Dutch early ripe pumpkin hybrid “Matilda”, variety characteristics

The pumpkin variety Matilda is a hybrid brought to the territory of our country from Holland. Matilda was bred as a result of crossing with other nutmeg varieties. As soon as this pumpkin was brought to Russia, Matilda was immediately entered into the State Register and all its characteristic features were indicated.

Pumpkin pulp Matilda has a delicate taste

Dutch early ripe pumpkin hybrid "Matilda", variety characteristics

Pumpkin Matilda gives a good harvest

Dutch early ripe pumpkin hybrid "Matilda", variety characteristics

Pumpkin variety Matilda

Description and characteristics of pumpkin Matilda

The melon variety of pumpkin belongs to medium-early plants. It is characterized by long wattles, reaching 5-6 m in length. A huge number of female flowers appear on wattle fences, some of which immediately disappear, while the rest grow and develop.

The main characteristics of the pumpkin:

  1. The fruits are not strongly segmented, the color is light yellow. Rarely appear white fruits with a noticeable wax coating.
  2. The shape is different, there are pear-shaped and cylindrical fruits.
  3. The peel is not thick, but during transportation the crop does not lose its presentable appearance.
  4. The fruit is not rough, easily cut with a knife.
  5. The smell is characteristically pumpkin with a slice of watermelon aroma.
  6. The pulp is dense, has a delicate taste, is colored in an orange hue.
  7. A distinctive feature of the Matilda pumpkin variety is a small seed chamber located in the lower part of the fruit, the number of seeds is insignificant.
  8. The yield is high. With proper care from one plant, you can get about 8-10 fruits, the weight of one is 2-4 kg. If you leave fewer ovaries on the bush, then the weight of 1 fruit will reach 5 kg.

The purpose of the fruits

Matilda pumpkin fruits are suitable for cooking various dishes, the most common of them are cereals, soups and casseroles. Delicious sweets can be prepared from the pulp, the pumpkin is suitable for filling, it can be added to the dough to give it a more piquant and extraordinary taste.

Crop rotation

Pumpkin variety Matilda is very demanding on the soil in which it will grow, so you must strictly adhere to the rules of crop rotation. The best predecessors for pumpkins are potatoes, cabbage, onions, legumes and various root crops.

A gourd culture cannot be planted after cucumbers, zucchini, squash, otherwise diseases and pests cannot be avoided.

In some areas, it is customary to plant a pumpkin next to potatoes, it is believed that it acts as a compactor for melons.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Matilda, like other gourds, has a number of advantages and disadvantages, and they must be taken into account when growing a plant.

Benefits of pumpkin Matilda:

  • brings a big harvest even with sudden changes in temperature;
  • excellent taste and smell;
  • drought tolerance;
  • relatively early maturation;
  • almost complete absence of seeds in fruits;
  • strong immunity.

Matilda under any weather conditions gives delicious fruits.

The variety has practically no drawbacks, but one can be distinguished – due to the hybrid origin, it is impossible to obtain seeds for self-cultivation of pumpkins.

Planting pumpkin Matilda

To get a rich and healthy harvest, it is necessary to adhere to agrotechnical rules, including timely planting, preparation of seed and soil.

Choice of soil and location

Do not plant plants in unprepared soil. Before planting, dig the soil, fertilize, use potassium, phosphorus, compost or manure.

When using purchased fertilizers, stop choosing complex mixtures, as they enrich the soil more fully.

The option of fertilizing per 1 sq. m: humus (2 buckets) + sawdust (0,5 buckets) + ash (1 kg) + nitrophoska (1 glass). Dig the soil no deeper than 0,5 m, for additional disinfection, pour it with hot water.

Choose a sunny and well-ventilated site for planting Matilda pumpkin.

Preparing the seeds for planting

Pumpkin seeds Matilda do not need pre-planting preparation. Hybrid seeds are sold already processed.

Pumpkin seeds

You can plant a pumpkin in 2 ways:

  1. Seedlings.
  2. Directly into the ground.

The first method is used by those who live in the cold regions of the country. Residents of the southern territories can safely sow pumpkin seeds directly into open ground.

To grow Matilda in seedlings, it is necessary to take not deep pots of various sizes. Sowing material begins to be planted at the end of April, but it all depends on climatic conditions and soil temperature.

The main rule for transplanting seedlings is that it must reach the age of 1 month, and the temperature of the earth should not be less than +14 degrees. It is important that frosts do not return at the time of transplanting seedlings into open soil, but if this cannot be foreseen, then you can cover the sprouts with a film.

Planting seeds in open ground

Algorithm for planting seeds in open ground:

  1. Before directly sowing the grains, dig the soil well so that it receives as much oxygen as possible.
  2. Make holes, the distance between which should be at least 150 cm.
  3. Place the Matilda pumpkin seeds according to the following scheme: 2 m by 1,5 m.
  4. Approximately 1 kg of seed should be planted per 4 ha of land.
  5. Deepen the seeds by 5 cm.

You can try to get high-quality hybrid pumpkin seeds, for this you need to pollinate female flowers with male inflorescences collected from one plant. After such pollination, the inflorescences are covered with gauze.

Features of care

Without competent and regular care, high yields cannot be achieved. The first step is to take care of Matilda pumpkin seedlings, it consists in watering and sufficient lighting. Before transplanting seedlings into open soil, it is necessary to harden the sprouts a little.

Plants should not be planted close to each other, otherwise the planting will be very thickened and the bushes will not receive the useful components that they need.

How to water properly?

Planted seedlings or seeds must be watered immediately. The next water application is carried out after a week, this method allows the root system to quickly and more reliably gain a foothold in the soil. Then watering is carried out once a week.

For 1 sq. m. leaves 6 liters of water. As soon as the bushes have bloomed, it is necessary to water them every 4 days, 10 liters per 1 sq. m.

You can make a special furrow, and pour water into it, this will help moisture get to the root system of plants faster.

You can not pour water on the leaves and flowers, water only under the root system.

Feeding

The planted pumpkin is fed twice a season. Use ash, mullein and various mineral fertilizers. The increase in fertilizing is justified only by the insufficient fertility of the land.

Before the formation of flowers, the plant needs nitrogen fertilizers, after the formation of ovaries – in phosphorus and potassium.

Too frequent feeding will negatively affect the development of the bush. Because of this, a large amount of foliage will begin to grow on the plant, but there will be few ovaries and fruits.

Harvesting and storage of crops

The first harvest is most quickly obtained in the southern regions – 3-3,5 months after germination. After harvesting, the plant begins to set fruit again. In the middle lane, the fruits must be removed before the onset of the first frost, otherwise they will freeze and will not be suitable for consumption.

Fruits should be harvested at the moment of technical ripeness. They are not palatable at this time and the pulp contains a large amount of starch. Harvest is kept in the basement until fully ripe. Pumpkins are stored at a temperature above +1 degree. The fruits are not resistant to sudden changes in temperature, and can only lie for 4 months.

The biological maturity of the fruit comes quickly, but much depends on the growing conditions of the crop, air temperature, daylight hours, and soil moisture. The better the growing conditions were, the faster the fruit will ripen.

Reviews about the pumpkin Matilda

Oksana, 35, programmer, Myrhorod. The variety is very juicy and sweet. Pumpkins grow relatively quickly, are not afraid of winds and temporary cooling of the air. The yield is high. I especially like pumpkin porridge – it’s just overeating. Tamara, 61 years old, pensioner, Astrakhan. I don’t particularly like to grow gourds, but this pumpkin variety really interested me. I decided to try to grow it, and did not regret it. The fruits are tender, juicy and fragrant. They make excellent meals.

A video review of the pumpkin variety can be seen in the following video:

Pumpkin Matilda is one of the best varieties of this gourd. Differs in unpretentiousness in leaving, high productivity and tasty juicy fruits.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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