Pumpkin planting and care in open ground in Siberia. Planting pumpkin seedlings: when to plant and how to grow at home Growing pumpkin in Siberia open

Pumpkin in gardens and summer cottages is planted not only with seeds, but also with seedlings. Although this is not such a common method, it allows you to reduce the time the plants spend in the garden and thus get the harvest earlier, which is especially important when growing crops in the northern regions, where many varieties of pumpkins simply do not ripen. Find out when and how to properly plant pumpkin seedlings in open ground and how to care for the plants after planting.

This is a garden crop that loves warmth and light, so you need to plant pumpkin seedlings in open ground only when the air and soil warm up enough for the plants to vegetate properly.

There are no exact dates for transplanting pumpkin seedlings into open beds, but it is noted that they can be transplanted together with tomatoes, that is, when frosts no longer threaten the plants in the beds. Every year, warm weather sets in at different times, but usually in the middle zone you can plant pumpkin seedlings in the last days of May or the first days of June.

At this time, pumpkin seedlings should be 1 month old, so the timing of sowing seeds should be determined based on this indicator. Accordingly, in the middle zone, work should be carried out at the end of April, in Siberia and the Urals - in mid-May, in the southern regions - in mid-April.

Planting seeds for seedlings at home

To plant pumpkin seedlings, you need to prepare containers with soil and seeds, and also sow them correctly in pots.

Soil preparation

For planting seeds for seedlings, a universal soil specifically designed for growing vegetable seedlings (universal or for cucumbers) is best suited. It can be bought at any gardening store. It has a properly selected composition; microelements necessary for the growth and development of vegetable crops can be added to it. If desired, before use, the soil mixture can be shed with a solution of potassium permanganate or phytosporin.

In the absence of a ready-made substrate, you can prepare it yourself from peat, humus and almost rotted sawdust. The ratio of components should be 2:1:1. All these components need to be mixed well, add 1 cup of ash (per bucket of mixture), also disinfect, dry and fill the cups or pots in which the seeds will be sown with this mixture.

Plastic and peat pots with a volume of approximately 1 liter can be used as containers. Such a large size is due to the fact that by the time of transplantation the pumpkin will grow into a fairly decent-sized plant, so it needs to be grown in pots that hold a lot of soil. As a last resort, you can use spacious boxes and sow seeds in them according to a 15 by 15 cm pattern.

Preparation of planting material

Pumpkin seeds can be purchased in specialized stores by choosing the variety you like. Usually, seeds in packages are already prepared for sowing, that is, they are treated with special substances, so there is no need to treat them with anything at home.

The seeds collected from your vegetables (it is better to take those that have lain for 3-4 years after their selection), before planting the pumpkin for seedlings, need to be sorted and sorted: select from the total mass those that are too small, incomplete or with damaged skins. Such seeds must be removed, the rest must be treated in fungicide solutions or dipped in potassium permanganate (dark pink solution) for 0.5 hours. You can also heat them in very warm water (50°C) for 2 hours. It is not necessary to germinate the seeds to speed up germination, but you can do this if you wish.

Sowing seeds

Work begins with preparing pots for growing pumpkin seedlings. If they are reusable, then they are washed, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and dried. Then a little sawdust is poured onto the bottom of each of them, and a soil mixture is placed on top of them, not reaching the top a little, and watered with warm water. 1-2 seeds are planted in each container, lowering them into the soil to a depth of 3 cm. Sprinkle the soil on top, spray with a spray bottle, cover with film and place the pots in a warm place.

Conditions and care of seedlings

After the shoots appear (about a week), the film is removed and the pots are placed in a lighted place. Seedlings will grow well at a temperature of at least 22-25°C. The lighting must be at least 10 hours, so it is necessary to use fluorescent lamps. Water the seedlings when the soil in the growing containers begins to dry out. Use only warm and settled water.

Fertilize the plants with solutions of liquid complex fertilizers for melons and melons 2 times: a week after the shoots appear and another 10 days later. If there are no special mixtures, then you can use azofoska (1.5 g per 1 liter) or a weak infusion of mullein (first dilute 1 to 10, then leave for 1 day and dilute another 5 times).

A week before transplanting to a permanent place, the pumpkin is hardened: first, the temperature is lowered to 12°C at night and 15°C during the day. Then the containers with seedlings are taken out into the fresh air, first for a couple of hours, then for several hours and at the end of the procedure for the whole day.

Planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground

You can start planting pumpkin seedlings in the ground only after the threat of frost has passed. For pumpkins, it is advisable to choose open and sunny areas. The preferred soil is sandy loam and loamy, light, fertile, with good absorption of air and moisture. Soil acidity – neutral or slightly acidic. A few days before planting the seedlings, the soil needs to be dug up and fertilized with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers or a mixture of humus and ash, and covered with a film to warm it up. Organic matter can be poured into the holes directly during transplantation.

Just before transplanting (1 day before) the plants into open ground, water them abundantly so that they can be easily removed with a lump of earth. The transplant is carried out in the evening hours. Remove plants from pots carefully so as not to damage the fragile roots. If peat pots were used for cultivation, they are buried in the ground along with the seedlings.

Plants are placed in pre-prepared holes. Their depth should be sufficient - at least 8-10 cm. Planting scheme:

1. For bush pumpkins - 0.6 m in a row and 1-1.5 m between rows.
2. For weakly climbing plants - 0.8 m and 1.5-2 m.
3. For strongly climbing plants - 1-1.2 m and 1.5-2 m.

The recommended distance when planting must be maintained, since large plants, such as pumpkin, require sufficient feeding area. Pumpkins need to be buried up to the cotyledon leaves. After placing the seedlings in the holes, they need to be watered, sprinkled with soil, and mulched with straw, hay dust, and fine sawdust. You can build low sides of soil around each hole to prevent water from spreading when watering. For the same purpose, you can use old car tires - put them on the ground, dig a little into it and plant them in the middle of the pumpkin.

Care after disembarkation

In the first days of being in the beds, pumpkin seedlings need to be shaded for 4-5 days so that they do not dry out in the bright sun. If the weather is cold, cover the plants with spunbond. When the plants take root, the shading can be removed.

Water pumpkins during the rooting process often, but moderately. After the plants take root in the new place and begin to grow, watering should be reduced and the amount of water poured under each plant should be increased. During the growing season, you need to water the pumpkin sparingly - excess moisture can lead to rotting of the roots, and too little moisture can cause the plants to grow poorly. When the ovaries become the size of a fist, switch to drip irrigation. Stop watering once the plants have finished growing and the pumpkin fruits have almost reached their final size.

You can fertilize the pumpkin with nitrogen only at the initial stage of growth; after the ovary has formed, you can use fertilizers containing only phosphorus and potassium. The number of feedings should be at least 2-3. To fertilize pumpkins, you can use an infusion of slurry and ash infusion or ready-made complex fertilizers.

Edible varieties of pumpkin (as opposed to decorative ones) are eaten after processing: boiled, baked pumpkin, etc. This pumpkin is very well absorbed by the body and is widely used even for children's and dietary nutrition. Also good for salads and side dishes. Uncut pumpkins last a long time, so they have been used on farms since ancient times. There are many ancient Russian dishes that include pumpkin.

How to grow a good pumpkin
Soil preparation http://www.art-pen.ru/tykva-vyrashhivanie-i-uxod

For pumpkins, it is necessary to allocate well-warmed and illuminated areas on southern slopes. Medium and light loamy, neutral, sandy loam soils, well-filled with organic matter, are best suited for pumpkins. After harvesting the previous plants, the soil must be dug up to a depth of 30 centimeters and 5-8 kilograms per square meter of manure, decomposed garbage or compost must be added, as well as up to 20 grams of potash and up to 30 grams of phosphorus fertilizers. Before sowing, the land must again be cultivated to a depth of 15 centimeters and given pre-sowing fertilizer, which consists of 12 grams per square meter of potassium salt, 15 grams of superphosphate and up to 20 grams of ammonium sulfate. In each hole on poor soils, it is necessary to additionally add up to 3 buckets of organic fertilizer, 2 cups of ash and 50 grams of superphosphate, which are thoroughly mixed with the soil to a depth of 20 centimeters.

Growing pumpkins in open ground
Planting pumpkin seedlings.
When sowing, you need to use seeds that were heated for 2-3 hours at a temperature of 60 degrees, and then germinated in a damp cloth or sawdust for 3 days. To increase the cold resistance of pumpkin, especially nutmeg, the seeds must be hardened. Pumpkin seedlings should be grown under film in greenhouses or in a room on a window. To do this, sprouted or sprouted seeds should be sown in the ground 20 days before planting in clay pots whose diameter is 15-16 centimeters. The pots should be two-thirds filled with soil mixture, which consists of turf soil, peat and humus (1:1:2).

When sowing, the seeds should be covered on top with a mixture of the composition, to which 5% mullein solution is added (per bucket) and 10-12 grams of wood ash. It is necessary to germinate seeds at room temperature, and as soon as seedlings appear, the temperature must be reduced to 13-14 degrees.
Seedlings need to be watered infrequently and moderately; feed twice with a mixture of mineral and organic fertilizers, using 20 grams of double superphosphate, 15 grams of ammonium nitrate, 1 liter of slurry, 15 grams of potassium sulfate or up to 50 grams of garden mixture per bucket of water. Up to 0.5 liters of solution should be spent on one plant. It is necessary to plant seedlings in the phase of 3 true leaves. In the period from the end of May to the beginning of June, seedlings or seedlings must be planted in pre-prepared beds.
Pumpkin is a cross-pollinated, monoecious, dioecious plant. There are times when, to guarantee a good harvest, you need to pollinate manually. To do this, you need to carefully brush the dust particles inside the flower with a lush, soft brush, while transferring pollen to the stigmas of another flower. You can also carefully bring the flowers closer to each other and connect their anthers and stigma.

Pumpkin care.
Pumpkin is a tropical plant, so its leaves grow much more intensively than its fruits. Under cold summer conditions in the middle zone, it is necessary to artificially accelerate the process of both the formation and ripening of fruits.
To do this, you need to cut off the shoots of the plant, limiting them to a maximum of three. After formation, the main stem must be pinched and about 3-5 ovaries with a diameter of 15-17 centimeters should be left. If you want to get large-sized pumpkins, then you need to leave up to 3 ovaries for bush varieties, and up to 2 ovaries for climbing varieties, and at the same time you need to pinch the stem 6-7 leaves behind the last fruit. However, it is important to keep in mind that the best-tasting pumpkins grow medium-sized and are much easier to transport.

A lot of attention needs to be paid to pollination. If there are no male flowers at all, and only female flowers remain, you can pollinate the pumpkin with other pumpkin crops (squash, zucchini or even cucumber). But there is no point in collecting seeds from such plants.
As soon as the fruits have increased in size, all the leaves that cover them must be broken off to expose them to the sun. Side shoots are often sprinkled with soil to form additional roots.
When growing pumpkins on vertical supports, fences, trellises, they must be placed in bags or nets that must be tied to the support. And under the fruits that lie on the ground you need to put boards.
Pumpkin fruits are harvested after the first frost. A pumpkin is considered ripe as soon as its skin has hardened. To check, simply press the pumpkin with your fingernail: if the bark does not press through, the harvest can be harvested. Only intact fruits can be stored for a long time at slightly above-zero temperatures (about 4-8 degrees Celsius). True, in our time several varieties have already been developed that can be stored well at room temperature.

Watering and fertilizing.
Even short-term drought is critical for pumpkin. It has a large leaf surface and a lot of moisture evaporates from it. This means that it must be watered abundantly, from the moment of germination until flowering, as well as during the intensive growth of fruits. The number of waterings during flowering should be reduced - this will help the fruit set better.
Pumpkins also love mineral and organic fertilizers. The first feeding should be done 8-10 days after planting the seedlings or three weeks after sowing the seeds. For this purpose, chicken droppings or slurry diluted with water are used at a ratio of 1:4. With frequent feeding (once a week), pumpkin growth and fruiting will accelerate. Good results can be obtained by adding a garden mineral mixture (45-50 grams per 10 liters of water). Pumpkin also responds well to fertilizing with ash (one glass per 10 liters of water).

Growing pumpkins in Siberia - Tatyana Subbotina

All about growing pumpkins in your garden.

Growing pumpkins in a round bed

How to grow zucchini. Useful tips for a good harvest

Zucchini is a wonderful, tasty and healthy product. Many gardeners grow them. In order to harvest throughout the spring-summer period, the plant must be sown several times. How to grow zucchini so that the whole family can enjoy the harvest? This vegetable belongs to the heat-loving plants of the pumpkin family, which must be placed in sufficiently warmed up sunny areas of the garden. The soil for planting should begin to be prepared in the fall: fertilize with humus, add compost, dig, and in the spring harrow and make holes. Sowing zucchini occurs through germinated seeds or planting seedlings grown in peat pots on the windowsill. To make the seeds germinate faster, it is better to process and germinate them by soaking them in a solution containing microelements or in plain water for 4 days at room temperature. The fabric underneath should always be damp.

How to grow watermelon in Siberia?

If you know how to grow cucumbers, then you can also grow watermelons. There are some tricks. In Siberia, we grow it this way: I soak the seeds in hot water at 50-60 degrees. I let the water cool, take out the seeds and keep them in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate for 0.5 hours and plant them into seedlings. The seedlings should be 1 month old. During this time, prepare holes in the garden. Add sand, ash, compost or humus to the hole. Cover the holes with film or glass - let the soil warm up, and plant the ready-made seedlings (I do the same with cucumbers) in warm soil. When you plant seedlings in the ground, do not bury them - they will rot.

Cover with covering material, having previously mulched the soil so that moisture does not evaporate and you will only need to water it after 10-15 days. Pollinate by hand. Before lunch we tear up my husband. flowers and poking at women. Watermelons bear fruit in the center. shoot, we pinch off all the side shoots, i.e. we let 2 shoots grow and then we begin to pluck out the stepsons in the axils of the leaves, like a tomato, nothing complicated. The fewer stepsons there are, the larger the watermelon will be. It's up to you to decide what kind of watermelons you want to grow. If you leave 1-2 flowers on the main stem, then large ones of 10 - 12 kg will grow, and if you leave 4-5, then small ones will grow.

As soon as these watermelons reach the size of an apple, count 6 leaves from the last ovary and pinch off the top. Next, make sure there are no weeds. Watermelons don't like this! And endlessly, every week you cut out the extra stepsons with scissors. Make sure the soil does not dry out. Buy fertilizer "Healthy Garden", NV Granules. Feed, follow the instructions. Stop watering 3 weeks before harvesting and let them gain sugar content. If this is not done, the watermelons will not be sweet. Moreover, if it rains, cover with film or glass. The watermelons are already full and don’t need moisture. Then the roots won’t rot and the watermelons will be sweet.

Also, when the watermelons are pouring, place bricks under them. The bricks will accumulate heat. Whatever you say, all of Russia is a zone of risky farming. Watermelon loves warmth! Save from birds too. If you don’t cover it with covering material, they’ll peck you! The crows are circling - it's time to harvest, the watermelons are ripe. Birds clearly know this. A ripe watermelon is shiny in appearance. Good luck! Lyudmila Sokolova

Growing watermelons, tips, watermelon in the country, how to grow a watermelon in a greenhouse

Watermelon belongs to the melons and gourds of the Cucurbitaceae family. For normal growth, it requires a lot of light and heat, especially in the first stage of plant development. Therefore, it is not always possible to get a good harvest of ripe, juicy and tasty watermelons in central Russia in open ground. If the summer is cold and cloudy, then no amount of care will help you get a truly ripe, ripened watermelon. Once the fruits grow, they will grow, but the watermelon pulp may not reach a rich red color, but only turn out to be pink. And the taste will not be the same. But even in this case, a real gardener does not despair, and uses the unripe fruits for pickling. If you pickle these watermelons correctly, you get a real delicacy! But if the summer comes hot, then you can really enjoy the magnificent ripe watermelons with amazingly beautiful bright red flesh. And the taste of a ripened, freshly picked watermelon, and with its own melons, cannot be described in words! Well, very tasty! Eat these watermelons every day from morning to evening – and you won’t get bored! Therefore, I still grow watermelons in Siberia (Altai) in open ground.

Summer resident (watermelons)

WATERMELONS and MELONS in Siberia? Easily!

There's no denying that pumpkin is a healthy vegetable. Only here in Siberia it does not have time to grow and ripen. Somehow, quite by accident, I managed to get a good harvest. Later I improved my method.

There was some last year's manure left on the site, I raked it into a small mound, made depressions, put half a bucket of fertile soil in them and watered them. The layer of manure on the mound was 20 centimeters, followed by ordinary garden soil. In June, I planted pumpkin seedlings in the holes (I don’t know the variety, it was given by a friend), without covering them with anything. Only at first it was shaded from the sun.

On the same day, I planted exactly the same pumpkin seedlings in a regular garden bed. I also added half a bucket of humus to each hole. Caring for the beds was the same.

After just a couple of weeks, you could notice a difference between the plants. Those growing in the manure bed began to overtake their neighbors from the regular bed. In July, their vines were already 5-7 m long, and young shoots were actively growing in width. I laid them out in furrows, but they interfered with the plants on other ridges. Removed all fruitless and new shoots. I decided not to pinch the main stems.

Five small pumpkin ovaries appeared on each plant. The rest faded and fell away. At the end of July, I decided to remove all the tops of the lashes and the remaining extra shoots. I had to tinker with them, as the lashes became very thick.

I noticed that under each fruit a new thick white root had grown - this is how the pumpkin receives additional nutrition from the ground. It also serves as an “anchor” to prevent the wind from turning the fruit over.

On the neighboring ridge the lashes were quite modest in size. I left 1-2 fruits on each plant; the plant simply could not feed more.

All August the pumpkins sat and filled. I went and watched them grow up. September has arrived, and with it the threat of frost in our area. I waited until the last minute. One night the temperature dropped to 0°C, and the upper leaves froze. I decided not to take any more risks. I collected 10 large pumpkins from two bushes. In a regular garden plot, all the pumpkins were smaller in size.

Now I don’t complain about the pumpkin harvest. We store the fruits on the floor in our apartment. They last until the new harvest without losing their taste.

What is the care

I didn’t feed the pumpkins in the manure bed with anything - they have enough food. At first, abundant and regular watering is required.

When the plants grow, there is no need to water - the roots go to great depths, providing the plant with water. I was convinced of this in the fall when I pulled out the tops. I couldn’t cope on my own, I had to call my relatives for help.

Svetlana Shishkina,

Tobolsk, Tyumen region.

As a rule, pumpkins, like cucumbers, are immediately planted in the ground. However, if you want to get an earlier harvest and/or decide to play it safe, because... If you live in a fairly cool region with short summers, you can initially sow seeds for seedlings.

Read further in the article about when and how to properly plant pumpkin seedlings and grow them at home.

When choosing pumpkin seeds, do not pay attention to the picture on the package. The orange and smooth-looking fruit is not, in fact, the best and necessarily sweetest.

Advice! You should not choose the largest varieties.

This is explained by the fact that it is difficult to use the whole fruit at once, and after you cut it, a problem will arise. In addition, small-sized pumpkin varieties store better and, as a rule, have a sweeter taste.

In general, pumpkins exist in the following types and varieties:

The most delicious are the muscat varieties, but they are the most heat-loving and late-ripening.

Hard-barked varieties also have excellent taste. They have the earliest ripening period.

Large-fruited varieties are also very sweet and cold-resistant.

Pumpkin planting dates: when to plant seeds for seedlings and in open ground

Pumpkin seedlings should be planted 20-30 days before the expected date of planting in open ground.

The optimal age of pumpkin seedlings for planting in the ground is 20-25 days from the moment of germination (5-10 days is a reserve for seed germination).

Accordingly, the optimal time for sowing pumpkin seedlings is mid-to-late April or even early May, depending on the region of residence and its climatic zone.

Naturally, in the middle zone (Moscow region) this can be done earlier than in the Urals or Siberia, as well as in the North-West (in the Leningrad region).

In the south of Russia they usually plant them directly into the ground, but if you decide to grow seedlings first, you can sow them already at the end of March.

According to the lunar calendar in 2020

If you are used to planting in accordance with the phases of the moon, then, according to the lunar calendar, in 2020 favorable days for sowing pumpkin seedlings are:

• in March - 2-6, 12-14, 26-29;
• in April - 1, 2, 24, 25, 27-30;
• in May - 2-4, 6, 15-17, 20, 21 25-31;
• in June - 2-4, 11-14.

Unfavorable dates(Full Moon and New Moon days, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, since this is a barren and dry sign - italicized), in which you definitely should not plant pumpkin (or any other crops) for seedlings in 2020, are:

• in March - 9, 19-21 , 24;
• in April - 8, 15-17 , 23;
• in May - 7, 13-14 , 22;
• in June - 5, 9-11 , 21.

According to the lunar calendar, from the magazine “1000 tips for a summer resident.”

Preparing pumpkin seeds for planting

“You can’t expect a good breed from a bad seed.”

Before planting, pumpkin seeds should be carefully selected (calibrated), throwing out all damaged and bent specimens, leaving only the most large and plump.

Next, the seeds should be checked for their suitability for sowing (viability): pour into a container with water for 3-4 hours. Seeds that will sink can be planted, but those that remain floating on the surface should be thrown away (they are light and empty).

Video: checking pumpkin seeds for suitability for planting

You can directly prepare and process pumpkin seeds in different ways:

• Soak in a damp cloth in regular hot water (50-55 degrees) for 1-2 hours.

Or even better, in one of the growth stimulants such as Epin or Zircon. You can also grow in them.

• Disinfect by holding for about 20-30 minutes in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate (1%, i.e. 1 mg per 1 liter of water), or even better in a solution. At the end of the time, rinse under clean water and dry until the required flowability appears.

Advice! In addition to soaking, you can also carry out a hardening procedure. To do this, you need to wrap the seeds in damp gauze and put them in the refrigerator for 10-12 hours. Then take it out and put it in a warm place for 10-12 hours. Repeat this for 3-4 times (3-4 days), in other words, expose the seeds to temperature changes (stress), and then germinate.

• Just germinate! To do this, first disinfect it, then wrap it in a damp cloth (or put it between cotton pads or napkins), put it in a plastic bag (to create a greenhouse effect) and put it away for germination in a warm place where the temperature is +24..28 degrees. As a rule, the seedlings will hatch in 2-4 days.

Another way to germinate pumpkin seeds is to germination in sawdust. To do this, you need to pour sawdust into a jar, pour boiling water over it and cover with a lid. Then wait a little (so that the temperature drops to room temperature) and add the seeds to the jar with sawdust. After this, place this jar in a plastic bag and put it in a warm and dark place until germination.

Video: germination of pumpkin, watermelon and melon seeds

In order to awaken old pumpkin seeds, you can use the temperature buildup method. To do this, the seeds should be tied in gauze and alternately dipped into hot water (40-50 degrees) and then into cold water (straight from the tap, although it is better to use melted water if there is still snow outside your window). This needs to be done 4-5 times, keeping in water for 5-6 seconds. After the procedure, dry and immediately sow for seedlings or open ground.

Many summer residents successfully plant pumpkins and dry seeds, but in this case, the planting time should be shifted by 5-7 days, in other words, it is necessary to plant earlier.

Important! If you purchased coated (treated) seeds, then they do not need any pre-sowing preparation; they should be sown dry.

How to plant pumpkin seedlings

So, you have decided on the timing, prepared and processed the seeds. Well, it's time to plant pumpkin seedlings! However, first you need to select suitable planting containers, soil to fill them and actually plant them to the required depth.

Planting containers and soil

The container for planting and growing pumpkin seedlings must be individual: pumpkin plants do not tolerate picking, so special peat cups, ordinary disposable plastic (0.5 liter volume), plastic pots or any other containers convenient for you, from which you will grow, are perfect containers. It’s easy to get seedlings when planting them in the garden. Moreover, their diameter should be at least 8-10 cm.

Alternative opinion! Many gardeners are great at growing pumpkin seedlings in small, 0.2 liter cups. Naturally, it is recommended to plant earlier, when the seedlings have just formed their first leaf and the second true leaf begins to appear.

Pumpkin loves nutritious soil. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself or buy ready-made soil for pumpkin crops (cucumbers, melons, watermelons).

If you decide to make it yourself, you can mix peat, humus and sand in a 2:1:1 ratio, or take equal parts of peat, humus and rotted sawdust.

Direct planting of seedlings

Step-by-step instructions for sowing pumpkin seeds for seedlings:

Video: planting pumpkin seedlings with germinated seeds

Video: sowing dry seeds for seedlings

How to care for pumpkin seedlings at home

When the first shoots appear (after 3-7 days), the shelter must be promptly removed.

Before that, you should open the containers at least once a day for ventilation for 10-15 minutes and at the same time check them for the presence of seedlings.

After germination, it would be good to place the container with plantings in a cooler place (where the temperature is 2-5 degrees lower, i.e. about +15-18 during the day and +13-15 at night), and then (after 5-7 days) return to previous temperature conditions (+20-25 during the day, not lower than +15 at night).

This procedure (lowering the temperature) will help young seedlings not to stretch out.

Lighting

Pumpkin seedlings need good lighting for normal growth, so the containers should be placed on a brightly lit windowsill, ideally in the south (southeast or southwest).

Full 12 hour daylight- your reliable protection against pulling seedlings.

Advice! If suddenly the seedlings begin to stretch out, be sure to add some soil to the cups.

Watering and fertilizing

Pumpkin loves moisture, so it needs regular watering. However, it should be done in moderation without overwatering the plant. At the same time, excessive drying of the soil should also not be allowed.

The water should be warm (at least room temperature), settled or filtered.

After 1-1.5 weeks of seedlings appearing, the pumpkin seedlings can be fed for better growth (however, if you initially used fertile soil, then no feeding is needed). As an option, you can use a nitrogen fertilizer (for example, mullein or similar), or even better, a complete complex fertilizer such as nitroammofoska or something special for pumpkins (the same Agricola).

Video: growth of pumpkin seedlings in a week

When and how to plant pumpkin seedlings in open ground

The signal for planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground is the appearance of sufficiently developed 2-3 true leaves and the seedlings reaching a height of 15-20 centimeters.

As for the timing of planting, by this time the earth should warm up sufficiently (up to +8-12 degrees), and the weather should be consistently warm (above +10 degrees).

Like all cucurbits, pumpkin does not tolerate frosts, but it can withstand short periods of frost (unlike other melons).

Depending on climatic conditions, as a rule, a favorable period begins in the second half of April in the Southern regions, in mid-May in the Middle Zone (Moscow region), at the end of May in the Urals and Siberia.

Advice! It would be very prudent if 5-7 days before planting the seedlings in the garden, you harden your plants, namely, you begin to take them out onto the balcony (or loggia) or into the greenhouse, gradually increasing the residence time from 1-2 hours to the whole day.

It is optimal to plant a pumpkin in the garden in the evening or during the day, in cloudy weather, when the sun has gone or hidden behind the clouds.

Pumpkin seedlings are planted according to a certain pattern; as a rule, it is indicated on the seed package (most often at a distance of 80 to 150 cm from each other).

The place for growing pumpkins should be the sunniest.

Transplantation into the ground should be done carefully, slowly removing the seedlings together with the lump, and in no case damaging the root system of the plant. It is better to make the hole large enough: pour a mixture of humus and ash into the bottom, pour it with warm water, place a seedling, and then cover it with garden soil. As soon as the planting is completed, the plantings can be mulched with humus.

Video: planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground

Thus, even a novice gardener can grow pumpkin seedlings at home. The main thing is to initially choose a good variety, decide on the timing, prepare the seeds and plant them correctly.

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Pumpkin

We eat pumpkin, we heal with pumpkin...

Common pumpkin (Cu-curbita rero) is a well-known annual herbaceous cultivated plant from the pumpkin family. There are a huge number of varieties of it. Origin - the mysterious and wonderful country of Mexico. In America, pumpkin was cultivated 5000 BC. The ancient Egyptians also grew the plant, considering it a delicacy.

The ancient aesthetes the Romans made various vessels of outlandish shapes and sizes from pumpkins (calabasas intended for tea drinking are more than 8 thousand years old).

And in ancient China, festive bowls were made from it, which were used only on the tables of the imperial family. The gourd pumpkin in this country is considered a symbol of prosperity, fertility, rebirth and health.

Pumpkin came to Europe in the 16th century, but only in the 19th century. she gets full recognition. In Ukraine, the beautiful pumpkin at first served as the main object in many rituals. During religious holidays, a hollowed out pumpkin with a lit candle inside was carried around the villages. They also gave a pumpkin to an unlucky groom in the house of a girl who wanted to refuse him marriage. And the famous Halloween would be incomprehensible without pumpkins.

The sizes of pumpkin fruits are very diverse. Since the end of the 19th century. Every year in Paris there is a competition for the largest pumpkin. Until 2010, the record holder was a pumpkin weighing 676 kg.

The plant enjoys great prestige as a valuable vegetable crop; it is used raw, fried, baked, pickled and other forms. Scientists have found that the largest number of long-livers is observed where they eat a lot of pumpkin.

In the old days, people offered their enemies to drink pumpkin juice to relieve aggression and pacify belligerence.

To change the atmosphere in the family towards friendliness, it was recommended to consume pumpkin porridge, jelly or pumpkin juice. She also helps in love affairs. By unobtrusively feeding the “object of love” dried, baked pumpkin or porridge from it, you significantly increase the chance of awakening interest in yourself.

Pumpkin is very valuable as a medicinal product. She is a real pharmacy in miniature. It contains a lot of pectin and soft fiber, and in orange-yellow forms - carotenoids, B vitamins (B1, B2), C, PP, F, minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphorus, cobalt, molybdenum; proteins, lecithin, phytosterols, cucurbigol, organic acids, enzymes, etc. It is invaluable in correcting metabolism, atherosclerosis (as a mild anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol agent), hypertension, diseases of the liver, gallbladder, large intestine, prostate gland (especially adenoma).

Outstanding Russian therapists S.S. Zimnitsky, D.M. Rossiysky introduced a pumpkin diet into the treatment regimen for heart, liver, and kidney diseases. Many scientists point to the antitumor effect of pumpkin. Pumpkin fruits and its juice remove excess fluid and salts from the body and, unlike diuretics, do not harm the kidney parenchyma. Pumpkin juice is taken 30-50 ml 4 times a day after meals for a month, or raw grated pumpkin pulp up to 0.5 kg per day, or boiled up to 2 kg per day for a long time (3-4 months with breaks after 1 month of taking for 7-10 days).

A glass of pumpkin juice drunk at night calms the nervous system and promotes healthy sleep. If you are depressed, eat a piece of pumpkin.

Pumpkin seed oil contains deltasitosterol, due to which it has anti-inflammatory and diuretic effects. In addition, the oil affects the metabolism of the important hormone dihydrotestosterone, contains eicosapentothenic and alphalinolenic acids - stabilizers of cell membranes, especially skin cells, which reduces the process of desquamation of the epithelium. This property is used for skin diseases (seborrhea, psoriasis, acne). Place one or two drops of oil on the bread; eat 3-4 times a day during or after meals.

For exudative diathesis in children and allergic rashes, 3 tbsp is recommended. spoons of string grass pour 500 ml of water, cook for 5 minutes, pour into a bath of water before bathing the child. After bathing, lubricate the skin with pumpkin juice or apply its pulp for 20-40 minutes...

Lidia Evdokimova

Her Majesty Pumpkin

Pumpkin is one of the most common vegetable crops in the Russian garden from the large pumpkin family. The homeland of pumpkin is Mexico and the countries of Central America, where they were grown 2000 BC. e.

Pumpkin- annual plant with a powerful root system. The main tap root penetrates the ground to a depth of 2 m or more. But the most active part of the roots is in the topsoil.

The stem of the pumpkin is creeping, branched, consists of the main and lateral shoots, which can reach a length of 6-7 m or more. It has a huge leaf evaporating surface and is very demanding of moisture, especially in the first half of the growing season. The leaf surface of large plants can reach 25 m2.

Three types of pumpkin grow in Russia- hard-barked and large-fruited- most cold-resistant), and in the south of the country -- butternut squash.

Pumpkin- heat-loving plant. In cold soil, its seeds simply rot. The minimum soil temperature for seed germination is 12°C, optimal 25...30°C. A decrease in temperature to 14°C or lower, especially at night, has a dramatic effect on the formation of fruits, since they mainly grow at night. At the slightest frost the plant dies.

Pumpkin is photophilous and does not tolerate shading and thickening. In this case, the plants are inhibited, the ripening of fruits is delayed, the yield and taste of the pumpkin are reduced. Plants need the most intense light during flowering and fruit ripening.

Pumpkin has valuable nutritional, dietary and medicinal properties. It is nutritionally superior to most vegetables. Pumpkin pulp contains up to 20% starch and from 2 to 18% sugars. It contains little fiber, but a lot of pectin.

Pumpkin contains carotene from 2 to 20 mg/%. In terms of carotene yield per unit area, brightly colored pumpkin varieties are far superior to carrots. Pumpkin contains a lot of folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, iron, etc.

Pumpkin is useful for diseases of the cardiovascular system and blood vessels, kidney diseases, atherosclerosis, intestinal disorders, chronic diseases of the gallbladder, kidneys, pancreas, stomach diseases with high acidity, metabolic diseases. Pumpkin seeds have long been considered a strong anthelmintic.

Agrotechnics of cultivation

To obtain a high pumpkin yield, the choice of site, type of soil, compliance with crop rotation, fertilizer system, and compliance with plant care requirements are important.

Pumpkin is grown both by seedlings and without seedlings. For good plant development, the most suitable are fertile, light and medium loamy soils, rich in organic matter and non-acidic. Pumpkin grows poorly in damp, heavy and acidic soils.

The area should be well lit by the sun and protected from cold winds. Therefore, in personal plots it is often planted on the south side of buildings, where it is less harmed by cold mornings. The best predecessors for pumpkin- potatoes, onions, cabbage, root vegetables, legumes, perennial herbs. In gardens, it is often planted together with potatoes as a compactor.

The soil for pumpkin must be carefully prepared by adding 1 bucket of rotted manure per 1 m2 for digging. On heavy clay soils, it is advisable to put an additional bucket of rotted compost and a quarter of a bucket of rotted sawdust treated with a urea solution into the hole.

In addition, you need to add 1 tbsp. l. phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. In spring it is better to add only humus, and in its absence- 1 tsp each urea per 1 m2 of area. On acidic soils, you need to add lime, or even better, 1.5-2 cups of ash per 1 m2.

In the spring, as soon as the soil allows, it must be harrowed to lock up moisture, and before planting, dig up heavy soil to a depth of 10-12 cm, and loosen light soil with a cultivator or flat cutter to the same depth.

Large seeds are selected for sowing. The best way to prepare them- germinate until pricking. To do this, 2-3 days before sowing, they are immersed for 2-3 hours in warm water at a temperature of 5°C, and then soaked in a damp cloth at room temperature.

To increase cold resistance, it is advisable to harden the seeds by placing them in a damp cloth for two days in the refrigerator at a temperature of about 0°C.

You must be careful when choosing the timing of sowing seeds. Pumpkin is sown in the ground when the soil at a depth of 10 cm steadily warms up to a temperature above 12°C. Sowing too early in damp, unheated soil leads to reduced germination and plant disease.

Seed placement depth on medium loamy soils- 3-4 cm, on light soils- 6--7 cm. To reduce the likelihood of seedlings being damaged by frost, many gardeners sow seeds at different depths or, in addition to sprouted ones, also sow dry seeds. If there are no frosts, then the late shoots are then removed. Holes for sowing are made every 1 m for bush pumpkins, and for climbing pumpkins- after 1.3 m.

To protect against frost, do not forget to make holes on mounds 10-15 cm high so that the earth warms up better, covering them on top with protective caps or a film cover.

Some gardeners plant pumpkins in a greenhouse, taking the whip outside. To do this, holes are made at the southern end of the greenhouse close to the wall and pumpkin seeds are planted in them. When the plant reaches a height of 60 cm, the film is lifted and the whip is directed to the open area.

At the same time, the pumpkins remain in the greenhouse in warmer soil and do not interfere with the cucumbers, since their roots are located in the soil much lower than the roots of the cucumbers. This method allows you to grow pumpkin in a non-transplant crop 8-10 days earlier than is usually customary.

Another trick gives the same effect. After sowing the seeds, the beds are tightly covered with film. With the emergence of seedlings, cuts are made in it, through which the plants gradually come out and spread along the film. At the same time, the soil temperature rises by 4...5°C, and the loss of seedlings is sharply reduced.

But to get a good harvest, it is better to use the seedling method of growing pumpkin. Since pumpkin does not tolerate replanting well, this should be done in peat pots measuring at least 10x10x10 cm. It is best to use a light soil mixture of low-lying peat, humus, turf soil and mullein (5:3; 1:1).

Seedlings should be grown in maximum light. In warm weather, it should be taken out to a greenhouse or loggia for the day, and brought into the house at night. If this is not possible, it should be placed on the most illuminated windowsill.

The most important thing when growing seedlings- This is temperature control. Before the emergence of seedlings, the air temperature must be maintained during the day at 20...25°C, at night 15...18°C, and with the emergence of seedlings during the day 15...20, and at night 13...15°C. In the future, the daytime temperature should be 18...22, and the night temperature 15...18°C.

At the time of planting, seedlings should have 2-3 true, well-developed leaves and a low, stocky stem with short internodes. Planting seedlings must be done together with a pot so as not to disturb the root system of the pumpkin.

When the threat of frost has passed and warm weather sets in, the seedlings are planted in holes pre-watered with warm water according to the same pattern as when sowing seeds. Immediately after planting, a temporary protective structure must be erected over the plants to protect them from wind and possible frosts.

Plant care includes loosening the soil, weed control, thinning plants, watering, fertilizing, proper formation, sprinkling of stems, and pollination of flowers.

The first loosening of the soil is carried out immediately after the appearance of clearly marked rows. This must be done carefully so as not to cover the young plants with soil. The second loosening is carried out in the phase of 4-5 true leaves to a depth of no more than 8-10 cm, since by this time the plants have a developed root system. Simultaneously with loosening, weeds are removed and plants are thinned out.

The pumpkin is watered abundantly, because it “pumps” a lot of moisture out of the soil, evaporating it through the leaves, and requires a large amount of water, especially before flowering and with intensive fruit growth.

The first watering is carried out 7-10 days after planting the seedlings, the second 2-3 weeks after the first, 1-2 buckets per plant. Removal of weeds and loosening of the soil are timed to coincide with watering.

And with sharp fluctuations in soil moisture, the hard bark of the pumpkin cannot withstand it and the fruit bursts. To avoid this, fill a plastic bottle with water, poke holes in the lid with a needle, turn it over and place it next to the plant. The water from the bottle will flow out gradually, and the fruit- extract moisture evenly.

To get large fruits, plants need to be fed. The first time this is done when 3-5 leaves appear. It is best to use mullein (1:10), spending 1 bucket per 5 plants. The second feeding is done at the beginning of the formation of lashes, using the same mullein infusion (1: 10), adding 1 tbsp per bucket of solution. l. nitrophoska.

The third feeding is done during the period of fruit formation with a solution of mullein with the addition of potassium sulfate (2 tablespoons) or ash (1 glass) per 1 bucket of solution, spending it on 5 plants. In the absence of organic fertilizers, mineral fertilizers can be used, adding them dry to moist soil or in the form of a solution- dry.

Foliar feeding with a urea solution (1 tsp per 10 liters of water) is very effective, especially after prolonged cloudy weather. In order to stimulate the development of plants, it is advisable to spray them with the growth stimulator Epin or other biological products 2-3 times per season.

To get a good pumpkin harvest, the plant must be shaped. The best way to do this is to pinch the main stem above 4-5 leaves of long-climbing pumpkins. It is optimal to form the plant into two stems, leaving only 3-4 fruits on them. After each fruit, 4-5 leaves are left, then the growing points are pinched, and all female flowers that form are removed.

Attention! The pumpkin vine must be positioned so that its top is always in the sun. Scourges whose tops are in the shade will never produce a good harvest.

A mandatory technique is to sprinkle the lashes. When they reach a length of 1 m, they are laid in the desired direction and sprinkled with loose soil in several places. Strong roots quickly form here, which additionally nourish the plant. These roots should not be forgotten when watering.

When growing pumpkins, you can often see rotting ovaries, because the female flowers are not pollinated. The reasons can be very different, most often the lack of flight of insects in inclement weather.

To prevent this from happening, artificial pollination of flowers must be done. To do this, in the first half of the day, when female flowers bloom, male flowers are collected, their petals are removed, and two or three anthers are alternately pressed against the stigma of an open female flower, preferably from another plant. It is advisable to repeat artificial pollination later.

Giant pumpkins must be protected from soil dampness. To do this, place a wide board or plywood on the ground and- pumpkin But this must be done while she is small, because... Handling a giant fruit can easily break the fragile stem.

And when the pumpkin fruits noticeably increase in size, you need to open them to the rays of the sun, breaking off 1-2 leaves located nearby. This will speed up the ripening of the fruits and protect them from spoilage. At the same time, the bark of the fruit will be stronger.

Pumpkins are harvested when they reach maturity. Only late-ripening varieties are harvested unripe, and they ripen during storage. In temperate latitudes this is done in mid-September before frost sets in.

The biological ripeness of a large-fruited pumpkin can be easily determined by the suberized stem, while in hard-barked and nutmeg pumpkins the bark pattern becomes appropriate to the variety.

The fruits are cut off together with the stalk, otherwise they get sick and do not tolerate storage well. Then they are dried for 7-10 days to evaporate excess moisture and increase the strength of the bark.

Ripe pumpkins of all varieties are suitable for storage for 1-2 months. But table varieties of large-fruited pumpkins, whose blood tissues are dense and strong, and whose pulp contains a lot of dry matter, are stored especially long.

For long-term storage, pumpkins are placed on the floor so that they do not touch each other, with dry straw underneath them. They are best stored at a temperature of 6...8°C in dry, ventilated basements with a relative humidity of 70-75%. Under such conditions, winter pumpkin varieties can be stored for up to a year. In a comfortable city apartment, mature pumpkins can be stored for up to 5 months.

V. Shafransky

Source:http://www.gazetasadovod.ru

Pumpkin: hit of the season

Pumpkin pulp contains 5-7% sugar, 5% minerals and three times more provitamin A than tomatoes.- carotene (in some varieties it reaches 38 mg/%). Among mineral substances, the main place is occupied by salts of phosphoric acid. Sweet porridges are cooked from pumpkin along with millet or rice. Pumpkin is baked, soups, purees, compotes, candied fruits are prepared from it, and it is eaten raw. Young pumpkins, like squash, up to 5 cm in diameter, are suitable for pickling.

Pumpkin salad

Pumpkin- 300 g, boiled water- 0.5 cups, vinegar- 0.5 cups, sugar- 0.5 cups, cinnamon, cloves.

Cut the pumpkin into cubes and boil in a marinade of water, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Cool and serve with meat and fish dishes.

Oriental pumpkin soup

Ground meat- 200 g, vegetable oil- 2 tbsp. l., onion- 1 piece, cube broth- 2 l, starch- 2 tsp, dried mushrooms- 1 package (or fresh- 2-3 pcs.), pumpkin (cubes)- 2 cups soy sauce- 1 tbsp. l., ginger, salt.

Fry the minced meat with chopped onion in butter, add broth, add mushrooms and cook for 30 minutes. Then add pumpkin, ginger, sauce, starch diluted with water, and add salt if desired. Cook for 15 minutes. You can add lemon juice, pepper, and wine to taste.

Canadian pumpkin soup

Pumpkin- 400 g, water- 3 cups, onion- 1 piece, milk- 1 cup, ground red pepper, salt.

Peel the pumpkin, cut into pieces, add water, add finely chopped onion, boil for 30-40 minutes and rub through a sieve. Add milk, pepper and salt to taste, boil and serve with slices of toasted bread spread with butter.

Pumpkin in sour cream

Cut the pumpkin into pieces, roll in flour and fry in oil. Then put it in layers in a pan, coated with butter and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, sprinkling each layer with sugar, and add a little salt. Pour sour cream over everything and place in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Pumpkins stuffed with pork

Meat- 500 g, chopped greens- 1 handful, onion- 2-3 pcs., rice- 150 g, eggs- 1 pc., lemon- 1 pc., small pumpkins - 500 g, cheese - 50 g, sour cream- 100 g, ground black pepper, salt.

Finely chop the meat (or pass through a meat grinder), simmer with onions, herbs, salt, and pepper. Then cool, add boiled rice, egg, lemon juice. Fill the pumpkin halves, peeled inside and boiled in salted water, with this mixture, place them in a greased pan, add the pulp, put a piece of butter on top and bake. 10 minutes before readiness, add grated cheese mixed with sour cream.

Pumpkin with meat

Pumpkin- 1 kg, meat- 0.5 kg, onion- 100 g, flour-- 2 tbsp. l., butter, ground black pepper, salt.

Chop the meat and fry in oil in a deep frying pan, add salt and pepper, add chopped pumpkin and onion, lightly fry, and then bake in the oven until the juice appears. Sprinkle with onions, gently shake the pan and bake until golden brown. Serve with grated horseradish.

Pumpkin and apple pudding

For 200 g peeled pumpkin- 200 g apples, 1 glass of milk, 40 g sugar, 1 tbsp. l. semolina, 2 eggs, 30 g butter.

Chop the pumpkin, put it in a saucepan, add milk and simmer until half cooked. Finely chop the apples, mix with pumpkin and sugar, simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add semolina, mix everything and keep on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Add 2 yolks, stir, add whipped whites, butter and mix everything well from bottom to top. Place the mixture in a greased frying pan and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Serve pudding with sour cream.

Pumpkin baked with tomatoes

For 500 g pumpkin- 300 g tomatoes.

Cut the pumpkin into slices, add salt and pepper, roll in flour and fry until golden brown on both sides in heated oil over moderate heat. Place the pumpkin slices on a greased baking sheet, put the tomatoes cut into slices on top, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese and bake in the oven.

Porridge with fried pumpkin

Pumpkin- 300 g. rice- 1 glass, milk- 0.5 l, butter- 25 g, sugar, salt.

Fry the pumpkin in oil. Boil the rice, rinse. Place the pumpkin and rice in a saucepan, add sugar, salt, add milk, put in the oven, add butter and simmer until done.

Pumpkin and apple jelly

Pumpkin- 400 g, apples- 2-3 pcs., water- 8 glasses, sugar- 1 cup, starch- 3 tbsp. l.

Cut apples and pumpkin into pieces, add 2 cups of boiling water, cook until soft and puree with the broth. Add the rest of the water, add sugar, boil, add starch previously diluted with cooled broth, bring to a boil again and cool.

Pumpkin "New"

Pour 1 liter of water, 0.2 liters of vinegar (9%), 150 g of vegetable oil into a clean bowl, add 350 g of sugar, 5 g of salt, finely chopped clove of garlic and parsley rhizome. Bring to a boil and add 4 kg of peeled and chopped pumpkin to the marinade. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 minutes. Then place it hot in dry, sterilized jars and seal immediately.

I. Steblova

Pumpkin - best vegetable for slim people

Pumpkin- One of the few vegetables that only becomes tastier when stored. And that's why. Starch gradually turns into sugar, and it becomes sweet. In addition to sugars, the pulp of large-fruited pumpkin contains carotenes, organic acids, potassium salts, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, iodine, cobalt, manganese, fluorine, various vitamins (C, group B, pantothenic and folic acids).

Do you want to lose fat?

Pumpkin is perfect as a dietary food for obesity. On a fasting day, you can eat exclusively boiled pulp. And when grated raw, it stimulates bile secretion. Half a glass of juice or 0.5 kg of pulp will relieve constipation. The juice and boiled pulp have a wonderful diuretic effect and will help with swelling.

A small amount of fiber and organic acids make it possible to include this vegetable in the diet for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and the high content of pectin has a positive effect on inflammatory processes in the large intestine.

Since pumpkin contains a significant amount of potassium, dishes made from it are useful for heart and vascular diseases. Due to the presence of iron, it can also be recommended for anemia.

The pumpkin diet is used for atherosclerosis and gout. The diet includes large portions of this boiled vegetable twice a day.

Drank a glass - pulled me to sleep

Pumpkin in winter- an accessible source of vitamins. But remember that carotene is most absorbed from boiled or steamed vegetables, especially if flavored with oil.

A glass of pumpkin broth with honey will help with insomnia and restless sleep.

A paste of crushed pulp is used for burns and eczema, and is also used as a cosmetic product. A face mask is made from pumpkin pulp. 30-40 g of pulp is poured with half a glass of cream and boiled for 10 minutes. The resulting gruel, warm (not hot!), is applied evenly to the face and washed off after 20-30 minutes.

The seeds deserve special praise. They contain fatty oil, almost half of which is linolenic acid, photosterol, cucursitol, vitamins C, B1, which is beneficial for our body. In many Mediterranean countries, the oil is very widely used in cooking for dressing salads. And vitamin E contained in the seeds and the fatty oil obtained from them delays aging and supports the reproductive functions of the body.

The seeds have been used by official medicine for about 150 years as an anthelmintic. And people have known about this property for almost a millennium. They are used against tapeworms, and less often roundworms. In terms of activity, pumpkin seeds are inferior to male fern preparations, but unlike the latter, they are low-toxic. Seeds (200 g) are pounded in a mortar and mixed with honey. After this, the patient is given small portions within an hour, and after about 3 hours- a laxative and then, half an hour later, they give an enema. The cucurbitin contained in the seeds only stuns the worms and makes them unable to adhere to the intestinal walls, and therefore they need to be removed from the body as quickly as possible. Children 3-4 years old need 71 g of seeds, 5-7 years old- 100 g, 8-10- 150 g, 10 years or more- 200-250 g.

A glass of seeds and exercise

Sigmund Freud also spoke about the effect of pumpkin seeds on the male body. As it turned out, they are really extremely useful for the stronger half of humanity, and especially for those over 50, as they are a good means of preventing and treating prostate hyperplasia, or more simply prostate adenoma. Doctors have noticed that on the Balkan Peninsula, where pumpkin and fatty oil from its seeds are widely used in cooking, this disease is relatively rare, while in other countries it is very common, and not only in old age. You need to eat up to 1 cup of unroasted and peeled seeds daily during the day. And if you grow a gymnospermous pumpkin, then you don’t have to peel the seeds. The course of treatment lasts several months, and it is advisable to combine it with physical therapy.

E. Malysheva , biologist

What can a pumpkin do?

Pumpkin is a very healthy product. Moreover, in all its forms: baked, pumpkin porridge, pumpkin juice and even pumpkin seeds prevent and relieve many diseases.

Pumpkin lowers blood pressure...

Pumpkin seeds, according to nutritionist S. Fus, due to their mineral content, strengthen arteries and normalize high blood pressure. Therefore, pumpkin seeds are useful for hypertensive patients.

...saves from swelling

Pumpkin juice, due to its content of potassium, magnesium, pectin, and fiber, helps remove excess water from the body, which leads to swelling.

...helps with gastritis and ulcers

Pumpkin oil is used both in medicine and in cooking. They season salads, meat, and legumes.

Pumpkin oil contains fatty acids and beta-carotene, so it is used as a prophylactic for liver cirrhosis, gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, hepatitis and hemorrhoids.

…improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines

Eating pumpkin seeds is very beneficial for the stomach and intestines: due to the fiber and fats, the seeds improve their functioning. “But don’t get carried away,” warns S. Fus, “otherwise you can, for example, provoke hepatic colic. 30 g of seeds per day is the optimal amount.”

Pumpkin juice also normalizes intestinal function - by the way, it can be diluted with any other juice. However, those who suffer from diseases of the intestines and pancreas should be careful with pumpkin: a large amount of sugar, fiber and fat increases the load on these organs.

...removes toxins from the body

Due to the content of fiber, pectin fibers and bioflavonoids, pumpkin helps eliminate toxins and excess cholesterol from the body.

In addition, it is recommended to use pumpkin for pyelonephritis (kidney disease) - the magnesium contained in it reduces the load on the kidneys.

...good for eyesight

Pumpkin helps nourish the eyes. It contains beta-carotene, which is necessary for good vision, as well as for even and smooth skin.

...helps you lose weight

Pumpkin is a great food option for those who want to lose weight. Pumpkin is a low-calorie product; 100 g of pulp contains only 25 calories.

Give yourself a pumpkin fasting day: eat pumpkin dishes - for example, baked or pumpkin porridge.

…helps with burns and skin diseases

Pounded pumpkin pulp in the form of compresses is applied to the affected areas of the skin for burns, as well as for eczema and rashes.

Pumpkin oil, which was already discussed above, is used as a prophylactic for dermatitis and psoriasis.

...saves from tuberculosis

Interesting fact: in India, pumpkin is used to prevent tuberculosis. It has been proven that an aqueous extract of the fruit in a ratio of 1:10,000 prevents the proliferation of tuberculosis bacillus.

...gives positivity

The last argument in favor of pumpkin is its cheerful orange color, which can lift your spirits.

Pumpkin lanterns, masks and pumpkin faces make you smile, and the process of making them drives away sad thoughts.

(Gardener No. 1, 2011)