Pumpkin is a vegetable known to everyone, but, unfortunately, in home cooking it is used only by true adherents of this delicacy. And why all? Most of all, because not everyone knows how tasty such a vegetable, awkward at first glance, can be. And not only in processed, but also in raw form. To truly appreciate the taste of a pumpkin, you must first grow it. And in order for a pumpkin to be grown in principle, you need to know what varieties are grown in a particular area. Let's consider the geography of culture.

Pumpkin varieties for the middle zone

Choosing pumpkin varieties for the Moscow region for open ground is not difficult at all. Firstly, so as not to have to eat unripe fruits, you need to choose a zoned crop. Secondly, the varieties intended for cultivation in a given area must be the best. And what pumpkins are the best for the Moscow region and middle lane generally?

“Muscat” - in most cases medium or late date maturation. This “bifurcation” of the culture is explained by the fact that the name “nutmeg” does not mean a specific vegetable, but several varieties of similar taste. The main characteristics that define nutmeg varieties are their special varietal taste and sweet pulp. Since the crop is heat-loving and needs a lot of time to fully ripen, in the middle zone it is grown only through seedlings. If in open ground When planting a seed, it is unlikely that you will be able to truly appreciate the taste and aroma of the vegetable. By the way, nutmeg varieties are the sweetest and most delicious.

"Honey" - long-climbing, early, ripens in 3 months. The fruits are embossed with well-defined individual segments. Weight from 3.8 to 6 kg. The pulp is juicy and aromatic. Pumpkin is delicious and sweet so much that you can eat it raw straight from the garden like watermelon. If anyone loves pumpkin juice, you need to grow this particular variety. Stored well.

“Aport” is a representative of bush varieties of medium ripening period. Ripens in 93-105 days. The fruits are round, slightly flattened below and above, almost smooth. Weight up to 7.2 kg. The pulp is juicy with a pleasant “crunch”, with a creamy aftertaste, sweet. The variety is considered one of the most delicious. A very convenient crop for small gardens.

“Winter sweet” is long-climbing, late, requiring at least 135 days to fully ripen. The fruits are round, flattened, medium in relief, ashy in color, weight 6-11 kg. The pulp is sweet, aromatic, tasty. Productivity is constantly high, fruits are stored well. Pumpkin can be called “baby pumpkin” because it makes delicious baby food and delicious juice.

“Gribovskaya bush” - early, ready for consumption in 92-105 days. The fruits are oblong, a little like zucchini, only plump. Average weight 5.5 kg. The relief is insignificant, the color is yellow with green colors in the form of stripes or oblong spots. The pulp is tasty, but without anything special. The variety is more valued for its very high yield and compactness of the bush.

Pumpkin varieties for the Leningrad region

This is not to say that the North-West is very cold region. Summer in the Leningrad region is not always cold, but the territory has its own climatic nuances. Choosing pumpkin varieties for local climate, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a climbing pumpkin or a bush pumpkin variety that must be at least slightly cold-resistant. This is ideal, but if you choose simply the best varieties, intended for growing in open ground, and take good care of them, pumpkin porridge will also be on the table. What is grown in the North-West.

“Almond 35” is a long-climbing medium-ripening variety. Ripens in less than 4 months. The fruits are round and slightly embossed. The color is a mixture of yellow and orange plus brown “ragged” stripes. Weight up to 5.2 kg. The pulp has a slight almond scent, dense, crispy, juicy and sweet. Pumpkin stores well. The variety is considered dietary.

“Medicinal” is an early bush variety that ripens in 3-3.5 months. The fruits are round, somewhat flattened, the relief is weak. Weight can range from 3.5 to 7 kg. The pulp is sweet, crispy, very juicy, with a lot of vitamins. Productivity is good in all weather conditions. It is stored without loss until the next season. This is one of the most delicious varieties.

“Bush orange” - early, ripens in 93-105 days. From the name it is clear that the bush is compact and does not take up much space in the garden. The fruits are spherical, sometimes slightly elongated. Orange color. Weight from 3.8 to 7 kg. The pulp is juicy with a sufficient amount of sugar. Pumpkin tolerates transportation and storage well. Productivity is always good and stable.

“Kroshka” is long-climbing with an average ripening period. The harvest can be harvested approximately four months after the first shoots appear. The fruits are up to a maximum of 3 kilograms, flat-round, almost identical in size. The color is light grey. The pulp is moderately juicy, sweet and tasty. The yield is stable and stores well.

“Acorn” (second name “Acorn”) - early date maturation. Depending on the subspecies, it can be bushy or long-climbing. The fruits are small, very grooved, with pronounced segments. There are also options for color. Fruits can be green, yellow, black, white. The pulp is sweetish, somewhat reminiscent of zucchini. The pumpkin is either stuffed or baked.

Pumpkin varieties for the Urals

The next region with an even more difficult climate is the Urals. Climbing pumpkin and bush pumpkin are again on the agenda, the varieties of which will have to be sorted out. But here it’s a little easier, since there are significantly fewer options for the Urals and surrounding areas than for the middle zone.

“Sweetie” is a long-climbing early variety. Ripens in 3 months. The fruits are round and bright orange color with an elongated nose. They cannot be called large, on average about 2 kg. The relief is average, the lobules are separated by green stripes. The pulp is very sweet and juicy. The variety is one of the sweetest. Productivity is good, it is not afraid of cold climates.

“Altai 47” is a long-climbing pumpkin with the shortest ripening period (from 2.4 to 2.8 months). The fruits are orange with light spots, strongly ribbed. Weight from 2.6 to 5.3 kg. The pulp is slightly fibrous and not particularly sweet. But the variety has other advantages: cold resistance, productivity, keeping quality.

“Dachnaya” is a short-climbing early variety, 3 months are enough for full ripening. Fruits similar to watermelon. They are the same oblong and striped, only the stripes are green and orange. Weight from 3.3 to 4.4 kg. The pulp is fibrous, but sweet and juicy, with a pleasant vanilla flavor. Productivity is good. Stored well.

“Smile” is an early bush. Ripens in 84-90 days. The fruits are like small balls - round and even. The color is bright orange. By weight 1-2 sometimes 3 kg. The pulp is crispy, sweet, and tastes like melon. Pumpkin can be eaten fresh. It stores well and does not require special storage. It can be stored under the bed at home for up to 4 months.

“Ufimskaya” is a long-climbing early variety. Fully ripens in 84-93 days. The fruits are round, flattened, weighing from 4.2 to 6.5 kg. The color may be pink, yellow-orange or gray-orange. The pulp is not very sweet, but juicy and tasty. It does not last long, on average 3 months.

Pumpkin varieties for Siberia

This is where you can truly hone your skills. If you choose the variety incorrectly, in difficult Siberian conditions you will never get ripe fruits. Here we need truly Siberian varieties. What kind of pumpkin can be grown in very unfavorable conditions.

“Rossiyanka” is a medium-climbing early variety. Ripening takes place in 92-99 days. The fruits are bright orange, very similar to bloated pears. Weight from 1.8 to 3.6 kg. The pulp is tender, sweet, with a melon flavor and there is a lot of it, there are almost no seeds. Tolerates very well unfavourable conditions. Harvest. Delicious fresh, this is the variety for lovers of fresh pumpkin.

“Vesnushka” is an early bush plant. There is nothing new in terms of ripening time – 3 months. The fruits are round, slightly flattened. Weight up to 3 kg. By color, it depends on how you look. For some it is green with light yellow splashes, for others it is light yellow with a green mesh. The pulp is moderately sweet, juicy, tender, and tastes like a pear.

"Adagio" is a medium-ripening bush. Ripens in 100-107 days. The fruits are round, strongly flattened, with a depression on the side of the stalk. Average weight 3 kg. The pulp is sweet and tasty, but this is not the main thing; the main advantage of pumpkin is its large amount of vitamins. This is one of those varieties that are used for making juices, dietary and baby food.

“Pearl” is a long-climbing, medium-ripening variety. On the one hand, the variety seems unsuitable for Siberia - nutmeg. This means thermophilic. But on the other hand, there are no exceptions. This is exactly the case. Due to its quality it is good to develop with low temperature the variety can be cultivated much further north than the middle zone. The fruits are cylindrical with a thickening at the end. Orange color. Weight from 3.4 to 6.6 kg. The pulp is sweet and tender.

To this list I would also like to add special varieties of pumpkin for the Moscow region for open ground and for all other regions, regardless of the local climate. Special means having outstanding characteristics. Does everyone know which pumpkins are the most delicious and sweet?

This:
- “Marble”
- « »
- "Almond"
- "Mozoleevskaya"
- “Winter dining room”
- "Smile"
- "Freckle"
- "Altair".

The next, so to speak, special indicator of the quality of a crop is the ability to process a vegetable into juice. This does not mean the banal squeezing of juice from pulp without taking into account its taste. The conversation is about pumpkins, from which the juice is delicious and there is a lot of it.

Pumpkins suitable for juice:
- “Zorka”
- “Bush orange”
- “Winter Sweet”
- "Amazon"
- "Big Moon"
- “Vitamin”
- “Melon”.

Although if you figure out what the best variety is. If we take into account its selection characteristics, then, of course, its characteristics contribute to better development and fruiting of the plant. But if you approach the concept of “best” from the point of view of taste, not everything is so simple. Some people like very sweet pulp, others with a small amount of sugar. Therefore, let best pumpkin everyone will decide for themselves.

There are a great many varieties of pumpkin. Some of them are more suitable for growing for animal feed, other varieties are preferred by chefs for their sweetness and juiciness, and others are a rich source of pumpkin seeds. In addition, there are decorative varieties of pumpkin.

How to understand this diversity, and which varieties of pumpkin are suitable for your climate and will satisfy your needs? Let's figure it out.

Types of pumpkin

Before we begin describing the best varieties of pumpkin, you need to know that this plant is divided into four types:

butternut squash. Nutmeg pumpkins are recognized as the most delicious and healthy, but also the most demanding of heat. In our latitudes, nutmeg pumpkin varieties have time to ripen if they are planted through seedlings.

Their distinctive feature is a pentagonal stalk, expanded towards the base. The seeds of this type of pumpkin are brown or yellow-brown in color.

Large pumpkin. Very large, very sweet pumpkins with light, tasty seeds. They can be stored for a long time in non-specific conditions, although their storage naturally requires a lot of space. Therefore, summer residents, who will have to somehow drag these pumpkins to the city and store them somewhere, most often refuse large-fruited pumpkins in favor of hard-bark and nutmeg varieties. Distinctive feature This plant has a rounded stalk and stem, without grooves, and the leaves are shaped more like a kidney than a pentagon.

Hard-barked pumpkins, including squash and zucchini, are loved by our gardeners for their early ripening. If large-fruited and nutmeg pumpkins are harvested just before frost, then hard-bark varieties can be enjoyed already in late summer - early autumn. Hard-barked pumpkin varieties are especially valued for their tasty, cream-colored seeds, although the fruits of this plant are relatively small. Distinctive feature(in addition to the hard skin when ripe) - a hairy, spiny stem and a ribbed, grooved stalk.

The best varieties of pumpkin

Varieties of butternut squash

Pumpkin Golden Pear– relatively new, but already loved variety of butternut squash original teardrop-shaped orange color. The pulp of the Golden Pear pumpkin is juicy, sweet, dense, with a nutty flavor. The fruits of this variety grow small, up to 2 kg, which is very convenient. Golden pear is an early ripening variety; 2-3 pumpkins grow on one vine. Pumpkins are harvested three months after germination. The disease resistance and preservation of this variety of nutmeg pumpkin are very high.

Arabat pumpkin– perhaps the most common, recognizable and reliable variety of butternut squash. Refers to average late varieties pumpkins with growing season 115-125 days. Arabat pumpkin can grow up to 20 kg, although on average it weighs 5-8 kg. The pumpkin is long (0.5-0.8 m), thickened towards the top, the skin is fragile, thin, yellow-orange in color. The pulp is bright orange, juicy, sweet, dense.

The Arabatskaya variety of nutmeg pumpkin can be stored for 3-4 months without any problems. It is used for both culinary and feed purposes.

Pumpkin New In appearance, and also in taste, it resembles Arabatskaya. The differences are that the Novinka pumpkin variety is somewhat smaller (4-5 kg), the growing season lasts a little longer (125-135 days), but the fruit is stored very well. Pumpkin has an elongated cylindrical shape, the flesh is dark orange, sweet, dense and very tasty.

Pumpkin Vitamin refers to late varieties of pumpkin, 130-140 days pass from germination to ripeness. The fruits of this muscat pumpkin variety are wide, cylindrical or oval in shape, with ribbing that is pronounced closer to the stalk. Ripe fruits are brown with a pinkish tint with a network of round greenish spots. The flesh of Vitamin Pumpkin is dark orange, almost red, sweet, crunchy, and rich in carotene. Pumpkin weight is 3-5 kg. Stores well in simple home conditions.

Pumpkin Pearl is a powerful climbing plant with 5-7 lateral wattles. The Zhemchuzhina variety pumpkin belongs to the mid-late variety (100-110 days). Pumpkins are round-cylindrical in shape, grow up to 4-7 kg, the skin is orange, soft, the flesh is crispy, sweet, thick (more than 10 cm), bright orange.

This variety of butternut squash is distinguished by a very small seed nest. The fruits are stored well and for a long time even at low temperatures.

Pumpkin Prikubanskaya loved by gardeners for stable yields, good preservation, excellent taste. The Prikubanskaya variety of nutmeg pumpkin is old, so it will not bring unpleasant surprises. Refers to medium-late ripening varieties (105-115 days). Pumpkins grow small (2-5 kg), faded orange in color, with little or no segmentation, and pear-shaped. This variety of butternut squash has juicy, sweet, bright orange flesh.

Hylea pumpkin refers to mid-season varieties (100-110 days from germination to maturity). The fruits of the Gilea pumpkin can be spherical, cylindrical or oval, orange or brownish in color, with a waxy coating. The skin is thin, the flesh is bright orange, sweet, juicy. This variety of butternut squash grows up to 6-8 kg. The main distinguishing feature of this pumpkin variety is its excellent keeping quality; the fruits can be stored for up to 1 year.

Pumpkin Palav Kadu It has excellent taste, extremely juicy and sweet. Belongs to late climbing varieties. The fruits are round in shape, weighing no more than 10 kg, and orange in color.

Pumpkin Marina di Chioggia very unusual in appearance, so it will please not only the stomach, but also the eye. This is an old Italian variety of nutmeg pumpkin that has taken root in our country. Not only is the lumpy surface of the pumpkin impressive, but also the color – matte green, sometimes with a gray-blue tint.

The Marina di Chioggia pumpkin can grow up to 10 kg, but normal conditions its weight does not exceed 5-6 kg. The pulp is dry, dense, yellow-orange in color, with a small seed nest. This variety of pumpkin can be stored for up to six months without loss of taste.

Pumpkin Butternut– a bright representative of nutmeg pumpkin. So bright that this variety is often called Muscat or Nut - because of its pronounced nutty taste. Butternut pumpkin is a late-ripening, climbing, highly branched pumpkin. Pumpkins are small, weighing about 1 kg, pear-shaped with light orange or brown-orange skin. The flesh is deep orange in color, oily, fibrous and very sweet. This butternut squash variety Keeps well in apartment conditions.

Varieties of hard-bark pumpkin

Gymnosperm pumpkin valued, as the name suggests, for its seeds without a shell. That is, no husks, except for a transparent film, no garbage. It is very convenient to use these seeds in baking, to make various sweets in oriental style, and just enjoy it fried. Gymnosperm pumpkin also has some disadvantages - its flesh is not as sweet and juicy as other table varieties of pumpkin, but it is still quite tasty. This variety cannot boast of high yield. Seeds planted directly into the ground often rot due to the lack of a protective shell, so it is recommended to plant the Gymnosperm pumpkin variety from seedlings, and away from other pumpkin varieties, so that unwanted pollination does not occur. Drought or high humidity This variety, again, does not tolerate well. Although many are willing to suffer for the sake of seeds without a shell.

Hard-barked pumpkin Gymnosperm refers to mid-ripening, medium-climbing varieties, the color of the fruit can be dark green or with yellow “mesh” splashes. The weight of the fruits of this pumpkin variety is 2-7 kg; they are stored well all winter.

Pumpkin Bulgarian, she is also pumpkin lady's nail, - the most popular variety of pumpkin for seeds. The seeds themselves have a beautiful, oblong shape, truly reminiscent of an elegant lady's marigold. This hard-barked pumpkin variety is a bush variety and ripens in 95-105 days. Bulgarian pumpkin is characterized by slightly flattened round smooth fruits, the skin is light gray or yellow, the flesh is quite tasty, light yellow, the weight of the fruit is 3-5 kg.

The Bulgarian has a large seed chamber, the seeds are yellow-cream in color. Suitable for short-term storage.

Pumpkin Gribovskaya bush refers to early ripening varieties (85-100 days). The plant is powerful, although bushy. The fruits rarely grow more than 4.5 kg, the skin is yellow-orange, with a green pattern, the shape is cylindrical, thickened at the end. Pulp hard-bark pumpkins Gribovskaya bush quite sweet, not very dense, yellow or orange in color. The variety belongs to the table variety, but is not impressive in taste - just a good pumpkin. This variety of pumpkin is distinguished by its good shelf life, and also by the fact that it does not spread throughout the entire garden.

Spaghetti squash (noodle squash)– a very original early-ripening variety of hard-bark pumpkin. The growing season is 70-80 days. The plant is climbing, the fruits resemble a melon - oval, creamy-yellow in color, the skin is very hard. The pulp of the Spaghetti pumpkin is beige, not juicy, has a light vanilla aroma, and when cooked it breaks down into individual fibers (hence the name). Spaghetti pumpkins They grow small - around 1 kg.

The variety is exotic, but there are no problems when growing Spaghetti pumpkin in our conditions.

Pumpkin Almond Among the varieties of hard-bark pumpkin, it has very tasty pulp. The Almond pumpkin variety is a long-climbing plant with a growing season of 110-120 days. The fruits weigh 3.5-5 kg, smooth or slightly segmented, round, orange in color, sometimes with brown-green stripes.

Pumpkin Danka Polka It is usually grown for seeds. This hard-barked pumpkin variety is a medium-climbing bush with round pumpkins that are orange-green or white-green in color. The fruits grow in the range of 2-3.5 kg. Not only are there a lot of seeds (up to half a thousand in one pumpkin), they are also very tasty. The pulp is not very dense, starchy, and is mainly used as animal feed.

Pumpkin Country refers to early ripening varieties - the first fruits can be harvested after 70-85 days. The pumpkin pulp of this hard-skinned variety is juicy, aromatic, sweet, up to 4 cm thick, the seeds are quite small. The pumpkin is oblong, yellow-orange with longitudinal green stripes, weighing about 3-4 kg.

Dachnaya pumpkin is a short-climbing and cold-resistant variety, so it is well suited for growing in the northern regions. Pumpkins can be stored without problems for up to four months.

Pumpkin Freckle- a hard-barked variety that fully corresponds to the name: round small pumpkins (0.8-2.5 kg) of green color with white and yellow “freckles”. Valued for its compactness. The plant is bushy, with short vines, demanding moisture. The rind of the Freckle pumpkin is leathery, the flesh is yellow-orange, not very sweet, but with a subtle pear aroma. The seeds are quite small. The hard-barked pumpkin variety Vesnushka is grown mainly when there is a shortage of planting space.

Varieties of large-fruited pumpkin

Pumpkin Titan- one of the largest pumpkins that you can grow in your garden. Manufacturers claim that the weight of average pumpkins reaches 120-180 kg, and record holders reach up to half a ton. In our conditions, with conventional agricultural technology, large-fruited pumpkins of the Titan variety grow up to 50 kg, which is also very impressive. This mid-season variety(120 days from germination to ripening), characterized by long vines, huge orange round pumpkins with clear segmentation. The pulp of the Titan variety pumpkin is yellow, thick, quite sweet, but not incredibly tasty.

Titan is the best pumpkin variety for those who want to grow a record holder, and not get delicious fruit for the household.

Pumpkin Russian won the hearts of gardeners for stable yields, ease of care, shelf life of fruits and excellent taste. In general, it’s a reliable pumpkin, and also very beautiful. Rossiyanka is a medium-climbing, early-ripening plant (900-100 days) with a rounded fruit, sharply narrowed towards the stalk, weighing 2-4 kg. The pulp is tender, sweet, with a melon flavor, the seed nest is small. This large-fruited pumpkin variety is characterized by high yield - up to 20 kg of harvest can be obtained from one plant. Pumpkin Russian- cold-resistant variety.

Hundred Pound Pumpkin– a very old, time-tested variety of large-fruited pumpkin. Pumpkin of the Hundred Pound variety belongs to to mid-season (vegetation period - 120 days) plants, with powerful long vines. The fruit can grow up to 15-20 kg, more often - 7-10 kg, round or oval in shape, with weak segmentation, and the skin can be yellow, white, orange, gray or pinkish. The pulp of the Hundred Pound Pumpkin is loose, slightly sweet, light orange or yellow in color.

This variety of large-fruited pumpkin is resistant to diseases. Typically, Hundred Pound Pumpkin is grown for animal feed.

Marble Pumpkin – great option for those who like to chew on raw pumpkin, although baked Marble pumpkin will not disappoint - even the skin turns out tender and tasty when baked. The pulp is orange, crispy, very sweet, rich in carotenes. This large-fruited pumpkin variety is late-ripening (130-140 days), the plant is long-climbing. The average weight of pumpkins is 2.5-4 kg, the fruits are gray-green or green, segmented, sometimes with a speckled pattern or a wrinkled surface, flattened. Marble Pumpkin gives high yields and is well stored.

Pumpkin Smile– a real find for pumpkin lovers with little land plot. This is a compact climbing plant cold-resistant plant, which breeders initially bred as decorative. Therefore, the Smile pumpkin is both beautiful and tasty. And it is productive - from a bush you can collect up to 10, or even more, small portioned pumpkins weighing from 0.5 to 2 kg. The pumpkins themselves are orange with white stripes, flat, and sometimes with a bulge at the base. The pulp is sweet, dense, with a light melon aroma. Large-fruited pumpkin variety Smile belongs to early ripening (vegetation period 85-90 days), stored in apartment conditions for up to 4 months.

Choosing seeds for sowing is not easy, especially when you need to choose the best pumpkin varieties for open ground. In order for the desired plant to grow from seeds and please you with a rich harvest, it is necessary to learn as much as possible about the crop itself, methods of cultivation, and understand in detail agricultural technology.

Pumpkin belongs to the genus herbaceous plants and represents the pumpkin family. The fruit of the plant has a round, oblong or flattened shape, covered with hard skin, with yellow, cream, orange pulp.

Today breeders have created a large number of species, but not all of them are suitable for growing in our environment.

The most common types are:

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

They are divided into three types, depending on the purpose of the fruit:

• stern;
• dining room;
• decorative

The table type is intended for culinary needs, the fodder type is used for feeding livestock, and the decorative type is used as decoration and a sweet treat.

Butternut squash on the bed and table: the world of dessert pumpkins

Butternut squashes have juicy, fibrous flesh with a pineapple or nutty flavor. In shape they can be round, oval, flattened, ribbed. The color of the peel is most often beige or orange. In the technical ripeness phase they can be decorated with bright green, white stripes or spots.

Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of nutmeg pumpkin. And it’s not surprising: only here you can meet the largest and tastiest representatives of this species. Not only the taste is impressive, but also the size. In Mexico they grow huge and weigh more than one hundred kilograms.

Today, everyone can choose their favorite variety and grow it in the garden.

Vitamin

Butternut squash is a favorite delicacy for children. It has sweet flesh, a pleasant aroma and contains a large amount of vitamins: magnesium, manganese, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin C. This species accumulates sugar content, juiciness and aroma as it is stored. To keep it for as long as possible, it is necessary to pick it with its tail.

Other nutmeg varieties also have a pleasant taste and aroma.

Prikubanskaya

Prikubanskaya

One of the most common on the domestic market. It is distinguished by early harvest, cylindrical fruits up to 3-4 kilograms.

Belongs to the largest muscat varieties. Its fruits reach eight kilograms and are distinguished by delicate, aromatic pulp of a bright orange color.

The French pumpkin variety reaches up to 20 kg, has dark red skin, soft yellow juicy and sweet pulp, which is suitable for cooking and used as a feed product.

Mirani di Chioggia

Mirani di Chioggia

The Italian beauty is distinguished from others by its bright, corrugated fruits with small pimples on the skin. It weighs up to 10 kg, has sweet orange flesh and a pleasant aroma.

Growing butternut squash in the garden requires effort, as this species requires attention and care. In central Russia, not all Muscats have time to produce a full harvest, so it is better to plant them using seedlings. The distance between plants should be 60 cm; they love sunny areas, loose soil and abundant watering.

Fodder pumpkin in dacha farming

Feed pumpkin is a valuable, succulent food for farm animals. Its fruits can be processed and are used for making silage with grain waste and feeding fresh.

Beneficial properties of fodder pumpkin

• Increased growth in pigs.
• The amount of milk production increases and the fat content of milk increases.
• Helps increase the reproductive capacity of animals.
• High yield level due to large fruits.

The disadvantages include the lack of a pleasant aroma and low culinary properties.

Hundred Pounds

The Stofuntovka pumpkin variety is a popular mid-season with high yield. The plant has spherical fruits, which are covered with yellow or orange skin with a grayish tint, have excellent keeping quality and are well stored for a long time. winter period, are not damaged during transportation.

Volzhskaya gray 92

Volzhskaya gray 92 - resistant to diseases and dry weather. The plant bears fruit in the Volga region and produces the richest harvests. The weight of grayish-white flat-round fruits exceeds 25 kg. The pulp is medium juicy, quite dense, and has a rich yellow color with an orange tint.

Decorative balls in the garden

Decorative varieties are very popular among gardeners and gardeners due to the variety of shapes and colors. Small melons, mushrooms and bubbly pears look beautiful on gazebos and along fences.

The most beautiful and unusual

Orange

A pumpkin variety well known to all gardeners. Its fruits weigh no more than 300g and resemble bright orange oranges.

The fruits are no less attractive - round, slightly ribbed balls have a milky-white skin color and look impressive in compositions and as decoration on arches.

Sweet Dumpling

Mini pumpkins weigh up to 500 g and have a pale yellow skin color. The yellow color is complemented by green stripes and white dots. The variety is intended for creating decorative compositions.

Kleine Bicolor

The Kleine Bicolor pumpkin variety is distinguished by pear-shaped fruits, divided in half by a clear contour line. Two contrasting colors, yellow and green, give a special decorative charm, making it a favorite of florists.

turban-shaped

In Latin Cucurbita maxima var.turbaniformis- presented in various forms that differ from each other in color and size. Based on their shape, they can be divided into several varieties:

• star (crown gourd);
• warty;
• pear-shaped;
• tangerine

The variety of types and forms of this pumpkin variety is very large and it is impossible to classify them all. Gardeners and gardeners can only replenish their collection with new varieties every year.

Agricultural technology for decorative varieties is no different from caring for musk species. Plants are planted on permanent place at the end of May. If the summer is short, then it is better to do this seedling method. Ornamental plants Requires loose soil and frequent watering.

Representatives of this species most often come in a bush form, but are also found with long vines. They are used to camouflage outbuildings, decorate fences, and gazebos. The plants' vines are heavy and they need strong support to be used in decoration.

The best varieties for Siberia and the Urals

Plants that are cultivated in Siberia and the Urals must have high frost resistance, early maturity and resistance to pests and diseases. Previously, only forage species were suitable for cultivation in this zone. They had neither a sweet taste nor a pleasant aroma. Today there are many varieties that have winter hardiness and excellent taste, but there are several types of pumpkin that have proven themselves ideal when grown in this zone.

Pumpkin variety belongs to decorative types, but is successfully used in cooking. It is cold-resistant, high-yielding, and ripens quickly. It takes about three months from germination to technical maturity. Small fruits, up to a kilogram, look beautiful in a garden bed under cover large leaves with an openwork pattern. The “Smile” variety keeps well until January.

From one plant you can get up to 15-20 fruits with bright orange pulp and a sweet taste. It is successfully cultivated in Siberia and the Urals, where the plant’s resistance to cold and ability to bear fruit in a short time play an important role.

The pumpkin variety performed well under sudden changes in climatic conditions. The plant has a bush-like shape and forms 4-6 small vines with short internodes. The fruits reach up to 3 kilograms, and the pulp has a pleasant pear aroma and delicate taste. The fruit is light green with light spots scattered on it.

With regular, abundant watering, the plant gives a high yield (360t/ha) and pleases large fruits, which have a long shelf life. Among the disadvantages is susceptibility to powdery mildew, therefore plants require treatment with fungicides. The variety is ideal for growing in the Urals and Siberia.

Russian

The pumpkin variety has increased cold resistance and will please you with its first harvest early. The fruits of “Rossiyanka” weigh from two to four kilograms, and from one bush you can get a harvest of up to twenty-five kilograms. The fruit pulp is juicy and aromatic with a melon flavor.

Pumpkin is grown in seedlings to get an early harvest. In April, the seeds are planted as seedlings, and in May they are transferred from cups to open ground. In the Urals and Siberia, seedlings are planted in the soil in early June so that young shoots are not damaged by frost.

To successfully store fruits, it is necessary to select a dry, well-ventilated room.

The best pumpkin varieties for the Moscow region and central Russia

The Moscow region and central Russia are suitable for growing all types of pumpkins, but there are varieties that in this region are characterized by high yields.

Healing

The Healing pumpkin variety is distinguished by early harvest and good winter hardiness, valued for its pleasant aroma, taste and color. A special advantage is the early ripening of the fruit and a long storage period (six months). Pumpkin has a specific shape and a beautiful pattern on the skin. Thanks to its juicy pulp, it is ideal for making juices and purees.

It is grown in open ground by seedlings. Seedlings are sown in cups in April, and at the end of May they are transferred to the soil. Subject to thermal regime 20-25 degrees, seedlings appear on the eighth day. Before planting in the soil, it is necessary to harden the seedlings, gradually accustoming the plants to the open air.

Gribovskaya

Gribovskaya

The Gribovskaya pumpkin variety has long been loved by gardeners and gardeners. It is ideal for processing and long-term storage. Sugar and solids levels in pumpkin increase when optimal timing storage Taste properties pumpkins are stored until the next harvest. It is intended for dietary and baby food.

Gribovskaya has long vines, which allows you to reap a rich harvest. The fruits are large in size (4-8 kg), smooth milky skin and bright orange pulp. They are excellent at transporting over long distances.

Gribovskaya bush 189

Gribovskaya bush 189

It has light orange, egg-shaped fruits. Ripe pumpkins are decorated with wavy green patterns and have a sweet taste and delicate aroma.

Seeds of “Gribovskaya bush 189” are sown directly in open ground at the end of May.

Belongs to very early varieties. The plant bears fruit 70 days after the first shoots appear. They are oval in shape and have a sweet taste. The weight of the fruit ranges from 2 to 4 kilograms. The main advantage is high yield and cold resistance. To obtain optimal results, seeds are sown in the soil after the ground has warmed to a temperature of 12-15 degrees. The plant requires regular watering and loosening of the soil.

Sweet gourmet pumpkins

Pumpkins with a high sugar content include sweet varieties: Kroshka, Big Max, Atlant, Almond.

Chit

The earliest of this group is Tiny. The first harvest can be harvested 90 days after germination. It attracts gardeners because it does not require much space. Light weight allows you to use all the pulp at one time.

Big Max and Atlas

The largest representatives of this group. Their weight reaches up to 50 kilograms. Both plants are late ripening and have rich aroma and a pleasant, very sweet taste.

When grown in open ground, it is better to plant them in sunny areas, near a fence or wall. All types sweet pumpkin They are perfectly stored all winter, and their juicy pulp becomes even sweeter over time.

Video

Winter is finally over, and gardeners can't wait to get ready for summer planting. Don't forget to stock up on pumpkin seeds! This culture won't get you special troubles. Pumpkin is unpretentious, and the agricultural technology for growing it is simple.

And how many benefits there are from this crop, beloved by many gardeners! The vitamins contained in pumpkin have a beneficial effect on visual acuity, immunity, skin and bone strength. Casseroles, purees, and porridges are readily eaten by adults and children. In terms of the content of pectin, carbohydrates, carotene and biologically active substances, it is the Queen of the vegetable garden. Give Her Majesty the most illuminated, warmest place, away from drafts, water it abundantly, feed it with fertilizers, and she will definitely thank you generously!

Which pumpkin variety should you choose?

When choosing a pumpkin variety, keep in mind that large-fruited varieties are grown mainly for processing: after all, it is impossible to eat it at once! Small-fruited varieties are most convenient for consumption “in one sitting.” Choose only varieties that are suitable for your area. In the regions of the Urals and Siberia, for example, not every variety of this crop will be able to ripen. After all, the summer there is not long; there are frosts even in June! In central Russia and the Moscow region, the climate is milder, but also with its own characteristics. Taking these features into account, the varieties below were bred. Here are their main characteristics.

No.	Variety name	Characteristics of the variety	Place of cultivation	Ripening period
1	"Smile"	Bush, productive (mature fruit weight up to 3 kg). The pulp is juicy, orange in color. The taste is sweet. Stored all winter at room temperature. The variety is resistant to sudden drops in temperature.	Siberia	August
2	"Therapeutic"	The variety ripens quite early. The fruits are small, flattened, 3-5 kg. The crust is thin, the flesh is crispy and juicy.	Middle lane	Aug. Sept
3	"Freckle"	Pumpkin is resistant to temperature changes. The peel is hard, and the flesh is sweet, crisp, and has a melon-like flavor. A mature fruit weighs about 3 kg.	Siberia, Ural	Aug. Sept
4	"Sweetie"	The sweetest among early ripening varieties and pumpkin hybrids. The variety is large-fruited and productive. The pulp is dense, orange. Pumpkin is a shelf-stable one and can be stored indoors in winter.	Ural, Siberia, Middle zone	Aug. Sept
5	"Russian"	The variety is not afraid of frost and is resistant to diseases. Ripe fruits are very sweet, with a melon flavor.	Ural, Siberia, Moscow region	Aug. Sept
6	"Premiere"	The variety is long-climbing and resistant to cold. The fruits are flattened and can be stored for a long time. Weight 5-6 kg. The pulp is sweet, orange in color.	middle lane, Moscow region	September
7	"Healing"	The variety is early ripening, resistant to cold and drought, flat-round in shape. The weight of a mature fruit is 2.5-3 kg. The color of the fruit is orange. The pulp is orange, dense, excellent taste, juicy.	Siberia, Ural	Aug. Sept
8	"Dachnaya"	Early ripening, bush pumpkin, resistant to cold and drought. The pulp is yellow, dense in consistency, with a vanilla aroma. The fruit is long-term.	Moscow region	Aug. Sept
9	"Sweet pie"	High-yielding early ripening variety. The fruit is round, with a smooth surface and orange-red color. Weight 2-3 kg. The pulp is sweet, juicy, crispy, with excellent taste.	Middle zone and Moscow region	August
10	"Candied fruit"	High-yielding early ripening variety. The fruit is flat-round. The weight of a mature pumpkin reaches 5 kg. The pulp is bright, orange. The variety is characterized by a high content of sugars and carotene.	Middle zone and Moscow region	August
11	"Chit"	Early ripening variety. Ripening at 90-100 days. The fruits are small (2-3 kg). The shape is round, slightly flattened, light gray in color. The pulp is bright yellow, sweet, juicy, dense in consistency. Retains excellent taste for a long time.	North-west Russia	August
12	"Gribovskaya winter"	Late ripening variety. Ripening occurs after 128 days. The fruits are gray, flattened, weighing 3-4 kilograms. The pulp is orange, dense consistency. Planted in open ground with seedlings. Very long shelf life.	Middle zone and Moscow region	September
13	"Atlant"	Very large pumpkin (20-50 kg). The world record for this variety is 766 kg! The fruit is bright orange in color, with a thin skin. The pulp is dense, tasty and aromatic. The variety is suitable for baby food, making cereals and juices. Well kept. Requires a lot of space for planting. Late pumpkin, ripening period 110-130 days.	North-west Russia	September
14	"Almond"	A high-yielding variety, one fruit weighs up to 4-7 kg. Full maturity occurs at 115-120 days. The pulp is yellow-orange. The taste is high. Pumpkin keeps its appearance and taste all winter.	North-west Russia	Aug. Sept
15	"Big Max"	The variety is high-yielding, late ripening. This pumpkin is grown through seedlings. Harvesting after 130 days. The weight of one fruit reaches 40 kg! The pulp is orange, juicy, sweet taste.	Central Russia	September
16	"Matilda"	Medium ripening variety. Full maturity occurs in 100-120 days. The fruits are pear-shaped, elongated, with a barely noticeable constriction. The surface of the fruit is smooth, yellow mustard color. The pumpkin pulp is fleshy, quite juicy, dense, and starchy. The taste of the fruit is magnificent, sweet, with a nutmeg tint, and has an oily consistency. It is perfectly transported and stored, maintaining high commercial qualities until the New Year.	Central Russia	Aug. Sept
17	"Gribovskaya bush 189"	The variety is early ripening. Already at 80-98 days it is ready for harvest. It grows as a bush, compactly, occupying a small area. The fruit is yellow with dark green stripes. The shape of the fruit is obovate. Fruit weight is no more than 2-5 kg. The pulp has excellent taste. Stored until December without loss of taste.	Central Russia	August
18	"Volga gray"	Early ripening, high-yielding variety. The fruit is light gray, with a greenish tint, color, flattened shape. The pulp is bright yellow, sweet, juicy, dense in consistency. The variety is resistant to white rot. The fruit is shelf-stable and can be stored in winter without loss of taste or presentation.	Central Russia	August
19	"Lyazhka F1"	The fruits have a wonderful color: gray with pinkish streaks. The pulp is very sweet, dense, bright orange. In terms of shelf life, it fully corresponds to its name. IN New Year will please any feast.	Central Russia	Aug. Sept
20	"Honey"	Early ripening variety. The fruit is orange, ribbed, weighing up to 4-6 kg. The pulp is sweet, crispy, with a pleasant aroma. The fruits are consumed raw or used for various dishes.	Siberia, Ural	August

Here, perhaps, are all the most popular varieties for Siberia, the Urals and Central Russia.

Today it is possible to purchase pumpkin seeds and grow this healthy, tasty and beautiful fruit not only in southern regions, but also in temperate latitudes. Many varieties are zoned and can be cultivated in different climatic zones using technology that has been proven over the years.

There are about 30 varieties of pumpkin. Based on them, numerous hybrids have been obtained that differ in the length of the shoots, the shape, size and color of the fruit, the structure and taste of the pulp, the growing season and storage periods.

In Russian areas, varieties of hard-bark, or ordinary, pumpkin are most often cultivated.

Representatives of this group are very diverse. Among them are climbing and bush forms, mid- and early-ripening varieties, fruits of varying degrees of keeping quality and application.

• Variety “Plyushka” with medium-sized (1.5 kg) fruits of orange tones, divided into segments by white stripes, and sugary juicy pulp.
• “Gribovskaya bush” is a hybrid with medium-sized fruits of light orange color, lined with black and green stripes.
• “Mozolevskaya 49” is a variety with short climbing shoots and yellow, green scalloped stripes, ovoid fruits with tasty pulp.

Muscat varieties are characterized by medium-sized (6 kg) fruits of a rounded-flattened shape in various shades of green, yellow and orange, covered with a thin, easy-to-peel skin. Most muscat varieties are characterized by low cold resistance and a long (up to 130 days) growing season.

The best nutmeg hybrids are:

• “Marble pumpkin” is a variety with greenish-gray fruits, covered with speckles that form a marble pattern, and filled with dense pulp rich in sugars.
• Variety "Golden Pear" with medium-sized (1.5 - 2 kg) pear-shaped fruits of orange shades with flesh of a pleasant nutty hue.
• “Candied pumpkin” is distinguished by the dark green color of its fruit. When ripe, they change their color to light brown, and the flesh acquires a reddish tint.

Large-fruited varieties, and there are about a hundred of them, are distinguished by their record-breaking large fruit sizes with a thick layer of sweet pulp and resistance to low temperatures.

Popular hybrids of this group are:

• Variety “Lantern” with round, smooth, slightly ribbed fruits of orange-pink tones and delicate juicy pulp. The fruits can be transported and stored for a long time.
• “Russian porridge” is a bush variety that produces 3–4 round-shaped fruits on one plant, filled with medium-density pulp of high taste.

Some varieties are zoned for cultivation in open ground in certain territories of the Russian Federation. For example, the best hybrids, recommended for cultivation in the central part of Russia, are “Kroshka”, “Sweet Pie”, “Melon”, “Zorka”, “Almond” and “Rossiyanka”.

Pumpkin seeds can be purchased in stores or collected independently.

When choosing seeds it is important:

• Decide on the variety. It is made based on an analysis of the climatic conditions of the area, the growing season of hybrids and plans for the use of fruits.
• Select the highest quality seeds. They should be large, dense, correct form and uniform in color and free from damage on the surface.

Selected seeds are checked for germination.

This can be done in several ways:

1. A small amount of seeds is placed for 15 - 20 minutes. into a small container of water. The specimens remaining on the surface of the water after this time are empty and will not sprout.
2. Several seeds are wrapped in a damp porous material (gauze, cotton pad, cloth) and placed in a warm place for 2–3 days. Based on the number of sprouted seeds, a conclusion is drawn about their germination.

When purchasing seed, you should also inquire about its expiration date. Pumpkin seeds remain viable for 8 – 9 months.

In temperate latitudes, pumpkin is obtained from seedlings that are grown indoors.

Pumpkin seeds for seedlings are subjected to processing designed to speed up their germination:

• place them in hot (45°C) water for 2 hours;
• germinate in a warm (22 – 25°C) place, wrapped in a moist porous material.

Having prepared the seeds, proceed to sowing. To carry it out you will need containers and a substrate.

• Boxes or containers are used as containers, with a 3–4 cm layer of sawdust placed at the bottom. Alternative option is to use peat cups with a diameter of at least 6 cm. This will avoid replanting, which is quite difficult for pumpkin seedlings to tolerate.
• The containers are filled with substrate - purchased universal vegetable soil recommended for growing cucumbers or a self-prepared mixture of peat, rotted sawdust and humus, taken in a ratio of 2:1:1.
• For every kilogram of the mixture add 1 teaspoon of nitrophoska.
• Before sowing, the soil is moistened.

The seeds are planted to a depth of 4–5 cm and covered with airtight transparent material. Containers with crops are placed in a bright place with daytime temperatures from 18 to 25°C, at night 15 to 18°C.

The seedlings are looked after:

• Water regularly and moderately, avoiding waterlogging and drying out of the soil;
• After 7–10 days from the moment the sprouts appear, the seedlings are fed with a solution of nitrophoska (15 g per 10 liters of water) or a solution of mullein infused for 3–4 hours (1 part per 10 liters of water), diluted in 5 parts of water.

Young plants 15–20 cm high with 2–3 true leaves are planted in beds.

How to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground

Planting pumpkin seeds can be done directly in open ground. This is relevant for regions with warm climates. When figuring out how to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground, you should familiarize yourself with some rules.

Time frame for planting

More reliable criteria for choosing the time of sowing are temperature conditions. You can plant a pumpkin in open ground only after the threat of frost has completely disappeared, when the average daily air temperature exceeds 20°C and the soil has warmed up sufficiently (at least 10–13°C).

In the southern regions this happens around mid-May, in the middle zone - by the end of this month.

Preparing soil and seed material

Before sowing, pumpkin seeds are sorted, checked for germination and soaked.

Some vegetable growers practice seed hardening, which is important for growing heat-loving varieties. For this purpose, after swelling and “pecking,” the seed is placed on the lower shelves of the refrigerator for 2–3 days.

• The location for sowing pumpkins is decided in the fall. It is desirable that this be a quickly warmed-up area protected from the wind, where perennial grasses or cereals previously grew.
• In the fall, the soil in the selected area is dug up (up to 40 cm) and fertilized, adding square meter a bucket of manure or a nutrient mixture prepared from 200 g of nitrophoska and 500 g of wood ash, mixed with 4 kg of sawdust and 15 kg of humus.
• In the spring, the soil is dug again, harrowed and beds 60–70 cm wide are formed.

How to sow a pumpkin correctly

Sowing begins with marking the beds and forming holes 40–45 cm deep. For climbing forms, holes are made every 1.5–2 m, and seeds of bush forms are planted in a nesting manner at a distance of 0.8 to 1.2 m.

If for some reason fertilizers were not applied in the fall, then this is done before sowing by pouring ½ bucket of manure into the hole, on top of which 5 cm of soil is distributed.

Several seeds are placed in each hole:

• when sowing large-fruited varieties- from 2 to 5 pieces;
• nutmeg - from 5 to 8.

The seeds are placed at a distance of 3–4 cm, with their beaks down.

The depth of their placement depends on the type of soil:

• for lungs - 5 – 8 cm;
• heavy - 4 – 5 cm.

The area with crops is mulched with peat or humus. Some gardeners cover their crops with film, after making small slits in it to allow air to enter. This speeds up the emergence of seedlings.

Subsequent care of the crop

If sowing is done correctly and quality seeds are used, the first pumpkin sprouts will appear within a week. They need care, which consists of watering, loosening and feeding. During prolonged cloudy weather, additional measures are taken to prevent pest damage and the occurrence of diseases, and artificial pollination is also carried out.

• Watering. Pumpkins are watered frequently and abundantly (10 liters per plant) using water heated in the sun. The amount of moisture is increased as the leaves grow, promoting the evaporation of moisture, until the beginning of flowering. This measure promotes better fruit set.
• Loosening. After germination, regular loosening of the soil is practiced. Directly under the plant - to a depth of 6 - 8 cm, in the row spacing - 12 - 18 cm. After loosening, to give the plants greater stability, the plants are lightly hilled.
• Thinning. Pumpkin seedlings are thinned out twice. The first time - after the growth of the 2nd true leaf, leaving 2 plants in one hole when growing nutmeg and hardbark honeycombs, and one plant for large-fruited varieties. The next thinning is carried out after the appearance of the next pair of leaves. “Excess” plants are cut off at soil level.
• Feeding. To replenish stock nutrients, spent on the formation of large leaves and fruits, the pumpkin is regularly fed using organic fertilizers: infusions of manure or chicken droppings (1:4) or wood ash (1 glass per bucket of water). The first fertilizing is carried out approximately a month after sowing. The infusion is poured into grooves 6–8 cm deep, previously dug in a circle at a distance of 10–12 cm. Similar procedures are repeated weekly, gradually deepening the grooves to 10–12 cm and placing them at a distance of up to 40 cm from the plant. After fertilizing, the furrows are covered with earth.
• Prevention of pests and diseases. During periods of prolonged coolness and frequent rain, the pumpkin weakens and may become sick or be attacked by pests. To strengthen the immune system during such periods, the pumpkin is sprayed with a urea solution: 10 g per 10 liters of water.
• Pollination. If the pumpkin blooms during a period of cloudy weather, then it is pollinated artificially. Rip off male flower(it can be easily distinguished from female flowers by its elongated stem), the petals are torn off and the anthers touch the pistils of the female flowers.

A little knowledge, attention, work - and the pumpkin will delight you with its beautiful and healthy fruits. It will reign not only in the garden bed, but also on the table, supplementing and enriching the diet with useful substances that will help you survive the winter without loss of health.