Time to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground. How can you plant a pumpkin in open ground? How to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground

Pumpkin is a favorite vegetable of many gardeners - it is tasty, productive and unpretentious. I am no exception, this is a must-see crop on my landing list.

I plant it with seeds directly on the garden bed and with pre-grown seedlings to accelerate the moment of ripening - any of the options allows you to harvest a good harvest of large fruits. Today we will get acquainted with the basics of cultivating this culture.

Let's start by growing pumpkin by sowing seeds. First of all, you should choose the right time because pumpkin is a heat-loving plant and once in cold soil its seeds simply will not sprout. Try to anticipate the likelihood of spring frosts.

When the air warms up to 18 degrees, and the threat of a cold snap is behind, you can start sowing pumpkin. The soil should also be warmed up to 12 degrees at a depth of 8 cm. The optimum temperature for the development of this vegetable is 25 degrees Celsius. In terms of time, this is about the month of May, focus on your own climate zone.

The main condition for a good harvest is the correct selection of the planting site. It should be a well-warmed sunny place with light sandstone or sandstone. You should not plant a pumpkin on a site where melons and pumpkin crops (cucumbers, zucchini and others) were grown last year.

Pumpkin soil

Fertile soil is the key to productivity. It is advisable to prepare it in advance, even in the fall. For this:

1. Remove all weeds;
2. Loosen the soil;
3. After a couple of weeks, dig up the ground, picking out weeds.

With the onset of heat, dig up the area again (it is desirable a day before sowing). The pumpkin is an actively developing culture, so it needs a large amount of nutrition. Therefore, when digging, add humus, manure or compost to the ground.

Ideally, there should be at least 7-10 kg of fertilizer per square meter. The fertile layer should be located at a depth of 15-20 cm. If this is not possible, you can add a couple of kilograms of organic matter, 10 grams of potassium sulfate and 20 grams of superphosphate to each hole.

Potassium can be replaced with ordinary ash. Before sowing, the added fertilizers are thoroughly mixed with the soil.

Good results are obtained by growing pumpkin on a heap of compost.

How to prepare seeds

Do not neglect the preparation of planting material - this has a beneficial effect on the harvest. Before sowing, it is heated for a couple of hours at 60 degrees. Then, to protect against fungal diseases, the seeds are kept in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours.

The peel of the seeds is dense, the sprout breaks through for a long time, to speed up this process, dissolve two tablespoons of ash in a liter of boiling water and hold them in it for 12 hours.

Sowing pumpkin seeds

• One plant should have at least 1-4 square meters, while the later the variety, the more free space it needs; If the winter was little snow, then before planting, two liters of warm water are poured into each hole, and planting is carried out after it is completely absorbed;
• It is extremely important to keep track of the distance between plants. Long-leafed varieties are planted at a distance of 1.5-2 meters from each other and 1.4-2 meters between rows. Bush varieties have a nesting method, the planting pattern is 0.8x0.8 or 1.2x1.2 meters.
• The depth of seed placement depends on the quality of the soil: in the light one it is 5-8 cm, and in the denser one - 4-5 cm. One or two seeds are placed in each hole with a thin tip downward, retreating 3 cm from each other. Subsequently, a more viable sprout is chosen.
• The seeds are sprinkled with nutritious soil, and the entire plot is mulched with peat or humus. To speed up the emergence of seedlings over crops, you can install arcs with a film stretched over them.
• Seed germination occurs a week after sowing. Now plants need regular loosening, watering, nutrition and protection from diseases and pests.

Seedling method of growing pumpkin

Pumpkin is a southern culture, not always in our conditions it manages to ripen by the end of the warm season. This is especially true for northern regions with short summers. To accelerate the ripening of the crop, pumpkin is often grown in seedlings.

Seedling pumpkin

• Plant pumpkin seeds in spacious peat pots or plastic cups. The containers are filled with fertile soil, it is good to fill the bottom with a small layer of sawdust in order to reduce the risk of damage to the root system at the time of planting.
• Landing takes place approximately one month before the intended landing in open ground. The seeds are sunk into the ground by 3 cm and covered with polyethylene until sprouts appear. The containers are placed closer to sunlight.
• In order for the sprouts to be more powerful, they will have to provide a special temperature. Before sprouting, it is not less than 18 degrees during the day and 15 at night. Then for a week the temperature drops by 2-3 degrees, and then rises to 19-22 degrees during the day and 13-16 at night.
• During the cultivation of seedlings, it is fed several times.

The appearance of a pair of real leaves on a pumpkin means that it is ready to move to its permanent place of residence.

Preparation for the transplant and its timing

In order for the seedlings to quickly adapt to the new conditions of open ground, they begin to prepare them a week before planting. The temperature of the content is reduced to 15-12 degrees, the room is constantly ventilated, and the plants themselves are gradually accustomed to fresh air, increasing their time outside.

Do not rush to plant seedlings. Accidental frost can kill your plants. Wait for steady heat and only then start the procedure. Here you should adhere to the same conditions as when planting pumpkin seeds. Planting is best done in the evening or on a cloudy, rainy day, so the plant will more easily endure stress.

Plot

It is necessary to plant pumpkin seedlings on brightly lit ridges. Thanks to the hairs on the foliage, this plant is resistant to direct sunlight. A shady location will lead to a weakening of the plant, the inability to fully bear fruit.

The soil should be fertile, crumbly, with neutral acidity and free access of oxygen and moisture to the roots. If the soil is acidic, you can fix this problem with ash or lime.

Keep in mind that the main root of the pumpkin is long, it is surrounded by a mass of small roots located at a shallow depth. Therefore, the topsoil must be especially nutritious.

When planting seedlings in the ground, organic fertilizer can be added to the hole, and in the fall it is useful to nourish the plant with phosphorus-potassium complexes.

Transplant technology

• Pumpkin plants do not like to be disturbed once again, so when transplanting, try to touch the roots as little as possible. Therefore, the best way is transshipment. Seedlings to cotyledon leaves are buried in the hole, gently pressed and watered well with warm water.
• For shelter from possible frost, provide a shelter.
• Well compost the wells with planted plants - this will protect against weed growth and prevent the appearance of rot.
• To make the bushes easier to take root, you can shade them in the first days with a covering material.
• The planting scheme is similar to planting pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin care after sowing

In fact, pumpkin, regardless of planting method, be it seed or seedling method, requires the same care.

Watering

The impressive leaf apparatus of the pumpkin evaporates moisture very quickly, so it requires constant moisture replenishment. As water develops, more and more is required, while it must necessarily be warm.

However, at the time of fruit formation, the frequency of watering must be reduced, so you limit the growth of green mass in favor of ovaries. The previous moisturizing scheme is returned when the already formed fruits begin to gain weight.

By the time of harvest, the amount of liquid per bush should be 10 liters. Excess moisture is also destructive, the plant can rot and become vulnerable to fungi.

When the fruits reach the desired size, watering can be reduced again. It is believed that the amount of moisture affects their benefits.

Loosening the soil and forming a bush

The soil around the bushes must be constantly loosened, especially after watering and rainfall, while removing weeds. Its depth around the plants should not exceed 6-8 cm. It is better to loosen the soil between the rows by 12-17 cm before watering, so it will be easier for moisture to penetrate to the roots. At the same time, the bushes need to be spud a little.

After the formation of the fruit, the plant should be pinched; after this event, the ripening of the pumpkin is much faster.

To make the pumpkin stronger and more stable, the bush is sprinkled in a circle with moist nutritious soil - this contributes to the formation of new lateral roots.

Fertilizing pumpkin

Pumpkin is a crop that produces a huge amount of green mass and fruits. Therefore, she cannot live without frequent liquid feeding.

• The first of them is carried out three weeks after planting in the ground, chicken droppings or fresh manure are diluted in water at a concentration of 1 to 4. Such meals are repeated at least 3 times a month. Watering with a solution of ash will have a positive effect on the development of the plant (a glass on a bucket of liquid).
• Before watering the bush with a nutrient composition, a groove is made around it at a distance of 10-15 cm (first feeding) and 40 cm (all others). It is into it that the fertilizer is poured, then it is sprinkled with soil.
• In case of prolonged rainy weather, it is useful to spray the plants with a solution prepared from 10 grams of urea and a bucket of water.

Consider planting a pumpkin in open ground step by step.

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

Pumpkin seeds must be tested for germination before planting. To determine germination, take as many seeds as you do not mind and germinate them. The more seeds were taken, the more accurate the germination percentage will be. If from 18-20 seeds 15-16 have sprouted, then the germination rate is 80%.

To prevent the development of fungal diseases, 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

The pumpkin is planted in two ways:

• seedlings;
• seeds in open ground.

Planting pumpkin seedlings

Let's consider the first method in more detail. So, we know the percentage of germination. Now you need to germinate the seeds. To do this, put a piece of gauze in a cup, moisten it abundantly with water and lay out the seeds. It is advisable to put the cup in a warm place, but not near the stove or radiator. From excessive heat, the seeds will cook without even having time to bite.

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

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

Why are the bottoms 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 well, in contrast to tomato. And planting pumpkin seedlings in a container without a bottom prevents the roots from injury.

To prepare a light air-permeable soil mixture, peat, sod land and humus are mixed in a 1: 1: 2 ratio. Pour half of the soil into the prepared container.

After three days, the seeds that have been nailed down are sown into the ground with their beak down, deepening by 5 cm. We put the container with seeds in a sunny place. After a few days, the first shoots will appear from the ground, which, at the age of 10-12 days, are neatly laid in a spiral and covered with prepared earth until the cotyledon leaves.

Do not forget to move the pots apart so that the leaves of the seedlings do not close, otherwise more developed plants will not let the sun's rays through 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 harvest in the shade. The best precursors are potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, and corn. The pumpkins are returned to their original place after 4 years. Prepare the soil in advance. Since autumn, they dig up the earth and add about 5 kg of compost.

In mid-May, when the threat of morning frost has passed, pumpkin seedlings at the age of three true leaves are planted outside. Before planting the pumpkin in the open ground, the seedlings are hardened, since young plants can die already at -1 0 C. For this, the plants are placed in a cool room within a week, for example, in a corridor or veranda. During the day they are carried out in the sun and breeze.

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

Planting pumpkins in open ground with seeds

Now let's take a step-by-step look at the second method - growing pumpkin in the open field with seeds. In early May, the seeds are sown in the ground according to the scheme 1x1.5 m. The holes are spilled with warm water and 3-5 seeds are sown. The seeds can be sown at different depths. If during recurrent frosts some of the seedlings die, then the remaining seeds will sprout and give a crop.

When planting a pumpkin with seeds, the planting depth should not be less than 8-10 cm. When planting shallowly, the shoots sprout “in a shirt”, that is, together with the seed coat. The birds pull out young shoots, mistaking them for seeds.

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

Top dressing

When growing pumpkin outdoors, until the foliage is closed, 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.

Chicken droppings and mullein are suitable as organics. Chicken droppings are poured with water at a temperature of 40 0, mixed until a creamy mass is formed and infused until bubbles appear. It is not recommended to insist longer, otherwise the benefits of fertilization will be less.

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

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

Pumpkin pests and ways to fight

The main pests of all melons and gourds:

• melon aphid;
• bear;
• slugs.

The melon aphid is a small insect that damages the aerial part of the plant. The insect sucks juice from shoots and flowers. The leaves shrivel, the ovaries crumble. Soap solution works well against aphids. Stir 100 g of laundry soap grated on a coarse grater in a bucket of warm water and spray the plants.

Medvedka makes moves in the soil and gnaws at the stems and roots of plants. When planting, you need to put several granules of Medvedox into each well. You can put boiled grain mixed with Bankol into the holes.

Slugs cause significant harm in the main young plants. Their invasion during the rainy season is massive. Several generations of slugs develop during the season. If there are a lot of slugs on the site, then wet rags are laid out and insects are robbed from them every morning.

Pumpkin formation, collection and storage

The pumpkin forms many shoots, which is why it needs to be formed. On the main stem, after setting 2-3 fruits, 5 leaves are counted from the last and pinched. On the side shoots, after the first ovary, 5 leaves are also counted and pinched. Do not turn the whips, but sprinkle them with earth. In the Places of contact with the soil, roots begin to develop at the lash, which additionally feed the plant. If you do not form a plant, then many small fruits are formed that do not have time to ripen. Planks are placed under large late-ripening pumpkins to prevent fruit from rotting.

At the end of autumn, the harvest begins. Pumpkins, along with the cuttings, are harvested before the onset of frost, in dry weather. Compliance with the technology of growing pumpkin allows you to get tasty ripe fruits with high nutritional value. They are left to dry outside under a canopy, after which they are transferred to a well-ventilated area. Store the pumpkin at + 7-10 0 C. Well-ripened fruits can lie until spring.

A pumpkin is planted in the garden with both seedlings and seeds. Of course, if possible, the easier way is preferred. Sowing pumpkin 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 the seeds are properly prepared and sown in the garden in time, you can grow a wonderful harvest of these very large vegetables.

Site selection and preparation, soil

The pumpkin grows in the form of a large bush, and most varieties also form long lashes, which extend in all directions for 2-3 meters or more. Therefore, it is problematic to allocate a good plot for her in a small summer cottage, and the owners have to be cunning, allocating a home for pumpkins in old barrels, large bags or on compost heaps. If it is planted in ordinary beds, they often provide for a "second floor" for the arrangement of lashes and fruits in the form of sheds or decking over the beds, so that a place for planting other vegetables can be allocated nearby.

Since the pumpkin, like a cucumber, loves to climb any vertical obstacle, it is often planted next to a fence. If she on her own refuses to put whips on him, she just needs 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 will also have to be firmly tied to the support. And since for a year-round consumption an average family needs to plant only 3-4 plants, the problem of space for pumpkins with such approaches becomes not very significant.

Pumpkins love to grow on various supports: both naturally occurring and specially built for them

When choosing the location of the garden bed, it is important to ensure that it is well illuminated by the sun's rays: in partial shade, the plants feel worse. But the composition of the soil is of great importance: pumpkins take out a large amount of nutrients from the ground, and without high-quality fertilizers, the harvest will be scarce. True, for one plant, only about 1 m 2 of a well-fertilized area is required, therefore this issue is completely resolved.

The best soil composition is light sandy loam of dark color with acidity close to neutral (pH of soil extract is 6.5–7.0). The pumpkin should not be planted after any related crops (squash, squash, cucumber). If a pumpkin is planted on a flat horizontal surface or a low bed, you can not carry out a continuous digging of the site, but only dig up and fertilize well the holes in the places designated for sowing. True, these holes will be more like planting holes: 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 dressing.

Often, pumpkin is planted directly on compost heaps, even not yet fully ripe, or large pits or trenches (up to half a meter deep) are specially prepared for it, which are filled with various garbage and waste (small branches, grass, tops, manure), mixing them with the ground ... In the spring, these pits are watered with warm water with a small addition of saltpeter (up to 20 g / m2), and by the time of sowing the seeds they warm up well due to the rotting of the organic mass.

Video: sowing pumpkin by the fence

Selection and preparation of seeds

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

How to collect pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin does not always have time to fully ripen in the garden, and some late-ripening varieties "reach" during storage. Unfortunately, this only applies to the pulp: if the seeds did not have time to ripen in natural conditions, they will be unsuitable for sowing. For seeds, you can only use pumpkins that are fully ripe in the garden. They must be healthy specimens, uniform in color, regular shape and size characteristic of the particular variety.

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

Seed gourds even need to be stored correctly until the seeds are extracted. Do not cut them right away; let them lie down at room temperature for about a month. Longer - not worth it: the seeds may begin to germinate already inside the fruit. If you miss this moment, you will have to say goodbye to seeds.

Unlike watermelon, pumpkin seeds are not distributed throughout the fruit, but are located 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, when cutting a pumpkin, you can not be afraid to damage a lot of seeds, but still you should do it carefully, after having washed the pumpkin and wiped it dry. You need to use a sharp, durable knife and not stick it deeply.

Usually, the seeds are easily separated from the pulp, but some of them, especially not fully ripe, can be strongly surrounded by it. If possible, they are separated from the pulp by hand, folded 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 immediately by flooding everything extracted with water: what has surfaced is thrown away.

Pumpkin seeds are well known to everyone: they are large and easy to work with.

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.

Expiry date of seeds and germination test

Proper storage of pumpkin seeds guarantees their germination for 7-8 years. Moreover, there is no need to try to plant last year's seeds: they give the best results in germination and yield upon reaching the age of 3-4 years. They always collect a lot of their seeds, therefore, before preparing them for planting, you just need to manually calibrate, choosing the largest and densest, "pot-bellied".

If in doubt about the correct storage, you can test 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: a napkin or a piece of cloth is spread on a plate, the seeds are laid out and water is poured 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 first swell, then burst a little at the tip, and a tail is shown from there. True, this can happen in three days, and in eight. Therefore, the experiment ends in ten days. If out of a dozen seeds only one did not germinate, great. If it's 2-3, it's okay. Otherwise, it is better to purchase new seeds, although if every second sprouted, you can sow them, but with a reserve.

Video: checking pumpkin seeds for germination

Soaking and germinating seeds

Pumpkin seeds are often planted dry, straight from the bag. Sometimes the packaging even says that they are ready for sowing. Their seeds are often soaked before sowing, or even germinated. It's hard to argue whether this makes a lot of sense, but for a few days such preparation brings the readiness of the harvest closer. In addition, germinated seeds become less tasty and attractive to pests, which means that the germination rate increases. But if we are to prepare the seeds for sowing, then the first operation should be their disinfection - half an hour bathing in a dark solution of potassium permanganate.

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

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

As soon as small tails of individual seeds have appeared, all the soaked seeds in the same cloth are sent to the refrigerator for hardening, where they are kept for 3-4 days. A more effective way of hardening is exposure to variable temperatures: the location (inside and outside the refrigerator) is changed every 12 hours. Some gardeners, before hardening, dust the seeds with wood ash. Particularly diligent, instead of germinating on fabrics, germinate seeds on important sawdust.

How to speed up seed germination

Germinating pumpkin seeds is far from the only stage in the preparation of planting material for planting. There are several more equally effective and not very complicated techniques, for example:

• warming up is the easiest way in which the seeds are laid out on a well-lit windowsill in clear weather and heated with the sun's rays all day, carrying out such processing 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 composed by adding 0.5 g of boric acid to such an infusion, the same amount of zinc sulfate and copper sulfate. The seeds are kept in the 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. Agave juice, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, is an excellent natural stimulant. In such solutions, seeds are also kept 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 for Seeds Not Sprouting

Problems with the germination of pumpkin seeds are extremely rare. If you have checked the seeds for suitability in advance, they simply must sprout. Maybe not in 4 days, but in 10-12 days, but they will ascend! Especially if they were sown dry. Paradox? No. There is perhaps only one reason why good dry seeds did not sprout. They were eaten by pests. Either underground spider bugs or birds have unearthed it.

But with soaked or sprouted seeds, it is more difficult. If after sowing it gets colder and the soil temperature dropped below 8 ° C, then your seeds, which were just starting to live, simply died from the cold. Well, if there was no cold, perhaps they simply dried up: if sprouted seeds are sown, conditions for sufficient heat and high humidity must be created in the hole.

There are many examples when one gardener was shaking over the seeds, wasted a lot of time, waited, but there were no shoots. And a neighbor came over the weekend, buried dry seeds, and they sprouted beautifully. If, of course, the ground was warm and moderately moist. Therefore, we must admit that for pumpkin, preliminary preparation of seeds is not very necessary, 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 at least 12-14 ° C, but before sowing, you need to be sure that serious cold weather will not return: seedlings die at 1-2 degrees of frost. The best temperature for the development of pumpkin plants, the emergence and growth of fruits is 20-25 o C. Therefore, the timing of sowing seeds should 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 passes the middle, but in this case, each hole with crops should be covered with glass or film: the threat of frost persists in early June. If you wait for summer, then you may not get ripe fruits: after all, the growing season even for the earliest ripening pumpkins exceeds three months. In the northern regions, pumpkin is grown outdoors only through seedlings. In the south, it makes sense to grow only the latest varieties of nutmeg pumpkins in seedlings, all the rest are sown with seeds in early May, and sometimes somewhat earlier.

Scourges of most pumpkin varieties spread over the site very far, and if they are not supposed to be raised on supports, very large gaps have to be left between the plants so that the plants are spacious and they are not very intertwined with each other. And even with vertical cultivation, the holes are placed 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 freer placement of the pumpkin, according to the 2 x 1 m scheme, placing one plant in the hole, or 3 x 2 m, in which case you can plant two plants in the nest.

Sowing seeds is not difficult even for an inexperienced gardener.

Under normal values \u200b\u200bof temperature and soil moisture, seedlings appear in 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 in it for sprouts, and temporarily leave the film in the garden so that the soil does not cool down. After 3-5 days, the extra, the weakest seedlings 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 pumpkin with sprouted seeds

Plant care

Caring for pumpkin in the open field is not difficult and consists mainly of watering and feeding. True, it would also be nice to form the plants correctly in time, but even without this, you can get good results. Weeding and loosening is 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. A pumpkin for fruit setting necessarily requires moisture during intense flowering, as well as during the rapid growth of pumpkins. For each bush, you have to spend up to three buckets of water. As soon as it is noticed closer to autumn that the fruits have stopped growing, watering is greatly reduced: this is necessary for a set of sugar content during ripening. The pumpkin will find the necessary moisture at this time: 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, a shallow trench is made around the bush with a hoe, where the nutrient solution is poured. The first time it should be done when 5–6 leaves grow, the second - when the lashes grow up 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 sprinkling wood ash with a thin layer.

When the main stem reaches a length of one and a half meters, it is pinched, and 2-3 pieces are left from the growing lateral shoots, no more than one fruit will grow on each. If you leave more, they will grow too, but they will be smaller and of inferior quality. A small board or piece of plywood is placed under each growing pumpkin so that they do not rot from contact with the ground. To improve the fruits, to 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 a pumpkin in a garden with prepared or dry seeds is extremely simple, but not possible in every climatic region. Many varieties grow well and produce ripe crops if the seeds are sown 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.

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

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

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

The pumpkin is planted in open ground in late spring

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

Most popular varieties

For the Moscow region

Premiere

Table pumpkin Premiere

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

Dachnaya

Pumpkin grade Dachnaya

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

For the Urals

Russian woman

Pumpkin Russian woman

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

Pearl nutmeg

Pumpkin nutmeg pearl

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

The best varieties of Siberia

Freckle

Pumpkin variety Freckle

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

Smile

Pumpkin Smile

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

Correct planting in open ground

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

Seed preparation: check for germination and germination

Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds

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

The soil

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

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

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

Planting seeds and seedlings in the country

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

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

Pumpkin is not recommended to be planted next to potatoes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Growing at home and further care

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

How long will the seeds germinate?

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

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

Watering rules

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

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

Top dressing

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

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

Forming pumpkins

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

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

Pests and prevention

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

• slugs;
• melon aphid.

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

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

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

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

Harvesting

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

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

It is necessary to harvest pumpkin before stable frosts

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

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

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

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

Landing dates

The first question you need to figure out is when to plant a pumpkin in open ground? The planting dates for pumpkins, like all melons and gourds, fall at the end of spring (at the same time sowing of all related crops begins). Therefore, it is necessary to place seedlings in the ground 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 the seeds for seedlings for 25 days.

Seat selection

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

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

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

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

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

Soil preparation

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

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

How to choose a planting method

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

Features of planting seeds

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

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

Features of planting seedlings

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

Further care

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

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

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

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

Video "Planting pumpkins in open ground"

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

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

Planting a pumpkin

Three types of pumpkins are common in global agricultural production:

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

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

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

Pumpkins grow in any climate, because of this, they give the impression of unpretentious plants growing in any vegetable garden. 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 builds up a giant vegetative mass, so the soil must contain many nutrients. Pumpkin must not be planted in shade. She needs a lot of light to grow quickly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pumpkin care

Mistaking the pumpkin as a minor crop and allocating its place in the backyard without watering or fertilizing, you will get a marginal harvest. Growing and caring for pumpkin in the open field, subject to the rules, makes it possible to get from large-fruited varieties, such as Volzhskaya gray, from 4 kg of fruits per square meter. Moreover, each plant can occupy an area of \u200b\u200bup to 20 square meters.

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

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

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

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

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

Vertical Pumpkin Care

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Growing pumpkin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are bare-grain varieties that produce husk-free seeds. These are Styrian holozernaya, Holozernaya round and Golosemyannaya. Seeds without husks are especially appreciated. In retail, they are 40% more expensive than ordinary ones, but it is more difficult to grow naked varieties than ordinary ones, since the seed quickly decays in the soil and has an extremely low germination capacity. Otherwise, caring for gymnosperms is no different from caring for conventional varieties.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Growing pumpkin outdoors

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

Preparing and planting pumpkin in open ground

Growing pumpkin is possible in two ways:

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

Presowing seed treatment

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

Pumpkin seeds after germination

For the treatment of diseases, the seeds are immersed in a 30% solution of table salt (2 tablespoons of salt per 100 ml of water). Healthy and strong specimens will sink to the bottom, and weak ones will float up and be discarded.

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

Growing pumpkin seedlings and caring for it

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

Site selection and soil preparation

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

Preparing the beds for planting pumpkin

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

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

Pumpkin planting technology

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 hole, the temperature of which should not be lower than plus 50 grams. Celsius, after which they start sowing.

Sowing pumpkin in open ground

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

Seedling pumpkin after planting in open ground

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

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

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

Pumpkin growing and care - film mulching

Planting and growing pumpkins in the open field video

Pumpkin care rules

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

Fertilization

Top dressing should be applied no more than once every 2 weeks. Feeding pumpkin in the open field with minerals is performed twice: when five leaves appear (10 g of nitrophoska per 1 plant in dry form); when lashes appear (15 g of nitrophoska per 10 liters of water for each bush).

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

Top dressing pumpkin in the open field

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

Watering the pumpkin

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

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

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

Growing pumpkin video

Forming pumpkin lashes

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

Scheme of the formation of pumpkin lashes

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

Pinching and caring for a pumpkin in the open field video

Protecting pumpkin from diseases and pests

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

Powdery mildew

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

Powdery mildew on pumpkin leaves

Pumpkin mosaic

Pumpkin mosaic in the early stages

Fruit rot

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

Pumpkin Fruit Rot

Insect protection methods

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

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

Harvesting and storage conditions for pumpkin

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

• The peduncle becomes rough and rough;
• Foliage and lashes turn yellow and dry;
• The skin coarsens and takes on a typical pattern.

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

Storing pumpkin in a heated room

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

Outcome

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

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

Factors affecting pumpkin yield

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

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

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

Not only fertilizer is responsible for the fertility of the soil, but also the mechanical composition of the soil.

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

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

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

Preparing pumpkin seeds for planting in open ground

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

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

For the destruction of pathogenic microflora on the surface of seeds, several main methods are distinguished:

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

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

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

If from 18-20 seeds 15-16 have sprouted, then germination is considered productive

Germination and hardening of seeds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Presowing soil fertilization and sowing time

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

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

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

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

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

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

Planting pumpkin seeds in open ground

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Care and formation of pumpkin ovaries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Types of sweet pumpkin varieties

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

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

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

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

3 mistakes when planting pumpkin seeds

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

Answers to frequently asked questions from gardeners

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

Only nutmeg pumpkin is grown outdoors by seedlings.

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

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

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

In light loamy soil.

Question number 4. What vegetables are considered the predecessors of pumpkin?

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

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

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

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

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