Muscat pumpkin. Description of the fragrant nutmeg gourd of the pearl variety

One of the most valuable plants that grow in many gardens are representatives of Pumpkin. Today they are represented by a wide variety of varieties that differ in taste and care features. Muscat pearl pumpkin is very popular. It is known for its fragrant flesh and easy cultivation.

This is a powerful plant that forms about 4-7 lateral lashes. They have medium sized leaves. They are dark green in color with a slight white blotch. The leaf plate is not dissected and pentagonal.

To get a ripe crop after planting seeds in the ground, about 100-110 days should pass. Although it often takes about 115-130 days for full ripening. The variety forms fruits, which are referred to as false berries.

Pumpkins of this variety have the following description:

• cylindrical-round shape. However, there are round and oval pumpkins with a pronounced ribbed structure;
• peel has a bright orange. This color of the skin acquires due to the high content of carotenes. During the ripening period, the color of the peel changes its color from gray-green to greenish-orange;
• the skin is flexible and thin;
• the pulp is thick. It is soft and juicy. All Muscat species are characterized by a fibrous structure of the pulp. It usually has an orange-yellow hue.

The fruits are large. The average weight is often in the order of 8 kg. Pumpkins reach a length of 50 cm. It is worth noting that this variety has a small seed nest.

The fruits have an excellent taste, which led to the variety of such a high popularity. Many gardeners claim that its taste is the best of all members of the Pumpkin family. Berries are often used in cooking for various dishes.

The characteristics of the variety include the following parameters:

• good yield;
• cold resistance;
• drought resistance.

Harvesting is carried out in dry and sunny weather. When removing pumpkins from the beds, it is not allowed to break off the tail up to its base. The tail should be at least 5-10 cm long. After separation from the bush, the berries should be in the sun for 3-4 days (weather permitting).

The fruits, if they were picked correctly, are able to tolerate long-term transportation well. While creating favorable conditions(warm and dry) they can be stored for a long period of time. It is not recommended to store them in the basement. Here the crop will be covered with mold and rot. When storing berries for more than 6 months, there is a significant deterioration in their quality.

The variety can be grown both for sale and for personal use.

Growing Features

This variety of pumpkin requires certain conditions in terms of cultivation. They must be adhered to in order to remove a rich harvest of delicious fruits from the bushes at the end of the season.

For the cultivation of this variety, well-lit areas are chosen, which warm up quickly in the spring. The plant does not tolerate drafts, so the site must be protected from strong winds. It is best that the soil in the chosen place be light loamy or sandy loam.

Sowing seeds is carried out at the end of May, but planting is allowed seed and early June. It is recommended to prepare the seeds before planting. To do this, they are soaked in potassium permanganate. The seeds are also treated with a contact-type fungicide (prevention of many diseases).

The holes are dug at a distance of 1–1.4 m. A distance of 1.4 m is observed between adjacent beds. Two seeds are placed in each hole. The depth of their occurrence is 5–6 cm. Their active development begins at +18–25 degrees.

After the appearance of sprouts on the bed, they are thinned out. Good growth of young plants will provide proper care. In the case of a cold summer, pruning of the stems is performed. There should be no more than three left. The top is cut off when the shoot reaches a length of 0.5 m. This will stimulate the development of side shoots.

Branching internodes must be sprinkled with moist soil. This procedure is performed 2-3 times during the season. As a result, a sufficient number of adventitious roots are formed, which leads to the active development of the vegetative part. It is on it that the harvest is formed.

In order for pollination to be successful, air humidity at the level of 60-70%, as well as a temperature of +20 degrees, is necessary.

Despite the good resistance of plants to drought, the pumpkin responds well to irrigation. Watering is carried out under the root. Watering is especially important during the period of active formation of inflorescences by plants, as well as during flowering and fruit set.

Watering is reduced after the bush has formed the bulk of the ovaries. Otherwise, excess moisture will noticeably worsen the quality of ripened pumpkins.

As you can see, caring for this pumpkin is simple and does not require a significant investment of time and effort. Therefore, the variety can be grown by novice gardeners.

Variety advantages

Pumpkin Muscat Pearl in its description of the variety contains the following list of advantages:

• high yields;
• the ability of plants to tolerate drought and low temperatures;
• excellent taste qualities of pumpkins;
• good fruit transportability;
• excellent appearance of the crop;
• high concentration of carotenes in fruits;
• large-fruitedness. With proper care, pumpkins get a lot of weight.

The fruits of this variety are used in folk medicine. They help in the treatment of diseases of the liver, kidneys, gallbladder, gout, etc.

The variety has no obvious shortcomings. Pumpkin Pearl has a lot of advantages and needs very simple care. Therefore, it is very often grown in domestic gardens.

Video "All you need to know about pumpkin"

From this video you will learn what every gardener needs to know about pumpkin.

In a large family of gourds, nutmeg squash occupies a special place. Due to its excellent taste and benefits, it can be called a real queen, especially since special conditions must be created to grow such a pumpkin. But with the knowledge of the basic methods of agricultural technology, you can grow a nutmeg beauty in any region, and please yourself and loved ones with an amazing vegetable.

A bit about pumpkin and history

In the wild, this variety of pumpkin grows in the countries of Central America - in Mexico, Peru, Colombia. The fruits may have different shape and color, respectively, and mass:

• cylindrical;
• oval;
• pepper-shaped;
• rounded.

Most often, an elongated nutmeg pumpkin is grown in open ground, as well as "cylinders" and "pears". In all of them, the stalk has a special five-sided shape. The weight is different, from 1 to 8-10 kg, there are also giant specimens reaching 100 kg.

The peel is bending, thin. Inside, almost the entire pumpkin is filled with pulp, the seed chambers are very small and compactly located in one place. The pulp is juicy, fibrous, tender, has an orange color. Different varieties may have shades: cream, amber, dark yellow. The taste is sweet, a very pleasant aroma of nutmeg is felt.

On a note!

It is believed that the best taste butternut squash small sizes.

Muscat pumpkin has various names: “butternut”, “walnut”, “moskhata” and others, but regardless of its name, this culture has earned popularity among gardeners. In the Russian regions, a large one does not grow, after all, this vegetable is thermophilic, but with good care and sowing through seedlings in open ground, you can get pumpkins up to 5-7 kg (depending on the variety).

Useful properties of pumpkin

Besides the fact that the orange beauty is unbelievable delicious vegetable, it also has numerous useful properties. The pulp of nutmeg pumpkin contains in large quantities:

• vitamins A, C, B, B6, E, K and others;
• potassium, magnesium, manganese.

The vegetable is a dietary, low-calorie, widely used in baby food. In terms of carotene content, pumpkin is “ahead” of carrots, so it must be eaten by those who have vision problems.

Pumpkin fruits - false berries, help to remove harmful toxins from the human body, contribute to the healing of the kidneys, slow down the aging process of the body. It is useful to eat a delicious vegetable to improve blood clotting, people suffering from heart disease, as well as those who wish to increase immunity.

And, of course, butternut squash has found application in cooking. Its pulp is best consumed fresh, using in salads. Mashed potatoes, various side dishes and cereals are delicious, and you can also make excellent pancakes from pumpkin contents. Muscat pumpkin is stuffed in small sizes, and you can take vegetables or meat as a filling. Pumpkin pies, halva and candied fruits are popular.

Features of choosing a place for a pumpkin

Since this type of pumpkin “came” to our region from warm continents, special conditions are needed to grow vegetables in open ground. Butternut squash is very demanding on heat, so gardeners in the middle lane and more northern regions need not only to select early ripening varieties, but also to grow vegetables through seedlings.

For planting, you need to choose sunny areas, while it is better to make high ridges. So the nutmeg "southerner" will be warmer and more comfortable. The ridges should be covered by the sun all day long, protected from the winds. The best soils- light, loamy, without stagnant moisture.

On a note!

Pumpkin grows best on ridges where green manure, legumes, cabbage or onions were grown before. You can not plant nutmeg (like other types of pumpkin) in areas after cucumbers, melons, potatoes.

It is better to prepare the bed in the fall, then you can add fresh manure. If the work was not carried out in the fall, then in the spring they dig up the site, introducing rotted compost or last year's mullein, you can also add superphosphate.

Growing and caring for butternut squash

Taking care of seedlings

In most Russian regions, this pumpkin is grown in seedlings. To do this, you first need to prepare the seeds, as well as containers for seedlings and soil.

Sowing dates are approximately the end of April, although it is necessary to take into account the climatic features of the region. It is believed that pumpkin seedlings should be 3-4 weeks old, strong and healthy. So, based on this, you need to choose the right time for sowing seeds for seedlings.

1. Before planting, the seeds must be soaked in a pink solution of potassium permanganate, in time - for about 30 minutes.
2. Then they are soaked in any growth stimulator.
3. Next, you need to rinse the seeds, decompose into damp cloth for germination.

Sprouted seeds are placed in pots with a soil mixture, two in each. Pots should have a diameter of at least 10 cm, so it will be more convenient to transplant later.

You can cover the containers with foil and put them in a dark and warm place. But as soon as sprouts appear from the ground, the pumpkin is transferred to the illuminated window sills and the shelter is removed. Usually the seeds germinate very quickly and it is important to keep the plants from shading so that they do not stretch.

If sowing was carried out two seeds per pot, then after a while one is cut off, leaving the strongest and strongest. After two weeks, if the weather allows, you can take out pumpkin seedlings to the loggia or balcony, hardening it. But it is necessary to control the temperature and prevent its sudden changes. Pumpkin is a very heat-loving plant, and it is not worth exposing it to stress in the form of cold.

When caring for seedlings, it is necessary to water them regularly, since under the sun the soil in pots can dry out quickly.

Usually, by the end of May - the beginning of June, the soil on the ridges warms up, and the seedlings can already be transplanted to a permanent place. When planting, the soil temperature must be at least + 10ºC, otherwise the seedlings will get sick and may die.

The planting pattern in the open field is chosen arbitrarily, but we must remember that there should be a distance of at least 60 cm between seedlings. Muscat pumpkin, like other types of melons, needs space and a large feeding area.

pumpkin care

The agrotechnics of this culture is simple, there are no specific and complex methods. After planting seedlings, it is recommended to cover the pumpkin with non-woven material, this will protect young seedlings from the hot rays of the sun, and save them from recurrent frosts.

Care includes:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• weeding.

Weeding

It is especially important to remove weeds in the first weeks after planting seedlings, until the pumpkins themselves have come into full force. Later, when the plants get stronger, form whips, and the leaves begin to cover the nearby space, the weeds will stop growing on their own, so you only need to slightly loosen the soil.

watering

The plant in the open field tolerates drought well, but will thank the harvest if regular watering is provided. Only in this case, the vegetable will grow intensively, and the fruits will pour. Before the appearance of the ovaries, it is watered once every 7 days, later - at least once every 10-14 days.

Adult plants "drink" at least five liters, while the water should not fall on the leaves of the vegetable.

Muscat pumpkin is watered only with settled and warm water, the temperature is not less than + 18-20ºC.

Loosening is required, as this contributes to the saturation of the soil with oxygen.

top dressing

Pumpkins respond well to the introduction of mullein, ash, so you should feed the nutmeg beauties several times a season. Recommended:

• for the first feeding, use mullein infusion (diluted with water 1:10), and you can also add about 25-40 grams of superphosphate;
• for the second top dressing (already during the flowering of the pumpkin), complex fertilizer is used, as well as potassium sulfate or ash.

During the flowering period, as well as the ripening of fruits, organic matter is excluded from top dressing.

On a note!

It is effective to use green “tea” for top dressing: insist nettle in a barrel (about 7-10 days) and water the plants with this infusion.

Typically, such fertilizers are used by gardeners who prefer to do without "chemistry" when growing vegetables.

Pumpkin pollination

Another point: pumpkins are not self-pollinating plants, and therefore bees or bumblebees are needed to “help” transfer pollen from the male flower to the female. But you should not count on such pollination, so it is recommended to do the procedure manually.

To do this, they find a male flower with a stamen covered with pollen (usually it is the “muzhiks” who begin to bloom earlier), carefully remove the petals from it, and then touch the stigma of the stigma of the female flower with the stamen.

On a note!

The procedure is best done early in the morning when there is no heat of the day.

Determining where the male and female flowers are is very simple. The female flower immediately below it has a slight thickening - the future fruit, while the male flowers do not have this, and immediately after the pedicel there is a stalk.

plant formation

If you want to get large and sweet fruits, then you need to properly form pumpkin bushes. There can be many ovaries on one plant, but it is impossible to provide everyone with food. Therefore, in order for pumpkins to grow and ripen well, they leave no more than two or three pumpkins on one bush. All other ties are removed.

The stems are pinched (about 50 cm after the ovary), excess shoots are removed. Also, to improve nutrition, powder the stems. What need to do? Gently straighten the pumpkin lashes, and sprinkle them with soil in several places. The stems will give roots that will additionally feed the bush.

pumpkin harvesting

Stop watering pumpkins two weeks before harvest. Also, if necessary, you can cover the plants with non-woven material.

The pumpkin is harvested starting from the end of August, but again, it all depends on the conditions of a particular area. Butternut squash does not tolerate even the slightest drop in temperature, so it is advisable to remove the fruits before possible cold snaps.

Pumpkins are removed only in dry weather, carefully cutting off the fruit with a pruner. The stalk is left, the “tail” is about 3-4 cm.

When harvesting, it is necessary to handle the fruits very carefully, trying not to damage the thin skin of the nutmeg pumpkin. Only fruits with a whole skin and a stalk with a “tail” will be stored for a long time.

This variety of pumpkin, under the right conditions, can perfectly "survive" until spring. The best temperature for storage is + 12ºC, although nutmeg is not bad at room temperature. Many believe that the longer this pumpkin is stored, the better and tastier the fruit pulp will be.

How to deal with diseases and pests of pumpkin

Sweet butternut squash is not only popular with people. If the rules for growing and crop rotation are not followed, the plants are affected by spider mites, as well as melon aphids.

Therefore it is necessary:

• plant plants according to the scheme, avoiding dense plantings;
• regularly weed the beds;
• loosen the earth.

If pests are found, you will have to use special preparations that are purchased in specialized stores. From folk remedies recommended:

• soap solution (200 grams of laundry soap shavings are taken for a bucket of water);
• infusion of wormwood.

Slugs, which usually appear on rainy and cool days, can cause great damage. It is effective to apply against them the treatment of plants with ash, tobacco dust, spray the plants with infusions of chamomile, wormwood, garlic.

Of the diseases, the most dangerous are:

• white rot (treatment with a solution of copper sulfate helps);
• bacteriosis (for prevention, treatment with copper chloride is used).

With white rot, you can also sleep the damaged areas with crushed charcoal, fluffy lime.

Butternut squash varieties

Breeders are working to develop new varieties of nutmeg pumpkin, and today a fairly large varietal diversity this vegetable.

Pearl (Pumpkin Muscat Pearl)

It is a mid-late variety, forms large fruits from 5 to 8 kg. Pumpkins have the shape of a rounded cylinder, the peel is orange when fully ripe. The pulp is juicy, amber hue. Small seed nest. The description of the variety will be incomplete if you do not add that many gardeners consider the Pearl the most delicious of all nutmeg pumpkins.

Marble

Mid-late variety, famous for its excellent taste. The fruits are large, round, slightly flattened. They can grow with good care up to 10 kg, on average - 5-6 kg. The color of the skin is greenish-gray, the flesh is orange, juicy. Marble pumpkin is grown in various regions of Russia.

Prikubanskaya

A fairly popular variety that stands out in a large number of nutmeg pumpkins due to its relative precocity. Before maturation, about 100-105 days pass from the germination period.

Pumpkin Prikubanskaya has cylindrical fruits, on average they weigh up to 3-4 kg. The pulp is orange, juicy, tasty.

To get a good harvest, you need to use quality seeds. The most productive varieties can be ordered on the official website "Gardens of Russia". Large selection of varieties for every taste.

Muscat de Provence

Another amazing variety of nutmeg pumpkin, which stands out for its beautiful fruits with pronounced grooves.

Muscat Provence pumpkin belongs to the middle-late group of varieties; a period of almost 115 days is required before ripening. The skin, like the pulp, has an orange color, thin. This variety contains in fruits a record a large number of carotene, and is also resistant to many pumpkin diseases. Used to make juices and purees.

Marina from Chioggia (Mirani di Chioggia)

Pumpkin Marina from Kyoja impresses not only with excellent taste, but also with the original appearance of the fruit. They have a rounded, slightly flattened shape, skin color - from gray to greenish-blue. Weight reaches 8-12 kg. The pulp is juicy, sweet, bright orange. The pulp of this pumpkin lacks the characteristic vegetable crops astringency. The fruits are used fresh, for the preparation of candied fruits, cakes, various desserts.

golden pear

An early ripe variety of nutmeg pumpkin, characterized by disease resistance, productivity and the possibility of long-term storage of fruits.

Pumpkins have an original teardrop shape, they are small in weight, up to 2-3 kg. The color of the skin is yellow, the flesh is orange, full-time, with a characteristic nutty aroma. The Golden Pear pumpkin is one of the new selections, but it has already proven itself among gardeners.

honey guitar

Large-fruited variety of nutmeg pumpkin, mid-late. Pumpkin varieties Honey guitar has the shape of a mace (see photo), the fruits reach a weight of up to 12-15 kg. The skin is grayish-brown, the flesh is orange. The taste is excellent, with a honey-watermelon aroma. The variety has a high yield, can be stored up to 10 months.

Augustine

One of the novelties of domestic selection is Augustine's pumpkin, which is distinguished by high yields and excellent taste.

The fruits are cylindrical in shape, outwardly very similar to zucchini. The peel is dark green, the flesh is yellowish, crispy. The seed nest is very small, located in the thickened part of the fruit.

In terms of storage - up to 100 days without loss of taste properties.

Vitamin

Pumpkin nutmeg Vitamin ripens in about 130 days, so growing seedlings is indispensable. The fruits have a mass of up to 7 kg, rounded, slightly flattened shape. The bark is yellowish, ribbing is noticeable on the surface.

Pumpkin Vitaminnaya is famous for its high palatability, high content of sugars in the pulp, as well as so much useful carotene.

Butternut squash appeared in Russia at the end of the 20th century. It differs from fodder varieties traditionally grown on the territory of the Russian Federation in open ground in its size, shape, appearance, taste of pulp, percentage of carotene and other nutrients.

Butternut squash grows wild in Central America and Japan. It is included in the diet of peoples living in Mexico, Colombia, Peru. This vegetable is cultivated in many countries of the world.

This variety of pumpkin is easily cross-pollinated with other species, improving them taste characteristic. Breeders managed to cross the nutmeg pumpkin with lagenaria and get several varieties of butternut, which is used in the diet of the population of America and Europe.

Why nutmeg pumpkin attracts the attention of melon growers

Muscat varieties are more difficult to grow outdoors than zoned table gourds. They bear small fruits, require long daylight hours, good nutrition, and cannot stand shade.

If you violate the rules for their cultivation, then the fruits will develop poorly, part of the crop will rot on the vine, and the part that has time to ripen will be small in size with undeveloped seed pods.

Each variety must grow separately. If you plant several varieties with different taste, then in the garden there is one variety that has a dominant gene. He will be able to pollinate the ovaries, and as a result, hybrids are formed that have similar taste characteristics.

Despite these shortcomings, this variety of pumpkin is readily planted because:

1. The shell of nutmeg varieties is thin, but dense, with a wax coating that protects against bacterial rot. Thanks to this property, pumpkins can lie up to a year in a cool room.
2. The pulp contains a large amount of carotene, which gives it a bright carrot color.
3. light sweet the smell of nutmeg favorably distinguishes it from table varieties of pumpkin.
4. It is equally tasty raw and after heat treatment.
5. The fruits after heat treatment resemble pea puree, but their pulp is more saturated in taste and has a pleasant aftertaste.
6. The pulp contains great amount mineral salts and sugar, thanks to which the taste after heat treatment is so rich that it does not require the addition of spices.

All nutmeg varieties contain a large number of various useful substances necessary for the normal functioning of the internal secretion organs. Their presence in the pulp allows you to make nutrition complete and use pumpkin dishes. long time.

People who adhere to the pumpkin diet note an increase in vascular tone and an increase in vitality. In winter, in Russia, butternut squash is increasingly used as the main type of food.

Muscat vitamin pumpkin varieties are easily digested by the body, do not get bored, and can be used in many dishes.

What varieties to choose for planting

Butternut squash differs in varieties, ripening time and content of nutrients. In a state of biological maturity, it has bright flesh from dirty yellow to red-orange. The color of its peel can have a variety of colors and shades.

Varieties of dark green color are known, such as the Vnuchka pumpkin, which bears small fruits with a maximum weight of no more than 2 kg. This is a very sweet variety with an unusual peel covered with small dimples. It was obtained by breeders of the Primorsk Experimental Station by crossing Japanese nutmeg pumpkins and zoned varieties. This gourd grows well in Asia outdoors and is recommended for high risk farming areas throughout the country.

Pumpkin Marina from Kyoja is similar in taste and appearance to Granddaughter. This is a medium-late variety, the fruits of which ripen on the 130th day after germination. This variety of butternut squash grows in Europe, on the Mediterranean coast. Produces a flat, ribbed, dark green turban-like fruit. The wrinkled crust can be colored from green to gray. The fruit reaches a weight of up to 12 kg and is stored for a long time without loss of quality. The pulp is used to make puddings, cookies, cakes, mashed potatoes. This variety produces well in open ground in the European part of the country.

Mid-season marble pumpkin with unevenly colored greenish-gray skin, decorated with stripes. This variety grows fruits up to 6 kg in weight, which ripen 130 days after germination. The fruits are large, wrinkled, flattened, weigh up to 10 kg. The pulp is dense orange. Suitable for outdoor cultivation in areas where frost occurs in October.

The mid-late variety Muscat of Provence is not inferior to green pumpkins, in which the color of the bark is painted in light shades of orange. It matures on the 120th day, growing its fruits up to 8 kg. This variety has a round, flattened pumpkin divided into equal segments and bright orange flesh, dense and fragrant. Muscat Provence pumpkin has a small seed chamber where small dense seeds are hidden. Pumpkins lie perfectly in a cool, dry place until the next harvest.

All pumpkins of mid-late varieties, the peel of which has a green or light orange hue in biological ripeness, contain the largest amount of dry matter. The heavier the fruit and the thicker the stalk, the more solids will be in the pulp and the richer the taste of the finished dish.

Fruits with a bright orange color have less dry matter, but have a great aroma. Early ripe pumpkin Golden Pear with bright teardrop-shaped fruits weighing up to 2 kg, gives 5-6 fruits from 1 bush. She has juicy, sweet, with the taste of roasted chestnuts, flesh. This variety can be grown in regions with short cold summers.

Pumpkin Vitaminnaya with oval bright yellow-orange sides, which sometimes decorate stripes, grows well only in the south of the country. She needs 140 days to fully mature. The flesh is dark orange, juicy and sweet. The maximum weight of the fetus is not more than 5 kg. Pumpkin nutmeg Vitamin perfectly stored until the new harvest. It is used to make soft purees, to feed babies and to make juices.

Butternut as a variety of butternut squash

Butternuts are classified as nutmeg varieties because this variety was obtained artificially through repeated crossing of nutmeg gourds with African bottle-shaped lagenaria.

Early and mid-season varieties can grow throughout the Russian Federation. They are high yielding plants producing pear-shaped fruits that can last no more than 3 months after harvest, provided they are harvested before freezing.

Pumpkin Muscat Guitar yields a crop for 110 days and belongs to mid-season varieties.

Its flesh is bright, juicy, with a pleasant smell. Its fruits weighing about 4 kg have a juicy crispy pulp, which is used for jam, candied fruits, casseroles and pumpkin pies.

The mid-late pumpkin Prikubanskaya is similar in appearance to the Guitar, but produces larger fruits. The thin bark of a light orange-brown color is easily damaged when negative temperature. Ripe fruits lie until the New Year. You can remove slightly unripe fruits together with the stalk for ripening. Green fruits spoil quickly.

Pumpkin Muscat Pearl is distinguished by a bright orange peel during the period of biological maturity and a small seed chamber. Zhemchuzhina pumpkin ripens in early September, growing up to 6 kg. During the period of technical maturity, the fruit is colored in a gray-green hue. Her ripe pumpkins keep well if kept in a cool, dry place. The pearl has a dark orange flesh, with a high content of carotene, which is used to obtain pumpkin juice and casseroles.

Pumpkin Augustine is a large-fruited variety, in its mature form it has a variegated green peel with yellow highlights. It is planted in areas along the middle zone of the European part of the Russian Federation, because this variety has stable high yields. The pods ripen 110 days after germination. Aromatic pulp of bright orange color, dense, sweet and fragrant, rich in mineral salts and carotenes.

Reviews for nutmeg pumpkins always contain a positive assessment. They have such a pleasant aroma, bright color, taste that housewives are happy to use them to prepare various dishes.

The cut butternut can be stored for 5 days in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. There the pulp retains its juiciness and useful properties.

Muscat pumpkin, the varieties of which are shown in the photo, surprises with its diversity. If you use hybrids obtained at home when planting, then several different pumpkins in shape, color and appearance can grow on 1 bush, but their flesh will be the same in taste.

For good growth and abundant fruiting, plants need timely watering, regular weeding, loosening and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.

Growing and caring for butternut squash depends on the fertility of the plant. small varieties planted in open ground at a distance of 50x50. Large-fruited varieties require planting in nests staggered at a distance of 70x70.

All Muscat varieties form whips up to 6 meters, on which male and female flowers are formed. After the ovary, all the forces of the plant are directed to their cultivation. New female flowers will appear no earlier than the fruit ripening process is completely over.

Early ripe and mid-ripening varieties are capable of producing 2 crops in 1 season. If you remove a semi-ripe fruit from the garden, with a stalk that has almost dried up, in a week female and male flowers. After pollination, they will produce an ovary that will develop quickly if there is enough nutrients in the soil.

Butternat pumpkin belongs to strongly weaving plants, forming a numerous ovary. Crowded plantings will interfere with fruit development, and they will fall off due to lack of heat and sunlight.

Butternut squash giving round shapes fruits, require a sufficient amount of light, otherwise the pumpkin will remain small.

To grow sweet varieties of dessert pumpkin on the site, you need to prepare the beds for planting in advance. In the southern regions, seeds are thrown into pits covered with mullein, ash and black soil. V upper part soil mixed with nitrogen and superphosphate. Pits are spilled with water so that they are damp. Such a cake allows you to start the combustion processes that are needed to warm the heat-loving plant in the June cold.

Before the appearance of sprouts, plantings are covered with a film. This will allow you to get friendly shoots. After the threat of frost has disappeared, the covering material is removed.

When 5 true leaves appear, pinch the lash. This allows you to start the growth of lateral lashes and quickly tie the crop.

When the ovary began to pour on 1 lash, the crown must be pinched so that the plant does not waste energy on the growth of other fruits, which often fall off due to lack of nutrition.

It is especially important to pinch on the lashes of mid-late ripening pumpkins. If early frosts begin in the fall, late-set pumpkins will not have time to ripen.

The emerging female flowers are pollinated by hand. This allows you to get several fruits from 1 bush. If you refuse manual pollination, then the plant will be able to tie 1-2 pumpkins.

When the lashes begin to grow, it is important to loosen the soil well, where they will grow fruits. Pumpkin has the ability to produce additional roots to provide the ovary with good nutrition. In loose soil, this is much easier to do than in compacted soil.

Disturbing pumpkin lashes during fruiting is not recommended. This breaks off the root system and can cause rotting of young fruits.

How to grow butternut squash in risky farming areas

In such areas, you need to use varieties that ripen 90-110 days after germination. Growing pumpkins in areas where frosts continue until mid-June should be done through seedlings. Seeds are sown in liter pots with nutrient soil in late April - early May. The emerging sprouts are hardened in a well-lit sunbeams place protected from the wind.

Seedlings are planted in open ground after the end of the threat of frost by transshipment. Plants with 2 true leaves are planted in a heap of manure, covered with black soil from above, moved with wood ash. For one hole you need:

• 2 buckets of mullein;
• 1 bucket of black soil;
• 1/3 bucket of ash;
• 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate;
• a bucket of water.

So that the plant does not burn out under the open rays of the sun, seedlings are planted in the evening or in cloudy weather. If the landing is on a sunny day, you need to cover each bush with several layers of burdock leaves. Until the sun dries them up time will pass, which is needed to root system took root.

To get a stable harvest of nutmeg pumpkin, you need to regularly update the seed fund, selecting zoned varieties and hybrids that grow well in the area.

Varieties of pumpkin - a great variety. Some of them are more suitable for growing for animal feed, other varieties are preferred by culinary specialists for their sweetness and juiciness, and others are a rich source of pumpkin seeds. In addition, there are decorative varieties pumpkins.

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

Types of pumpkin

Before proceeding with the description of the best varieties of pumpkin, you need to know that this plant is divided into four types:

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

Their distinctive feature is a five-sided peduncle, expanded towards the base. The seeds of this type of pumpkin are colored brown or yellow-brown.

large-fruited pumpkin. Very large, very sweet pumpkins with light, tasty seeds. Able to be stored for a long time in non-specific conditions, although their storage, of course, 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-skinned and nutmeg varieties. Distinctive feature of this plant is a rounded stalk and stem, without grooves, and the leaves are shaped more like a kidney than a pentagon.

Hard-skinned pumpkins, including squash and zucchini, fell in love with our gardeners for their early ripening. If large-fruited and nutmeg pumpkins are harvested just before the frosts, then hard-skinned varieties can be enjoyed already in late summer - early autumn. Hard-skinned varieties of pumpkin are especially valued for their delicious, cream-colored seeds, although the fruits of this plant are relatively small. A distinctive feature (in addition to the hard skin when ripe) is a hairy, prickly stem and a ribbed, furrowed peduncle.

The best varieties of pumpkin

Butternut squash varieties

Pumpkin golden pear- relatively new, but already loved nutmeg squash variety original drop-shaped form of orange color. The pulp of the pumpkin variety Golden pear is juicy, sweet, dense, with a nutty flavor. The fruits of this variety grow small, up to 2 kg, which is very convenient. The golden pear belongs to early ripe varieties, 2-3 pumpkins grow on one lash. Pumpkins are obtained three months after germination. The resistance to diseases and the safety of this variety of butternut squash is very high.

Pumpkin Arabatskaya- perhaps the most common, recognizable and reliable nutmeg squash variety. Refers to medium-late pumpkin varieties with a growing season of 115-125 days. Arabat pumpkin can grow up to 20 kg, although it weighs 5-8 kg on average. 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 variety of nutmeg pumpkin Arabatskaya can be stored without problems for 3-4 months. It is used for both culinary and fodder purposes.

Pumpkin New Outwardly, and 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 nutmeg pumpkin variety are wide, cylindrical or oval in shape, with ribbing, pronounced closer to the stem. Ripe fruits are painted brown with a pinkish tinge with a grid of rounded greenish spots. The pulp of the Vitamin pumpkin is dark orange, almost red, sweet, crispy, rich in carotene. Pumpkin weight - 3-5 kg. Keeps well in simple household conditions.

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

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

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

Giley pumpkin refers to mid-season varieties (100-110 days from germination to maturity). Giley gourd fruits 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 nutmeg pumpkin grows up to 6-8 kg. The main distinguishing feature of this pumpkin variety is its excellent keeping quality, the fruits are stored for up to 1 year.

Pumpkin palav kadu excellent taste, extremely juicy and sweet. Refers to late climbing varieties. Fruits are rounded, weighing no more than 10 kg, orange.

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, which has taken root with us. Impressive is not only the bumpy surface of the pumpkin, but also the color - dull green, sometimes with a gray-blue tint.

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

Pumpkin Butternut- a bright representative of the nutmeg pumpkin. So bright that this variety is often called Muscat or Nut - because of the 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, oily, fibrous and very sweet. This Muscat squash variety well kept indoors.

Varieties of hard-skinned pumpkin

gymnosperm gourd valued, as the name implies, for seeds without a shell. That is - no husk, except for a transparent film, no garbage. It is very convenient to use these seeds in baking, making various sweets in an oriental style, and just enjoy them fried. Gymnospermous pumpkin also has disadvantages - its flesh is not as sweet and juicy as other table pumpkin varieties, but still quite tasty. This variety cannot boast of high yield. Seeds planted directly in the ground often rot due to the lack of a protective shell, therefore, it is recommended to plant the Golosemyannaya pumpkin variety from seedlings, and away from other pumpkin varieties, so that unwanted pollination does not occur. Again, this variety does not tolerate drought or high humidity. Although for the sake of seeds without a shell, many are ready to suffer.

Hard-barked gourd Gymnospermous refers to mid-season mid-range varieties, the color of the fruit can be dark green or with yellow patches - "mesh". The weight of the fruits of this pumpkin variety is 2-7 kg, they are well stored all winter.

Pumpkin Bulgarian, she is Pumpkin Lady's Nail, - the most popular variety of pumpkin for seeds. The seeds themselves have a beautiful, oblong shape, and indeed reminiscent of a graceful lady's fingernail. This variety of hard-barked pumpkin is a bush type, ripens in 95-105 days. Bulgarian pumpkin is characterized by slightly flattened rounded 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 ripe 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-barked pumpkin Gribovskaya bush rather sweet, not very dense, yellow or orange. The variety belongs to the table, but the taste is not impressive - just a good pumpkin. This variety of pumpkin is distinguished by good keeping quality, and also by the fact that it does not spread over the entire garden.

spaghetti squash (vermicelli squash)- a very original early ripe variety of hard-skinned pumpkin. The growing season is 70-80 days. The plant is climbing, the fruits resemble melon - oval, creamy yellow, the skin is very hard. The flesh of the Spaghetti pumpkin is beige, not juicy, has a slight vanilla flavor, and when cooked it breaks up into separate fibers (hence the name). Spaghetti pumpkins grow small - around 1 kg.

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

Pumpkin Almond among varieties of hard-skinned pumpkin, it is distinguished by very tasty pulp. Pumpkin cultivar Almond is a long climbing plant with a growing season of 110-120 days. Fruits weighing 3.5-5 kg, smooth or slightly segmented, rounded, orange in color, sometimes with brown-green stripes.

Pumpkin Danka Polka usually grown for seeds. This hardy gourd is a medium climbing shrub with round orange-green or white-green gourds. Fruits grow within 2-3.5 kg. There are not only a lot of seeds (up to half a thousand in one pumpkin), they are also very tasty. The pulp is not very dense, starchy, mainly goes to feed animals.

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

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

Pumpkin Freckle- a hard-core variety that fully corresponds to the name: round small pumpkins (0.8-2.5 kg) of green color with white-yellow "freckles". Valued for compactness. The plant is bushy, with short lashes, demanding on moisture. The peel of the pumpkin Freckle is leathery, the flesh is yellow-orange, not very sweet, but with a delicate aroma of a pear. The seeds are quite small. The hard-skinned pumpkin variety Freckles is grown mainly when there is a shortage of planting areas.

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 medium pumpkins reaches 120-180 kg, and the record holders reach half a ton. In our conditions, with conventional agricultural technology, large-fruited pumpkin varieties Titan grow up to 50 kg, which is also very impressive. This is a mid-season variety (120 days from germination to maturity), characterized by long lashes, huge orange round pumpkins with clear segmentation. The flesh of the pumpkin of the Titan variety is yellow, thick, sweet enough, but not to say that it is extremely tasty.

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

Pumpkin Rossiyanka won the hearts of gardeners for stable yields, unpretentious care, keeping quality of fruits and excellent taste. In general - a reliable pumpkin, besides - very beautiful. Rossiyanka is a medium climbing early ripe plant (900-100 days) with a rounded fruit, sharply narrowed to 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 has a high yield - up to 20 kg of crop can be obtained from one plant. Pumpkin Rossiyanka- cold-resistant variety.

Pumpkin Hundred Pound- a very old, time-tested variety of large-fruited pumpkin. 100-pound pumpkin refers to to mid-season (vegetation period - 120 days) plants, with powerful long lashes. 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 flesh of the 100-pound pumpkin is loose, slightly sweet, and light orange or yellow in color.

This variety of large-fruited pumpkin is resistant to diseases. As a rule, the hundred-pound pumpkin is grown for animal feed.

Gourd Marble- a great option for those who like to nibble on raw pumpkin, although baked Marble 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 belongs to late-ripening (130-140 days), the plant is long-leafed. The average weight of pumpkins is 2.5-4 kg, the fruits are gray-green or green, segmented, sometimes with a speckled pattern or wrinkled surface, flattened. Gourd Marble gives high yields and keeps well.

Pumpkin Smile- a real find for lovers of pumpkins with a little land plot. This is a compact climbing cold-resistant plant, which breeders originally bred as an ornamental. Therefore, the Smile pumpkin is both beautiful and tasty. And 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, sometimes with a bulge at the base. The pulp is sweet, dense, with a slight melon aroma. Large-fruited variety of pumpkin Smile refers to early maturing (vegetation 85-90 days), stored in apartment conditions up to 4 months.

Butternut squash – one of the sweetest and most delicious members of the Pumpkin family. It has a fibrous, juicy flesh of rich orange color and a pleasant aroma. Due to this, varieties of nutmeg pumpkin are especially popular among gardeners.

Did you know?Mexico is the birthplace of nutmeg. Here the weight of fruits can reach up to 1 centner.

In order to pick the best way for growing on the site, it is necessary to study the pumpkin varieties with a description.

Features of nutmeg pumpkin

In addition to excellent taste, nutmeg varieties of pumpkin are characterized by long term storage, special nutritional value, as well as increased the content of vitamins (groups A, B, PP, E) and trace elements (potassium, magnesium, iron, etc.). The fruits can be of various shapes, and their peel is thin and easy to cut. The color of the pulp and seeds depends on the particular variety. The stalk is pentagonal, expanding towards the base. Compared to other types and varieties of pumpkins, nutmegs are thermophilic, therefore they are recommended for breeding in the southern regions.

Important!In our latitudes, plants are often planted with seedlings, which speeds up the process of fruit ripening.

Common varieties

With proper care the best varieties nutmeg pumpkins will provide an amateur gardener with an excellent harvest.

Long climbing pumpkin refers to late-ripening varieties. The fruits have an elongated, cylindrical shape, expanding towards the top. The skin and flesh color is light orange. Fruits reach 5-7 kg and are characterized by a dense, juicy structure.

A late variety of pumpkin, since the time from the first shoots to harvest is about 140 days. The fruits are ribbed, wide, cylindrical or oval. Ripe pumpkins have a brown color interspersed with green and pinkish-yellow hues. The pulp is juicy, crispy, sweet, dark orange in color. The weight of one fruit reaches 5 kg. Does not require special storage conditions.

Mid-season variety of nutmeg pumpkin. The time from the first shoots to ripening in late summer-early autumn is 130 days. Fruits are formed large, flattened, greenish-gray in color, weighing 6-10 kg. They have a particularly sweet taste, are well stored, do not crack or rot.

Mid-late variety of nutmeg pumpkin. The period of full maturation is 130-150 days. The fruits are wide, flattened. Their color changes from green to light brown as they ripen, the flesh is orange. The weight of one mature pumpkin is about 5 kg. Widely used in confectionery.

The Muscat Pearl pumpkin variety is medium-late. It takes 100-110 days to ripen the crop. The fruits grow round-cylindrical, with a bright orange peel and soft, juicy, thick flesh. Pumpkins keep very well in the cold.

Important!This variety is characterized by a small seed nest.

This variety of nutmeg melon belongs to medium-late varieties and has a stable yield. The fruits ripen in about 110 days. Small pear-shaped pumpkins (2-3 kg) are covered with a light orange skin, and the juicy flesh has a brighter color.

Palav Kadu is a late-ripening climbing variety. Pumpkins are rounded, have a ribbed surface, grow up to 10 kg. The skin color is pale orange. The pulp is sweet and juicy.

Pumpkin Muscat de Provence belongs to the middle-late (110-115 days to full maturity) varieties. A strong plant forms rounded, flattened fruits weighing 3-4 kg with characteristic grooves. The pulp is colored bright orange, dense, characterized by a high content of carotene and sugar. Pumpkins store well and are disease resistant.

Arabatskaya

One of the most common mid-late varieties of butternut squash for open ground. The growing season lasts 115-125 days. The average weight of an elongated fruit is 5-8 kg. It is covered with a thin, yellow-orange skin. In the middle of the pumpkin has a bright orange color, juicy, dense, sweet. Perfectly stored for 3-4 months.