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Pumpkin, information about crop management
Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) is cultivated for its fruits which are consumed in different forms: sweetened, baked, boiled, or used in the preparation of cakes, juices, etc. Pumpkin fruits can be used in the diet of people with digestive disorders. The seeds contain 35-50% oil and can be eaten roasted or fresh, and pumpkin oil is used in food or industry. Pumpkin contains high amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, iron, phosphorus, calcium salts, and vitamins A and C. Furthermore, pumpkins can be utilized as a food source for animals.
The pumpkin is native to North America, where it spread to the western part of Europe, and in the 18th century. The roots reach up to 3 m deep, exploring a large mass of soil. The stem is creeping, well developed, and can be up to 5 m long. The leaves are large, round-lobed, long petiolate, and covered with rough bristles. The flowers are large and yellow and the pollination is entomophilous. The male flowers are clustered in groups of 1-3 and have long peduncles. Female flowers have shorter stalks, are fewer, and open after male flowers bloom. The fruit is melon-like, with a short, thickened peduncle, of big dimensions. The seeds are large, grey or straw-white, and egg-shaped.
Climate and soil requirements
It is a heat-loving plant, but being damaged by negative temperatures. The pumpkin is drought-resistant due to its highly developed root system. However, applying 2-3 irrigations results in significant yield increases. The plant prefers fertile, humus-rich soils with neutral or slightly acidic pH.
Cultivation
Crop rotation
The best results are obtained after clover, alfalfa, peas, and beans. Good preceding crops are root and bulb vegetables, potatoes, or cabbage. Pumpkin can be grown with maize in a combined crop, but this technology is used in small areas.
Soil preparation
Basic fertilization is carried out in autumn. Fertilizers should be incorporated into the soil by plowing 28-30 cm deep. In spring the soil should be tilled with a combine harrow and the watering furrows opened.
Sowing
It can be done manually (on small areas, with 2-3 seeds in a nest) or mechanically. Seeding depth is 3-4 cm. A quantity of seed of 8 to 10 kg is required per hectare. The distance between rows is 150 cm and between plants per row is 100 cm. Before sowing, it is recommended to treat the seeds. The procedure is the same as for cucumber and melon seeds.
Immediately after sowing, the field can be sprayed with a pre-emergent herbicide.
Pests and diseases
Among diseases, the most common are downy mildew, blight, and anthracnose, and among pests, mites, aphids, and thrips.
Weed control
It can be done by hoeing or by applying post-emergent herbicides.
Care works
- when the first true leaf has appeared, the thinning can be done, leaving 2 plants in the nest;
- it is recommended to perform 3-4 mechanical or 1-2 manual hoeings;
- the crop can be irrigated. The water must not touch the leaves;
- after the fruit set, you can fertilize with specific fertilizers;
- to obtain large fruits, keep 2-4 fruits on the plant;
- the crop can be mulched with straw so that the fruit does not come into contact with the soil.
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Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
Harvesting
It can be done when the fruit has reached physiological (commercial) maturity. The fruit is optimal for harvesting when the peel has hardened, has become shiny and the stalk becomes shriveled and lignified. Calendarically, the harvesting season begins in mid-September, but mass harvesting is done after the first fog has fallen. The fruit has a long shelf life and can be eaten, if stored correctly, until late winter, best kept in cellars.
