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Marble pumpkin is an old, well-known variety that is grown throughout Russia. The variety gained its popularity for its good taste and stable, high yield. Thanks to its juicy, sweet pulp, marble pumpkin is widely used in cooking. But in order to achieve the expected result when growing a variety, it is necessary to follow agrotechnical rules.
Description of Marble Pumpkin
Marble pumpkin is a late-ripening variety presented by the Biotechnika agricultural company. Fruiting occurs 140 days after planting the seeds. The crop is large-fruited and quickly growing. The plant forms powerful, long vines covered with large, uncut dark emerald leaves. In early summer, the plant produces large, bright yellow flowers that attract pollinating insects.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the large-fruited Marble Pumpkin are flattened, with wrinkled, dark emerald, soft skin. Sometimes light gray veins and spots appear on the surface, thanks to which the variety got its name.
The fruits are large, reaching from 6 to 10 kg. The pulp is bright orange, dense, aromatic, with a delicate consistency. The seeds are 3 cm long and cream-colored. The fruit has a balanced beneficial composition.The pulp contains 13% sugar, carotene, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A, B and E.
Thanks to the light nutmeg aroma, soups, snacks, sauces, casseroles, and juices are prepared from the fruit. Marble pumpkin is suitable for freezing and preparing winter preserves. The dense peel allows you to preserve freshness and aroma for a long time, but, as gardeners note, the taste decreases after long-term storage.
Characteristics of the variety
Pumpkin variety Marble, according to reviews and descriptions, is frost- and drought-resistant. But it is recommended to grow it in the southern regions, since in a cold climate the taste characteristics of the fruit decrease, the sugar content disappears, and the pulp acquires a loose consistency. Pumpkin Marble is a high-yielding variety, subject to agrotechnical rules from 1 sq. m you can collect about 20 kg of fruit.
Resistance to pests and diseases
According to the description, reviews and photos, marble pumpkin is not a capricious and pampered crop. But if the rules of care are not followed, the fruits can be seriously damaged by many diseases and pests. Most often, Marble Pumpkin suffers from powdery mildew, white and root rot, and bacteriosis. Among the pests that are dangerous for the Marble pumpkin are: spider mites, melon aphids, and slugs. In order not to lose the long-awaited harvest, it is necessary to start treatment in a timely manner, look at photos of common diseases and pests of the Marble pumpkin variety, and carry out preventive measures.
- Bacteriosis. The disease can be recognized by dark emerald spots of irregular shape, which are located between the veins on the leaf blade. Without treatment, the spots turn brownish-brown and dry out, forming irregularly shaped holes.Treatment consists of removing the affected areas and spraying the plant with copper-containing preparations.
- Powdery mildew. The leaves become covered with snow-white spots, which over time occupy the entire area of the leaf plate. You can help the Marble Pumpkin by treating it with Topaz or a solution based on colloidal sulfur.
- White rot. The fungus infects the entire above-ground part, covering it with a flocculent coating. Infected areas soften and become slimy. The disease spreads quickly in high humidity and low air temperatures. When the first signs appear, the Marble Pumpkin is treated with 0.5% copper sulfate.
- Spider mite. The pest can be recognized by a thin web on the leaf. The insect sucks the sap from the plant, as a result of which yellow spots appear on the leaf, it dries out and falls off. To kill mites, use onion or garlic alkaline infusion or broad-spectrum insecticides.
- melon aphid. A colony of pests settles on the inside of the leaf, ovaries and buds. Aphids feed on plant sap. When infected, the leaf blade curls, the flowers fall off, and the pumpkin stops growing and developing. Aphids not only reduce crop yields, but are also carriers of many diseases. To get rid of aphids, Marbled pumpkin is sprayed with insecticides, onion infusion or a decoction of phytoncidal herbs.
- Slugs. Voracious insects eat up foliage, flowers and ovaries in a short time. To destroy slugs, folk remedies are used: they set traps from cabbage leaves and a wet rag, sprinkle the soil with ash, pepper or tobacco, and spray the plant with an infusion of tomato tops, garlic or wormwood.
In order not to encounter serious problems, not to lose the Marble Pumpkin and to reap a decent harvest, you need to carry out preventive measures:
- observe crop rotation;
- remove weeds in a timely manner;
- carry out seed treatment;
- do not thicken plantings;
- promptly remove infected foliage and fruits;
- In order to increase immunity, do regular fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers.
Advantages and disadvantages
Reviews and photos of the Marble variety pumpkin indicate the positive characteristics of the variety. The advantages include:
- large fruit;
- good taste;
- long shelf life;
- unusual marble color;
- not prone to cracking even under unfavorable climatic conditions;
- long-term transportability.
Despite the large number of positive qualities, Marble Pumpkin also has disadvantages:
- does not develop well in a shaded area;
- regular feeding is required;
- does not tolerate drought and low temperatures.
Growing technology
Marbled pumpkin is a late-ripening variety; when grown in regions with short, cool summers, the harvest does not have time to ripen, so it is suitable for southern cities with a warm climate.
Marble pumpkin seeds are planted in well-warmed, nutritious soil. The bed for planting is prepared in the fall. The soil is dug up and filled with rotted compost or manure.
For planting, choose a sunny area protected from drafts. In the spring, the bed is dug up and fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.If the soil is alkaline and highly acidic, add lime or wood ash when digging.
2 days before sowing, prepare the seeds:
- Warm up for 12 hours at a temperature of + 40 °C;
- soak overnight in an ash solution (2 tablespoons of ash per 1 liter of warm water);
- Before planting, the seeds are dried.
Marble pumpkin seeds have a high germination rate, so they are planted without prior germination. Planting stages:
- In the prepared bed, holes are made 5-6 cm deep, at a distance of 0.5-1 m.
- The planting hole is spilled with 2 liters of hot water.
- After moisture is absorbed, 2-3 seeds are placed in each hole.
- The seeds are covered with fertile soil and the ground is mulched.
After 2 weeks, under favorable climatic conditions, seedlings appear. When the Marble Pumpkin is 1 month old, the weak shoots are removed, leaving the healthiest and strongest ones. To avoid damage to the root system, excess seedlings are not pulled out, but cut off with sterile pruning shears.
To grow a rich harvest of Marble pumpkin, it is necessary to carry out timely care, which consists of watering, fertilizing and weeding.
For good growth of stems and fruits, Marbled Pumpkin requires regular and abundant watering. After emergence of seedlings, irrigation is carried out 3-4 times a week. The grown pumpkin is watered after the top layer of soil has dried, using at least 5 liters of warm, settled water for each bush. To avoid fungal diseases, irrigation is carried out strictly at the root, trying not to get on the leaves.
After watering, shallow loosening, weeding and mulching are carried out.Mulch will save you from weeds, retain moisture and feed the plant with microelements. Weeding saturates the soil with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on pumpkin growth and is a prevention against many diseases.
Marble pumpkin will bear fruit well only on fertile soil. The first feeding is applied 1.5 months after planting the seeds. Bird droppings or slurry diluted in a ratio of 1:10 are used as fertilizer. During flowering and fruiting, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used. They can be applied throughout the growing season at intervals of 10-15 days.
140 days after planting the seeds, they begin harvesting. The degree of maturity is determined by the following factors:
- the foliage fades;
- the stalk dries out and becomes woody;
- the peel acquires a varietal color.
You cannot delay harvesting Marble pumpkins, as the slightest frost can reduce the taste and shorten the shelf life. To pick the fruits, choose a warm, sunny day. For storage, choose whole, undamaged vegetables, cut together with the stalk.
Before storing in a dark, cool room, the pumpkin is not washed or cleaned. Since any damage leads to rapid rotting of the pulp. If the storage conditions are met, the Marble variety pumpkin can last up to 1 year.
Conclusion
Marble pumpkin is a late-ripening nutmeg variety. By following agrotechnical rules, you can reap a good harvest of sweet, aromatic fruits. The variety is universal and is used for preparing soups, vegetable stews, juices and preserves.
