the 3rd day. Grown seedlings for 25 days, then you need to move to open ground.

Further care

Planting pumpkins in open ground provides for further care of the plant. Caring for her, as well as for other melons, includes a number of measures:

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

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

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

Video "Planting pumpkins in the open ground"

In this video you will hear useful tips for planting pumpkins in the open ground.

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

Pumpkin planting

In the global agricultural production, three types of pumpkins are common:

• large-fruited;
• hard bark;
• nutmeg.

Numerous varieties of large-fruited pumpkins are used for livestock feed. The fruits of hard-boiled pumpkin - with a gray peel, sweet, well stored in apartment conditions. Their flesh is edible in its raw form.

In summer cottages, they often grow nutmeg pumpkin. Sweet and aromatic vegetable is suitable for eating raw. Of the varieties zoned for most regions for pumpkin planting, Almond 35 and Volzhskaya gray should be noted.

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

Pumpkin in a short time grows a giant vegetative mass, so the soil should contain a lot of nutrients. You can not plant a pumpkin in the shade. For rapid growth, she needs a lot of light.

Do not plant a pumpkin near raspberries - an aggressive shrub will leave the pumpkin without sunlight, and it will not set fruit.

Pumpkin can be planted with seeds on a bed. The best predecessors for pumpkin are nightshade and cabbage vegetables. Planting pumpkins in the ground near the south side of the buildings will protect against the cold northeast.

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

The soil will have to be prepared in the fall - to make holes and fill it with fallen leaves. In spring, the soil under the leaves will warm up quickly. It remains to fill a bucket of fertile soil in the pit and plant 3 seeds each. After the cotyledon leaves are opened, one seedling should be left (the strongest in appearance), and the rest should be removed. One month after sowing, each plant should have a minimum of three leaves.

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

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

Pumpkin will thrive only on fertile soil with a pH of 6.0-7.5. An ordinary nettle will become an indicator of the land suitable for the pumpkin - if the weed grows well on the site, the pumpkin will feel great.

The acidic soil under the pumpkin has to be alkalinized. To do this, ordinary wood ash or lime fluff is suitable. They are added to each well in 3 glasses and dug.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the middle lane, and especially in the south, there is no need to plant pumpkin seedlings. Seeds are sown in wells of 2-3 pieces. After the emergence of seedlings, the weak are removed, leaving one plant on each meter. Seeds of large-fruited varieties are buried by 10-12 centimeters, nutmegs are planted to a depth of 8 centimeters.

Before planting, superphosphate and half a bucket of compost are introduced into the hole, stirring with the soil. After care, it will only consist of weeding and watering. In a cold climate, gardeners will have to pinch and normalize the fruit so that the pumpkins that have begun can ripen.

Pumpkin Care

Taking a pumpkin for a secondary culture and allocating its place in the backyards, without watering or fertilizing, you will get an insignificant crop. Growing and caring for a pumpkin in the open ground, subject to the rules, makes it possible to obtain from large-fruited varieties, such as Volzhskaya Seraya, from 4 kg of fruits per square meter. In addition, each plant can occupy an area of \u200b\u200bup to 20 square meters.

For beginning gardeners, difficulties in growing pumpkins are caused by the formation. If you do not form the pumpkin correctly, you will not be able to get large fruits. Plants can be formed in one or two whips. In the first case, leave the only lash and remove all the side ones immediately as they appear. The first 3 ovaries are left on the whip. After the third leave three sheets, and everything else is removed.

Some gardeners form their pumpkins in 2 lashes - the crop manages to ripen. Forming a bush in two lianas, two fruits are left on the main lash, and one or, more rarely, two are left on the side. After the last ovary, three more leaves are left and the tops are pinched.

Productivity is increased by using falling asleep on the ground. Scourges that have reached a length of a meter or more are untangled, stacked, directing growth in the right direction, and sprinkled with soil in two or three places. Admission makes it possible to fix the whips on the soil surface, which protects the plant from the wind and helps to form additional roots.

Pumpkins are harvested when the fruits acquire a characteristic color and pattern. Unripe nutmeg pumpkin can be ripened at home.

Seeds are extracted immediately from oilseeds, poured into a glass bowl and poured with cold water for a day. If the fruits are overripe, the seeds cannot be soaked to prevent their germination. After soaking, the seeds are washed, separated from the pulp and dried in the oven until the thin transparent film covering the surface of the seed falls off.

Vertical Pumpkin Care

There is an opinion that creeping plants spread southward, but this is not so. Pumpkin grows in all four directions, capturing the surrounding area. Under favorable conditions, pushy plants can climb up a vertical surface and braid a gazebo, barn or bush.

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

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

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

Wax pumpkin cannot be compared to nutmeg to taste, but it is a champion in storage. Fruits, not drying out and not decaying, can lie in the cellar for up to 3 years.

Another pumpkin we still have is rare - leafy. In the homeland of Peru, it is a perennial culture, we grow it as an annual. The name pumpkin received for the unusual shape of the leaves. She has an oval-shaped green fruit with a white pattern on the bark. The pulp is white or yellowish, sweet and tasty. Externally, the plant and fruits are like watermelons.

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

Pumpkin cultivation

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

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

Unusual butternut pumpkin seeds have recently appeared on the shelves of seed shops. The plant was bred in Israel, but they also learned to grow it in our country. Butternut pumpkin fruits are medium-sized (weighing up to 3 kilograms) and have a pear-shaped shape. The peel is even, not soft color. If you cut the pumpkin fruit along, then the shape of the slice resembles a mandolin.

The seed chamber is located only in the expanded part of the fruit; because of this pulp, the Butternat pumpkin gives more than ordinary hollow pumpkins and squash. The flesh of this pumpkin variety is sweet, dense with a fresh fruity smell. The variety is southern and in the middle zone, when sowing seeds in open ground, it may not gain the sweetness that is characteristic of it. It is better to grow pumpkin seedlings, and the seeds can be taken from a purchased vegetable.

Pinch the butternut pumpkin when the lashes grow by 1 meter. It is necessary to leave no more than 3 lashes on each plant and send in different directions. Pinching will help to get ripened, large and heavy fruits.

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

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

When growing pumpkin seeds, special oilseeds are selected. The fruits of the varieties contain 1-2% of the seeds by weight of the pumpkin. Oil varieties include Bulgarian, Ladies' marigold, Kherson watermelon, Ukrainian multiple, Muscat, Novinka, Polevichka, Valok. Varieties of oil direction have a lower yield than usual - no more than 800 kilograms are collected per hectare.

There are bare-grain varieties that produce seeds without husks. This is the Styrian holozero, Holozero round and Golosemyannaya. Seeds without husks are especially appreciated. In retail, they are 40% more expensive than ordinary ones, but it is more difficult to grow holozero varieties than ordinary ones, since the seed quickly rots in the soil and has an extremely low germination. Otherwise, caring for gymnosperm pumpkin is no different from caring for ordinary varieties.

Styrian oil pumpkin is an old variety designed to produce pumpkin oil. Pumpkin oil is used in cooking and cosmetology. The variety is appreciated for the high content of linoleic acid in the seeds, which gives the nut a nutty flavor and aroma. When growing pumpkins in open ground, the yield of the variety is 500-1500 kg per hectare, the weight of the fruit is up to 6 kilograms. The pulp of the Styrian oil pumpkin is coarse fiber, it is suitable only for livestock feed.

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

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

Weeding the garden with pumpkins is necessary at the first stage, when the plants sprout. When cultivated in the field, it is enough to walk the field walk-and-fro twice with the walk-behind tractor until the plants form lashes. Then the pumpkins will overtake and strangle the weeds.

When growing pumpkins without manure and humus, siderates can be used, the best of which is the oatmeal mixture. It is sown as soon as the soil is slightly warmed up. After the emergence of the pumpkin seedlings, the vetch and oats are cut with Folkina pololnik or plane cutter.

As a result, the soil is enriched with nutrients, especially nitrogen, and the bed remains covered with a layer of green mulch, which helps to preserve moisture. The vikoatsovatsy mixture, in addition, prevents the rooting of annual weeds.

Pumpkins should not be sown in the same area more than once every 4 years. Subject to crop rotation, plants do not suffer from diseases and pests. Of the pests, the melon aphid annoys more of the pumpkin.

There is an interesting way to protect plants from an insect. Aphids are afraid of shiny surfaces, so strips of aluminum foil are laid out between plants to scare away plantings - this helps to avoid spraying with insecticides. Of the diseases, pumpkins are more often affected by powdery mildew.

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

Pumpkin contains more pectin than apples and beets, so it removes a lot of toxic substances and bad cholesterol from the body. It also has few sodium salts and a lot of potassium, so it can be used to nourish people with diseases of blood vessels, heart and kidneys.

Outdoor pumpkin cultivation

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

Preparation and planting of pumpkins in open ground

Pumpkin cultivation is possible in two ways:

• Planting not dive seedlings;
• Sowing prepared seeds.

Presowing seed treatment

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

Pumpkin seeds after germination

For treatment from diseases, the seeds are immersed in a 30% solution of sodium chloride (2 tbsp.spoons of salt per 100 ml of water). Healthy and strong specimens will sink to the bottom, while weak ones will float and should be discarded.

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

Growing and caring for pumpkin seedlings

Transplanting and growing pumpkins in open ground in the suburbs occurs after the appearance of three full leaves. On average, the age of seedlings should be about a month.

Site selection and soil preparation

The plot allocated for growing pumpkins is chosen away from the growing crops, with a flat surface and good access to sunlight. The land is pre-fertilized: per 1 sq.m. take 2 buckets of humus, 0.5 buckets of wood shavings, 1 liter of wood ash and 200 g of nitrofoska. The soil is dug in depth of 50 cm and form beds up to 70 cm wide.

Preparation of beds for planting pumpkins

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

Growing pumpkins in open ground in the area where potatoes, melons, sunflowers or watermelons were previously grown is not recommended. In one place, a pumpkin is planted with an interval of five years. Sandy, light and medium loamy soils with neutral Ph 4,5-5 are most suitable for pumpkin cultivation.

Pumpkin planting technology

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

Sowing pumpkins in the open ground

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

Pumpkin seedlings after planting in open ground

Agrotechnics for growing pumpkins in open ground includes an additional shelter of planted seeds with a film, which is carefully fixed along the perimeter of the bed. The covering material creates greenhouse conditions and helps protect seedlings from possible frost.

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

A film without a frame left on the bed can be used instead of mulch, which will help facilitate pumpkin care during growth. In this covering material, cross-shaped incisions are made for sprouts in this use.

Pumpkin Growing and Care - Film Mulching

Planting and growing pumpkins in the open ground video

Pumpkin Care Rules

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

Fertilizer application

Feeding should be done no more than once every 2 weeks. Topping up pumpkin in the open ground with minerals is done twice: when five leaves appear (10 g of nitrophoska per 1 plant in dry form); when lashes appear (15 g of nitrophoska per 10 l of water under each bush).

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

Pumpkin top dressing in the open ground

All top dressing is applied to the ring-shaped ditch, increasing the depth from 8 to 15 cm as the pumpkin grows. At the seedling stage, the recess is dug at a distance of 15 cm, after 2 weeks it is increased to 40 cm.

Watering pumpkin

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

Especially important is timely plentiful irrigation during flowering: moisture is necessary for the formation of female inflorescences. Water consumption during this period is about 30 liters per 1 plant.

During fruit ripening, the amount of water during irrigation is reduced, since excess moisture reduces the shelf life and reduces the sugar content of the fruit.

Pumpkin cultivation video

Pumpkin lash formation

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

Pumpkin lash pattern

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

Pinching and caring for an outdoor pumpkin video

Protecting Pumpkins from Diseases and Pests

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

Powdery mildew

If the first symptoms of a fungal disease are detected on the leaves of a pumpkin, they are fought against by spraying with a solution of 3 g of potassium permanganate or 2 g of copper sulfate dissolved in 10 l of water. They will be treated with 1% Bordeaux liquid during the formation of ovaries and leaves. For prevention - carry out regular watering, observe crop rotation and destroy the remnants of diseased plants.

Powdery mildew on pumpkin leaves

Mosaic pumpkin

Mosaic of pumpkins in the initial stage

Fruit rot

The rotten areas are carefully removed with a knife and wiped with freshly squeezed aloe juice. The rubbing place dries up, and the pumpkin continues to develop.

Pumpkin Fruit Rot

Ways to protect against insects

They fight aphids by removing weeds, spraying with soapy water (200 g of grated soap per 10 liters of water) or 10% malathion in a proportion of 60 g per 10 liters of water.

From a spider mite, spraying with onion infusion from 200 g of husk per 10 l of water or 20% chloroethanol solution (20 g per 10 l of water) helps.

Harvesting and storage conditions for pumpkins

So that the pumpkin does not start to deteriorate in the garden, you need to harvest in time. The ripening moment can be recognized by the following signs:

• The peduncle becomes rough and rough;
• Foliage and lashes turn yellow and dry;
• The skin coarsens and acquires a typical sort of pattern.

It is necessary to harvest until stable frosts. Pruning of pumpkins occurs with a stalk up to 6 cm. Cut fruits are stacked in a dry, warm room. Pumpkins ripen in a week, and the stalk dries.

Pumpkin storage in a heated room

With the onset of frost, unripened not picked pumpkins are mulched with straw or agrofibre.

Total

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

Pumpkin is planted in the garden with both seedlings and seeds. Of course, if possible, prefer the easier way. Sowing pumpkins of any kind with seeds is possible in the south, and in the middle lane it is problematic only in the case of nutmeg varieties. If you properly prepare the seeds and sow them in time in the garden, you can grow a wonderful crop of these very large vegetables.

Selection and preparation of the place, soil

Pumpkin grows in the form of a large bush, and most varieties also form long lashes, which spread in all directions for 2-3 meters or more. Therefore, it’s problematic to allocate a good plot for her in a small cottage, and the owners have to cunning, allocating housing to pumpkins in old barrels, large bags or on compost heaps. If they plant it on ordinary beds, they often provide a “second floor” for arranging lashes and fruits in the form of awnings or floorings over the beds so that a place for planting and other vegetables can be allocated nearby.

Since a pumpkin, like cucumbers, loves to climb any vertical obstacles, it is often planted next to the fence. If she herself refuses to let the lashes on him, she needs only a little help, and then the growing fruits will hang on the fence, like toys on a Christmas tree. True, so that they do not fall, the fruits also have to be firmly tied to a support. And since it is enough to plant only 3-4 plants for the average family to year-round consumption, the problem of space for pumpkins with such approaches becomes not very significant.

Pumpkins love to grow on various supports: both of natural origin, and specially built for them

When choosing the location of the garden, it is important to ensure that it is well lit by sunlight: in partial shade, plants feel worse. But the composition of the soil is of great importance: pumpkins take out a large amount of nutrients from the earth, and without high-quality fertilizers, the crop will be scarce. True, for a single plant, only about 1 m 2 of well-fertilized area is required, therefore this issue is completely solved.

The best in soil composition are light sandy loam of a dark color with an acidity close to neutral (the pH of the soil extract is 6.5–7.0). Pumpkin should not be planted after any kindred cultures (zucchini, squash, cucumbers). If a pumpkin is planted on a flat horizontal surface or in a low bed, it is possible not to dig the site completely, but just dig and fertilize the holes in the places designated for sowing. True, these holes will be more like planting pits: each plant must be provided with an almost full bucket of humus and a half-liter can of wood ash. Mineral fertilizers are best applied during top dressing.

Often a pumpkin is planted directly on compost heaps that are not yet fully ripe, or specially prepared for it are large pits or trenches (up to half a meter deep) that are filled with various garbage and waste (small branches, grass, tops, manure), mixing them with the ground . In spring, these pits are poured with warm water with a small addition of nitrate (up to 20 g / m 2), and by the time of sowing the seeds they are well warmed up due to rotting of the organic mass.

Video: sowing pumpkins at the fence

Seed selection and preparation

A wide selection of pumpkin seeds of various varieties is presented in stores, but gardeners planting pumpkins annually usually use seeds from their crops, only occasionally buying beautiful bags of unknown varieties for fun. This makes sense: unlike many other crops, it is very easy to collect pumpkin seeds, they are perfectly stored, and the quality of the fruits of the old deserved varieties is quite high, and it is not always worth spending money to buy seeds. But if the seeds are bought in a store, most likely they should be trusted so much that you do not have to spend time preparing them for sowing; moreover, often seeds from well-known companies are already fully prepared, they just need to be "put to the ground" in a timely manner.

How to collect pumpkin seeds

Not always the pumpkin has time to fully ripen in the garden, and some late-ripening varieties "reach" during storage. Unfortunately, this applies only to the pulp: if the seeds did not have time to ripen under natural conditions, they will be unsuitable for sowing. For seeds, you can use only fully ripened pumpkins in the garden.  These should be healthy specimens, uniform in color, of the correct shape and size, characteristic of a particular variety.

If the cultivation of pumpkins for seeds is carried out purposefully, then under the appropriate bushes it is not necessary to add extra fertilizers, this slightly reduces the growing season. Since pumpkin plants are easily pollinated, it is undesirable to have nearby plantings of other varieties of pumpkins, zucchini, and even cucumbers.

Seed pumpkins up to the extraction of seeds from them even need to be stored correctly. They should not be cut right away, they should be allowed to lie down at room temperature for about a month. It’s not worth it longer: the seeds can begin to germinate already inside the fetus. If you miss this moment, you have to say goodbye to the seeds.

Unlike watermelon, pumpkin seeds are not distributed throughout the fruit, but are in the seed chamber, which in different varieties is located either in the center or on one side, but in any case it is large. Therefore, cutting a pumpkin, you can not be afraid to damage a lot of seeds, but still it should be done carefully, after washing the pumpkin and wiping it dry. You need to use a sharp, durable knife and do not stick it deep.

Usually the seeds are easily separated from the pulp, but some of them, especially not fully ripened, can be very surrounded by it. If possible, they are separated from the pulp manually, folding into any container, and then washed well with running water at room temperature. Sometimes a sieve has to be used to separate the seeds from the fibers. Bad seeds can be separated right away, flood everything extracted with water: that which has surfaced is thrown away.

Pumpkin seeds are familiar to everyone: they are large, and it’s easy to work with them

After sorting the seeds, they are well dried at room temperature and sent for storage. It is best to keep them in a paper or linen bag, but most importantly - at a constant room temperature and low humidity.

Shelf life of seeds and germination test

Proper storage of pumpkin seeds guarantees their germination for 7–8 years. Moreover, one should not try to plant last year's seeds: they give the best results in germination and yield when they reach the age of 3-4 years. Many seeds are always collected, therefore, before preparing them for planting, you just need to manually calibrate them by choosing the largest and densest, pot-bellied ones.

If there are doubts about the correct storage, you can check the seeds for germination. To do this, take as many seeds as they can afford, but at least a dozen. Germination is carried out in the usual way: on a plate spread a napkin or piece of cloth, lay out the seeds and pour enough water so that they are only covered with it. They put the plate in a warm place and make sure that the napkin is wet all the time, gradually add water.

The seeds swell first, then burst a little at the tip, and from there the tail is shown. True, this can happen in three days, and in eight. Therefore, the experiment is completed in ten days. If only one out of a dozen seeds does not germinate, excellent. If 2-3 is normal. Otherwise, it is better to purchase new seeds, although if every second sprouted, you can sow them, but with a margin.

Video: checking pumpkin seeds for germination

Soaking and germinating seeds

Pumpkin seeds are often planted dry, right from the bag. Sometimes it even says on the package that they are ready for sowing. Their seeds are often soaked before sowing, or even germinated. It is difficult to argue whether this makes much sense, but for several days the readiness of the crop brings such preparation closer. In addition, germinated seeds become not so tasty and attractive to pests, which means that the percentage of germination is increased. But even if you prepare the seeds for sowing, the first step should be their disinfection - a half-hour bath in a dark solution of potassium permanganate.

Then the seeds are kept for two hours in hot water. It is advisable to find a way at home to maintain the temperature (50 ± 2) ° C all this time. If after such warming the seeds are placed in a damp cloth, they should hatch no later than 3-4 days later.

Do not wait until the tails become long, they can be broken off when sowing

As soon as small tails of individual seeds appear, all soaked seeds in the same cloth are sent for hardening in the refrigerator, where they are kept for 3-4 days. A more effective way of hardening is the effect of variable temperatures: the location (in the refrigerator and outside it) is changed with a frequency of 12 hours. Some gardeners dust seeds with wood ash before hardening. Especially diligent, instead of germinating on tissue, germinate seeds on important sawdust.

How to accelerate seed germination

Germination of pumpkin seeds is far from the only step in preparing planting material for planting. There are several more equally effective and not very complex techniques, for example:

• warming up is the easiest way in which the seeds are laid out on a well-lit window sill in clear weather and warmed by the sun's rays all day, performing this treatment for at least a week. Instead, you can warm them up for 3-4 hours at a temperature of 60 ° C;
• treatment with fertilizer solutions: it can be just an infusion of 2 tablespoons of ash in a liter of water or a more complex mixture, made up by adding 0.5 g of boric acid to this infusion, the same amount of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate. Seeds are kept in solution for 5-7 hours;
• treatment with biostimulants: in this capacity, it is easiest to use a solution containing 0.5 g of salicylic or succinic acid in 1 liter of water. An excellent natural stimulant is the juice of the agave, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. In such solutions, the seeds are also incubated for 5-7 hours. It is believed that this not only improves and accelerates germination, but also increases the quantity and quality of the future crop.

Possible reasons that the seeds do not germinate

Problems with the germination of pumpkin seeds are extremely rare. If you have previously checked the seeds for validity, they are simply obliged to sprout. Maybe not in 4 days, but in 10-12 days, but they will rise! Especially if they were sown dry. Paradox? Not. The reason that suitable dry seeds did not germinate is perhaps only one. They were eaten by pests. Either underground spider bugs, or birds unearthed.

But with soaked or sprouted seeds is more difficult. If after sowing it has sharply become colder, and the temperature of the soil has dropped below 8 ° C, it means that your seeds, which only started to live, simply died from the cold. Well, if there was no cold, perhaps they simply dried up: if germinated seeds are sown, conditions must be created in the hole of sufficient heat and high humidity.

There are many examples of when one gardener was shaking over seeds, spent a lot of time, waiting, but there were no seedlings. And the neighbor arrived at the weekend, buried dry seeds, and they sprouted beautifully. Unless, of course, the ground was warm and moderately moist. Therefore, it is worth recognizing that preliminary preparation of seeds is not very necessary for a pumpkin, and sometimes it only interferes.

Rules, terms and schemes for planting pumpkin seeds in open ground

Pumpkin seeds are guaranteed to germinate only in soil heated to a minimum of 12–14 ° C, but before sowing, you must be sure that serious cold will not return: seedlings die at 1–2 degrees of frost. The best temperature for the development of pumpkin plants, the nucleation and growth of fruits is 20–25 ° C. Therefore, the timing of sowing seeds must be determined, focusing not only on long-term observations of the climate, but also on the current weather.

Roughly in the middle lane, the time for sowing seeds begins when May exceeds the middle, but in this case each hole with crops should be covered with glass or film: the threat of frost remains in early June. If you wait for the summer, then you can not get ripe fruits: after all, the growing season even in the most early ripening pumpkins exceeds three months. In the northern regions, pumpkin in open ground is grown only through seedlings. In the south by seedling, it makes sense to grow only the latest varieties of nutmeg pumpkins, all the rest are sown with seeds in early May, and sometimes somewhat earlier.

The scourges of most varieties of pumpkins spread very far in the area, and if they are not supposed to be raised to supports, very large gaps must be left between the plants so that the plants are spacious and not very intertwined. And even with vertical cultivation, the holes are located no closer than a meter from each other: the minimum possible nutritional area for one plant is just 1 m 2. But for comfortable growth, experts recommend a more free placement of pumpkins, according to the 2 x 1 m scheme, having one plant per hole, or 3 x 2 m, in which case two plants can be planted in the nest.

Sowing seeds is not difficult, even for an inexperienced gardener.

At normal temperatures and soil moisture, seedlings appear after 5–8 days. When it becomes clear that the frost will not return, the film can be removed. But in not very warm regions, many gardeners cut holes for sprouts in it, and the film is temporarily left in the garden so that the soil does not cool down. After 3-5 days, the extra, weakest shoots are cut off: it is better not to pull them out so as not to harm the roots of the plants remaining in the hole.

Video: planting pumpkins sprouted seeds

Plant care

Caring for a pumpkin in the open field is not difficult and consists mainly in watering and feeding. True, it would be nice to form plants in time, too, but without this you can get good results. Weeding and cultivation are possible only at first, until the bushes grow. At this time, they try to water after shallow loosening so that the water penetrates deeper to the roots.

Watering should be carried out only with water warmed up in the sun, so it falls on the evening hours. Pumpkin for fruit setting necessarily requires moisture during intensive flowering, as well as during the rapid growth of pumpkins. Up to three buckets of water have to be spent on each bush. As soon as it is noticed by the fall that the fruits have stopped growing, watering is greatly reduced: this is necessary to set sugar content during ripening. The pumpkin will find the necessary moisture at this time itself: after all, its roots penetrate deep into the soil up to one and a half meters.

You need to feed infrequently: after all, the hole was well fertilized in advance. For feeding around the bush, a shallow trench is made with a chopper, where the nutrient solution is poured. The first time it is worth doing when growing 5-6 leaves, the second - when the lashes grow to about half a meter. Fertilizer can be either azofoska (10–15 g per bush) or mullein infusion (based on a bucket of dry fertilizer for 6–8 bushes). From time to time around the bushes it is worth scattering wood ash with a thin layer.

After reaching the main stem with a length of one and a half meters, pinch it, and leave 2-3 pieces from the growing lateral shoots, no more than one fruit will grow on each. If you leave a larger number, they will also grow, but they will be smaller and worse quality. A small plank or piece of plywood is placed under each growing pumpkin so that they do not decay from contact with the ground. To improve the fruits and provide them with better nutrition, the whips are sprinkled with a small layer of soil at a distance of about 50 cm from the main shoot.

Sowing pumpkins in the beds with prepared or dry seeds is extremely simple, but not possible in any climatic region. Many varieties grow well and give a ripened crop, if you sow the seeds correctly and on time. Most modern summer residents have no time to deal with seedlings, and they go the easier way, often achieving good results.