How to prepare the soil for planting pumpkins. Planting pumpkins in the ground. Pumpkin seeds for seedlings are treated to speed up their germination.

The southern melon culture - pumpkin - is very fond of warmth and sunlight, so often it does not have time to ripen by the end of the summer season. This is especially true of the northern regions, where the warm period does not last long. To quickly get a guaranteed crop, they grow pumpkin seedlings.

Growing seedlings

For growing use a fairly spacious dish: paper and plastic cups. It is filled with fertilized soil and well shed with water. About a month before the planned planting in open ground, sowing seeds, which are deepened by 3 cm and covered with a film until the first shoots appear. Sawdust should be placed at the bottom of the seed boxes in order to reduce the likelihood of damage to the root system at the time of sprouting.

In view of the pumpkin's rejection of various transplants, it is better to choose the following containers:

peat cups, which are placed in a hole with seedlings;
paper cups from which the plants will be fairly easy to extract.

In the seedling period, plants are fed several times and watered with warm water. Crockery with sprouts must be placed in a sunny and warm place.

In order for the shoots to be strong enough at the time of planting, it is necessary to provide them with the optimum temperature.

For seed germination not lower than 18 ° C during the day and 15 ° C at night.
Emerging shoots during the week - 15-18 o C day and 12-13 o C at night.
Before landing in the ground - in the afternoon 18-22 ° C and at night 13-15 ° C.

The appearance of one or two true leaves on each bush indicates that the pumpkin is ready for planting in the open ground.

Transplant preparation

To sprouts adapt to new conditions faster, about a week before planting begin. At this time, the temperature is slightly lowered: during the day to 15 ° C, and at night to 12 ° C. Hardening includes not only a change in temperature, but also periodic ventilation of the room, as well as the removal to open air, first in the afternoon, then completely for a day. When the pumpkin is quenched, it becomes stronger and able to withstand a slight drop in temperature after transplanting.

When two to three days are left before transplanting the plants into the open ground, it is necessary to reduce watering in order to slightly dry the soil, but to prevent the seedlings from drying out. The day before planting, the soil is abundantly watered to make it easier to remove the plant from the pot.

Seedlings, ready for planting, are characterized by a strong stalk with small internodes and a pair of dark green leaves. The root system of such a sprout should grow to the entire volume of the occupied pot.

Dates and time of planting

In the matter of transplanting plants into open ground, one should not rush, because you can ruin all the plants. The optimal temperature for normal crop growth is considered to be about 15 ° C, so it is better to wait until warm weather is established and only then proceed to transplant seedlings. When to start transplanting, everyone decides for himself. Most often, they begin to plant at the end of May - beginning of June: when the threats of night frost pass, the stronger seedlings are transferred to a permanent place.

Before disembarking, it is necessary to make sure that the earth is sufficiently dry and warmed well. Cold soil is a factor in delaying seedling growth, and excess moisture leads to decay. When plants are planted in the evening or on a cloudy, rainy day, they adapt more easily to altered conditions.

Landing location and soil composition

Before planting seedlings, it is necessary to determine the place of planting. The heat-loving culture prefers well-lit beds. No need to be afraid of burns: the entire surface of wide leaves is densely strewn with hairs that protect from the effects of the hot sun. If you ignore the lighting factor and choose a shaded area for planting a pumpkin culture, you can end up with a weak plant that produces small and faded fruits.
The soil for transplanting pumpkins should be suitable for the following indicators:

nutritional value;
close to neutral acidity;
friability;
free passage of oxygen to the roots.

Any disadvantage can be eliminated in one way or another. If you are planting a pumpkin, it is important to understand that this gourd has a long, long root and many small roots that are located about half a meter from the surface of the earth. That is why it is important that the topsoil is sufficiently fertile. To do this, make in the fall. Soil acidity is reduced with lime or ash. You can apply humus or fertilizer immediately before planting in the hole.

Landing rules

Pumpkin crops negatively relate to transplantation, so it is better to plant them at the age of up to one month with the appearance of one or two true leaves. Landing in open ground is done only after good top dressing. When the pumpkin grows in peat pots, it is transplanted along with the container: it is enough to remove the bottom and slightly destroy the walls, so that the weak roots cope with this barrier. Otherwise, it is necessary to carefully remove the sprout together with a lump of earth from the dishes, being careful not to damage the already weak roots. To facilitate this procedure, you can pre-shed the soil well.

Proper planting is associated with the following important points, the observance of which is very important for better adaptation of the transplanted plant.

It is better to transplant seedlings by transshipment, so as not to disturb the root system.
Sprouts are buried in a well-watered hole to the cotyledon leaves.
Then the ground is pressed and carefully watered with warm water as necessary.
To protect from low temperatures, it is better to make deepenings on small knolls with a height of about 10 cm, it is also important to provide shelter in case of frost.
Compost the base of the hillock hole to prevent weed growth and prevent decay in wet weather.
For better survival, you need to shade the plant with covering material.

In order not to damage the stem and real leaves during planting seedlings, you need to hold on only to the cotyledon leaves.

Pumpkin holes are made deep enough - up to 10 cm. Mineral and organic fertilizers must be added to each hole, and then spilled abundantly with warm water. When the liquid is completely absorbed into the ground, they begin to transplant.

Given that pumpkin culture requires space, at least 1.5 m 2 is allocated to each bush. How many meters to leave between the sprouts depends on the type of plant:

55 cm - when planting bush crops;
85 cm - for weakly woven varieties;
from 125 cm require strongly-climbing plants.

Planted Seedling Care

Basically, the care of plants transplanted into the open ground is quite easy. It includes timely weeding, cultivation and watering. However, it is necessary to observe some recommendations for the normal growth and development of culture:

do not water the plant until the ovary is small, otherwise all the nutrients will go to the growth of foliage, depriving the fruit;
top dressing should be done in optimal sizes;
it is better to water in the evenings with warm water in moderation: excess water leads to rotting of the stem and increases the likelihood of infection with fungal diseases;

The amount of watering and the quality of the fruit are inversely related: the less water is used for watering, the more useful the fruit will be.

Do not forget about the periodic pinching of plants after fruit set. This is done so that the ripening of fruits occurs faster. To form strong lateral roots, you need to overlay the bush in a circle with moist soil. During the rain, to prevent decay, you can put planks here.

The adaptation time of seedlings depends on its age: the younger the sprouts, the faster they normalize and begin to develop.

Planting pumpkin seedlings helps produce earlier fruits. Incorrect actions when planting a crop in open ground can lead to a halt in the development of the bush, underripening of the fruit or death of the plant. Therefore, you must follow all the rules for caring for a pumpkin and its transplant.

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

It would seem that it is not difficult to grow a pumpkin in open ground in the Moscow Region, and many gardeners after planting are limited to minimal attention and care for the vegetable. Indeed, early, but not the sweetest and longest stored pumpkins can be removed already in the last days of August and in September. But orange large-fruited beauties and fragrant nutmeg pumpkins with a dismissive attitude to agricultural technology do not always ripen.

In order not to be left without the desired harvest, it is important to know how to approximate the harvest time, properly care for the pumpkin in the open ground and determine the ripeness of the fruit.

How and when to plant pumpkin seedlings?

To obtain a friendly and maximum early harvest, which is very important when growing middle-season and late varieties pumpkins in the open ground near Moscow, planting is best done by the seedling method. To do this, large seeds filled for a couple of days before sowing are immersed in warm water and kept at a temperature of 45-50 ° C for about three hours. Then the seed is removed and at room temperature they are waiting for the seeds to bite between the layers of wet tissue. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the moisture does not evaporate, because the dried germ of the germ of the sprout can die quickly.

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

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

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

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

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

Until seedlings appear, the pots are covered with a film and kept at a day temperature of 18–25 ° C. At night, the air can be 5–7 ° C cooler.
When sprouts appear above the ground, pumpkin seedlings to further harden and prevent stretching further lower the temperature of the content, now to 15–18 ° C during the day and 12–13 ° C at night. In such conditions, the plants are about a week.
With the beginning of the development of true leaves, the temperature rises by 3-5 ° C during the day, and at night the air can warm up to 15 ° C.

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

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

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

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

Outdoor Pumpkin Care

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

The simplest way is to plant a pumpkin on an embankment about 10-15 cm high. In this case, the soil warms up better and faster, and the plant, which has appeared under the new conditions, can easily transfer the transplant. The soil should be moist, nutritious and loose, and the planted pumpkin seedlings must be watered and covered with a film or non-woven material.

Pumpkin care in the open field begins from the moment of planting and does not stop until the harvest. So that moisture evaporates more slowly from the soil surface, weeds do not grow, and the soil is warm, the beds around the sprouts are mulched with straw. In the summer months, if the weather is rainy, such protection will not rot the ovaries and already ripening fruits.

Equally important for getting an early harvest is the choice of a site for planting. Not only does the culture require nutritious, rich in organic matter loose soil, the ridges should be well lit and protected from the cold wind. For varieties that form powerful lashes, hedges and walls of buildings become such protection and a kind of trellis.

For active and rapid growth of pumpkin grown in the open ground of the Moscow region, you can not do without regular top dressing. Moreover, it is better to make fertilizers not under the root, but at a certain distance from the plant, in an annular groove. Its depth increases from 8 to 12 cm, as the bush develops. When the plant is still small, for the first feeding at the stage of several real leaves, such a deepening is done at a distance of 15–20 cm from the stem. Then the hole is made at a distance of 40 cm. So, all subsequent feeding is carried out with an interval of 7-10 days.

When applying fertilizers, you need to try so that the solution does not get on the flowers, leaves and other green parts of the plant, since this threatens with burns. At the end of the procedure, the gutter is sprinkled with soil. At the initial stages of pumpkin development in the open ground, organic fertilizing is included in the care, which provokes the rapid growth of greenery. A week after planting, the seedlings are watered with a solution:

chicken litter at the rate of 1:16;
diluted manure in a ratio of 1: 6;
1:10 herbal infusion, for example, on nettles;
synthetic nitrogen-containing fertilizers in the proportion indicated on the product.

As they grow, they are introduced, and nitrogen harvesting is practically eliminated by the harvest and the proportion of potassium in fertilizers is increased. Such a measure will not allow the fruits to accumulate nitrates, but it will make it possible to form well and bring closer the moment when pumpkins ripen in the Moscow Region. Pumpkin also responds well to foliar top dressing, for which you can take ready-made means of universal action.

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

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

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

Outdoor Pumpkin Formation

When growing pumpkins in the open ground of the Moscow region, it is difficult to get a decent, early harvest, if you do not form and limit the plants in growth. If for bush varieties it is possible to limit oneself to the removal of female flowers during the period when a sufficient amount of ovary has already formed on the plant, then with a pumpkin giving long powerful lashes it will be necessary to do otherwise.

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

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

This does not end the formation of the plant. When the number of ovaries with a diameter of about 12–15 cm reaches 3–5, depending on the variety, the growth point of this lash is removed, leaving 3 to 5 leaves above the last ovary. So that all the forces of the plant go to the already formed fruits, from this moment all the side shoots and flowers are removed. At the end of the article, in a detailed video on the formation of pumpkins in the open ground, the entire sequence of actions is considered.

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

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

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

When does a pumpkin ripen in the suburbs?

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

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

There are several signs of fetal readiness:

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

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

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

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

The pumpkins intended for storage are cut, leaving the stalk at least 4–6 cm long, sorted and left to dry. For 8-10 days in a dry, warm room or outside, under a canopy, if the weather permits, the fruits ripen, the bark hardens, the cut on the handle dries. If the nights are cold, as it happens when a pumpkin ripens in September or early October in the Moscow Region, the fruits are covered with hay or non-woven material. Unripe pumpkins are ripened at room temperature, which may take from 10 days to 1.5 months.

Planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground - video

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

Outdoor pumpkin

When is the best time to plant seeds?

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

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

When is it better to plant seedlings

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

Pumpkin seedlings are ready for planting in the open ground

Crop care

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

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

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

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?

Clean the area, remove weeds, plant debris.
Shred open shallow hoe.
After some time, the earth needs to be dug up (2-3 weeks). When digging, collect weed roots.
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.
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:

- 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 the 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.

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

Seed selection and preparation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Soil preparation

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

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

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

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When to plant seeds

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

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

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

How to plant pumpkin seeds

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

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