Cucurbit vegetables are annual plants, the edible part of which is fruit. They come from a subtropical or warm climate zone, hence they require high temperatures for their development, and lowering it below 0 ° C is lethal for them. They also have high soil requirements.
Pumpkin
Two species are grown here: gourd (Great Pumpkin) and pumpkin (Pumpkin pepo); this name includes numerous varieties of squash. This is where we take a look at the Giant Pumpkin, easy to grow, with high nutritional value due to the content of sugars and many vitamins. It is the least sensitive to cold weather of all cucurbits, but it requires good soil, sunny position and systematic watering.
It can be sown in the middle of May in the ground after the nest 2-3 seeds or prepare a seedling in pots. Before sowing or planting, it should be applied on 1 m2 po 30-50 g of calcium ammonium nitrate, superfosfatu i 40% potassium salt. Seeds for seedlings are sown in mid-April, putting after 2 seeds into the ground in a pot. The seedling is ready to be planted after 30-35 days. The pumpkin is sown or planted with a large spacing of 2X1-1.5 m. Tam, where the seeds or seedlings are placed, it is recommended that – even in fertile soil – bury a shovel of decomposed manure. Inter-rows can be used for the cultivation of plants with a short growing season, e.g. kalarepy, lettuces, radishes.
The care works consist in weeding and trimming the plants over 5-6 leaves, that they would spread better. In August, the tops of the shoots are removed, leaving 2-3 leaves behind the last fruit. To obtain fruit of record size, only leaves 3-4 buds. Wooden boards are placed under the fruit.
There are two varieties in cultivation: Bambino – medium early and medium fertile; the fruit appears spherical, slightly flattened, weighing up to 15 kg, with a delicate skin, from light yellow to dark orange, covered with gray mesh; the flesh is tight, dark orange, with a very high content of vitamin A., which makes it especially suitable for preserves for children; Melon Yellow – medium early, very fertile; very long plants (even to 10 m) creeping shoots; big fruit, about weight 25-30 kg, spherical, slightly flattened, about delicate, pink-orange peel, most often covered with gray mesh; flesh not too tight, juicy, yellow-orange (sometimes pale yellow); shelf-stable fruit, are suitable for preserves.