How to grow a big pumpkin correctly. Proper planting and care of pumpkins in open ground

Only for experienced gardeners, growing pumpkins does not take much effort and time, but to please yourself in the fall good harvest you will have to put in a lot of effort.

When to plant pumpkin?

Pumpkin is a plant that prefers to grow in the sun, so there is no need to plant seeds in cold, unheated soil. Suitable timing It is mid-May, when the soil has warmed up by the sun and spring frosts have passed.

Also, the time of landing is determined by the climate of the region. For example, to plant seeds in northern latitudes Lucky days will be the beginning of June. The beginning of May is suitable for planting the plant in the southern regions. For residents of central Russia, the plant will take root well after the May holidays.

How to plant pumpkin?

Pumpkins are planted using 2 methods: seedlings and open ground. Growing pumpkin seedlings implies the harvesting of plant seeds in the fall. Around the beginning of April, the seeds should be inspected for diseases and should be of a natural color.

For rapid germination, they need to be soaked in warm water a few days. Swollen seeds more actively form roots and begin to grow. Soaked grains are planted in small plastic containers, the bottom of which must have a hole, otherwise moisture will remain in the soil, which leads to rotting of the seeds and the development of many diseases.

The soil should be soft, loose, without the roots of other plants. Grounding is done in the center of the container and filled with water. In order to slightly disinfect the soil, it is good to treat it with a weak infusion of potassium permanganate a couple of hours before planting.

Next, a seed is placed in the middle, lightly sprinkled with soil and watered generously. It is better to place the pots further away from drafts, in a place where there will be a lot of sun, but we must not forget about air humidity and stable watering. If growing pumpkin from seed If done correctly, the first shoots will begin to appear within a week after planting.

Growing pumpkin outdoors even simpler. To do this, you need to choose the right area for planting: where there are few drafts and a lot of light. In this case, it is important to maintain a distance of up to half a meter between seeds. The pumpkin is growing and needs a lot of space.

The bed is formed with a shovel, stones and weeds are removed from the soil. If the land is fertile, then you can do without fertilizing, but if you want to get a bountiful harvest, it would be good to add humus, peat, sawdust and ash to the soil.

Next, the soil must be watered. The seeds of the plant are placed in separate holes, lightly sprinkled with soft soil and also sprinkled with water. Next, the pumpkin needs watering once every 2 days, warm water. The first shoots will begin to appear after a week.

What varieties of pumpkin are best to grow?

Gardeners have established several basic types of pumpkins:

Butternut squash is the most delicious type of pumpkin, containing a lot of useful substances for a person. This species requires warmth and fertilized soil and does not always have time to ripen in northern latitudes, therefore experienced gardeners give advice on growing muscat varieties seedling method. Pumpkins have yellow-brown fruits with voluminous seeds inside. Among the nutmeg varieties, the “Golden Pear” variety stands out - the fruits look more like a huge drop of an orange hue. The pulp is sweetish in taste, fleshy, and has a lot of nutrients. Pumpkin weighing no more than 2 kg is a variety that ripens 3 months after planting. Among muscat varieties, gardeners prefer to grow varieties such as “Arabian” pumpkin, “Vitaminnaya”, “Pearl” and “Gilea”.

Large-fruited type of pumpkin - huge size pumpkins, with a sweet core and soft light seeds inside. Due to their size, many gardeners prefer to grow alternative subspecies of pumpkins, because... for their safety it is necessary large space. Pumpkin variety“Titan” - the name speaks for itself; gardeners grow specimens up to 150 kg! A medium-ripening variety, the pumpkin has a rich orange hue. Sweetish in taste, with fleshy pulp. Ripening occurs 120 days after planting. Its one variety, “Rossiyanka,” brings a regular harvest, the finished fruits are perfectly preserved until cold weather, and have a pleasant aftertaste. Pumpkin weighing 2-6 kg, dark yellow in color with soft and sweet flesh. Among the large-fruited varieties of pumpkins, the following types stand out: “Stofuntovaya”, “Marble”, “Ulybka”, “Kroshka” and “Tsentner”.

Hard-bark types of pumpkins - these varieties are ready for consumption in late summer - early autumn. They are distinguished by creamy shades of fruit, with small seeds, and sweet taste. Just grow Gymnosperm pumpkin varieties. Although its pulp does not have a sweet taste, its seeds grow without a shell, only a transparent thin film is present. “Bulgarka” is a round-shaped variety with light gray or yellowish skin tones. The weight of the fruit is from 3 kg, has a pleasant aftertaste. Of all the tough ones pumpkin varieties especially famous are: “Gribovo bush” pumpkin, “Spaghetti or vermicelli”, “Almond”, “Dachnaya” and “Vesnushka”.

How to care for a pumpkin?

Pumpkin care does not require much effort and does not take much time. Throughout the summer, after the seedlings have sprouted, the pumpkin requires a lot of moisture.

It is better to water it at night, so the water does not evaporate under the rays of the sun, but is absorbed into the ground and nourishes the roots. To retain moisture longer, it is worth covering the pumpkin bushes with mulch or dry grass.

Also, while the bushes are young, the ground around them needs to be loosened - this saturates the soil with oxygen and gives the root system air. In addition, when loosening, weeds are removed near the plant, which can obscure sunlight and take away moisture.

Additional fertilizing pumpkins are needed when the soil on the site is infertile. Humus, barnyard solution, mineral and potash fertilizers are perfect here.

If fertilizers were applied to the hole before planting, then in the summer it is better to forget about them. The plant is unpretentious to feeding and can please a bountiful harvest without additional fertilizers.

Features of growing in a greenhouse and open ground

Grow pumpkin convenient right away in open soil, this method does not take much time, and in terms of the amount of harvest it is not inferior to similar planting methods.

What is worth remembering when growing pumpkins in open ground is regular irrigation of the plant with water. In addition, after the pumpkin has formed the first 5-6 leaves, the bush needs the formation of the main lashes.

Side shoots and established inflorescences are pruned. 3-4 flowers and 5-7 leaves remain on the stem. This way the pumpkin will not waste energy on the growth of the vine, but will begin to form fruits. You can save 2 main shoots, but no more than 4-6 leaves and 3-4 ovaries on each lash.

However, gardeners plant the plant in greenhouses. Pumpkin growing technology Not much different from planting in open ground; plant care is carried out identically.

When the pumpkin forms 5-7 leaves, it must be replanted in open ground, or simply direct the vine to an open space, and root part leave in the greenhouse.

Growing pumpkin closed greenhouse allows you to increase the amount of harvest and speed up its ripening. Applicable this method mainly in northern latitudes.

In the photo, sprouted pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin is a favorite crop of gardeners, special conditions for growing pumpkins no need . In addition, its fruits not only have mass useful properties, but are also perfectly preserved in cold weather.

To grow a pumpkin to the envy of your neighbors, the plant needs to be provided with a growing environment close to its climatic conditions. historical homeland. In the article you will receive comprehensive information about the time, place and planting of healthy vegetables.

Growing pumpkin in 7 steps

Step one: choose a place with suitable lighting

More than anything else, pumpkin loves the sun.

Before you start planting your pumpkin, think about which area in your garden will suit it best. A well-chosen place for growing this vegetable is no less than a guarantee rapid growth and fertility. Abundant lighting is one of the main conditions for the promising growth of pumpkin: it happily bathes in the direct rays of the sun. The tough, spreading leaves of the vegetable are covered with a thick carpet of hairs, which make the plant resistant to sunburn.

Shortage natural light prevents the timely development of the pumpkin, the formation of a sufficient number of flowers, as well as its full pollination by insects. At the same time, the flowers turn pale and lose their aroma, and the shoots grow pale green and thin. Without the green pigment chlorophyll, with the participation of which photosynthesis occurs in plant cells, the vegetable will grow faded and weak. To prevent this from happening, select sunny vegetable well-lit southern slope.

Step two: control the temperature

Only warm, dry soil is suitable for pumpkins.

Pumpkin is a typical representative of the southern plant crops who like real heat. But pumpkin absolutely cannot tolerate low temperatures. Keep this in mind when you start planting vegetables. Make sure the soil is well-drained from spring moisture and warm enough to provide a comfortable growing environment for the crop. Having dropped off pumpkin seeds in the ground, where the temperature does not even reach 14 degrees, you run the risk of never seeing shoots. And in excessively wet soil, the plant will simply rot and die even faster.

Timing for sowing seeds and planting seedlings personal plot depend on the arrival of stable heat in one region or another. Pumpkins begin to be “arranged” when the threat of frost disappears. In places where the weather does not treat the earth with stable and long-lasting warmth, it is more reliable to grow pumpkin through seedlings. It can be planted under the protection of temporary shelter in pre-heated soil in early May. Pumpkin seeds are sown in warm ground under a temporary shelter, which is constructed from polyethylene film or non-woven dense covering.

Step three: prepare the soil for the pumpkin

The bright orange beauty grows well in light, nutritious soil with neutral acidity.

Before we figure out how to plant a pumpkin, let’s figure out what essential characteristics the soil must have for the plant to thrive. We list the indicators of the substrate most suitable for growing pumpkin:

• high nutritional value, with a sufficient mass portion of organic and mineral substances;
• pH in the region of 6.5 -7.0, which indicates weak or neutral acidity;
• good flowability;
• free access of oxygen, which will not allow water to stagnate in the soil and spoil the roots of the plant.

If your soil does not meet any of the criteria listed above, the situation can always be corrected. High acidity of the soil is eliminated with the help of lime or chalk, and soil that is too heavy or clayey is enriched with compost and humus. Of course, it is better to prepare the soil for planting pumpkins in autumn months, but in the case of pumpkins, time is never irretrievably lost, so you can add compost or leaf humus to the soil in the spring. This will give the soil the missing lightness and make it more accessible to moisture and oxygen. If you're not sure your soil has enough nutrients, you can add fertilizer directly to the holes when you plant your pumpkins.

Step four: planting pumpkin through seeds and seedlings

To grow pumpkin, you can use seeds and month-old seedlings.

Those who are dealing with pumpkins for the first time will definitely think about when to plant pumpkin seedlings. The most suitable period for this activity is considered to be the first half of May. As we have already noted, the plant prefers warm soil (from + 16 to + 18 degrees), and is completely devoid of immunity to frost.

Before sowing, pumpkin seeds are heated for 2 - 3 hours at a temperature of at least 60 degrees, then germinated by placing them in several layers of a damp cloth or sawdust for 3 days. A suitable place for this would be a greenhouse or an indoor window sill.

As soon as some of the seeds germinate and the second part sprouts, they are sown in small clay containers no more than 16 cm in diameter. Soil mixture is poured into 2/3 of the container, components which are turf soil, peat and humus in a ratio of 1: 1: 2.

When sowing seeds in prepared soil, sprinkle them on top with the same soil, only first enrich it with a 5% solution of mullein (per bucket) and 10 g of wood ash. Seeds germinate at room temperature, and after germination the temperature is reduced to 14 degrees.

When watering, make sure that the seedlings receive a moderate amount of water - at this stage, excessive moisture can quickly ruin vulnerable seedlings. During the entire period of growing seedlings, it needs to be fed 2 times with mineral and organic fertilizers. To do this, add to 1 bucket of water:

• double superphosphate - 20 g;
• ammonium nitrate- 15 g;
• slurry - 1 l;
• potassium sulfate - 15 g or garden mixture - 50 g.

Up to 0.5 liters of useful solution are consumed per plant. When each bush has 3 fully formed leaves, the seedlings are ready for planting in open ground.

In cool areas where warmth does not come immediately and completely, sending frosts or zero temperatures ahead in May, sunny beauty seedlings are planted at the end of May or June. In this case, the soil must be preheated, and tender shoots should be hidden under temporary shelter.

In order to keep the roots of seedlings intact and guaranteed to protect them from damage after sowing, disposable peat or paper pots are stocked for their germination. This is very convenient, since the fragile bush does not need to be taken out of the container, but planted in the ground along with the pot. Over time the walls peat pot will decompose and let the growing root system into the soil.

You can just as successfully germinate a pumpkin using plastic cups or containers, and many experienced vegetable growers, by the way, prefer just such containers for growing seedlings. They claim that a plant transplanted from such cups quickly grows because its roots do not have an obstacle in the form of the walls of a peat pot, which often turn out to be a serious obstacle for young roots.

For planting, pumpkin seeds are first soaked in warm water or kept for some time in a warm place at temperatures up to 60 degrees. Swollen seeds germinate better.

Regardless of the method of growing pumpkin - seeds or seedlings - holes are dug up to 8 - 10 cm in depth. The distance between the holes depends on the plant variety: at least 125 cm for strongly climbing crops, 85 cm for strongly climbing varieties and 55 cm for bush pumpkin.

Planting pumpkin seeds assumes that there will be 2 - 5 seeds in each hole. Fertilize the soil in the holes with mineral and organic substances in advance, then pour in 1.5 - 2 liters of warm (up to 30 - 40 degrees) water and wait until it is absorbed into the soil. When several sprouts appear in the hole, leave one - the strongest. If frost is suspected, seedlings are hidden under a structure made of agrofabric or plastic film.

Step five: water the pumpkin correctly

Pumpkin is only suitable for moderate watering.

Despite the huge leaves through which strong evaporation of moisture occurs, the pumpkin does not claim to be moisture-loving plant. The plant “hides” strategic reserves of water in its fleshy stems and cuttings, so it is not afraid of long periods of drought. Overwatering only harms the pumpkin - due to the abundance of water, its vegetative parts are attacked by fungal microorganisms and quickly rot.

During periods of drought, watering the vegetable is done with warm water in the evening. Moderate watering has a direct impact on the growth and ripening of the pumpkin: the less water the plant receives, the less watery the pumpkin will be and the greater the concentration of nutrients its pulp will contain. Excessive watering will cause short term storing ripened vegetables in the future. A meager amount of water will only slightly slow down the growth of the pumpkin, while excessive moisture will cause putrefaction of the roots and stems, and the diseased bush will almost always die.

Step six: don’t forget about feeding

We plant pumpkin in open ground only after abundant feeding.

Don’t be afraid to “overfeed” the pumpkin with organic matter - it is always happy with it. Therefore, the plant cannot be denied this pleasure either before planting or during its intensive growth.
The following substances will be excellent organic fertilizers for pumpkin:

• rotted manure;
• compost mass;
• humus;
• chicken droppings;
• humus.

Complex feeding consisting of nitrogen, potassium and phosphates can replenish the plant’s need for minerals. If such a mixture is not at hand, it can be safely replaced with individual components: potassium salt, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate. And the simplest and affordable fertilizer For pumpkin, they consider ordinary ash.
There is another way to feed a pumpkin: in early spring, plant green manure plants where pumpkin seeds or seedlings will later be sown. They will be fertilizers for the vegetable. Until the end of May - mid-June, green manure grows and becomes an excellent basis for growing pumpkins. During the period of vegetative maturation, the plant is fed with solutions organic fertilizers(3 - 4 times a season).

You will get a rich harvest if you successfully select the precursor plants for pumpkin. You should not plant pumpkins on land that previously contained crops of the Cucurbitaceae family. This applies to melons, watermelons, zucchini, cucumbers and squash. Pumpkin will not take root even where representatives of the Solanaceae family grew shortly before: sunflowers, corn, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes. Root vegetables and cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, radishes and lettuce), as well as onions and garlic will contribute to the future pumpkin harvest. The most wonderful pumpkin comes from representatives legumes: Feel free to plant its seedlings in place of peas, china, beans, beans and alfalfa. With the same success, the plant is grown on a pile of old compost.

Step seven: surround the pumpkin with care

When caring for a vegetable, do not forget to periodically pinch it.

After the first few fruits set, pinch back the main stem and other shoots on the maturing plant. However, remember that this must be done before the first days of August, then the young fruits will ripen before the cold weather arrives.
To form strong lateral roots, cover the base of the pumpkin with moist soil. When it rains, the plant especially needs your help - place planks under the fruits that will protect the vegetable from rotting due to the abundant moisture.

Hardened pumpkin bark is a signal that it is time to harvest. To check, you can test the strength of the vegetable: press the peel with your fingernail. If no mark remains, the time has come. The fruits are collected before the first frost, then the pumpkin will be stored longer. Some plant varieties last well until May at low above-zero temperatures (about + 4 - + 8 degrees Celsius).

As you can see, the rules that will help you provide yourself with a bountiful harvest of healthy pumpkin are not at all complicated. With a little effort, you'll have a variety of options on your table most of the year. dietary dishes, prepared from this beautiful juicy vegetable.

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Site requirements

Pumpkin is not capricious, but it loves warmth and light and does not tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, it is better to place the beds with it in a dry and well-warmed area by the sun, where the ground does not cool down much even at night. Perfect option for pumpkins - planting on a compost heap. Here its bushes will be warm and “nice”, especially if you put superphosphate and wood ash (in small quantities) in each hole. For early and abundant fruiting, the plant needs short daylight hours - less than 12 hours.

Suitable areas for pumpkins are those where beds with the following crops grew or were located last season:

• onions;
• cabbage;
• carrots;
• beets;
• soy;
• beans;
• beans;
• peas;
• peanuts;
• lentils

On the soil freed up after harvesting cucumbers, zucchini, squash, sunflowers and melons, the bushes will be less comfortable. It will be possible to plant a pumpkin in the same place only after 5 years.

The quality of the soil determines the size and taste of the future harvest. Pumpkin is capable of growing and bearing fruit even in poor soil, but it will not turn out sweet and large in such conditions. To produce vegetables of impressive size, her bushes will require a lot of nutrients. It is correct to plant plants in loose soil with a neutral reaction, well seasoned with fertilizers.

Preparation of the pumpkin plot begins in the fall. Before digging infertile soil, add compost or manure (3-5 kg ​​per 1 m²). If the soil at the dacha is heavy, add ash (200-300 g). You can replace it with lime without changing the dosage of the substance. Acidic soil is also treated. A mandatory procedure is filling the soil with phosphorus-potassium compounds. The deeper you dig the soil, the better the pumpkin will develop in it.

In spring the area is harrowed. They do this early, when the snow has just melted off. It is important to follow the recommended timing, otherwise the soil may dry out. Subsequently, the soil is lightly loosened, removing weed roots from it. Before placing seeds or pumpkin seedlings in it, it is dug up again, going deeper by 12-18 cm.

If the site was not fertilized in the fall, nutrient compositions - humus (compost), superphosphate, wood ash - are added during planting, adding them to each hole and thoroughly mixing with the soil.

Pre-sowing treatment

To ensure that pumpkin seeds sprout quickly and quickly, they are treated before planting. This is especially important if they were collected a long time ago. Such seeds should be properly checked for germination. For this you will need a solution table salt(at a concentration of 25-30%). Having poured the seed into it, observe it. Quality seeds are heavy and will sink. Empty and unripe - will remain on the surface.

There are a few effective ways pre-sowing preparation pumpkin seeds. The simplest is to soak them and leave them to germinate in a damp environment: sawdust, a piece of cloth or moss, gauze. It will take them a little time to peck - only 3 days. You can warm up or bubble pumpkin seeds. To reduce the risk of plant damage by pests and diseases, planting material pickled for 30 minutes in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

Another option is to put pumpkin seeds in a nutrient solution made from ash or liquid fertilizer from the humate series. You can use a growth stimulant drug. Then they need to be germinated. Having wrapped pumpkin seeds in a damp cloth, they are allowed to lie for 1-2 days in a room where the air is heated to 22-23˚C. The cocoon is not allowed to dry out by regularly sprinkling it with water.

Obtaining seedlings

There are 2 methods of growing pumpkins:

1. through seedlings;
2. sowing seeds directly into the beds.

Which one to choose depends on the type of crop and the climate of the area. Pumpkins are planted using the seedless method mainly in the south. In the middle zone and in regions where summers are even shorter and colder (in Leningrad region, in the Urals, in Siberia), when sown in open ground, its fruits often do not have time to ripen.

The gymnospermous variety of pumpkin requires a special approach. If the spring is cold and rainy, its seeds in the beds will rot without sprouting. Butternut pumpkin, which is loved by summer residents for its sweet taste and impressive size of the fruit, is also grown through seedlings. Particularly popular among them are the Pearl Muscat and Muscat de Provence varieties.

In separate containers: plastic cups, peat pots. They should be wide - 10-15 cm in diameter. A fertile mixture of three components is poured onto the bottom of the container:

• humus;
• turf land;
• peat

Take them in a ratio of 2:1:1. The container is only half filled. A hatched pumpkin seed is placed on top, sprinkled with the same substrate, but with spilled mullein solution (5%) and supplemented with wood ash (10-15 g). Having moistened the soil mixture well, cover the container with film. This pumpkin planting is carried out in April-May. The exact timing is determined by the planned date of placing the plants in the beds: seeds are sown in containers 20-25 days before it.

Caring for seedlings and planting in the ground

Pumpkin seeds need two conditions to germinate:

• plenty of light (excluding direct rays of the sun);
• warmth (the air temperature in the room with seedlings should be within 25-27˚C).

When shoots appear, it is reduced to 15-20˚C during the daytime and to 12-13˚C at night. Otherwise, the pumpkin seedlings will stretch out. But you can fight this too. When they are 7-10 days old, the section of the stem located under the cotyledons is twisted into a ring, and moist soil is poured on top. If everything is done correctly, the seedling will be underground up to the cotyledon leaves.

Pumpkin seedlings require moderate watering. The soil in containers must not be allowed to become waterlogged. Feed young pumpkins twice before planting them in the beds. The nutritional composition is prepared on the basis of mullein, ammonium sulfate and phosphorus-potassium preparations.

By the time they are placed in open ground, the seedlings must produce at least 3 true leaves. Before planting the pumpkin in the beds, it is hardened off for 5-10 days. After placing the containers with plants on the balcony or veranda, open the window. At first, ventilation is short-lived (1-1.5 hours), but this time is increased every day. At the end of hardening, the window is kept open constantly.

Seedlings are planted in the same way as pumpkin seeds, but the depth of the hole is increased. The root system of the plants should completely enter it and be 8-10 cm below the ground level. Pour 1.5-2 liters into the hole hot water, wait until it is absorbed, and then transfer the seedling without disturbing the soil coma. The voids are filled with soil and compacted well. The surface of the bed is mulched. You can even use dry soil for this. Its task is to prevent the formation of soil crust and retain moisture.

Sowing in the beds

Planting pumpkins in open ground will become possible when the ground warms up to 12-13˚C to a depth of 7-8 cm. This usually happens in mid-May. Having made a wide (70 cm) bed for the pumpkin, mark holes on it. Correctly, if they are located at a distance of 1 m from each other. Their diameter is made equal to 30 cm, and the row spacing is 2 m.

It will be more convenient to care for the plantings if you arrange the holes in a checkerboard pattern.

Having generously moistened each hole with hot (about 50˚C) water and waited for it to be completely absorbed, lay out 2-3 pumpkin seeds, leaving more free space between them. The planting depth is determined by the structure of the soil. On medium loams, pumpkin seeds are covered with fertile substrate to a depth of 5-6 cm. If the ground is light, the thickness of its layer is increased to 8-10 cm.

After mulching the holes with humus or peat, they are covered with film. To fix it, earth is poured along the edges. This will make pumpkin shoots appear faster. They will have to wait about a week. When the sprouts emerge from the soil, the cover is removed.

At the stage of 2 true leaves, the seedlings are thinned, leaving a maximum of 2 of them if the pumpkin is nutmeg or hard-barked. Having chosen large-fruited crop varieties (Zorka, Ulybka, Konfetka) for cultivation on the plot, you will have to limit yourself to one plant per hole. It is not recommended to pull out excess seedlings - there is a high risk of injuring the root system of those remaining in the garden. It is better to cut them flush with the soil. If the threat of frost persists, the seedlings are placed under the film, stretching it over a wire frame or arches.

Alternative cultivation

If the size of the plot does not allow you to allocate a plantation for spreading pumpkin vines, this is not a reason to refuse to grow the crop. You can plant seedlings in a barrel. Old containers without a bottom are ideal for these purposes. In new barrels, you will need to make holes on the sides and bottom to avoid moisture stagnation. Hanging pumpkin vines can be injured by the weight of the harvest. sharp edges and even break. A regular rubber hose will protect them from this. It is cut in half and placed on the edge of the barrel.

The outside walls of the container are painted dark color. This way they will heat up more and will not rust. Having placed the barrel in a sunny place, it is filled with biomass, creating a kind of warm bed. Thin branches, paper, weeds with powerful roots, thick grass stems - any organic matter that rots slowly. Place on top what will quickly turn into compost: leaves, grass, tops vegetable crops. This is how a barrel for planting pumpkins is prepared in the fall.

If this is done in the spring, half-rotted organic matter from the compost heap, humus, sod or fresh grass are placed in it. All this is carefully compacted. When there is no more space left in the barrel, its contents are watered generously, first with water, and then with a solution of a special preparation that contains effective microorganisms. Over the course of a month, they will break down organic residues into nutrients, making it easier for the pumpkin to absorb them. This explains the timing of the procedure - the end of April and the first days of May. As long as the bacteria work, the pumpkin seedlings will grow to the desired size.

Instead of a barrel you can use car tires, placing them on top of each other.

Basics of agricultural technology

Pumpkin seedlings placed in beds need frequent watering. They carry it out every day until they finally take root in the new place. After this, watering is reduced to a minimum. IN rainy summer you can do without it completely.

When the ovaries begin to resemble a fist in size, the pumpkin bushes will again need a lot of moisture. During this period, water the plantings once a week, spending 1 bucket of water per bush. Abundant moisture is especially important for pumpkin on hot days. Before harvesting, stop watering the plantings. If you neglect this recommendation, the fruits will be stored worse. Their taste will also suffer: they will become less sweet.

Pumpkin responds well to loosening the soil. It is advisable to carry them out after each moistening, while simultaneously removing weeds. They begin to loosen the soil from the moment the seedlings appear, going 6-8 cm deep into it under the bushes. The soil between the rows is cultivated more intensively - 12-18 cm. It is better to do this before it is moistened, then the water will flow to the roots of the plants faster. When loosening, it is recommended to hill up the pumpkin bushes a little. This technique will make them more stable.

The plantings are fed frequently - every 1-1.5 weeks. The nutritional composition is prepared from mullein (1 l) and nitrophoska (2 tbsp. l). They are mixed in 10 liters of water. 1.5 buckets of solution are poured under an adult bush. The first feeding begins when a week has passed since the seedlings were placed in the beds. If the pumpkin seeds were planted directly into the ground, you need to count 3 weeks from the date of the procedure. During this period, it is better to water the plants with manure or chicken droppings diluted 4 times with water. Another fertilizer option is wood ash(1 glass of substance per 10 liters of water).

Before the first feeding, shallow (6-8 cm) grooves are made around the pumpkin seedlings, 10-12 cm away from the plants. The nutritional composition is poured into them. Subsequently, the depth of the grooves is increased by 4 cm, digging them at a distance of 40 cm from the bushes. After applying fertilizer, the grooves are covered with earth.

Bush formation

The most important thing in caring for a pumpkin is to form the bush correctly. When the length of its main stem is 1.3-1.5 m, it will need to be pinched. Of the numerous side shoots, only 2 are left, removing the excess ones. They should reach 60-70 cm in length. In order for the pumpkin to ripen large, the ovaries are rationed: one for each shoot.

The fruits will fill faster if you press the vines to the ground. This is done using a small wooden spear or wire. Soil is poured on top of the shoot. Optimal thickness its layer is 6-7 cm. Additional roots form underground on the shoots. To prevent ripening pumpkins from getting dirty in the ground and being affected by rot, glass or a piece of plywood is placed under the fruit.

If the pumpkin is decorative, its shoots will need support. Growing quickly, they can easily camouflage old buildings, poles, sheds, fences on the site, entwining a gazebo or trellis, creating a secluded green corner. But the lashes of such plants are heavy, so you need to choose a reliable support for them. Organic formulations are more suitable for feeding them. Otherwise decorative variety crops are grown in the same way as ordinary ones.

Pumpkin, planting and caring for which will require minimal skills from the summer resident, is a very rewarding plant. With proper agricultural technology, it can feed its tasty and useful fruits more than one family. Despite the heat-loving culture, it is grown almost everywhere. Even in conditions unsuitable for pumpkin in Siberia and the Leningrad region, its bushes will be able to bear a harvest. You just need to arrange warm beds and prepare high-quality seedlings.

In central Russia and in other territories with a similar climate, varieties of pumpkin grow: large-fruited and hard-barked. Butternut squash grows in the southern regions. Sometimes there is a gourd pumpkin. Growing pumpkins in open ground is not as difficult a process as inexperienced gardeners imagine it to be.

Pumpkin - everyone knows annual plant, having a powerful root system, wide leaves, long strong stems. The tap root can penetrate three meters into the soil, and the lateral roots spread over an area of ​​up to four meters, in search of moisture and nutrition.

The stem of the plant “creeps” from the base by more than seven meters. Pumpkin has large yellow or yellow-orange flowers, which are arranged singly (the plant is dioecious). On the main stem, starting from the tenth leaf onwards, fruits are formed.

Pumpkin varieties and their characteristics

What does pumpkin like?

Pumpkin loves warmth and does not tolerate cold combined with dampness.

Important! The temperature that pumpkin seeds need to germinate is up to +30° C. At lower temperatures they will germinate for a very long time and slowly. And at less than +10° C they will not sprout at all.

The entire growing season for pumpkins takes place at optimal temperature+25° C. In this case, it grows rich orange flesh, aromatic, dense but juicy, and a wide leaf apparatus (up to 40 m² per plant).

Pumpkin loves moisture, without a sufficient amount of which they cannot form as much as possible. large fruits. If the pumpkin is struck by drought at the beginning of flowering, the flowers may fall off and the ovary will not form.

Pumpkin is a light-loving crop. It must be grown in sunny and windless areas (ideally melon).

How to grow pumpkin from seeds

The easiest way to grow pumpkins is to use traditional by seed method sowing. Only the seeds must be prepared for sowing.

It all starts with the choice of seed raw materials. You need to take only the largest seeds of selected quality for sowing. Thin, puny, dry, or incomplete ones should be discarded. Calibrated seeds begin to be prepared for sowing.

Seed preparation

The best way to prepare for sowing pumpkin seeds is to germinate them. This process is continued until the seeds hatch. To germinate, pumpkin seeds are immersed in water at a stable temperature of +40° C (up to +50° C is permissible, below forty is not allowed). The seeds should remain in this state for at least three hours.

Advice! How to achieve this temperature? Place the bowl with the germinated seeds on a radiator or other heating device, place it in a yogurt maker or multicooker in the “Yogurt” mode.

Then the swollen seeds are wrapped in a well-moistened cotton cloth and left at the temperature of the living room until they peck. The fabric must be checked and moistened again all the time so that the seeds do not dry out.

Because pumpkin heat-loving plant, recommended, especially in middle climatic zone, increase the cold resistance of seeds before sowing. To do this, after pecking, they must continue to be kept in a damp cloth, but in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, for three to five days.

Due to the heat-loving nature, you should not sow seeds in open ground; it is better to grow pumpkin seedlings first.

Growing pumpkin seedlings

Seedlings are needed in order to obtain a plentiful and early harvest. And also so that the hatched seeds do not die from the cold if sowing is carried out at a time when cold snaps are still possible. It is not necessary to grow seedlings at home - you can do this in a special nursery or mini-greenhouse. But it is best, “under supervision,” to grow pumpkin seedlings on the southern windowsill of the apartment. At room temperature, which is still closer to the expected pumpkin +30 ° C than the temperature in spring greenhouse, the process will go faster and better.

Important! Despite their powerful and robust appearance, pumpkin seedlings do not tolerate transplantation well. Therefore, it is better to grow seedlings in peat pots.

To grow seedlings, you will need peat humus or ordinary pots measuring at least 10x10 cm in quantities half as large as the number of seeds. There is no need to try to grow a “pumpkin forest”, remember the 40 m² feeding area that a pumpkin can cover. Two plants, with enough spacious accommodation, large quantities warmth, light and moisture, with regular fertilizing will give a larger harvest of fruits in quantity and size than ten located in the same space.

Important! Pumpkin seedlings should spend at least three weeks at home or in a greenhouse before planting in the ground. Therefore, seeds are sown based on this calendar indicator.

Soil for seedlings

Pumpkin seeds are sown in ordinary fertile seedling soil consisting of peat and sand. No special additives are required. There is also no need to add fertilizers to the soil. If you are growing seeds in peat pots, simply fill them with soil. When grown in plastic container, pour 3 cm of sawdust onto the bottom.

Sowing seeds

The seeds, germinated in the manner described above and hardened, are sown in pots in pairs. Later, the weak seedling can be removed by simply pinching off the stem. Sowing depth is 2 cm. The seeds are covered with peat. Watering is carried out before and after sowing.

During the first three days after sowing, the temperature should be +25° C...+30° C.

Seedling care

Shoots should appear on the fourth day. After this, the temperature must be reduced and maintained within +18° C...+25° C for a week, then reduced again to +15° C...+18° C. This is necessary so that the pumpkin seedlings do not stretch out and grow strong and squat .

Watering of seedlings is carried out regularly, but it should not be excessive. Stagnation of water is prohibited. Ideal soil moisture and air humidity will contribute to the formation of hardy and abundantly fruiting pumpkin plants in the future.

Two weeks after germination, fertilizing is carried out. To do this, mullein needs to be diluted in a ratio of 1:10 with water and poured into each pot, or under each plant in the greenhouse, 100 ml of nutrient solution after watering. If there is no mullein, fertilizing is carried out with nitrophoska according to the instructions.

Video - Growing pumpkin seedlings

Readiness and disembarkation

Properly grown seedlings look like this:

• low stem, thick and strong;
• short internodes;
• three well-developed true leaves with a rich green color.

In this state, pumpkin seedlings can be planted in open ground under temporary film cover on the 22nd day after sowing germinated seeds in pots.

Before planting, the holes are watered with hot water. If the seedlings are in a peat humus container, they do not need to be removed, just slightly destroy the walls and bottom of the pot.

After planting, the plants are watered with warm water and protected with a film cover until the onset of consistently warm weather.

Soils suitable for growing pumpkins

This plant is most suitable for fertile soil, which has a fairly loose structure and is well heated. It is on such land that pumpkin fruits will reach record sizes.

Important! The worst thing for a pumpkin to grow is when it is damp and clay soil. Acidic soils They are not categorically suitable for the plant - they must be treated with lime (liming for the predecessor) or wood ash must be added.

When growing pumpkins summer cottage Please try to comply with the following requirements.

1. Disembarkation from south side at home along a wall or fence. The building and fence will protect from the wind during the day and release the heat accumulated during the day to the plants at night.
2. Pumpkin lashes may well be directed at the wall of a house, a fence, or the roof of a barn. Closer to the sun the fruits will ripen better.
3. If there is a compost heap on the south side of the plot, it is ideal to plant the pumpkin near it, with the vines directed there.

Soil preparation

To successfully grow a pumpkin, in the fall, after removing the predecessors, you need to start preparing the soil.

1. Apply organic matter and mineral fertilizer (5 kg of humus, 15 g of potassium chloride and twice as much superphosphate per m²) to a clean area freed from plants and weeds. If there is no humus, you can add manure in the fall - 7 kg per m².
2. Dig the area 20 cm deep.
3. To lighten the soil structure, if necessary, add river sand(large grain) and peat.
4. Deoxidize the soil with wood ash.
5. Loosen, mix if possible, pour hot water over it.

Upper in spring soil layer There is no need to dig, just remove the emerging weeds and level the area with a rake. The soil should be in this condition from March to May - the time of planting pumpkin seedlings.

Two days before planting the grown seedlings, the soil in the garden bed must be dug up to 12 cm (half a shovel length), ammonium nitrate added - 20 g per m² and holes made.

On light-textured soil, the holes can be shallow - up to 25 cm. If the soil is heavy, the depth of the hole should reach 40 cm. A little compost and a layer of dry leaves are placed at the bottom.

The distance between plants in a regular garden is about a meter. If possible, it can be doubled.

Predecessors of pumpkin

This question is relevant because culture is demanding of its predecessors.

Pumpkin care

Pumpkin does not need careful and specialized care, but there are some activities that should not be neglected if you want to get big harvest large fruits.

Watering

The main maintenance measure is adjusting watering. The pumpkin, like a pump, pumps out all the moisture from the ground and then evaporates it through the leaves. Thus, little gets to the roots and stems. Therefore, the moisture level in the soil must constantly be replenished.

Advice! The pumpkin needs to be watered especially generously when it starts flowering and fruiting on a large scale. The water temperature should not be lower than +20°C (warmed up in the sun). Under no circumstances should you water the pumpkin with cold water in the heat - the plants may die.

After watering, every other time you need to loosen the soil near the base of the stem. Weed out weeds as they grow.

Top dressing

You need to feed the pumpkin often, otherwise you won’t be able to get large fruits. The first fertilizing in open ground is after the formation of the fifth leaf. The second is when lashes begin to form. Then every two weeks.

You can feed with nitrophoska, starting with 10 g per plant and increasing the dose by 5 g with each feeding. You can add dry granules or prepare a solution.

During the fruiting period, a glass of ash is added to each feeding.

You can feed the pumpkin throughout the growing season with mullein solution.

The plant is formed into one stem, or at least two - this promotes high yield. To do this, after excess shoots appear on the sides, they are all removed, and excess ovaries are also plucked out, leaving no more than three on each lash.

By the way! On second-order shoots, a pumpkin can produce fruits after the second leaf, but they will grow small and tasteless, so it’s worth pinching the plant’s shoots.

Video - Pumpkin: growing and pinching

Powder

Another agrotechnical technique that promotes yield is sprinkling with vines. Once the lashes have reached a meter in length, they must be carefully untangled, laid in a given direction and sprinkled with earth in two or three places. This is done so that the wind does not break the vines and leaves, tearing off the ovary. But the main thing is that in the internodes pressed to the ground, additional roots are formed that will nourish the plants and contribute to the increase in fruits.

A few more tricks

1. Whips that have climbed onto a fence or roof must be controlled. When the pumpkins begin to ripen, secure them by placing them in regular string bag nets and securing them with additional fasteners. Otherwise, heavy fruits will roll down, breaking off the stems.
2. It is undesirable, especially in wet weather, for the fruits to lie on bare ground. When they reach medium size, place planks or other “breathable” material under them.

Video - How to properly grow and care for pumpkins