Content
Sweet Winter Pumpkin appeared in vegetable gardens relatively recently, but has already become a favorite among summer residents and consumers. It's all about unpretentiousness, long shelf life and excellent taste. Description, characteristics, photos and reviews of those who have already been involved in culture will be presented in the article.
Description of the Winter Sweet pumpkin variety
The Winter Sweet pumpkin variety was bred by Kuban research institute breeders at their experimental station in 1995.
The crop was recommended for cultivation in the southern regions where there is insufficient rainfall. Over time, the geography of the variety has expanded significantly; now the Winter Sweet pumpkin is grown even in Siberia through seedlings.
The plant is distinguished by large leaves of dark green color. They have the shape of a pentagon, the notch is weakly expressed. The lashes are long - up to 3 m, quite thick, juicy, fleshy. The flowers are large, bright yellow.
Description of fruits
Winter Sweet pumpkin is a table variety; it has large round fruits, strongly flattened on the sides. The variety is late-ripening, the growing season lasts from 130 to 140 days.
The weight of one fruit is 6-12 kg.The top of the pumpkin is covered with a dense and hard gray skin, which allows the fruit to be preserved for 1-2 years. The surface is divided into well-defined lobules. In addition, on the peel with barely noticeable spots of dark or light color there are small growths similar to warts.
The inner part of the Sweet Winter pumpkin is orange or egg-yellow in color and is distinguished by its juiciness. The middle part is loose and contains seeds. They are oval or round in shape, large. The skin of Winter Sweet pumpkin seeds is very hard. Each 1000 pieces weighs about 400 g.
The fruits are sugary, aromatic, and have a large amount of vitamins and microelements. Despite its sweetness, the Sweet Winter pumpkin is a low-calorie product, which is why nutritionists recommend it for weight loss.
The fruits contain a lot of juice, which is why a vitamin drink is obtained from the orange mass and a puree is prepared. Some housewives use the vegetable to make jam and compotes.
Characteristics of the variety
Like any cultivated plant, the Winter Sweet pumpkin, according to the description and photo, has its own characteristic features:
- distinguished by large fruits;
- good keeping quality;
- the plant is drought-resistant and tolerates cold weather well;
- climbing average;
- from 1 sq. m with proper care, up to 30 kg of fruits are harvested.
Resistance to pests and diseases
The Winter Sweet pumpkin variety is resistant to many diseases, but sometimes suffers from:
- white mosaic;
- fusarium;
- gray rot.
To prevent diseases, experienced gardeners recommend dusting the foliage with wood ash.If the disease cannot be stopped in time, you can use pesticides. It is advisable to simply remove and burn severely affected pumpkin bushes.
If we talk about harmful insects, the Winter Sweet variety can suffer from spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies. You can cope with the problem using folk remedies. Spray the bushes:
- infusion of onion peel;
- infusion of crushed garlic;
- tobacco infusion.
In case of a serious pest infestation, you can use:
- "Aktellikom";
- "Fundazol";
- "Aktaroy".
Spraying should be carried out in dry weather without wind.
Advantages and disadvantages
Breeders, creating new varieties of cultivated plants, try to give them as many positive qualities as possible. First you need to find out the advantages of the Sweet Winter variety:
- stable and high productivity;
- excellent taste, wide range of uses in cooking;
- high level of transportability and shelf life;
- drought-resistant plant;
- resistance to anthracnose and powdery mildew.
According to reviews from gardeners, the Sweet Winter pumpkin variety has no disadvantages if it is grown in the south or in the temperate zone. But in Siberia or the Urals it does not always ripen, so you have to grow seedlings.
Growing technology
Any soil is suitable for growing Winter Sweet pumpkin, but it doesn’t hurt to fertilize it. From organic matter, peat or compost is used. If there is a lot of sand in the soil, then you need to add black soil and humus.
Pumpkin produces a good harvest on neutral or slightly alkaline soils.If the soil is highly acidic, then you need to add wood ash or dolomite flour (from 200 to 600 g per 1 sq. m, depending on the acidity).
You just need to remember that a large amount of nutrients negatively affects the quality (nitrates accumulate) and shelf life.
The beds are located on the south side of the site, preferably along the fence.
It is best to plant pumpkins after:
- carrots;
- potatoes;
- cabbage;
- legumes;
- tomatoes;
- onions and garlic.
Pumpkin can be placed in the garden after 5-6 years.
Preparing for landing
Winter Sweet pumpkin, according to reviews from gardeners, can be grown in seedlings (the photo below shows a seedling ready for planting) or the seeds can be sown directly in open ground. Growing seedlings is recommended in the Northern regions so that the fruits have time to ripen.
Growing seedlings
Seeds for seedlings are sown in late March or early April. As a rule, pumpkin crops do not tolerate transplantation well, so it is recommended to grow Winter Sweet Pumpkin in separate containers. These can be plastic cups or made yourself from paper. Tea or milk bags will do.
You can take ready-made soil or prepare it yourself. For every 1 kg of soil you need to add 1 tsp. nitrophoska and 2-3 tbsp. l. wood ash. The soil is spilled with boiling water, to which several crystals of potassium permanganate are added.
Pumpkin seeds have a tough skin, so before planting they are soaked, wrapped in cloth or moss. But first, the seed must be disinfected from fungal diseases. To do this, it is treated in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or in Fitosporin.
The seeds are buried 1.5-2 cm and covered with film to speed up the germination process. The containers are placed in a warm, well-lit window.After 1-2 weeks, shoots will appear, the film is removed. Water as needed. As for feeding, the seedlings are watered with an extract of wood ash or a solution of potassium permanganate.
Before planting seedlings in a permanent place, they need to be hardened off.
Planting seedlings in the ground
Seedlings are planted in open ground when the threat of frost disappears and the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to 12 degrees. By this time, the plants will have a height of 15-20 cm and 4-5 true leaves. The holes are dug at a distance of 80-100 cm, since the large-fruited pumpkin of the Winter Sweet variety needs a lot of space. 2 bushes are planted in each hole.
On heavy loamy soils, seedlings are planted on ridges 6 cm high. Immediately after planting, the plants are well watered.
Sowing seeds
Sowing of seeds is carried out at a soil temperature of about 12 degrees. Place 3-4 seeds in a hole. When the plants sprout, I leave the 2 strongest sprouts in the hole and remove the rest.
Care
Caring for the Winter Sweet pumpkin variety is not difficult, since the description says that the plant is unpretentious, and gardeners also note this in reviews. All events are standard.
Weeding
Weeds should not be allowed to grow, as they are breeding grounds for diseases and pests. They need to be removed as they grow, simultaneously with loosening the soil. In row-spacings this operation is performed before watering, in holes - after.
Watering
Pumpkins of any variety are demanding of moisture. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Watering is carried out with warm, settled water. Plants especially need irrigation during fruiting.
Top dressing
Pumpkin of the Winter Sweet variety needs to be fed in a timely manner, since the development of a large fruit requires a large amount of nutrients.
For feeding you can use:
- nitrophoska – 10 g per plant;
- wood ash - 1 tbsp. on a bush;
- infusions of mullein or chicken manure - one bucket of diluted infusion is poured under 6 pumpkins;
- infusion of green herbs;
- complex mineral fertilizers - according to the instructions.
Hilling
Pumpkin needs hilling. This procedure is carried out when the first flowers appear. The fact is that the root system quickly becomes exposed. At the same time, you need to pinch the tops of the vines and adjust the number of fruits on each stem.
It is necessary to place cardboard or straw under growing pumpkins to prevent the fruits from rotting.
Conclusion
Sweet Winter Pumpkin is popular. Large juicy fruits are perfectly stored. The pulp of the variety has beneficial properties; it has diuretic, antipyretic and analgesic effects.
