Gymnospermous pumpkin: description, varieties, cultivation

The article presents gymnospermous pumpkin: description, dignity of culture, list of varieties, rules for growing, care, protection, collection, storage.

This pumpkin is the same in appearance as ordinary pumpkin. Gymnosperm gourd is not a separate subtype of gourd. It is necessary to care for such a pumpkin in the same way as for ordinary varieties. In gymnosperms, the seeds do not have a hard covering. They are much more convenient to process than regular pumpkin seeds.

Gymnospermous pumpkin: full characteristics

From the point of view of visual appearance, such a pumpkin does not differ from an ordinary one. Gymnosperms pumpkin belongs to herbaceous plants. The plant grows quickly enough, in the period from two to four months so many shoots can form that an area of ​​about thirty meters will be completely covered. Such pumpkin comes in different varieties, which differ in their shape and color. Growing conditions are the same as for ordinary pumpkin.

If we talk about the biological properties of such a pumpkin, then they again do not differ from the usual one. Gymnospermous pumpkin shows higher demands on the temperature regime of the soil at the time of planting the plant in the soil. Since the seeds of such a pumpkin are not protected by any shells, they begin to lay faster. However, if the soil temperature is lower than +17 degrees, it means that the sprouts will not survive. Many experienced gardeners prefer to sow common pumpkin seeds directly into the open ground. As for the gymnospermous pumpkin, the seedling method is preferable for it.

As a rule, gymnospermous pumpkin is not large-fruited, usually one fruit in weight reaches about six to eight kilograms. Flowers of such a pumpkin variety are given in larger quantities than ordinary pumpkin varieties. In addition, they are larger in size. Let's move on to characteristics gymnosperms pumpkins:

• The stems of this plant have voids, in their length they reach about eight meters, quite powerful. The scourges have a light greenish color, have ribbing in texture, slightly pubescent. The antennae of the plant are rather elongated, with an average size.
• These plants have a fairly large number of leaves. The leaf has a rounded shape, they are weakly dissected. The texture is uniform, with thick veins. The leaf is dark green in color. The surface has a small fluff.
• As a rule, one plant is able to form about seventy female flowers, and about three hundred and fifty male flowers. Men are formed first. Flowers are arranged singly, have a bright yellow color.
• As for the shape of the pumpkin itself, as well as its weight, these parameters are highly dependent on the variety. Typically, the fruit is round and orange in color with dark greenish stripes that run vertically.
• The seeds of these pumpkins are medium in size. Above, they have a thin dark film of a greenish tint. Quite a lot of them are formed.

All gymnosperms are monoecious and require insects to pollinate the plants. If there are no problems with this, then the chance of achieving good yields will be much higher.

Gymnospermous pumpkin: the benefits and harms of seeds and fruits

Gymnospermous pumpkin: a description of the pros and cons of using

The chemical composition of this culture is quite rich in substances useful for the human body. For this reason, these fruits are often used for medicinal purposes, as well as in pharmacology. The pulp of gymnosperms contains the same amount of useful elements as ordinary pumpkins. The seeds, in turn, help fight helminths.

The distance between the seed and the surface coating is occupied by a kind of film, which in its composition contains a useful substance called cucurbitin. It should be noted that gymnospermous pumpkin has more such substance than ordinary pumpkin.

Regular consumption of pumpkin in food helps metabolism to be carried out well, gives the body strength. The chemical composition of pumpkin has a good effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as on the state of hemoglobin. And pumpkin contains a fairly large amount of choline, this substance has a beneficial effect on the liver, helps to restore the affected areas.

Thanks to zinc and phosphorus, which are also found in pumpkin fruits, blood vessels become more elastic. Zinc helps produce estrogen as well as testosterone. Also, the benefit of gymnospermous pumpkin is that it contains calcium, which has a good effect on human bone tissue. The composition of pumpkin improves brain activity and also has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the bladder and kidneys. And pumpkin has such an important element for humans as iron. It takes part in blood circulation. Regular inclusion of pumpkin in your diet will help get rid of skin problems. In addition, the fruits help fight a variety of parasites that can form in humans in the body.

However, almost any fruit, even a very useful one, has a number of restrictions on its use. So, for example, people suffering from dysbiosis should use pumpkin with caution. Quite rarely, but sometimes pumpkin can cause allergies. People with diabetes should not eat too much pumpkin seeds. The same applies to those who have a disturbed acid-base balance.
If you have an exacerbation of stomach ulcers, then it is best to refuse to use pumpkin.

Styrian gymnospermous pumpkin and other most popular varieties

In general, gymnosperms were created to make it easier to process seeds to make oil. Over time, breeders have developed pumpkin varieties that taste better. Next, we list the most popular gymnosperm pumpkin varieties among summer residents.

Styrian gymnospermous gourd

Photo of the Styrian gymnospermous pumpkin variety

This variety of gymnospermous pumpkin originated in Austria, in the province of Styria. The seeds of the Styrian gymnospermous pumpkin contain a lot of oils, which makes this pumpkin quite a valuable variety in the manufacture of pumpkin seed oil. This variety feels pretty good on the territory of Russia. The pulp of such a pumpkin does not contain too much sugar. Has a pleasant aroma with a nutty tone.

This variety belongs to the mid-late varieties in terms of ripening. It sings for about three months. Styrian gourd is quite demanding on heat and light levels. It has long shoots, forms a lot of stems. Pumpkins have a rounded shape, in their mass, as a rule, reach from five to seven kilograms. The color is mostly greenish with light yellow stripes. There are a lot of seeds, they are of medium size and a dark green color. Such a pumpkin can be stored for three months.

Pumpkin Apricot gymnospermous

This is a dessert variety, Styrian pumpkin is a direct relative. The appearance of these varieties is quite similar. It has a bright yellow color with greenish lines that run longitudinally. It has a beige pulp and an amazing taste with an apricot hue. The seeds are medium in size and there are quite a few of them.In Soviet times, this pumpkin variety was grown in order to produce apricot juice. In terms of ripening, it belongs to medium-late varieties. Forms a lot of shoots. One fruit in its weight reaches about eight kilograms.

Golosemyanka

This pumpkin is quite similar in biological properties to other Austrian varieties. This plant is bushy, thrives in temperate climates. It is a technical variety that is usually planted to produce oil. This variety is one of the first representatives of gymnospermous pumpkin in our country. This variety belongs to the mid-late varieties in terms of ripening. The biological maturity of such pumpkins occurs in one hundred and ten days. This variety does not form too many shoots, they have a branched shape, reaching about three to four meters in length. In the upper part, as well as closer to the base, the pumpkin is slightly flattened. Usually the fruit is yellow and green in color. If the plants do not receive enough light, then the green color predominates. The inside of the pumpkin is light yellow in color, the texture is not too fibrous. In terms of taste, this pumpkin is quite neutral, a little with a sweetish aftertaste. This variety has a fairly large number of seeds that have a dark grayish color.

Pumpkin Danae gymnospermous

This type of gymnospermous pumpkin is very popular in the middle lane. This is a technical pumpkin variety. Has a good level of resistance to low temperatures. In terms of ripening, this variety belongs to the mid-late varieties. Full maturity occurs after about one hundred and twenty days. The bush is rather strongly branched. Shoot formation is average. The fruit has a rounded shape, dark green color, mesh patterns are present. Inside, such a pumpkin has a light yellow tint. There is no sweetness as such, rather large fibers. Seeds in large quantities are good for making pumpkin seed oil.

Olga

In terms of ripening, this pumpkin belongs to an early-ripening variety. It is a table variety. It grows in the form of a semi-shrub, a fairly compact plant in size, the shoots are not too long. The fruits usually ripen at the same time. The fruits are even, in their weight they reach from one and a half to three kilograms. The surface of the rind is rather rough. Orange color. The seeds of such a pumpkin are not large, they have a light greenish color. There are not too many of them.

Juno

This pumpkin variety belongs to the early ripening variety in terms of ripening. The fruit is able to ripen in ninety days. This variety is quite unpretentious to care for. It has a spreading shape, the lateral stems grow rather actively. It is impossible to allow thickening and too close distance between plants in the cultivation of gymnospermous pumpkin. The shrub must be pruned periodically. Very good yield results. The shape of the fruit is quite even, in its weight it usually reaches about eight kilograms. The seeds are dark in color. Their number is high.

Miranda

This gymnosperm pumpkin variety appeared thanks to breeders from Poland. The plant belongs to semi-shrubs, not too high in height. It does not have spreading stems, it is rather compact. The variety belongs to medium late, ripening occurs in one hundred five - one hundred and ten days. It does not form too many shoots. The harvest is abundant enough.

This type of pumpkin is a table pumpkin. The fruit has a rounded shape, slightly flattened. At first, the fruit is green in color, and with the onset of maturity it acquires a grayish tint. One fruit usually weighs between five and eight kilograms. Inside the pumpkin has a lot of juice, the thickness of the pulp is about seven centimeters. It contains a lot of sugars and starch. There are not too many seeds, they have a light greenish color.

Eso

This variety was bred in the Czech Republic. This is a fairly popular company for the supply of seeds to the European market. Eso was taken out for cultivation on an industrial scale. Feels good in a variety of weather conditions. In terms of ripening, this variety belongs to the mid-season. It usually takes about one hundred and ten days before harvesting. The plant grows quite strongly in the garden. This variety is intended in order to obtain seeds. On the inside, the pumpkin has a fairly neutral flavor. The pulp is not too thick, has a light yellowish tint. The fruit is round and dark green in color. It usually weighs about nine kilograms. The skin is rather coarse, not thick. Such a fruit is stored for no more than one and a half months. After the harvest is harvested, the pumpkins are immediately processed.

Gymnosperm pumpkin: photo, growing rules

Gymnosperm pumpkin: photo, growing rules

This culture is quite demanding on the presence of light. For planting, it is better to choose well-lit areas of land. Such a bed should be protected from winds and drafts. An elevated area with a southern exposure is well suited. Gymnosperms pumpkins are bad for drought; for normal development, plants need regular watering. Rhizomes are located in the surface layer of the earth. For this reason, waterlogging the soil is also dangerous. So, the root system can become infected with fungal diseases.

As for the composition of the soil, it will be better if it has a neutral or slightly alkaline pH reaction. The acidic soil is not suitable for growing these varieties of pumpkin. The structure of the soil should be light enough, air and moisture should pass well into the ground. The composition of the soil must have a sufficient amount of nutrients. This parameter can be adjusted by applying fertilizers, as well as by observing crop rotation. You shouldn't grow pumpkin in the same garden for more than three years. Melon plants are bad precursors for pumpkin.

Do not plant an ordinary pumpkin next to a gymnosperm pumpkin. The fact is that the bushes will be pollinated, and in the next season you will not get the expected result. The site for planting is being prepared in advance. It needs to be dug up, as well as organic fertilizing. Before sowing pumpkins, you need to shed the soil well. When to sow pumpkin seeds, it depends quite a lot on the climatic conditions of growing. In this case, the soil must be warmed up by +17 degrees without fail. In this case, frosts should not return. Planting material germinates, as a rule, after a week. If it so happened that at this time cold temperatures returned, then the seedlings, most likely, will not recover.

In order to properly plant gymnosperms pumpkins, it is necessary to observe some algorithm:

• The seeds must be warmed up for eight hours. The temperature should be no more than forty degrees.
• Then place the seeds in a growth promoter for about five hours. Many experienced gardeners use Vympel for these purposes.
• Landing holes are made about thirty by thirty centimeters. Then pour in one hundred grams of ash solution. Add one hundred grams of potassium sulfate there. This amount of fertilizer is enough for two liters of water.
• Mix five kilograms of humus and one hundred grams of superphosphate. Hold this mixture at the bottom of the planting hole. This layer is usually about fifteen centimeters.
• At a depth of about five centimeters, spread four seeds, the distance between them should be about four centimeters.
• Pour soil on top, lay a layer of mulch. To do this, you can use sawdust or straw.

After the first shoots appear, you need to leave two strong shoots in one hole. Those that remain must be removed.

Sowing seeds in open soil is recommended in areas with a southern climate. For regions with a temperate climate, the seedling method of growing gymnosperms is more suitable. This culture is bad enough for the transplant procedure. For this reason, it is best to use peat cups.

Gymnospermous pumpkin: growing, planting seedlings

• Sowing seeds should be based on weather conditions. Seedlings can usually be replanted after thirty days.
• You need to put soil in the cups. Typically, this mixture includes compost, peat and a layer of soil on top. The proportions are equal.
• The planting depth of pumpkin seeds is approximately four centimeters.
• The cultivation of this culture for seedlings occurs at +22 degrees. In this case, the illumination level must be maintained sixteen hours a day.
• When the first leaves of the plant appear, then it is necessary to add top dressing. For example, Uniflor growth.

Temper your seedlings before replanting plants to their permanent habitat. To do this, for several days, you need to take out the seedlings to an open area.

When planting, you need to follow a certain pattern; seventy centimeters should remain between the rows. If you have chosen a bush pumpkin variety, then the distance between the bushes should be about sixty-five centimeters. If the variety is medium-sized, then one and a half meters. And if you gave your preference to fairly tall plants, in which the stems grow actively, then there should be at least two meters between the plants.

How to properly care for a gymnosperm pumpkin? First, you need to water the plants every day. For this, it is better to choose the evening time. Secondly, as necessary, you need to weed and loosen your plantings. Thirdly, periodically you need to feed your pumpkin plantings. Often used for this are Azofoska, Uniflor-micro. Also pumpkin responds very well to organic feeding. Fourthly, it is necessary to remove the stems growing on the side in time. One plant leaves from four to seven ovaries. This depends on which pumpkin variety you choose. The upper parts of the plant need to be broken.

As the pumpkins begin to ripen, place the fruits on the prepared straw layer. This must be done so that the fruits do not have contact with the soil. For this purpose, supports are sometimes used.

About pests and diseases of gymnospermous pumpkin

Gymnosperm pumpkin, thanks to the painstaking work of breeders from all over the world, has a high level of resistance to various diseases and pests. Sometimes, however, the pumpkin is attacked by powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Powdery mildew - a fungal disease manifested by gray spots on the leaves. The reason is excess nitrogen, lack of moisture, cold damp weather. Control methods:
Powdery mildew appears due to fungal infections. With this disease, gray spots appear on the plants. This is due to too much nitrogen. Powdery mildew can also appear with insufficient moisture. And also if the weather is too humid.
First you need to remove the parts of the plant on which the powdery mildew symptom is present. Then, using preparations based on colloidal sulfur or sodium phosphate, treat your plantings.
Sometimes gardeners use Topaz or Universal Dew.
Anthracnose appears on plants as dark yellowish spots. Then they become larger and take on a dark pink color. Such a fungal disease destroys the entire bush. These pumpkins are not suitable for human consumption. If the pumpkin has picked up anthracnose, then it will not be cured. It is necessary to remove the infected plant from the garden as soon as possible.In order for such an attack not to climb onto your site, you need to observe the crop rotation of crops, before planting gymnospermous pumpkin, disinfect the planting material with drugs directed against fungi. Before planting plants in the garden, treat the soil with fungicides. After harvesting, it is necessary to completely remove plant residues from the ground.
If your landing is attacked aphid, then Fitoverm or Iskra will help get rid of it. From caterpillars whitefly the drug Commander helps.

How to collect and store gymnosperms

If your pumpkin has acquired a bright color, and the stalk of the plant has dried up, then the fruit is ripe. When to harvest depends on the pumpkin variety you choose, as well as the climate zone in which the pumpkin is grown. Typically, this time falls in mid-September (temperate climate), early October (south). You need to collect the fruits with a stalk. Gymnosperms are not stored for a long time. On average, they can lie down for a couple of months. The Styrian gourd variety can last for three months.

What conditions should be in order for your pumpkin to last longer?

It is better to choose a room where it will be cramped. The temperature should be no more than ten degrees. The air should be humid enough, about 80 percent. Do not store the pumpkin on the ground, it is better to place it on a hill. Transfer the fruits with straw so that the fruits do not touch each other. Examine your fruit regularly for early decay. If such symptoms appear, then remove your fruit, remove the spoiled parts and start processing the pumpkin.

Those pumpkins with a short stalk are worse stored.

Gymnospermous pumpkin: pumpkin video