Description of popular varieties of bush pumpkin, their cultivation and yield
The usual idea of a pumpkin is long lashes, which, if they are not pinched in time, creep through the garden, and sometimes they strive to get through a crack in the fence to neighbors. Bush pumpkin differs from climbing compact bushes and the absence of long shoots. At the same time, the yield does not suffer. All modern bush-type varieties have good characteristics.
Features of bush pumpkin and its benefits
The choice of varieties of bush pumpkin is large, each has its own characteristics of cultivation, but there are common points characteristic of the culture of this species. Compact bushes allow you to plant a bush variety in small summer cottages. If desired, it can be planted in the garden, using it as an element of landscape design.
The bushes are decorative at the time of flowering and during the fruiting period, and the dark green leaves look elegant throughout the season. The stems of the plant are erect, there are no lashes, the fruits are formed at the very base.
Bush pumpkin benefits:
- no need to form a bush;
- takes up little space;
- dense foliage protects the soil from drying out;
- yield.
The main advantage of the bush species - early maturity is worth talking separately. Each variety has its own ripening period, but on average they all reach biological ripeness in 85-100 days. Moreover, the fruits have excellent taste and aroma. Most of the varieties have bright orange pulp, it contains a large percentage of carotene and other beneficial trace elements.
Review and characteristics of the most popular varieties of bush pumpkin
Gardeners are in no hurry to plant pumpkin seeds in open ground, waiting for good soil warming. There is time to choose the most successful variety, or rather, varieties. To do this, you need to analyze all the main characteristics of the culture:
- ripening terms;
- the shape and size of the fruit;
- taste and thickness of the pulp;
- keeping quality;
- transportability;
- yield.
Smile
Description of the pumpkin Smile consists of some advantages, so many summer residents choose this particular variety. The Smile at the height has the main characteristics:
- yield (280 kg / ha);
- cold resistance;
- early maturity (85 days).
For our short summer with unstable weather, they are ideal. By the end of summer, portioned fruits (up to 7 pieces per bush) weighing from 800 g to 1200 g have time to ripen on low, compact bushes.
Fruits are spherical, slightly flattened, smooth or slightly segmented. The pulp is bright orange in color, sweet, not juicy, average in thickness. The peel is orange, you can see subtle white stripes on it. There are few seeds in the fruits.Advantages: drought-resistant, transportable, lying, gives good yields with a lack of heat, good taste, the ability to grow throughout the Russian Federation.
Therapeutic
Bush pumpkin belonging to the early maturing varieties. The plant has a table purpose, forms flattened, slightly segmented fruits, covered with a light gray skin with a dark gray pattern in the form of a grid. The bark is easy to cut, the flesh on the cut is bright orange, of medium thickness. Taste characteristics of pulp:
- crispy;
- with a high content of juice;
- tender;
- delicious;
- juicy.
The main advantages of Healing pumpkin: yield — 42.1 t / ha, long-term storage, transportability... There is a disadvantage - weak immunity. The plant needs prevention:
- powdery mildew;
- anthracnose;
- rot (gray, white).
Grow pumpkin The Healing varieties are available in the Central zone of the Russian Federation in the Urals and in Siberia.
Pearl
Pearl is a nutmeg variety of pumpkin. You can get a rich harvest in a short time. Growing the pearl bush pumpkin takes about 100 days. It is not difficult to grow large fruits weighing up to 7 kg. Each bush releases 6 shoots, on each of which one ovary is left. The fruit is cylindrical, 50 cm long.
The peel is orange with a slight bloom of a bluish tint. During storage, the taste of the dark orange pulp becomes more intense. It contains a lot of carbohydrates, vitamins, carotene and trace elements. Valuable qualities of pulp:
- dense;
- crispy;
- sweet;
- juicy.
The variety is appreciated for its high yield - 504 kg / ha, drought resistance, excellent taste.
Bush orange
Orange gourd can be stored almost until New Years, although the variety is early maturing. The first fruits ripen 95-100 days after germination. Orange bush pumpkin is successfully grown in Siberia, it is not afraid of sudden weather changes. In April, planting orange bush pumpkin seedlings under a covering material, in 3 months an early harvest of round fruits weighing up to 5 kg is obtained. Planting and caring for her is standard:
- moderate watering;
- weeding;
- loosening or mulching row spacings.
The pulp and skin are orange, the sugar content is low, so this variety is used for making mashed potatoes, stews, winter preparations and freezing.
One hundred pound
Fruit ripening occurs on average 112–138 days from the time of emergence. Ripe pumpkin fruits are orange and weigh less than 40 kg. There is a slight discrepancy between the name and the actual weight of the fruit, small pumpkins weigh 10 kg, large ones - 20 kg. This has little effect on the popularity of the variety, it only grows every year.
Fruits can be of different shapes (spherical, oval) with a mass depending on weather conditions and soil fertility. Their pulp is very juicy, it is used to make cereals, mashed potatoes, and eaten fresh. This variety develops better and bears fruit when the weather is moderately warm.
Amazon
Fruit ripening does not take long, they reach technical ripeness 90 days after germination. The Amazon bushes are compact. The fruits have a nice, flat shape with a weight of 1 to 2 kg. The color of the peel and pulp is dark orange. The palatability of the fruits is high, their flesh is very juicy, crispy, sweet.
Variety advantages:
- marketable condition;
- great taste;
- keeps well;
- ripens early.
Gribovskaya
One of the old bush pumpkin varieties Gribovskaya 189, it should not be confused with another wonderful Gribovskaya winter pumpkin. The bushy variety is popular with Siberian and Ural summer residents. The shape of the fruits resembles zucchini, they are oblong, narrowed at one end. Fruit weight is 3-5 kg, up to 8 kg can be obtained from a square meter.
As the pumpkin develops, the skin color changes. In young pumpkins, it is green with dark stripes, in ripe pumpkins it is orange with the same green stripes. The pulp is orange in color, very firm and tasty.In terms of ripening, the variety is early, the fruits ripen 80 days after germination. Plucked green, they ripen during storage.
Pumpkin diseases bypass the Gribovskaya winter pumpkin. This variety loves warmth, forms globular gray fruits weighing up to 4 kg. They can be stored throughout the winter. The thickness (5 cm) and the bright orange color of the flesh are amazing. Its taste and nutrient content are up to the mark. Gribovskaya winter pulp contains both vitamin C and a large amount of carotene.
The yield of the Gribovskaya winter variety is 24.1 t / ha. In terms of ripening, the variety is late-ripening - at least 140 days pass from germination to harvest.
Rouge Wife Dethump
It is not difficult to grow this exotic culture in a summer cottage. The French selection found its lovers among Russian summer residents. Rouge Wife Detump is one of the ten popular bush pumpkin varieties. It is not difficult to grow it, the bushes are low, and the fruits are formed large, weighing up to 10 kg.
The rind is pink-red, the flesh is light orange, juicy, moderately sweet, it produces excellent juice. The fruits are not stored for long, the deadline is mid-December. Many summer residents praise this variety for its yield, but criticize it for its average taste and aroma.
Bush pumpkin care
There are no peculiarities of growing bush pumpkin. Planting and caring for this variety is not much different from caring for climbing gourds. The only important difference is the way the bushes are formed. When choosing a place, take into account sufficient illumination of the site and the absence of drafts.
The soil, if necessary, is deoxidized by adding chalk or dolomite flour. Sand and peat are added to loamy and clayey soil to improve its structure. The root system develops better in loose, permeable soils. Fertility is increased by introducing for digging:
- compost;
- humus;
- mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium nitrate).
There are two methods of planting pumpkins: seeds in the ground, seedlings. The age of seedlings ready for planting in open ground is 25 days. In open ground, seeds are sown in well-heated soil. Landing dates:
- the middle band of the Russian Federation - mid-May;
- Urals, Siberia - late May, early June.
The main reference point for landing is the current weather forecast. The pumpkin loves warmth and you should not rush to planting if there is a threat of return frosts. When planted early, the pumpkin is saved from frost by covering material. The standard planting scheme for bush pumpkin varieties is 60x60 cm.
Bush pumpkin loves to be regularly watered with warm water. It tolerates short-term drought without much damage, but prolonged drought can significantly reduce the pumpkin yield. Sprinkler irrigation is not suitable for this crop. When watering, you do not need to water the leaves, fruits and flowers. All water should fall into the hole formed around the central shoot.
Pumpkin responds well to feeding. You should not get carried away with them, it is enough to feed it with nitrogen fertilizer in the initial period, when the green mass is actively growing and phosphorus-potassium preparations during the formation of fruits.
Bushes usually do not form, but after setting the first fruit, pinch the crown of the main shoot... With a large number of leaves, part is removed so that the fruits receive more sunlight. In August (10-15), pinch all points of growth. This must be done so that all the set fruits have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather.
The readiness of the fruit for harvesting is judged by the stalk and the color of the peel. The stalk dries up, and the peel acquires the color corresponding to this variety. If frost is expected on the soil, all fruits are harvested, frozen pumpkins are poorly stored. Whenever possible, harvesting is carried out in dry and sunny weather. The fruits collected in the rain are dried under a canopy for several days.
