Large-fruited and mid-season pumpkin variety "Volzhskaya gray": rules of agricultural technology and advice on growing
Pumpkin is the largest vegetable in the world. The warmer the climate of the area in which grow this fruit, the larger it grows. In Central Asia, pumpkins often grow, the weight of which reaches a couple of centners. But the culture is also grown in Russia, where, with proper planting and care, it will give a good harvest.
Among vegetable growers, the Gray Volzhskaya variety has proven itself well. The main thing in growing pumpkins is to follow the rules of agricultural technology. Then round you can cook many delicious pumpkin dishes from your own garden.
The content of the article
Description of the variety
The fruits of the Volga Sulfur tolerate transportation well. Mainly pumpkin is grown for sale. The shelf life of the product is high. Pumpkin retains its presentation for a long time, even without special conditions. The culture is characterized as drought-resistant. In less suitable conditions, the fruits lose their taste, but the yield remains the same.
Minimum watering and high temperature in the environment for the pumpkin are not critical: proper cultivation and care of it are determined by the composition of the soil and the climatic characteristics of the region where the crop is maturing.
Distinctive features
The pumpkin is grown both by seedling method and by direct sowing into the ground. Medium-sized bush: lashes spread from the main shoot to the sides. The more sunlight hits the plant, the greener the leaves become. The pubescence of the deciduous plate is medium. The foliage is divided into visible segments. Closer to harvest, it loses moisture and dries up.
Long lashes are of medium thickness. The color of the side shoots is deep green. Closer to the peduncle, the color becomes darker with stripes. When bushes grow, they often intertwine. With timely watering, the leaves rise above the fruits - this gives vegetables additional protection from the scorching sun rays.
Fruit characteristics
The variety has an unusual color. The gray, dense rind never turns yellow. Inside, soft and rich in taste, juicy pulp. Pumpkin has high taste: if the fruit has time to ripen, it does not need to lie down - the pulp is ready for use. The use of the vegetable is universal. It is consumed baked, boiled or raw.
The fruits are characterized by the following features:
- the peel is thick, elastic, without spots or ribs;
- rounded shape, slightly flattened on both sides;
- division into segments is partially expressed - the larger the vegetable, the more segments;
- the thickness of the pulp is 5 cm or more, the color is yellow, and closer to harvest it becomes orange;
- seeds are round, tasty and healthy.
There is no pattern on the fruit. If you regularly water and fertilize the soil, the skin color will be more saturated.
Yield
Large-fruited and mid-season crops are grown throughout Russia. From the moment of germination to the ripening of full-fledged fruits, 110-120 days pass. The pumpkin has a good yield: the average weight of one vegetable is 9-10 kg; with good care, larger specimens grow.
How to grow
Volzhskaya Gray Pumpkin takes root best on loamy soils. Sandy loam soil of low fertility will need to be well fertilized.Clay and acidic substrates are not suitable for growing this vegetable, since in conditions of limited nutrition and with a lack of oxygen, a tough thin pulp will form in the roots in the fruits.
In a low section of the garden during the rainy season, a large amount of moisture accumulates, therefore, if possible, it is better to plant the pumpkin in an elevated area. With excessive watering, the root collar of the bushes begins to rot, and the pulp acquires a watery taste. The soil should be fertile, loose and warm well.
Did you know? Man has been growing pumpkin since the 5th millennium BC. e. The homeland of this vegetable is the South American continent.
Planting with seeds and seedlings
Many growers grow seedlings first and then transplant them to the site. But if you decide to plant directly into the ground, do it in late spring, and for regions with cool climates - in early summer.
Planting with seeds
Soak before sowing seed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 200-300 ml of water) for 30 minutes. Such a liquid will disinfect them and slightly soak them.
We sow the seeds correctly:
- After fertilizing the soil, moisten it slightly. Drizzle with warm water.
- Plant the prepared seeds in 4 pieces in each hole, to a depth of 3 cm.
- Fill the planted seeds with loose soil.
- Mulch the holes. Humus is suitable for this purpose - in combination with warm water poured into the garden in advance, it will provide the necessary heat.
- Cover the wells with glass or plastic to protect from the weather. If serious frosts are not expected, remove the glass when the first shoots appear.
Most summer residents, especially in central Russia, prefer the seedling method of growing vegetables.
Seedling method
Wrap the seeds in a damp cotton cloth and wait for them to hatch. This will take about 10 days. Moisten them regularly to prevent drying out. Then place the sprouted seeds in peat cups filled with a potting soil mixture, which should consist of turf, mullein, humus and peat, in a ratio of 1: 1: 3: 5.
In order for the seedlings to stretch well, it needs sunlight, put it on a windowsill. Maintain a temperature regime of 20-25 degrees during the day and 15 degrees at night.
Be careful. Seedlings at the time of planting should have a stocky stem with internodes and developed leaves.
Plant it along with a peat container so as not to damage the root system. Over time, the container in the ground will dissolve.
Care
Before lengthening the pumpkin strings, while the root collars are clearly visible, be sure to loosen the soil after heavy watering or rain to avoid cracking the soil crust. Together with loosening, carry out weeding - carefully remove the grown weeds from the loosened soil.
On a note. During the entire growing season, about seven weeding and loosening are carried out (every two weeks).
Late caring for the pumpkin will have a bad effect on the harvest. Carry out the first loosening to a depth of 15 cm. A month after planting, reduce the loosening depth to 8-9 cm so as not to touch the top layer of the root system.
Watering
The main component of plant care is regular watering. The pumpkin, like a powerful pump, constantly takes all the water from the soil, and then evaporates it through the leaves. Therefore, the roots and stems of the plant receive a small amount of moisture, which requires regular watering.
For your information. During the period of mass flowering and fruit formation, water the pumpkin abundantly. For this use warm water (from + 22 ° C), it can be heated in the sun. Watering with cold water on hot days sometimes leads to the death of the plant.
Formation
Volga Gray Pumpkin needs proper formation of lashes. To do this, pinch the center barrel. Form the plant into two stems.Position the lash so that the top is in the sun, otherwise the crop will be shallow.
For larger fruits, form the crop in one lash. On the main stem, on each side, after four leaves, leave one shoot, and remove the rest. Further, when ovaries appear, remove all unnecessary shoots.
Top dressing
To get large fruits, feed the Volga Gray Pumpkin several times per season:
- When 3-5 leaves appear, apply mullein (0.5 liquid fertilizer must be dissolved in a 10 liter bucket of water), then water. Consumption: One bucket is enough for about five plants.
- Feed the plant a second time at the beginning of the formation of lashes, also with a mullein, but with the addition of one tablespoon of nitrophoska to it.
- Apply the third fertilizer during the formation of fruits, use a mullein, in which you need to add a glass of ash and two tablespoons of potassium sulfate, and pour the plants with the resulting mixture.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
In the south, preference is given to planting seeds in an open bed. In the regions of the Middle and Central strip, this crop is grown in seedlings.
Given the high need for nutrients, pumpkin can be called a capricious culture and demanding of its predecessors and neighbors.
It is best to grow this vegetable after:
- cruciferous - cabbage, radish;
- nightshade - potatoes, tomato;
- onion crops;
- leguminous plants.
These same crops are considered favorable for planting in the vicinity of a pumpkin. It is not recommended to plant a pumpkin after other members of the Pumpkin family - cucumbers, zucchini, squash, in order to avoid damage by common pests.
Growing tips from experienced gardeners
Due to its excellent taste and unpretentious care, the gray pumpkin is in great demand among gardeners and deserves only positive reviews. Subject to simple but useful advice from experienced gardeners, the process of growing this crop will always be successful, even for beginners:
- Cull seeds before planting - dispose of all dubious seeds with signs of mold, disease and mechanical damage. Soak the seeds in a potassium permanganate solution before sowing. Only healthy seed can produce a good harvest.
- Do not plant pumpkin in swampy, poor soil with an increased acidity level, since you are unlikely to succeed in growing healthy bushes with beautiful and tasty pumpkins. The soil must be loose, humus-rich and slightly moist.
- The area with crops must always be clean. Remove plant debris and weeds in time, which are an excellent environment for the appearance of diseases and parasites.
- Balanced nutrition with nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium preparations will provide good growth of bushes and further fruiting.
Diseases and pests
The Volga Gray Pumpkin has a weak immunity to diseases such as:
- powdery mildew;
- gray rot;
- fusarium wilting.
For preventive purposes, it is necessary to use healthy planting material, avoid thickening of the plantings and keep the site clean.
In case of damage to the plant, it is treated with fungicides - Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.
Irrigation of plantings is carried out one month before the planned harvest. In the fight against insects gnawing and sucking juices - aphids, spider mites and whiteflies, infusions of tobacco, garlic, onions and hot pepper are used. In case of severe damage, pesticides are used - "Aktellik", "Fundazol" or "Aktaru".
Harvesting and storage
Volga Gray Pumpkin is harvested upon reaching maturity, which is easily identified by the dried stalk. The vegetable is stored for up to a year.To do this, it is placed on dry straw and appropriate conditions are created in a well-ventilated room: the temperature is about +6 degrees and the air humidity is about 70%.
A mature vegetable can be stored in an apartment for up to five months.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Advantages:
- high concentration of beta-carotene, iron and potassium;
- low calorie content;
- high content of proteins, iron, zinc, vitamins E and group B, dietary fiber;
- long shelf life.
There were no shortcomings in pumpkin, except for the nuances in care: the mandatory formation of a plant and timely watering.
Farmers reviews
Experienced gardeners rate the gray pumpkin mostly positively. The variety is actively grown in the vast majority of regions of the country. The opinions of gardeners - further.
Galina: “For me, the main advantage of a vegetable is its taste. I prepare various dishes from it. With minimal costs, it turns out to stock up on the crop for at least six months. The pumpkin can be stored well and can be easily transported over long distances. And caring for her is the same as for a regular variety. I will continue to grow this healthy vegetable. ”
Arseny: “I have been growing the gray Volga pumpkin for the third year already. In our family, only I am engaged in the garden, and my wife is in charge of the kitchen. He asks me to grow such a pumpkin all the time: this is the only variety that my grandchildren like. I'm not a fan of vegetables from this family, but the family values pumpkin. I will continue to grow the variety, as it does not cause much trouble. The fruits grow large, as in the photo of the package with seeds. "
Svetlana: “I have been growing the Gray Volga Pumpkin by seedling method for the third year in a row. Caring for her is the standard: watering, fertilizing, weeding. In order for the vegetables to grow large, during the formation of the fruits, I remove the smallest ones so that all the nutrients get to the remaining pumpkins. I plant the culture in a sunny section of the garden. I cook healthy porridge for children from pumpkin. "
Conclusion
Gray pumpkin does not require a lot of labor to grow. But the benefits of this vegetable can hardly be overestimated. This is a real "gray doctor" who treats diseases of the kidneys, liver, skin, eyes. Pumpkin is recommended for patients with tuberculosis, hypertension, obesity. This fruit helps to endure pregnancy easier and slow down the aging process of the body. Large fruits ripen in a timely manner, have excellent taste and are unpretentious in care during the growing period. The vegetable is stored for a long time and makes it possible to pamper your household with delicacies all year round.
The following video will help you learn more about growing the Volga Gray pumpkin: