Proper care of a pumpkin in the open field. Pumpkin - cultivation in open ground. Proper planting of pumpkins in open ground

When the soil warms up to +10 o C, and the average daily temperature exceeds +13 o C, it's time to plant a pumpkin. Most pumpkin varieties grow strongly and are capable of “capturing” neighboring beds in the struggle for living space. The edge of the garden, a sunny, spacious area on the south side is the best place to grow this crop.

Pumpkin, like all melons, can be grown in 2 ways:

1. seedlings grown in a greenhouse or apartment,
2. seeds directly into the ground.

seedling method

All gourds (including pumpkin) painfully endure transplantation. For this reason, her seedlings should be grown

1. or in peat pots,
2. or in paper cups, which do not interfere with the growth of roots in the soil.

We will consider the technology in relation to nutmeg pumpkin varieties, which even in the conditions of the Middle Belt do not have time to fully ripen in open ground.

To grow seedlings, the easiest way is to prepare a universal soil mixture in advance, which is useful for all types of seedlings:

1. compost or humus - 2 parts;
2. land from the garden - 1 part;
3. sand - 1 part.

It is advisable to add 1 cup of wood ash to a bucket of the mixture.

Before planting in the ground, it makes no sense to soak the seeds for swelling - the germination of pumpkin seeds is very good and without additional stimulation.

All gourds (including cucumbers) have an interesting feature. Fresh seeds (of the last harvest season) mostly form male-type flowers - “empty flowers”. The older the seeds, the greater the proportion of female-type flowers produced on the plant. If you have a choice, you should give preference to seeds of 3-4 years of aging - these are the most productive.

In the conditions of the Middle Band, seeds for seedlings are planted in the 20th of April. This will allow 3-week-old seedlings to be planted in the garden in May.

Pumpkin seeds are planted to a depth of about 1-2 cm. This is quite enough for growing seedlings. Insufficient lighting without additional illumination inevitably leads to stretching of plants.

This small disadvantage can be turned to advantage. If, when planting seedlings in a garden bed, you plant it with a depth of up to 1 leaf, you will get a plant with an unusually powerful root apparatus from adventitious roots. This bush is sure to be fruitful.

Seedlings can be planted on the bed only with the onset of an average daily temperature of at least 10 ° C. While maintaining the risk of frost, it is better not to take risks or use temporary shelters on arcs over the planted seedlings.

The Reckless Way - What You Need to Know

Even in the Middle lane, it is possible to plant a pumpkin using a seedless method only in the 2nd decade of May, so as not to damage the tender seedlings with frost.

Pumpkin bed

The main criteria for choosing a site for growing pumpkins in open ground:

1. well-drained organic soil;
2. Sunny location, preferably south facing.

Pumpkin can grow in partial shade, but it will take a long time to ripen - it may not be in time before frost.

It should not be forgotten that each pumpkin bush must have a feeding area of ​​at least 1 square meter. In the fall, while cleaning the site, you will see what a powerful root system this plant has.

To quickly get shoots, planting a pumpkin in a mound is used. Seeds (3-4 pieces) are planted in a small mound (up to 5 centimeters) in a hole 1-2 cm deep.

A similar technique is used with the seedling method - the minimum slope of the mound improves soil heating.

After the emergence of shoots and the formation of true leaves, 1-2 strong plants should be selected and left from several sprouts.

Bushes quickly gain strength and can spread for several meters. It is advisable immediately after planting around the bushes to pour a layer of mulch - straw, wood chips, any bulk material. They will not only help conserve soil moisture, but also prevent the growth of weeds that compete with gourds for living space.

You need to direct and shift pumpkin shoots immediately, long before the formation of ovaries. If you miss this moment, it is better to leave everything as it is - the pumpkin can drop the fruits.

Nothing needs to be shifted and placed on supports if you grow a bush pumpkin - this type of plant has a lot of advantages:

1. compact bushes are placed according to the scheme 70x70 cm;
2. plants are much easier to mulch and water;
3. the structure of the bush is such that wide leaves shade the garden bed and the earth loses less moisture - the pumpkin needs much less watering;
4. bush form is more resistant to low temperatures;
5. fruits have good taste and small size, which is important for city dwellers.

How to grow a crop

The size of the fruit pumpkin surpasses all garden crops. Without additional nutrition, it is difficult to achieve such results.

When is watering needed?

It is clear that the pumpkin needs additional care - there is not always enough moisture in the open ground. In the absence of precipitation, it is necessary to water the pumpkin once every 7-10 days, preferably under the root with settled warm water. At least 10 liters must be used per well. After watering, mulching will come in handy.

Sprinkling on the leaves is not welcome, as the pumpkin can get sick with powdery mildew.

1 month before harvesting (in August), watering is stopped completely. This contributes not only to faster ripening of fruits, but also to their sweeter taste.

top dressing

To grow large fruits, pumpkins are fed 2 times. When the plant goes into active growth (at the 4-6 true leaf stage), it should be helped and fed.

For the 1st top dressing, a solution is prepared:

1. 10 l of an aqueous solution of mullein (1:10);
2. 1 tablespoon of potassium sulfate;
3. 2 tablespoons of superphosphate.

During flowering, the 2nd top dressing is carried out. Its composition is somewhat different - to prepare the solution, you should take:

1. 10 liters of water;
2. 1 cup ash or 3 tablespoons of potassium salt;
3. 1 tablespoon of nitroammophoska.

We form a bush - we accelerate maturation

Pumpkin weaving through the beds can behave very aggressively, capturing more and more new spaces. This is not always consistent with the intentions of the dacha owner. In addition, too many ovaries are formed that cannot grow and ripen before the onset of cold weather.

There is only one way out - to form a pumpkin bush and remove all the ovaries that appeared in the 2nd half of August.

For the full ripening of the crop on the vine, the bush must have a certain number of lashes that feed from the main root:

1. 2 in large-fruited varieties;
2. 3-4 for other varieties.

On the remaining lashes, pinch the tops 5-6 leaves after the ovary. Absolutely all shoots of the 2nd order should be removed.

More details about the formation of lashes can be found in the YouTube story.

Pumpkin diseases and pests

What can please summer residents, pumpkin is practically not affected by pests and diseases. The most interesting thing is that if they settle on a plantation, then closer to autumn, when the eaten leaves can no longer damage a huge bush.

To protect against rot, it is advisable to put planks under the pumpkin fruits. Lack of contact with the ground will also protect them from slugs, which, although not damaging, settle under the gourds.

Features of growing pumpkins in cold regions

Even in the Middle lane, gardeners face various difficulties due to the vagaries of the weather - late spring and early autumn frosts. And what can we say about Siberia and the Urals - the reckless method is inapplicable in such conditions.

It is possible to get a pumpkin crop in a cold region, subject to the following recommendations.

1. Grow the culture only in seedlings.
2. Cultivate only early maturing varieties.
3. Planting a pumpkin between other plants - this protects to a small extent from exposure to cold air.
4. In Siberia and the Urals, seedlings are planted for seedlings in early May, to be planted in the garden in mid-June.
5. The importance of the formation of a bush and a crop increases many times in an unfavorable climate.

Harvest - how to save

The pumpkin harvest ripens in September. The maturity of the fruit is determined by a hard crust - just press with a fingernail.

Harvest must be harvested before frost - frozen fruits quickly deteriorate and are suitable only for processing.

In dry weather, cut off the fruits with a sharp knife, leaving a small “tail”. Make sure that it does not break off - such a pumpkin will not lie for a long time.

Before laying for storage, the remnants of the earth are removed from the fruits - they are wiped with a damp cloth.

If frost is expected, pumpkins should be removed from the garden before they are fully ripe. A carefully cut fruit gradually (in 2-3 weeks) ripens in a warm, dry place - it is possible in an apartment, on a loggia or in a pantry.

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Pumpkin is not considered a capricious and demanding crop. She does not need any special care, so any vegetable grower can grow her in her garden, both with and without experience. However, even here it will not do without certain knowledge that a gardener needs in order to properly grow plants that will give a good harvest of large and heavy fruits. Learn about the rules for growing pumpkins outdoors, how to create the necessary conditions for them to grow and develop, how to care for them, and how to harvest and store the crop.

Although the pumpkin is not a demanding plant, it also needs to provide certain conditions under which it will develop as comfortably as possible.

The best predecessors

The pumpkin is planted on a site where cultures from the families of Legumes, Onions, Umbelliferae, Cruciferous, Nightshade previously grew. Can be planted after root crops. The exceptions are cultures related to pumpkin from the Cucurbitaceae family and this culture itself. They have common diseases and take the same nutrients out of the soil, therefore, after their cultivation, the soil is depleted of certain nutrients. It is possible to return the culture to the previous beds only after 3 or 4 years. In the current season, corn, root crops, beans or beans can be planted next to it.

Lighting

This is a light-loving plant that grows well in sunny areas, where it should be planted. Partial shade is also acceptable, for example, you can plant corn near a pumpkin, which will cover it from too bright, burning sun. You can sow pumpkins near buildings or fences, so that they are located on the north side. The structures will protect the pumpkin from cold strong winds and drafts.

Temperature regime

Pumpkin, like all pumpkins, loves heat and reacts poorly to cold. Its seeds germinate quickly only in well-warmed soil and at high air temperatures. From the cold ground, sprouts do not appear for a very long time, and at t below + 10 ° C, they may not be at all. The best temperature at which the culture feels most comfortable is 25°C. When warm, the pumpkin quickly builds up the above-ground mass, ties and nourishes large, tasty, thick-walled fruits.

Soil Requirements

The soil for culture growth is preferably sandy or loamy; it grows poorly on clays. It should be loose, allowing air and moisture to pass through, but, nevertheless, not too wet. Soils where moisture accumulates in the upper layer are not suitable for pumpkins. The acidity should be neutral, slight deviations in the direction of acidity or alkalinity are acceptable, acidic soils are also not suitable.

Sowing dates

Pumpkin is sown in warm ground, this is the most important criterion that affects the timing of sowing. For varieties of ordinary pumpkin, the soil temperature at the time of sowing or planting seedlings should not be less than 12 ° C, and for gymnosperms even more - 14-16 ° C. If it is colder outside than necessary, then it is better to refrain from sowing pumpkins until more suitable conditions occur.

Since warm weather is established at different times in different Russian regions, the sowing dates are also different. For example, if pumpkin cultivation in open ground takes place in the Moscow region, in the Leningrad region, as in most regions of the Middle Strip, then dry seeds are sown from the 2nd half of May, germinated seeds - after May 25. In the southern regions, this can be done earlier. Pumpkin sowing in the Urals and Siberia is carried out after the 20th of May, or even in early June.

Pumpkin Growing Methods

According to the agricultural technique of growing pumpkins in the open field, there are 2 methods that can be used in private households. Like most vegetables, it is either sown with seeds directly into the ground, or seedlings are first grown from them, and then transplanted into beds. For most varieties of regular pumpkin, both options can be used, however, if possible, you should choose the first one, since pumpkin plants tolerate transplantation worse than other vegetables. Gymnospermous pumpkin is preferably grown only from seedlings. The seedling method is relevant in the northern regions, it allows you to reduce the growing season of plants in the beds, that is, it makes it possible to get a crop earlier.

Through seedlings

Pumpkin seedlings are grown in individual containers with a volume of at least 0.5 liters. For this purpose, plastic reusable pots for seedlings with holes to drain excess liquid are well suited. You can also use peat pots - in this case, the plants can be buried in the ground with them, and not pulled out with a clod of earth and not injure the roots.

The cultivation of pumpkins from seeds is started 1-1.5 months before the planned transplantation to the beds. Under favorable conditions, seedlings will appear after about a week, and by the age of one month, pumpkins can already be transplanted into the garden.

To fill the cups, it is better to purchase a ready-made substrate, which is sold in vegetable growing stores. A peat-based soil with the addition of trace elements is also suitable.

Before sowing, pumpkin seeds are prepared - they are pickled in a solution of manganese or fungicides, and then soaked for 1 day in warm water or in solutions of growth stimulants. Then germinate in a damp cloth. 1 seed is placed in one pot to a depth of no more than 3 cm. Water and cover each with a film. They take it out to a warm place with a temperature of 20-25 ° C, after the emergence of shoots it is lowered to 15-18 ° C so that the plants do not stretch.

Seedling care includes watering the drying soil with warm clean water, providing plants with lighting for at least 12 hours a day, feeding with liquid fertilizer solutions once every 1-1.5 weeks. The last stage is hardening, which begins 1-1.5 weeks before transplantation.

In the beds, a pumpkin is planted at a distance:

• 70 by 70 cm (bush forms);
• 70 by 140 cm (medium climbing);
• 180–210 by 100–180 cm (long-braid).

When planting, only the roots are deepened, it is not necessary to lower the seedlings into the ground.

Direct sowing of seeds in open ground

First, the largest, full-weight seeds are selected. Thin and damaged are removed. Then they begin to germinate: soak the pumpkin seeds in warm water for 6 hours, after which they are placed in a damp cloth, put in a shallow dish and put it in a warm place. Maintain moisture until the seeds hatch. Then they are placed in the refrigerator for 3 days for hardening. After carrying out the preparatory work, they begin sowing. Place the seeds at the same distance as the seedlings.

Ways to grow pumpkins

There are several ways to grow pumpkins. All of them can be used in private households.

In the garden

This is the traditional way, which is the most common. If he is chosen, then the preparation of the site is carried out in the fall. It is dug up to a depth of 30 cm, humus is introduced into the ground at the rate of 5-6 kg per 1 sq. m, add to it potassium-phosphorus fertilizers of 20-30 g per 1 sq. m.

In the spring, the site is loosened, holes are made in it, maintaining the recommended intervals between them, and seedlings are planted in them. The depth of the holes is to the height of the pot, but not less than 10 cm. The pumpkins placed in the holes are watered, sprinkled with earth, tamped a little, and mulched with peat or plant material from above.

On the trellis

Its height should be up to 2 m. The trellis is made of durable wooden planks so that they can withstand the weight of large fruits. The distance between plants with this method can be reduced to 0.3-0.4 m, as they will trail upwards. Naturally, they will definitely have to be shaped and pinched, and the shoots tied to supports, like the fruits. To be sure that the pumpkins will not break, they must be placed in plastic nets and tied to the trellis.

The trellis method is not suitable for varieties that have very large fruits, since the trellis may not support the total weight, but it is suitable for growing small decorative pumpkins - they will look beautiful on the trellis.

On the compost heap

Pumpkins grow wonderfully on compost heaps - they have warmth, moisture and loads of nutrients. According to the technology of growing pumpkins on compost heaps, it is necessary:

1. Prepare your own heaps.
2. Make deep and wide holes in them of such a size that 0.5 buckets of ordinary earth can be poured into them.
3. Pre-germinated seeds are sown in it.
4. Pour warm water over them and cover with foil.
5. When shoots appear under it, it is removed.

In the future, they take care of pumpkins on compost in the same way as those that grow in the beds. The only difference is that they will not need to be fertilized, because the food is in the heap itself. However, it needs to be watered regularly.

You can grow on heaps of any variety, climbing or bush forms, for example, a variety such as orange bush pumpkin.

In a barrel or bags

The advantage of growing in barrels or in bags is that, being in them, pumpkins do not grow in the garden, the lashes simply hang from the edges of the barrels, which means that space is saved on the site, which can be occupied by other crops.

To grow pumpkins in barrels, they need to be prepared in the fall:

1. You can find barrels made of wood or metal without a bottom.
2. Install them in the chosen location.
3. First lay a layer of coarse plant residues in them, for example, twigs, stems of garden plants, cabbage leaves, etc.
4. Then put a layer of chopped grass, food waste, foliage on top.
5. Pour all this over and cover the barrel with a lid.

In the spring, as soon as it gets warmer, the barrel is opened, the soil-sand mixture is poured into it and mixed with the top layer of organic matter. 1 or 2 pumpkins are sown in each barrel. Caring for them is not difficult, the main thing to remember is that the soil mixture in the container dries out faster than in the beds, so the plants will need to be watered more often. Large pumpkins may need to be hung from a barrel like a trellis.

In addition to barrels, ordinary durable synthetic bags can be used for pumpkins. They are filled with plant material in the same way as barrels. 1 seed is placed in each. It is best to put such bags near the fence so that the pumpkins can trail on it.

Galina Kizima's method

Using this method, it is possible to obtain pumpkins even in regions with a cold and humid climate. Its essence is the cultivation of crops in trenches with plant residues laid in them, which heat the plants from the inside.

Trenches according to the method of Galina Kizima are prepared as follows:

1. They are dug in the fall in the garden, a depth of 2 bayonets of a shovel.
2. Manure, tops, grass, leaves are laid down.
3. In the spring, when all this settles, fertile soil is poured on top.

When the time comes to sow the seeds, holes are made in the trenches, 2 pumpkin seeds are placed there, sprinkled with earth. When seedlings appear, the beds are covered with a black film and cut over them. There is no need to fertilize the plants, they should be watered by pouring water under the film near the bushes.

How to care for a pumpkin

Culture is not considered capricious, but it still requires attention to itself. Caring for a pumpkin growing in the open field consists of standard agrotechnical measures. She needs watering, fertilizing, loosening, if there is no mulch and, of course, the formation of a bush.

Watering and fertilizing

Particular attention should be paid to irrigation, which should be regular, since pumpkins have superficial roots that do not penetrate deep into the soil. To reduce the frequency of watering, it is better to mulch the bushes.

At the beginning of the growth of the bushes, they are watered with small portions of water and often, as they grow, the volume of water is increased. Stop watering when the fruits have almost reached their final size to allow them to ripen. Plants are fed with both mineral fertilizers and organic matter - the pumpkin responds well to it.

Use slurry at a concentration of 1 to 10, pour it into the irrigation grooves, and not under the root. They spend 1 bucket for 6 plants in the initial period of their growth, in the future - 2 times more. Wood ash is also used as a source of potassium, phosphorus and many mineral elements. From fertilizers of industrial production, simple, mixed and complex are used. The rate of their application is indicated in the manufacturer's instructions.

Feeding is necessary for any pumpkin - it has large fruits, for the formation of which the plant must spend a lot of nutrients, which it can take only from the soil. So, if the pumpkin is not growing, then the reason is most likely that it does not have enough nutrition.

Formation and pollination

For shaping, 3 schemes are used - in 1, 2 and 3 stems. In the first case, only the main shoot is left with 2-3 fruits on it, in the second - 1 main and 1 side, on which 1-2 pumpkins are left. In the latter case - a stem and 2 shoots, 1 fruit is left on them. After each ovary, 4-5 leaves are counted and the growth point is pinched off. A plank, a piece of slate, is placed under each pumpkin so that they do not touch the ground with bark.

Is pollination necessary? In general, in a warm summer, pumpkins themselves pollinate well, but if there are few bees, then it is better to carry out artificial pollination so as not to be left without a crop for this reason. You need to pick a male flower, tear off the petals from it and run it over the female flowers.

Harvest and storage conditions

The time when you can start collecting pumpkin fruits in the country comes in summer or autumn - in September or October. It all depends on the variety. If possible, you need to leave the pumpkins to grow as long as possible, then they turn out to be the most delicious and will be stored longer, but you need to have time to remove them from the lashes before frost. Frozen fruits are suitable only for processing, they will not lie for a long time. Signs that pumpkins are ready for harvest:

• yellowing and drying of foliage;
• the bark of the fruit becomes dense, shiny, bright;
• the stalk dries up and becomes stiff.

Collection is carried out on a dry and sunny day. The fruits are torn off from the lashes along with dry stalks. After that, they are folded in a warm room to dry for 2-3 days. Then they are transferred to a dry, cool and dark place, where they will be stored in the future. Fruits with damaged bark, scratches, broken ones are laid separately and put into food in the first place.

Expert opinion

Maria Vlasova

gardener

Growing pumpkins in open beds will not be difficult for a vegetable grower if he approaches it responsibly and grows his vegetables correctly. The result will not keep you waiting - the plants will thank you for your care with large high-quality fruits.

• In folk medicine, pumpkin seeds are dried, then oil is made from them. Pumpkin seeds are rich in glycosides and steroids, vitamin E, trace elements of potassium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium, etc., vegetable proteins and sugars.
• Pumpkin pulp contains peptide fibers that help normalize the work of the stomach and remove toxins from the intestines.
• It is recommended to use pumpkin for overweight people: low-calorie vegetable; vitamin T, contained in pumpkin, helps to speed up the metabolism and the rapid absorption of food; The diuretic property of pumpkin ensures the removal of excess fluid from the body.
• In diseases of the kidneys, pumpkin is recommended as a diuretic.
• Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene and lutein, which have a beneficial effect on human vision.

Pumpkin can be immediately sown in the soil, or it can be planted through seedlings. It grows best in well-drained, sunny areas. Soil preparation for planting pumpkins begins in the fall. After harvesting the predecessors of the pumpkin, the soil is freed from weeds and plant residues.

After the soil is loosened with a cutter or hoe, after two or three weeks they dig up to 25 - 30 cm to a depth. During digging, the roots of dandelion, sow thistle, couch grass, larvae of the May beetle and wireworm should be carefully removed from the site.

Fertilizers are applied to the soil simultaneously with its digging. Due to the high rate of growth of aboveground and underground organs, pumpkins have an increased need for nutrients.

The best fertilizer for pumpkins is manure. It is more advisable to use rotted compost, as there are many weeds in fresh manure. 5-10 kg of manure is applied per 1 square meter of the plot.

Organic fertilizers are applied to a depth of 10-15 cm (on heavy soils) or 15-20 cm (on light soils). With a limited amount of organic fertilizers, they can be applied immediately before planting the crop directly into the hole.

The day before sowing the pumpkin, the soil is dug up, nitrogen fertilizers are applied for digging at the rate of 15-20 grams of fertilizer per 1 square meter of the plot. After digging, the site is leveled with a rake and proceed to planting seedlings or sowing seeds.

Planting pumpkin seeds

For planting pumpkin seeds, it is best to select full-weight seeds that need to be heated at a temperature of 60 degrees (2-3 hours). This is necessary for the friendly germination of seedlings. To ensure early germination, to acquire the resistance of the culture to adverse environmental conditions, the seeds are placed for a day before sowing in a solution of one of the growth stimulants:

• krezacin solution - one tablet of the stimulant is diluted per 100 ml of water;
• potassium humate solution - 4 ml of the stimulant is diluted with 200 ml of water;
• epin solution - dilute 2-7 drops of the stimulant per 100 ml of water.

If you don’t have these preparations, you can use wood ash to treat pumpkin seeds: take 2 tablespoons of ash for 1 liter of warm water, insist for one day, while periodically stirring the solution, then filter and lower the seeds into it, placed in a gauze bag. After that, the seeds are washed with water.

You can soak the seeds in warm water or in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

After the seeds have been soaked, you can start sowing or germinating them. You can germinate pumpkin seeds in an apartment by wrapping them in a damp cloth and placing them in a saucer.

On the site, you can germinate pumpkin seeds in a box with scalded sawdust. Paper napkins (wet) are laid out on sawdust in 23 layers, pumpkin seeds are placed on them, then napkins again, then warm sawdust and everything is covered with a film. The box is left in a warm place.

Pumpkin sowing time

Depending on the biological characteristics of the pumpkin variety, as well as on the climatic conditions of the region, there are different dates for sowing the crop. The planting of hard-barked and large-fruited pumpkins begins when the soil has warmed up to 10 degrees (at a depth of 10-12 cm), and the air temperature is 15 degrees. At earlier sowing dates, the plant should be provided with heat from biofuel, as well as protection from frost with a film.

When planting hard-barked and large-fruited pumpkin seeds in open ground, they must be embedded in the soil to a depth of 5-8 cm (on light soils) or 4-5 cm (on heavy soils).

Seeds of long climbing varieties of crops are sown in a row (the distance between the holes should be about 1.5-2 meters, and between the rows - 1.4 - 2 meters).

Bush pumpkin varieties can be planted in a square-nested method according to the scheme: 80 * 80 cm or 1.2 * 1.2 m. The distance between the pumpkin seeds should be 3-4 cm. After the seeds have been laid out in the wells, they should be watered with a mixture humus and soil in equal quantities.

Planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground

The process of pumpkin ripening from the moment of sowing is quite long, especially for late-ripening and heat-loving varieties of the crop. The process lasts 120-140 days. In order to get an earlier pumpkin harvest, you can grow its seedlings. Window sills in the apartment are suitable for this, it is desirable that the window sills be well lit.

Also, seedlings are grown in greenhouses, greenhouses or under a film frame. Sowing seeds is best done in the last decade of April or early May. This ensures that the plant is ready to be transplanted into the open field.

As containers for seedlings, you can use milk bags or hollow peat pots with a diameter of 10-15 cm. Ready peat soil is poured into the container. Self-preparation of nutrient soil: take humus and soddy soil in a ratio of 4: 1. In a bucket of the mixture, add 4 grams of potassium salt and ammonium nitrate, as well as 5 grams of superphosphate. After the mixture is moistened and thoroughly mixed (preferably 3-4 times). This mixture is poured into prepared containers and slightly compacted.

During sowing, the soil in containers is watered with warm water, a depression of 2-3 cm is made in the center, into which one pumpkin seed is placed. The seed preparation process is the same as when sowing directly into open ground. The pots are covered with plastic wrap on top and placed on a windowsill for germination.

After sowing the pumpkin, the air temperature should be maintained within 18-25 degrees. As soon as the first shoots appear, the film is removed and the temperature is reduced by 3-5 degrees (this is done within 4-5 days). In an apartment, this can be achieved by ventilating the room. This provides protection for the seedlings from being pulled out.

If the seedlings are still stretched out, then on the eighth to tenth day after the emergence of seedlings, roll up the hypocotyl knee and put it on the soil, covering them with earth to the cotyledon leaves. The field of this pumpkin seedling is grown at daytime air temperature of 20-22 degrees, and at night 15-18 degrees. Watering the pumpkin should not be plentiful and frequent. Excess moisture can lead to "coddling" of the culture.

The plant should be fed twice. The first top dressing is carried out on the eighth to tenth day after germination. Growing seedlings in a greenhouse will be better if you take 100 ml of slurry, chicken manure or mullein and 5 grams of garden mixture per 1 liter of water, mix everything thoroughly and pour the area with this solution.

The second top dressing is done with any complex mineral fertilizers at the rate of 3-4 grams of fertilizer per 1 liter of water. It must be done immediately before planting the plant in open ground.

A few days before planting seedlings, it should be hardened off. Transplant-ready plants have low and stocky stems with short internodes and 2-3 well-developed dark green leaves.

Planting seedlings in the soil is carried out a little deeper than she was sitting in a pot, while sprinkling it to the cotyledon leaves. This promotes the formation of additional roots. When planting, the roots are pressed with soil, while preventing the formation of voids.

Seedlings planted in the ground are watered abundantly. This is necessary for better contact of the plant with the soil, to enhance the supply of water to the leaves. The soil around the plants is sprinkled with mulch material or dry earth only after the water has been absorbed. Mulch protects the plant from the formation of an earthen crust.

In order for the resulting pumpkin fruits not to rot from soil dampness, they should be protected from this as follows: 4 stones are placed on the ground, on top of them is a wide slab or board on which the pumpkin is laid. They do this only when she is still small.

As individual fruits ripen, they are harvested. Immediately before the onset of frost, all pumpkin fruits should be removed.

Pumpkin must be present in the diet of every person. Remember this! We hope that thanks to our advice, you will grow a large and sweet pumpkin, from which you will prepare the most healthy dishes.

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It is popular among Central American farmers to hold competitions to determine the largest pumpkin. In American culture, a pumpkin is an integral part of Halloween (a holiday in honor of evil spirits). The fruit is freed from the pulp, a face is cut out on the surface, and a lamp is inserted inside.

Very fond of pumpkin and in Russia. The culture is unpretentious in cultivation and care, even inexperienced vegetable growers will cope with this task. Excellent fruiting in the temperate zone and in the northern regions, while not requiring the construction of greenhouses.

In gratitude for the elementary care, the plant will give a high yield.

Terms of sowing pumpkin seeds in the ground

Pumpkin seeds in open ground depends on weather conditions:

• Pumpkin is a heat-loving plant, so it should be planted when the earth warms up to at least +10 - +12 ° С and night frosts are no longer expected.
• In terms of timing, this is most often May 10-15 in the conditions of the middle zone, sometimes you can plant it already on the 5-6th.

If there is a threat of frost, seedlings will need to be covered with cut plastic bottles, cans or film cover. Some gardeners use the old-fashioned way: they make fires at night to ward off frost from the site.

• You can plant a pumpkin in a cold greenhouse (under a film shelter) much earlier: already from the end of March to the end of April. This method is very popular with the most impatient vegetable growers who want to harvest a month and a half earlier.

Place to grow pumpkins

Illumination of the site and the presence of groundwater

To get a good harvest, pick up a site for pumpkins that is well lit by sunlight. It is better to plant on hills, the occurrence of groundwater should be more than 1 m. Low-lying and damp areas are contraindicated.

Wind protection and soil composition

A good location would be the south side of a wall or fence. This will provide protection from cold winds and maximum access to the warming rays of the sun.

The soil requires nutritious, saturated with organic fertilizers, the reaction is neutral.

predecessors

Favorable crop precursors can positively affect yields: beans, peas, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes.

Do not plant a pumpkin after cucumbers, squash, zucchini.

Site preparation

The preparation of the site should be done in advance (even since the fall). For deep digging (to a depth of at least a shovel bayonet), fertilizer should be applied.

• For 1 m², you will need 2 buckets of humus, 1 liter can of wood ash, 200 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium chloride, the last two ingredients can be replaced with 1 glass of nitrophoska.
• In the spring, immediately before planting, the area is leveled with a rake, having previously scattered ammonium nitrate in the amount recommended by the manufacturer.
• Spill the ridges with hot water (temperature 80 ° C) to disinfect from possible diseases.

What to put in the hole when planting a pumpkin

It happens that in the fall they did not have time to prepare the site, then you can get out of the situation in another way: when planting, 1 kg of humus is put in each hole, you can add wood ash by the harvest. If there is no organic matter, put 30 grams of complex mineral fertilizers (for example, ammophos, nitrophoska, nitroammophoska, potassium nitrate) in each hole. A good mixture would be 10 gr. potassium sulfate + 20 gr. superphosphate per well.

Treatment of pumpkin seeds before planting

How to soak pumpkins before planting? Whether it is necessary to germinate pumpkin seeds before planting, everyone decides for himself. Even without pre-soaking, pumpkin seeds germinate well if the soil is sufficiently moist. To do this, after sowing, you need to water the wells.

Keep in mind that pre-treated seeds will have to be watered: if the seeds wake up and get a lot of moisture at the start, and the ground is dry and hot, the seedlings will die.

Seed suitability testing and disinfection

A common mistake: some gardeners sometimes sow old seeds, naturally they do not get seedlings. If you are not sure about the planting material, the seeds must first be checked for germination. Immerse in normal saline solution. Those that have sunk to the bottom are of high quality. Then hold for 10 minutes in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect from diseases, and be sure to rinse.

Do I need to soak squash before planting?

Do I need to germinate pumpkin seeds before planting? If you are ready to pay a little more attention to the care of the pumpkin, the procedure will be useful: seedlings will appear much earlier.

How to germinate a pumpkin for planting

Seeds are soaked to speed up germination. To do this, the seeds are placed in a damp cloth to constantly monitor how swollen they are - start sowing when they swell and peck a little, but do not germinate. If the seeds are overexposed and they start up thick roots, they can be broken during sowing and there will be no shoots.

Soaked and germinated seeds are planted in the mud or watered immediately after planting.

How to treat pumpkin seeds before planting to improve growth

There is another good way: soak for a day in a solution of potassium humate or sodium humate, then place it in a damp cloth for 1-2 days. Maintain the air temperature at 22-23 °C.

Proper planting of pumpkins in open ground

Scheme of planting pumpkins in open ground

• It is important to dig a bed under a pumpkin very deeply (about 40 cm).
• Make a ridge about 70 cm wide. The holes should run in the center.
• Keep a distance of about 0.8 m between individual holes.
• The width of the passage between the ridges is 70 cm.

Planting depth of pumpkin seeds

Germinated seeds in moist soil, planting depth is 6 cm. For reliability, sow 2 seeds in one hole, and when the sprouts appear, remove the weaker specimen.

Outdoor pumpkin care

How to pinch and shape whips

Proper for a pumpkin in the open field, first of all, is the formation of the plant. When the main stem reaches a length of 1.3-1.5 m, pinch it, leave 2 lateral shoots 60-70 cm long. Form one fruit on each shoot. That is, one plant will “nourish” three fruits: one on the main shoot and one on two side shoots.

Remove excess shoots and flowers. To improve the pouring of fruits, the left shoots are recommended to be pressed to the ground with a wire or a horn made of wood and sprinkled with a small layer of soil (6-7 cm), so the lashes will take root in this place. Place plywood under each fruit, or better - a piece of glass (you will get additional heating and a dry surface).

How to feed

Favorably on the size of the fruit will affect the introduction of dressings:

• Feed the first time, when 3-5 leaves appear, repeat the procedure with an interval of 15 days.
• You can use organic matter (for 10 liters of water 1 liter of mullein infusion, consumption - for 2 plants)
• or mineral fertilizers (2 tablespoons of nitrophoska for the same volume, consumption is similar).

How to water

Pumpkin is hygrophilous. During flowering and fruiting, water about once a week. Under each bush, add 20-30 liters of warm water. Do not make abundant moisture until the fruits grow a little (all the strength can go into the leaves). Loosen the soil after watering. Remove weeds regularly.

Harvest and storage

In order for the pumpkins to be stored well and for a long time, the ripened fruits must be cut together with the stalk (5-6 cm long). Store in a dry place, it is possible at room temperature, but at a temperature range of 5-8 ° C, the fruits can be stored until spring.

Diseases and pests

Pumpkins have a lot of diseases and pests, so you should study possible problems and methods of dealing with them.

Diseases of pumpkin:

• Bacteriosis - manifests itself with high humidity and sudden changes in temperature. Brown spots and sores appear on the leaves and fruits. Remove affected leaves. Treat with a solution of cadium sulfate or Bordeaux liquid.
• White rot is a fungal disease that affects the entire plant (leaves, shoots, fruits). It can be recognized by a whitish coating, if no action is taken, the plant will rot. Sprinkle the affected areas and the beds themselves with copper sulfate powder, fluff lime or crushed charcoal.
• Root rot - the development of the disease provokes watering with cold water or sudden changes in temperature. In the fight against the disease, they proceed as follows: cut off the rotten roots, treat with a fungicide, sprinkle with earth on top so that the plant takes root.
• Powdery mildew - a white coating appears on the leaves, they gradually dry out, the fruits develop poorly. Remove affected leaves, treat with isophene or colloidal sulfur.

Among the pests:

• Spider mite - a thin cobweb appears on the reverse side of the leaf plate, the plant withers (the pest sucks out the juices). Rinse with plain water, spray with a solution of infusion of onion peel or garlic.
• Melon aphid - small greenish insects provoke twisting and drying of leaf plates. Carry out the treatment with a 10% solution of karbofos.

Prevention from diseases and pests is proper care.

Pumpkin varieties

To date, 800 hybrids have been registered and. About 30 are suitable for growing on the plot for human consumption (they are sweet).

Consider the best of them, classifying by maturity.

• Early ripe (sugar content is 5.5-9%):
• Muscat (the ripening period is 90 days);
• Butternut (it will take 100 days to ripen),
• Therapeutic (matures for 100-115 days).

Mid-season (maximum yield, sugar content is 7-13%):

• Almond
• Marble
• Barn

Late-ripening varieties (sugar content about 12%, technical ripening period is 140-160 days):

• Dawn of the East
• Winter sweet
• Gribovskaya winter

It would seem, what could be easier than growing a pumpkin?

But in the fall, some unlucky gardeners, instead of a huge, bright and tasty beautiful pumpkin, find several small, dull and absolutely unsweetened fruits in the garden.

How to grow a pumpkin correctly, what mistakes should not be made, will be discussed in the article.

All pumpkins are divided into:

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

Large-fruited varieties are more popular, as they always give a consistently high yield, and the fruits have simply a record weight (over 25 kg).

In terms of the percentage of sugars in the pulp (up to 14%), some varieties of large pumpkins surpass even watermelon.

Gardeners like varieties of this species because of their cold resistance and excellent keeping quality.

Hardcore. Why they are called so is clear from the name: when they are fully ripe, the skin becomes very hard, approximately like a zucchini, which was stored on a cabinet until spring.

The advantage of hard-skinned pumpkins over other types is their early ripening (in early September, you can already taste them).

And although the fruit of such a pumpkin is not the largest, the seeds are the most delicious.

Butternut squash, according to many gardeners, is the most delicious and simply crammed with vitamins.

True, she also has a couple of drawbacks: all varieties of this species are thermophilic and have a late ripening period, which is not always good in the conditions of a short summer in central Russia.

But this can be easily fixed by growing pumpkin seedlings.

And if you still had to remove the unripe fruits, they will ripen perfectly indoors and last until spring.

Pumpkin varieties are divided into types according to the length of the whip:

• bush type;
• average length of the whip;
• long-haired type.

Pumpkin as a bush plant is the best option for a vegetable garden with limited dimensions.

The average length of the lashes is a length not exceeding 1.5 m.

Scourges longer than two meters are found in long-braided varieties.

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Variety Zorka - large-fruited, table, medium early. Long-braided, with powerful lashes. The average fruit weight is 6 kg. Pumpkin with bright, dense and very sweet orange flesh. The variety has no equal in sweetness and carotene content. Suitable for baby food.

The Rossiyanka variety is large-fruited, universal, early ripening, medium climbing. The bright orange fruit is very similar to a baby spinning top. The average weight is about 4 kg. Pumpkin with orange, tender, sweet flesh with a slight melon aroma and few seeds. It is cold hardy and high yielding.

Variety Acorn - hard-core, table, early ripening. It can be both bushy and climbing. The fruit is small in size, similar in appearance to an acorn, has light yellow, almost white, flesh. Almost savory, like zucchini. Very good in baking and stuffing.

Variety Freckles - hard-core, table, early ripe, bushy, with short lashes and medium-sized leaves. The fruit is green, round, medium-sized (up to 3 kg). Pumpkin with yellow or orange flesh, low sugar content (6-7%). Good to grow in a small area.

Variety Sweetie - multiple, table, early ripe, medium climbing. Red-orange, small fruit (up to 2 kg) has orange, juicy, dense, rather sweet pulp. Differs in cold resistance, high productivity, the content of a large amount of vitamin C.

Variety Almond - hard-skinned, universal, mid-season, long-branched. Orange, round fruits, weighing up to 5 kg, have orange-yellow, very sweet, crispy and juicy flesh. Differs in storage time. Goes for juices and baby food.

Variety Volzhskaya gray - large-fruited, table, mid-season, long-branched. Round light gray fruit with yellow or orange flesh, weighing up to 9 kg, quite sweet in taste. Differs in drought resistance, long storage and good transportability.

Pumpkin predecessors

Experienced gardeners know that it is impossible to plant plants in the same place for a long time, it is necessary to change the place of cultivation in accordance with the crop rotation.

Pumpkin is best planted after:

• winter wheat;
• perennial herbs;
• corn;
• tomatoes;
• Luke;
• legumes;
• potatoes;
• cabbage;
• carrots.

In principle, it can be grown after any crops, except for those related to melons: zucchini, cucumbers, squash, etc.

It is possible to return it to the same place only after 5 years.

Country pumpkin is planted in open ground after the establishment of consistently warm weather, that is, not earlier than June 5-10.

Until this time, so that the pumpkin bed is not empty in vain, sow lettuce, spinach or radishes on it. You will have time to harvest these crops before planting pumpkins.

Landing in open ground

Even a beginner in gardening can cope with growing pumpkins in open ground, as this is a very unpretentious plant.

In areas with a warm climate, it can be planted with seeds immediately in the garden; in the northern regions, pumpkin seedlings will be the salvation.

Seeds or seedlings

There are only two known ways to grow pumpkins:

1. Sowing pumpkin seeds immediately in open ground.
2. Planting pre-grown pumpkin seedlings in open ground.

In both cases, it is necessary to determine whether the seeds are viable, for this they need to be germinated.

To speed up the process, hold them for a day in a liquid fertilizer such as potassium humate or sodium humate (dilute according to the instructions).

Then put the seeds on a saucer, wrapped before that in a damp cloth.

The saucer should be in a warm, but not hot, place.

Make sure the cloth is always damp. After 2-3 days, the seeds will hatch and be ready for sowing. You can sow them for seedlings, or you can immediately in the garden.

If you have the opportunity to live in the country, then it is, of course, easier to grow in the open field.

But here, too, there is a nuance: you need to cover the landings when it's cold, and open them so that they don't burn out when shoots appear.

If you do not live in the country all the time, then in order to harvest a good pumpkin crop, first grow seedlings.

How and when to plant

Let's talk about planting seedlings in more detail. Prepare seedling containers and potting mix.

You can buy peat pots at a gardening store, or you can use disposable cups, cardboard boxes for juices or fermented milk products, plastic bottles, etc.

Cut off the bottom and top of the container, cut the bottles into several pieces (not less than 7-8 cm) and place them on pallets.

Unused plates, trays, etc. can serve as pallets.

Why cut the bottom of the container? Pumpkin has a fragile root system and has a negative attitude to transplantation. A container without a bottom can simply be cut and planted seedlings in open ground without injuring the roots of the plant.

Fill the prepared container 1/2 with a soil mixture consisting of 1 part peat, 1 part soddy soil, 2 parts humus.

Plant one seed at a time, hatched side down. Place the pots under sunlight. The sprouts that appear in a couple of weeks will turn into elongated seedlings.

Carefully lay each sprout in the form of a spiral and cover it with earth so that the cotyledon leaves are visible on the surface - this will form a more developed root system.

In the first decade of May, start hardening the seedlings: take the seedlings to the balcony or in the canopy during the day for 3-4 days, then 3-4 days - to the yard, under the sun's rays.

How to plant pumpkin seedlings in open ground:

• planting scheme - the distance between plants should be at least 1 m, and between rows - at least 1.5 m;
• hole diameter not less than 0.5 m;
• before planting, pour warm water into each hole;
• plant one seedling in each hole directly in a bottomless pot, deepening it by 5 cm.

A pumpkin planted in this way is not afraid of any bear, since the roots are reliably protected by the walls of the pot.

The timing of planting pumpkins in open ground with seeds is the same as for seedlings - this is approximately the beginning of May.

The landing pattern is the same - a meter and a half.

After watering each hole with warm water, plant at least 5 seeds in it.

This is done in case the seedling dies from a return frost, for example.

Sow the seeds in the soil to a depth of at least 8 cm.

If planted closer to the surface of the earth, then the sprout will sprout, holding the seed coat on the “head”.

The birds think that these are seeds, and peck them, pulling out the ascended greens.

The next step is thinning the seedlings. Leave the most developed and strong sprout in the hole, remove all others.

Attention! Unnecessary sprouts should not be pulled out of the ground, but plucked out so as not to harm the roots of neighboring seedlings.

The roots of seedlings tend to intertwine with each other, so pulling out one, you can drag the other along with it.

Soil requirements, site selection

Before planting a pumpkin in open ground, you need to carefully consider the choice of a place for growing and prepare the soil.

Choose a sunny and wind-sheltered site.

Pumpkin can grow in partial shade, but the fruits will be much smaller than expected, and the taste will not be rich.

The pumpkin bed should be well dug up to a depth of at least 0.5 m.

During digging, fertilize the soil by adding per 1 m²:

• humus - 2 buckets;
• sawdust - 0.5 buckets;
• wood ash - a liter jar;
• nitrophoska - glass.

Do not make the bed too wide, a width of 0.7 m is enough. Before planting, water the soil with hot water (≈80 ° C).

Outdoor care

Care provides for timely watering, top dressing, loosening, protection from diseases and pests, and the competent formation of a whip.

Watering and feeding

Pumpkin, like all melons, loves moderate watering. Water should not be cold, it is better if it comes from a barrel that has been standing in the sun all day.

Try to water in a circle, leaving the soil in the root circle dry.

When the fruits begin to pour, the amount of water for irrigation should be increased, and for the time of final ripening it should be completely stopped.

The pumpkin root can reach three meters in size, it will find moisture in the soil even during a drought.

It is better to feed the pumpkin during watering. This is done three times per season:

1. When you spud for the first time.
2. When the pumpkin blooms.
3. When the ovary began to form en masse.

As a fertilizer for pumpkins, ash, herbal infusions, manure, and chicken manure are usually used.

How to cook: pour fresh bird droppings or cow dung with very warm water, mix thoroughly, adding water, until sour cream is thick.

Steep in a warm place until bubbles form. If you insist further, there will be no benefit from such fertilizer.

Then dilute a half-liter jar of infusion in a bucket of clean water and pour over the pumpkin.

Important! Before making the infusion, be sure to spill the bed with water, otherwise you can burn the roots of the plant.

Add manure infusion to a bucket of water not half a liter, but a liter.

Loosening and thinning

The first loosening is carried out when the fifth or sixth leaf appears on the seedling. Very carefully break up the crust formed on the surface of the soil from watering.

Loosen shallow so as not to damage the high-lying roots.

During loosening, you can immediately remove excess or damaged greens. You need to loosen after watering.

Pinching and shaping pumpkin lashes

You can often see rotting fruit in pumpkin plantings. This is due to the large thickening, and on the bush variety - due to the large number of ovaries.

To avoid this, timely pumpkin formation should be carried out.

By the way, bush pumpkin in cultivation is more convenient because it does not need to be formed.

Just remove the excess ovary, leaving 3 or 4 fruitlets.

Properly carried out shaping will provide plants with access to air masses and sunlight, and will stimulate already formed fruits to ripen.

Pinching pumpkins in the open field is carried out in mid-July.

At this time, 1 or 2 set fruits appeared on the whip, the diameter of which was about 10 cm.

Stepping back from the last fruit about 5 leaves, shorten the whip.

It is necessary to remove all idle, empty shoots, leaving the strongest lateral ones (2 pieces each), before shortening them to half a meter.

Protection of pumpkin from diseases and pests

The main pests of pumpkin include melon aphids, mole crickets and slugs.

It is not difficult to detect melon aphid, as it harms the aerial part of the plant, sucking out all the juices from it.

The leaves become wrinkled, the ovary falls off.

How to deal with melon aphids:

• laundry soap - 0.1 kg grate with a large cell;
• pour it into a bucket of warm water, mix thoroughly;
• spray the plant.

The situation is worse with the discovery of the bear, as it lives in the ground and feeds on the stems and roots of the pumpkin.

If you understand that it is the bear that causes harm, spread the cooked grain in the holes, which you first mix with the Bankol preparation.

And best of all, for prevention during planting, put Medvedox in the holes, literally 3-5 granules each.

During prolonged rains, pumpkin plantings are attacked by slugs. You can get rid of them mechanically: in the evening, spread a damp cloth next to the pumpkins, and collect the slugs in the morning.

powdery mildew

Powdery mildew infection of a pumpkin can be identified by small, rounded white spots on the foliage or stem of the plant.

As time goes by, these spots will get bigger.

As a result, a white powdery coating will cover all the leaves entirely, which will lead to yellowing and drying of the damaged areas.

Advice! To prevent the spread of the disease, after harvesting, immediately remove and burn everything that is left in the garden.

If powdery mildew has just appeared on the plant, take colloidal sulfur (70% solution), disodium phosphate and isophene (10% solution) and treat the lesions. You can also spray with manure infusion.

Mosaic pumpkin

Yellow mosaic usually infects young plants.

It can be recognized by the wrinkling, mosaic and chlorotic foliage.

After a while, the affected leaves bend to the inside, the growth of the seedling begins to slow down due to the rapid decline in immunity.

As a result, the plant dies.

Attention! To prevent the yellow mosaic from hitting the pumpkin, use a weak solution of potassium permanganate to treat the seeds.

In case of infection during the growing season, treat the plants with Farmiod-3, and remove and burn all diseased ones to prevent the spread of infection throughout the garden.

As a preventive measure, cover the soil under the gourd with a reflective mulch or use mineral oils to spray the area periodically.

Why does the pumpkin rot in the garden

One of the reasons is untimely pollination of female flowers. Pumpkin flowers are pollinated by various insects.

But during prolonged rains or strong winds, these insects prefer to hide in a dry, warm place.

The female flower, which is ready for pollination all day long, does not receive the necessary pollen and dies. It begins to get wet and rot, capturing close tissues of the plant.

This can be prevented by artificial pollination: pick the male flower, remove the petals and transfer its pollen to the female flowers.

Try to do this in calm, dry weather.

If you carry out pollination in time, remove wilted flowers and unformed ovaries, then you will protect plantings from pests and rot, which various putrefactive bacteria are very fond of.

Also keep an eye on soil moisture - pumpkin does not like wet, cold soil.

This is especially not liked by the fruit that has gained weight, which has to lie on the wet ground in the rain.

To avoid a rotten barrel on a pumpkin, place a sturdy, moisture-resistant stand underneath it.

Harvest and storage

The pumpkin is harvested in late autumn, when the first frost will beat the foliage on the whip. At this time, usually all the fruits have already gained maturity.

When picking a pumpkin, do not damage its surface, treat the fruits as if you were picking chicken eggs.

The shelf life depends on how whole the peel is.

Spread ripe fruits in a dry, warm room, leave there for a couple of weeks, let them ripen.

A signal that ripening is over will be a wilted stalk and hardened bark.

Now the pumpkin can be transferred to storage, where the temperature is lower (+4+9°C) and the air humidity is not more than 70%.

You can also keep it indoors, but preferably not in the light, in order to avoid the germination of seeds inside the fruit, since then the flesh acquires a bitter aftertaste.

Probably everyone knows about the benefits of pumpkin. It is rich in vitamins and fiber, you can cook a lot of delicious dishes from it.

And if you take into account that this plant is very unpretentious in growing, then there is only one advice: be sure to plant a pumpkin in your garden!