Growing Pumpkin Hazelnut
One of the most unusual crops, the Hazelnut f1 pumpkin, has earned the love of many gardeners for a reason. The hybrid owes its name to a specific taste that resembles a nut. This fruit is full of vitamins and minerals that strengthen the human body.
Growing Pumpkin Hazelnut
Variety characteristic
According to the description of the Hazelnut pumpkin, it has the following characteristics:
- this variety is able to withstand hot dry periods, because pumpkin roots go deep into the ground and extract moisture from the lower layers of the soil;
- it is an early pumpkin, the growing season of which lasts about 100 days;
- leaves are large and lush;
- fetal weight reaches 1.5 kg;
- the peel is dark orange, reddish;
- the culture can be stored for a long time due to the thick peel;
- the pulp is moderately sweet and aromatic, and the taste of the Hazelnut fruit pleases gardeners with its unusualness;
- pumpkin is transportable, perfectly retains its appearance and taste;
- this type is suitable for cooking casseroles, cereals, mashed soups and puddings.
Seedling method
This method of planting is more reliable, the seedlings take root well in the garden. It is suitable for growing pumpkins in the cooler regions of Russia, which are closer to the north. The garden bed must be located in a lighted area.
Timing
As a rule, planting seeds for seedlings is carried out in mid-April. The transfer of monthly seedlings to open ground occurs in mid-May. Warm weather should set in the garden at this time, the earth should warm up to 15 ° C. Night frosts will stop by this time, and nothing will threaten the seedlings.
Technology
The soil for planting must be nutritious and moisture-permeable, for this purpose it must be loosened regularly. You can buy it in a specialty store or prepare it yourself. In the second case, you will need sand, turf and leaf land, peat. The ingredients are mixed in equal proportions.
For planting seedlings, it is recommended to use pots made of peat or cardboard: they will protect the roots of the plant from damage during future planting in open ground.
It is customary to move the seedlings to the garden bed a month after it was planted in a pot.
Sowing seeds in open ground
In regions with mild and warm climatic conditions, seeds are planted directly into the ground, they hatch well in prepared soil in a sunny area.
Timing
Pumpkin seeds of the Hazelnut f1 variety are planted in the garden from mid-May until the end of the month. Planting dates are adjusted depending on climatic and weather conditions.
Technology
Before planting, the seeds can be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is also recommended to soak them in a growth activator. These procedures take approximately 50 minutes. After that, the seeds are taken out and dried on a napkin.
Before planting, the beds must be carefully dug up, organic fertilizers must be applied to the soil.In the ground, holes are made of different depths (from 5 to 10 cm). By resorting to this technique, you can save the largest number of seeds.
After planting, the beds must be mulched with straw, spruce branches or sawdust. Gardeners cover the plantings with a film, which is removed daily for several hours in order to air. It will be possible to completely remove it only at the beginning of July, when it gets warmer and the soil is completely warmed up.
Care
Proper care will lead to a good harvest
According to the description, pumpkin is a moisture-loving plant, so it should be watered regularly and abundantly. However, you should not allow an excess of fluid. Stagnant water can cause fungal growth on the crop.
Ripening fruits must be lifted off the ground. Lying directly on the ground, they risk becoming moldy. They are placed on boards or plywood, which protects the pumpkins from excessive moisture.
Water the vegetable at the root, refuse drip irrigation. Use warm rainwater or settled water.
From time to time it is necessary to fertilize the soil in which the pumpkin grows. Potassium-nitrogen fertilizers are used, and the plant also needs to be fed with phosphorus.
A couple of times over the summer it is worth spraying against pests and fungi. There are a number of safe folk remedies that will reliably protect the plant from harmful insects. This is ash and onion husk solution.
If the culture is growing rapidly, it is worth resorting to pinching. This will stop the rapid development of the plant, allow it to save energy and direct it to the fruits.
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting is carried out in late summer - early autumn. The fact that the pumpkin is ripe is indicated by its rich orange color, tough crust, wilting leaves and a hard stalk.
Hazelnut pumpkin can be stored at home at room temperature for about six months.
Diseases and pests
This pumpkin is a hybrid variety, so it is quite resistant to diseases and attacks of harmful insects.
Diseases to which this variety is most susceptible: black mold, anthracnose, aphids, powdery mildew and ascochitosis.
As a rule, a light solution of Bordeaux liquid or a soap solution, which is also suitable as a prophylactic agent, helps with these diseases.
Chamomile and wormwood infusions help well in the fight against aphids. If you sprinkle the leaves of the plant with wood ash, this will scare away pests. Watering at the root with infusion of potato peelings in water will also be a good preventive measure against harmful insects.
Gardeners reviews
Pumpkin of this variety attracts, first of all, with its unusual taste. It is very tiny and looks beautiful, which makes it easy to store it in an apartment.
There are two ways to plant a plant: planting seedlings and planting seeds in open ground. In cool climates, the first method is desirable. The soil is pre-prepared for planting by digging and applying the necessary fertilizers.
The plant is unpretentious, copes with pest attacks, and is resistant to many diseases. The culture does not require special care, it is only important to observe the feeding and watering regime.
If you follow agrotechnical principles, you will get a harvest that will delight you with its interesting nutty taste for several months.