Pumpkin variety Hazelnut: characteristics, planting and care

Hazelnut pumpkin is one of the most beloved and unusual crops of gardeners, it has earned its calling due to its special taste, reminiscent of a nut. The fruit contains a huge amount of useful minerals that strengthen the immune system.

Pumpkin Hazelnut

Pumpkin variety Hazelnut: characteristics, planting and care

Pumpkin Hazelnut is stored for a long time

Pumpkin variety Hazelnut: characteristics, planting and care

Pumpkin Hazelnut has a sweet fragrant pulp

Description and characteristics of pumpkin hazelnut

The main feature of the variety is an unsurpassed pumpkin flavor with a nutty note.

The main characteristics of the pumpkin:

  • Pumpkin easily tolerates dry days, the root system is so deep inside that it can extract moisture for itself.
  • Refers to early varieties, brings the harvest on the 100th day after germination.
  • The foliage is large and lush.
  • The mass of one fruit is approximately 1,2-1,4 kg, there are pumpkins and 2 kg each.
  • The peel is dark orange, there is a red color.
  • The walls of the peel are very thick, so the fruits are stored for a long time and are not damaged during transportation.
  • The pulp is relatively sweet, very aromatic.
  • The whips are developed, reaching 4-5 m in length.
  • Inflorescences orange.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Grade Advantages:

  • fruits retain their appearance for a long time;
  • productivity at an average level;
  • versatility of use in cooking;
  • not demanding in constant watering and care;
  • good transportability;
  • compactness, average fruit size;
  • long shelf life;
  • due to the high content of starch, the pumpkin does not fall apart and does not boil.

Pumpkin has only one drawback – the variety belongs to hybrids, respectively, it is impossible to propagate it on your own.

Features of planting and growing

Even a novice summer resident can grow a hazelnut pumpkin. However, the standard rules must be followed.

Planting time

Pumpkins are planted in two ways: seedlings and directly into the ground. Sowing material for seedlings is sown in mid-April, and seedlings are transplanted into open ground a month later. At this time, the weather should already settle down, and the ground should warm up to +15 degrees.

By mid-May, spring frosts will not return, so you can transplant the pumpkin into open soil.

If sowing is carried out in open ground, then it must be carried out in mid-late May. Specific planting dates vary depending on the climate in the region and the weather.

Site and soil selection

Pumpkin Hazelnut refers to unpretentious crops, it can grow on any soil, but it is better that the soil is fertile. Refers to gourds, it needs as much sun as possible. Give preference to sunny and warm areas.

Do not forget about the rules of crop rotation, you can not plant a pumpkin after other gourds (you should wait 5 years). Diseases of some gourds quickly pass and destroy other gourds.

An excellent harvest is brought by pumpkins planted after green manure: cabbage, soybeans, peas, beets, beans, beans, lentils, peanuts. You should not plant a pumpkin after zucchini, potatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers.

Prepare the soil in the fall:

  • First remove the earth: pull out all the grass, dig up the soil and loosen it.
  • Apply organic fertilizers to unfertilized soil: 5 kg of rotted manure or compost per 1 sq. m.
  • If the soil is acidic, then you need to add 1 sq. m. 300 g of ash, 30 g of phosphorus and 20 g of potassium.
  • In the spring, once the snow has completely melted, remove the remaining weeds and dig the soil to a depth of about 60 cm.

After carrying out these procedures, level the area with a rake. Make the beds high, heavy soil should be compensated by the height of the beds at least 0,25 m. Leave a distance of 50 cm between the beds.

pumpkin sowing

Sowing seeds in open ground

Seed sowing algorithm:

  1. Prepare seed. First, treat it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. The procedure takes about 1 hour, then dry the seed.
  2. Dig the beds well before sowing, add organic top dressing to the soil.
  3. Make indentations of various sizes in the soil (from 5 to 12 cm). By using this technique, you will save more seeds.
  4. As soon as you plant the seeds, mulch the garden bed using straw or sawdust.
  5. Cover the crops with a film, which is removed every day for a couple of hours to air. Remove the full covering material when the air warms up and the soil warms up.

Seedbed method

This method is more effective, as seedlings take root faster. The method is suitable for the northern regions. It is advisable to make beds on the south side of the site.

Algorithm for growing pumpkin seedlings:

  1. Prepare the soil mix. The soil for seedlings should be moisture-permeable, it can be bought or made independently from equal parts of sand, soil and peat.
  2. Get seedling containers. A suitable container would be peat pots or cardboard cups. Peat containers can be planted directly into the soil, respectively, during the transplantation of seedlings, their root system will not be damaged.
  3. Place 2-3 pumpkin seeds in each glass, water the soil a little.
  4. Wait for the first shoots, make a pick – remove weak shoots and leave only 1 seedling in each glass.

After the appearance of the first shoots, a month should pass, and then the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place.

Rules for the care of pumpkin Hazelnut

The variety is not demanding in care, but without watering, loosening and weeding, the pumpkin will die. Watch the growth and “behavior” of the plant, if you notice that the pumpkin begins to fade or changes its appearance, then you need to reconsider caring for it. The reason for the change in the development of the plant may be the lack of useful minerals and components, as well as excessive or insufficient watering.

Watering Basics

Despite the fact that Hazelnut pumpkin is able to independently extract moisture for itself, watering must still be competent. The plant loves irrigation and moist soil, but excessive dampness is unacceptable, otherwise the plants are affected by various fungal diseases.

One plant needs 6-9 liters of water, watering is carried out in the evening or morning. During fruit ripening, stop watering to avoid excessive wateriness of pumpkins.

Pollination

Pollination takes place naturally, pollinators are bees. Just make sure that the plants have an equal number of male and female flowers.

Top dressing: types and quantity

The first 10 days after planting the plant in the ground, the pumpkin does not need fertilizers. Especially if you fed the soil in advance. The variety is fertilized with nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The amount of fertilizer and its time of application depends on the degree of development of the plant. You can not overdo it with nitrogen, since it is responsible for the development and growth of greenery, and with a large amount of it, the pumpkin will not bear fruit.

Pumpkin is very fond of organic fertilizers, they are applied during planting, growth and development of the plant. Such pumpkin dressings include rotted manure, humus, manure and compost.

pumpkin top dressing

Fertilizer application rates per 1 sq. m:

  • Organic: 5-6 kg.
  • Minerals: potassium (15-22 g), phosphorus (24-32 g).
  • Complex: 60-65 g.

Pasynkovanie

This procedure is carried out only if the lashes grow very quickly. If the pumpkin spends a lot of energy on providing greenery and does not form fruits, then it is necessary to carry out the pinching procedure:

  • 3-4 ovaries should remain on each lash;
  • when cutting the lash, make sure that there are at least 4 sheets above the last ovary.

Harvesting and storage of crops

The fruits can be on the site until the first frost, so the harvest can be moved to mid-September, it all depends on the region where the plant is grown.

Fruit is considered ready for harvest if:

  • the stalk is dense and rigid;
  • the color of the fruit is saturated;
  • hard pumpkin with thick skin;
  • leaves turn yellow and wilt.

Pumpkin fruits Hazelnut lie perfectly in the apartment and even in the kitchen, so they can be used as a decorative element. The compact size and light weight do not require a large area for storing pumpkins, and they will lie for about 8 months.

Diseases, pests and prevention

Hazelnut pumpkin is a hybrid, so it has a fairly strong immunity and is not susceptible to pest attacks.

Common diseases and pests of pumpkin, and methods of control:

Pests/Diseases

Damage symptoms

What to do?

Anthracnose The appearance of yellow-brown spots on the leaves. Before sowing, treat the seeds in an infusion of ash (20 g per 1 liter). It is impossible to get rid of the disease, only preventive measures will help. Powdery mildew A fungal disease that appears on the leaves with small white spots. Treat the bushes with colloidal sulfur (25 g per 10 liters of water). Burn all heavily infected bushes. Aphids Whole colonies of aphids settle on leaves and stems. Use an infusion of chamomile and wormwood.

As a fight against these diseases, you can also use an unsaturated solution of Bordeaux liquid or a laundry soap based product.

An infusion of chamomile and wormwood helps to get rid of aphids, you can sprinkle ash on pumpkin leaves, this procedure will scare away pests for a long time. An infusion of potato peels also helps against insects.

You can see what the Hazelnut pumpkin looks like and learn about the features of its cultivation in the following video:

Reviews about Pumpkin Hazelnut

Olga, 54 years old, teacher, Sochi. Recently I decided to grow gourds, the choice fell on the Hazelnut pumpkin. And I didn’t regret it. The plant took root very quickly and went into growth, did not hurt anything, brought me a lot of fruit. The fruits deserve special attention – they are small in size, but very tasty. Petr, 32 years old, businessman, Astrakhan. I really like to spend time in the country, where my mother planted a Hazelnut pumpkin, now we take care of it together. The whips have already reached 3 m, the fruits have begun to set, but have not yet become a rich orange color, so we are waiting for what will happen next.

It is easy to grow a healthy and tasty Hazelnut pumpkin on your site, it does not need special care, it has strong immunity, it is not picky about sudden changes in temperature and various whims of the weather. Pumpkin of this variety brings a rich and stable harvest.

Anna Evans

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