Outdoor pumpkin cultivation

Pumpkin is a herbaceous plant belonging to the large pumpkin family. This culture is decorative and edible. A distinctive feature of edible is the fruits of large mass, which at high temperatures reach 20 kg, and in temperate climates grow up to 50 kg. Subject to certain rules, the care and cultivation of giants does not cause gardeners problems.

Growing pumpkin seedlings

This vegetable is grown in two ways: by sowing in soil or using seedlings. The second method is suitable for areas with a cold climate and will allow you to get the crop faster. Some species can be grown using pre-grown bushes, such as gymnosperm pumpkin.

Seed preparation

The first step before sowing is collecting seed material. This can be done in two ways: purchase seeds in a store or remove from existing fruits and then prepare for planting. You need to do this like this:

• Hold in water for 1-2 hours at a temperature of + 40 ... +45 ° C.
• Wrap in a damp cloth and store for 2-3 days in a warm place until germination.
• After the emergence of seedlings, it is possible to conduct hardening, especially suitable for residents of the northern regions. Move the tissue with seeds to the lower shelf in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.
• To create extreme temperature drops: maintain for 8-10 hours at + 18 ... +20 ° С, and then reduce the indicators to + 1 ... +3 ° С for half a day.
• Fertilize, sprinkled with wood ash, for 25-30 pieces, 1 tsp is enough.

Such preparation will strengthen seedlings and future plants, as well as protect against pests, and for fast growth, seed should be watered with Epin.

Seedling soil

Soil for growing seedlings can be bought at the store, making a choice based on the description of the composition on the package. The most suitable - for cucumbers. However, the best option is to prepare the soil mixture yourself. The best combination: peat, sawdust and humus at the rate of 2: 1: 1. In the resulting substrate, you can add nitroammophoska, 5 tsp of land 1 tsp.

As containers for growing seedlings, boxes, plastic containers, pre-treated with a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection, are suitable. In the bottom of the selected pots, holes are required for removing excess fluid, which are easy to make yourself, for example, with a sharp awl. A drainage layer of expanded clay or sawdust with a height of 1-3 cm is also necessary.

Another option is disposable plastic cups, they also need holes in the bottoms. In order not to injure the delicate roots when transplanting into open ground, you can use peat containers, which, after moving the plants to a permanent place, rot in the soil, enriching it with useful substances. Diameter not less than 7-10 cm.

Ready land, filled in containers, must be well watered with rain or settled water at room temperature.

Sowing seeds

The average sowing period is 18-22 days before transplanting seedlings to the garden. In the northern regions, it is optimal to do this in mid-May, on the 10-15th, which will allow transplanting pumpkins into warm soil. In milder climates - in April.

In disposable and peat glasses, 2 pieces should be planted. When picking, a weaker plant can be removed or moved to another pot. You need to deepen the seeds 3-4 cm into the ground.

When growing a house, containers or glasses with seedlings must be installed on the southern window sills, if there is a greenhouse, you can move it there. For plants standing on the windows, it is better to make a greenhouse from a plastic bag or cling film. Once every 7 days, shelter must be removed briefly for ventilation. You can moisten the substrate with a spray gun, the earth should not dry out. The optimum daytime temperature is + 19 ... + 24 ° С, the average night temperature should be slightly lower + 14 ... +16 ° С.

Seedling care

When sprouts appear, it is necessary to remove the film and rotate the pots every 3 days so that the seedlings grow evenly and do not lean towards the light. If the seedlings are too pulled up, you can lower the temperature by 7 days:

• + 16 ... +18 ° C during the day;
• + 11 ... +14 ° С at night.

Watering should be regular, but waterlogging should not be done, it is better to do this in small portions. It is optimal to use a spray gun, trying to moisten not only the top layer, but also moisten the soil 3-4 cm in depth. It should be noted that in rooms with high humidity, the substrate dries more slowly.

Feed dressings also have a positive effect, they must be applied to slightly loosened earth, you can carefully do this with a pointed match or a toothpick. Nitrofoska is suitable, which needs to be fed 7 days after the appearance of sprouts. A bucket of water needs 7-8 g of fertilizer. If seedlings grow in separate pots, then 1 tsp is enough. under every bush. From organics, you can use manure diluted with warm water 1:10, insist 12 hours. After dilute at the rate of 1: 5 and pour over 1 tbsp. l under each plant or 1 liter per 1 m2.

The optimal location is the south side with good lighting, however, at noon it is necessary to cover the seedlings from active sunlight with paper. If everything is done correctly, the stems grow dense, the internodes on them are short. Upon reaching a height of 18-22 cm, pumpkins can be placed in open ground.

Transplanting

First you need to choose a suitable bed and prepare it in the autumn. To do this, you need:

• digging the soil deep;
• remove weeds and plant debris;
• fertilize, per 1 m2: 200 g of lime, 3-5 kg ​​of humus and 30-40 g of mineral fertilizing.

Planting seedlings in the ground is necessary when the air temperature ceases to fall below the mark of + 10 ... +13 ° C. At lower rates, plants will not be able to grow, and sometimes even begin to rot in the soil. Seedlings should be placed on the site at a distance of 1 m from each other, and between rows more to 1.5 m, this will provide, if necessary, an approach to each bush.

Transshipment is best done with part of an earthen coma, this will help not to damage the roots and pumpkins will take root more quickly in a new place. In order for the sprouts to get moisture, pour 0.5-1 liter of warm water into each hole. When the liquid is absorbed, it is possible to place the seedlings in the wells, sprinkling with soil on top. It is better to plant in the evening hours or cloudy weather, this will protect young seedlings from bright rays. At first, seedlings can also be covered from the sun.

Growing conditions

Pumpkin is considered an undemanding plant, however, for its proper development and obtaining high productivity, a number of conditions must be met. Recommendations can be seen in the table:

It is dangerous to plant after zucchini, squash, cucumbers, watermelons or in one place for the second season in a row because of the risk of infection by bacteria that remain in the soil. The optimal time for planting vegetables of this family in 3-4 years.

Growing pumpkin seedling method

Usually gardeners are invited to grow in this way, because the pumpkin does not like transplants and adapts worse.

Seed preparation

Selected seeds should be checked for germination before deepening into the ground. For this, planting material must be spread on a damp cloth for 2-3 days and after germination, discard unusable specimens. The emergence of seedlings can be accelerated by soaking the planting material in a solution of sodium or potassium humate for a day. The temperature suitable for the appearance of sprouts is +20 ° C.

Landing

The selected well-lit area needs to be fertilized, per 1 m2 of soil 2 buckets of humus, 0.5 sawdust, 1 kg of ash and 1 tbsp. l nitrofoski. After this, the soil must be deeply dug up and poured with hot water.

The main condition for planting is the temperature of the earth, which should be at least +12 ° C. The depth of seed placement in the soil depends on the type of soil: in loose and light 8-10 cm, in loamy 5-6 cm, in the skinny soil, recesses of 25-30 cm are made. In the latter case, fertilizers cannot be dispensed with: 3 buckets of compost or mullein 1-2 tbsp. l wood ash and 50 grams of superphosphate. The distance between the pits is large, at least 1 m, if there is a threat of partial freezing of the earth, it is better to place seeds at different heights from each other with a difference of 3-4 cm.

A common problem when sowing in the garden is a small amount of liquid in the soil, because of which it takes a long time to wait for the appearance of sprouts, as well as their slow development. To increase soil moisture, pour 2 l of water into each well during planting and lay the seed material after complete absorption. Mulching the substrate with peat or humus will also help. Another way to keep fluid in the area is to create a small greenhouse made of a frame with a film stretched over it.

If all conditions are met, and the air temperature is high + 25 ... +28 ° С, seedlings will appear in a week. After a couple of leaves grow, you can pick. In varieties with large fruits, one plant is left, and in nutmeg and hard-bark, two each, and only with the appearance of 5 leaf blades, pinch a weaker bush.

Another option without growing seedlings is to use a greenhouse and plant pumpkins in it in place of cucumbers, it is better to do this from the side of the southern wall. It is necessary to add fertilizer to the substrate and dig a few holes where to put the germinated seed material. When the plant grows, and its shoots have reached a sufficient length, holes should be made in the film and, having pulled out the whips in them, placed on the garden bed. Thanks to this, the roots will be warm, not afraid of a sharp cooling. The method allows you to sow pumpkin ahead of schedule for 8-10 days.

Mr. Summer resident recommends: methods of growing pumpkins

There are several ways to grow a pumpkin in the open ground, each of them is easy to apply on its personal plot:

• The classic version - spread. It requires large beds with convenient approaches to each plant.
• Trellis. A very original and compact method that saves space on the site, because the distance between the bushes is only 30-40 cm, this will require a wooden strong 2 m structure, it must withstand heavy fruits that can be attached to supports with hooks.
• Compost heap. Shrub and semi-bush varieties are suitable, plants are best planted in pots at a distance of 70-80 cm from each other, you can also sow sprouted seeds immediately. Fertilizers for pumpkins growing in this way are not required at all.
• Wooden or metal barrels. A plus of technology are compactly hanging lashes. At the beginning of the season, containers are filled with organic matter: weeds, stems, paper. The next layer is small grass, food waste, you can still add drugs that accelerate decomposition. After 1-1.5 months, the substrate is ready for planting. Instead of barrels, bags made of synthetics are suitable, which are better to install next to the fence, on which it is easy to attach lashes.
• Warm beds. In trenches in the ground with a depth of 2 bayonets, shovels spread rotting herbs and plants and sprinkle soil on top. The difference from planting in the garden is that after the appearance of sprouts, the ground is covered with a film with holes for each bush.

Outdoor Pumpkin Care

Pumpkin is an unpretentious plant, however, and it needs proper care to obtain a plentiful harvest. It is necessary to monitor watering, pollination, fertilize and form bushes.

Watering, loosening and mulching

Drought is an undesirable phenomenon for pumpkins, due to the large surface of the leaf, the plant quickly evaporates moisture. At first, seedlings need to be watered every day, while adaptation is in progress in a new place. When this happens, the amount of fluid is reduced. If the summer was rainy, it’s better not to moisten the earth at all. It is necessary to increase the introduced level with an increase in the number of ovaries and the growth of fruits. The norm of liquid is a bucket under one bush.

Loosening and weeding weeds is more convenient when the soil is wet: after irrigation or rain. When shoots appear, dig to a depth of 9-12 cm, and after a month reduce to 5-8 cm, this should be done every 14 days. Between the rows of plants, on the contrary, carry out the procedure in dry soil so that the liquid flows faster to the roots. For better stability of young pumpkins when loosening, they can be slightly spudded.

Mulching the substrate is most often used to preserve moisture, especially in hot climates.

Pollination

Rainy weather can cause incorrect pollination, and the decay of the ovaries will be a sure sign of this phenomenon. To obtain uniformly round fruits, the gardener must do this artificially. For this procedure, you need to pick several male flowers in the morning and, having removed the petals from them, touch their anthers to the stigmas of flowers on the plants. You can distinguish these two species from each other by the time of their life and discovery. Male: early opening and withering, and female have a pestle and remain open for about a day.

In sunny weather, you can additionally attract insects by treating bushes with sweet water: 10 l 1 tsp. honey.

Formation

Plant adjustment is the basis of pumpkin care, as it helps to achieve a good harvest and large fruits. A properly formed culture looks like this: on the main stem, when it reaches a height of 1.3-1.5 m, you need to leave a couple of shoots 60-70 cm long, and the rest need to be cut, the removal of axillary is called pinching.

Thus, 3 fruits are formed on each bush. In order for them to mature faster, it is necessary to lay the remaining lashes on the ground and sprinkle with a layer of soil 6-7 cm high. Another option: preservation of 2 stems, on the main two pumpkins will be formed, and on the additional one. After the fruits leave 3 leaf plates, and pinch the tops. If everything is done correctly, large and ripe fruits can be obtained as a crop.

Top dressing

Fertilizing is an important aspect of care. In order for everything to be correct, and the plant received a sufficient amount of useful substances, it is necessary to perform this operation according to the following scheme:

• When 3-4 true leaves appear or 7 days after planting in open ground, with the seedling method after 3 weeks. Nitrofoska 10 g per bush, ash 1 tbsp per 10 liters of water, still manure or chicken droppings diluted in a ratio of 1: 4 are suitable.
• Organics can be added every week.
• With the growth of long lashes: nitrophoska at the rate of 15 g for one plant.

In order to feed the pumpkin for the first time, next to it it is necessary to make a furrow in the soil with a depth of 6-8 cm and pour fertilizer into it, the distance from the bush should be 10-12 cm. All subsequent ones are introduced further from the plant 40 cm, the depth of the grooves 10-12 .

Lash powder

This procedure is usually performed when the length of the shoots exceeds 1 m. For this, the lashes are untangled, leveled and laid out in the garden. After in some places they sprinkle with soil. This must be done so that they do not curl. Soon, a system of roots forms on parts deepened into the soil, which become additional sources of nutrition for the fruit. They must not be forgotten periodically watered.

Pests and possible diseases

Pumpkin is most often susceptible to disease and is attacked by the same pests as other gourds. The table will help you quickly find a solution to the problem and keep the crop intact:

Mr. Summer resident informs: how to collect and keep the pumpkin crop

Harvesting is best done in dry weather until the first frost, when the leaves wilt. Frozen pumpkins are poorly stored and are more likely to rot. You need to make sure that the pumpkins are ripe: you can draw conclusions on a dense dry stalk, it becomes like a cork or a clear pattern appears on the bark. Further, it is necessary to distribute the crop by size and quality, shifting very carefully so as not to damage. Percussion and with defects must be processed first, they will not be able to lie for long, whole must be prepared for further storage.

It is better to cut the pumpkins with a peduncle 5-6 cm high and put in a warm, dry room for 2 weeks. After the bark has finally become hard, you can harvest the fruits for wintering. A loggia, a balcony or a barn is suitable for frost, when the thermometer is +5 ° C and lower, the crop is brought into the house in a warm room with indicators of at least + 14 ... +16 ° C. After 14 days, you need to choose a place with other values ​​of humidity 60-70% and temperature + 3 ... +8 ° С, for this sheds, cellars or attics are suitable.

Under these conditions, pumpkins can be stored all winter and even longer. At high rates, the fruits lose weight and may begin to rot.

If the crop is large, then it can be placed on shelves or racks on straw. The main condition is that vegetables should not touch each other. Another option is storage in moss boxes. Another way is a trench in the garden, covered with a 25 cm layer of straw, and sprinkled with earth on top. For ventilation, holes are made in the ground that close when the temperature is lower. If there are few pumpkins, the whole can be stacked in a house or apartment in a dark place, and cut ones can be stored only in the refrigerator.

Fruits selected for seeds must be ripe, with a uniform color. In the soil under the intended specimens, you should not make a lot of dressing. Due to this, there is enough time for planting material to ripen. To obtain a certain variety, it is better to place the plant on the beds separately from the rest and pollinate artificially.

Further, the cut pumpkin must be kept for about a month in a cold place, however, should not be left for a long time, the seeds will begin to grow inside. Late, well-preserved species may lie longer. Cut the fruit should not be cut in half, it is better to do it from the side. Remove the pulp and select the most suitable specimens for sowing: without damage, large, dense, be sure to check for rot. After rinsing, spread on the surface and allow the moisture to dry. The shelf life of planting material is 7-8 years.

The main conditions for storage before spring sowing: dryness and lack of moisture, optimal temperature +16 ° C. It is better to fold not in plastic bags, on which condensation may form, but in paper ones. It is not recommended to keep seeds in kitchens and bathrooms, as well as in rooms with high humidity.

It is important to remember that only varietal pumpkin can be grown in this way. Features of the Hybrid: it is easy to recognize it when buying at the F1 mark on the package, it cannot be reproduced at home.

Pumpkin is a vegetable crop whose fruits are rich in useful substances; both children and adults like their taste. Growing and caring for this plant will not cause trouble even for novice gardeners; careful and careful observance of the rules will allow you to get a rich harvest and save it until the next season.

Watch the video: How to Start Your Own Backyard Pumpkin Patch - Summer 2017 - Episode 1 (May 2024).