Kuban pumpkin: characteristics, varieties, photos, cultivation, reviews

Pumpkin is a low-calorie vegetable that contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. At the same time, pumpkin fruits are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The vegetable does not require special care; the main requirement is that the soil must allow the development of a root system of the required length and branching.

Butternut squash is traditionally considered the sweetest. The homeland of the culture is hot Mexico, for this reason nutmeg varieties did not immediately take root in Russia, because they need an abundance of sun and a long period of warmth for ripening.

However, domestic breeders began to develop varieties that are quite suitable for cultivation in the southern regions of our country.

Features of agricultural technology of the Kuban pumpkin

Kuban pumpkin has been available on the market for many years and still does not lose its popularity. It is valued for its healthy and tasty fruits, ease of care and presentation. You can learn about other benefits and methods of growing the variety while reading this article.

Kuban pumpkin is easy to care for

Kuban pumpkin has tasty pulp and thin skin

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the positive aspects of growing the variety:

• Benefit. Vegetables have almost no cholesterol and a minimum of calories, so they are recommended as a dietary food. Helps improve the condition of the cardiovascular system.
• Easy to prepare. The skin is easily removed. The inside is soft and cooks quickly.
• Unpretentiousness. The variety does not require special care.
• Transportation. Pumpkins do not spoil during transportation over long distances and have good shelf life. Therefore, they can be grown for sale.

For gourmets

Spanish guitar

The elongated shape of the fruit is more reminiscent of a zucchini. The greenish-yellow peel is of medium density, the flesh is juicy and sweet with an apricot aroma.

Spanish guitar

The weight of the vegetable reaches 5 kg . The harvest is stored for about 4-5 months. Cooks often use the edible part to make purees and freshly squeezed juices. The product, rich in vitamins and minerals, is prescribed for dietary and therapeutic purposes.

Gribovskaya

Gribovskaya
Popular for our latitudes, the Gribovskaya pumpkin with an early ripening period of 85-90 days . The bark of the fruit is smooth and slightly ribbed, the color varies from dark green to yellow with greenish splashes. The dense orange pulp has a high taste.

The weight of the vegetable is 2.5-5 kg . When planting, use the following scheme: 60x70 cm.

Butternut (nut)

The productive variety was bred by Italian breeders; the growing season, according to the description, lasts 90-100 days . The oblong fruits gain weight 5-9 kg , the seed section is small in size and located in the lower part of the pumpkin, so the layer of pulp is thick.

Butternut

The taste of the vegetable is appreciated for its tenderness, sweetness and juiciness. The product contains an increased amount of carotene and other vitamins. The vegetable is used for therapeutic and dietary nutrition.

Honey Princess

Honey Princess
Mid-season variety with a ripening period of 110-115 days . The powerful plant forms a large vine, so when planting, the following scheme is used: 100x150 cm. The skin is thin, the flesh is dense and incredibly sweet.

The weight of the fetus reaches 3-4 kg . The culture is characterized by good immunity, manifested in the form of resistance to diseases and adverse weather conditions.

Each variety has its own taste characteristics. Ideally, in addition to your favorite species, annually plant a new hybrid, which will give your favorite dish a unique note and aroma.

Features of cultivation

You can get a good pumpkin harvest only if you follow some recommendations.

Seedlings

The method is more suitable for northern regions.

Preparation

• Sprout the seeds. To do this, heat the water to 40 degrees and immerse the seeds in it for about 4 hours. Take them out and wrap them in damp gauze or any other material until the seeds germinate. Usually it takes 3 days, during which you will need to constantly moisten the fabric.
• Prepare the container. It is best to take small peat pots. They can be used to safely transplant seedlings into the ground.
• Create the soil. Mix peat, sawdust and humus in a ratio of 2 to 1 to 1. You can use a ready-made store-bought mixture.
• Plant it. Fill the pots with soil and water. Make holes up to 5 cm deep and place 2 seeds in them. Sprinkle with soil. The weaker sprout will need to be removed after germination.

Seedling care

• Choose a location. Place the container with the seedlings on the brightest windowsill.
• Maintain temperature. Until the shoots appear - 18-25 degrees. After their appearance - 15-18.
• Water. As needed. It is necessary to keep the soil slightly moist.
• Feed it. 1 week before planting, dilute mullein with hot water in a ratio of 1 to 10. Leave for 4 hours and mix again with water in a ratio of 1 to 5.

Transplantation into the ground

This is done when the plants have 2-3 leaves of their own. It is advisable to do this at the end of May, when the weather is warm outside and the ground warms up to 18 degrees.

Site selection. A bed that previously grew potatoes, legumes or onions is suitable. Melon crops are considered bad predecessors, since diseases and pests dangerous to pumpkin could remain in the soil.

The area should be well lit and protected from the wind. If the region is cold, you can continue growing pumpkin in a greenhouse. In this case, it is advisable to maintain the temperature within 20-25 degrees.

• Soil preparation. In the fall, dig up the beds, add 3 kg of humus, 200 g of lime and 30 g of mineral fertilizers per 1 square meter. m.
• Transfer. Dig holes 10 cm deep. The distance between them should be at least 60 cm. Place the seedling with a peat pot in the hole. Water well.
• Protection. To protect plants from the cold, you can cover them with film until warm weather sets in.

In open ground

In the southern regions, you can plant the seeds directly into the soil.

Things to consider:

• Time. Sowing in open ground is carried out when the street temperature is stable at 20-25 degrees.
• Way. Dig holes up to 5 cm deep and place 2 seeds in them to remove weaker sprouts in the future. Maintain a distance of 80-90 cm between plants. Sprinkle with soil and water the crops.

Kuban pumpkin needs proper care.

Watering

• Water temperature. At least 20 degrees.
• Quantity. 5-6 l per 1 plant.
• Watering method. Under the root.
• Frequency. Before the formation of the ovaries - once a week, after - once every 2 weeks.
• Soil cultivation. After adding water, loosen the soil well.

Feeding

• 1st. Nitrophoska. After the appearance of the 5th leaf.
• 2nd. Mullein. During the formation of lashes.
• 3rd. Wood ash. When flowering.

Bush formation and weeding

Before the lashes appear, you need to remove the weeds regularly, then there is no need, since moving the shoots can harm the pumpkin.

The crop is formed into 2-3 fruits; all excess ovaries are pinched off during growth so as not to waste the plant’s strength.

Popular varieties of large-fruited pumpkin

Arabatskaya

Arabatskaya
Ripening period - late, growing season - 118-127 days . up to 9 kg when ripe .

A thick layer of bright orange pulp after processing is incredibly juicy and sweet in taste. Storage duration is about 4 months.

The variety is characterized as high-yielding, resistant to diseases and drought.

Big Moon

The growing season lasts 115-130 days . A powerful vine is formed; to obtain a large pumpkin, only one ovary is left. The weight of such a specimen reaches 70-80 kg . During normal cultivation, the weight of the vegetable is about 20-30 kg .

The peel is of medium density, the flesh is tender, but retains its structure well during heat treatment. The use of pumpkin is universal.

Big Moon

Paris gold

A plant with an early ripening period, the growing season lasts 90 days . The weight of pumpkins reaches 20 kg with conventional agricultural technology.

The crop is responsive to fertilizers, so removing a giant vegetable from a bush is quite possible. Young shoots cope well with adverse weather conditions, in particular drought. Diseases and pests are not dangerous.

The shelf life of the crop in winter under proper conditions is 4-6 months.

Paris gold

Stopudovaya

The weighty fruit weighs up to 20 kilograms , although records of up to 200 kg of one specimen have been recorded. A late-ripening plant with a growing season of 125-140 days .

To obtain giants, you will need to fertilize the soil well and maintain moderate humidity. The culture forms a long vine; when planting, a distance between holes of 100x150 cm is maintained.

The bright yellow flesh has a dense structure, the delicate taste is filled with sweetness.

The variety is tolerant to various diseases and pests and can withstand adverse weather conditions.

Stopudovaya

Possible difficulties during cultivation

The following difficulties may arise:

• Temperature changes. Sudden cold weather can slow down the growth of vegetables or even destroy them. Therefore, it is very important to cover them with a protective film when the temperature is below normal.
• Groundwater. If groundwater is close to the site, pumpkin should not be planted. Since plants have long roots, excess moisture can lead to rotting and death.

Pest and disease control

Dangerous for Kuban pumpkin are:

Anthracnose. A fungal disease that mainly affects greenhouse plants. This is due to increased air humidity. Excessive watering is also harmful. The leaves and stems become covered with pinkish spots, the plant dries out and dies.

It can be prevented if you control the humidity level and carry out preventive spraying with Bordeaux mixture.

Collection, storage and use of crops

• Time. Harvesting the fruits of the Kuban pumpkin usually falls at the end of August, beginning of September.
• Way. Vegetables do not need to be picked; they are cut with a sharp knife or scissors. In this case, 3-5 cm of the stalk are left.
• Storage. It is necessary to let the pumpkins ripen. Before storage, they are dried in the sun for 2 weeks and only then put in a cool place.
• Application. The fruits can be consumed in any form, but most often they are steamed, baked or added to porridge.

If you harvest ahead of schedule, the pumpkin will quickly begin to deteriorate and rot.

Advice from experienced gardeners

Rules from farmers will help increase productivity:

• Selection of seeds. It is recommended to take those that have been stored for at least 2-3 years. They germinate better. Before planting, you need to sort them out and throw away small and empty ones.
• Hardening of seeds. It is necessary when preparing seeds for sowing in open ground. Immediately after germination, they are wrapped in damp material and placed at the very bottom of the refrigerator to lie for up to 5 days.
• Timely watering. During the flowering period, it is better not to water the pumpkin; the pollen becomes heavy and the bees cannot tolerate it.
• Growing large pumpkins. To do this, it is necessary to remove all the ovaries, except one, so that all the forces of the plant go to the formation of this particular fruit.

General information and classification

The pumpkin family includes 27 species. A huge number of varieties have been bred from each.

In our country, 3 types of pumpkins are most often grown:

• Hard-skinned varieties (common pumpkin) include vegetables with thick, woody skin. They usually ripen earlier than anyone else - at the end of summer, beginning of autumn.
• Butternut squash love warmth, so they bear fruit best in areas with a warm climate. They have a long growing season; most often, in our country they need to be planted as seedlings.
• Large-fruited cucurbits produce the largest, sweetest fruits. They are best suited for long-term storage, growing in cold parts of the country.
• There is a tomato variety called purple pumpkin.

According to their purpose, pumpkins are divided into:

• table varieties
• feed
• decorative

We will describe different varieties for cultivation in different regions of Russia, taste, etc.

Reviews

Muscat pumpkins, and in particular the Kuban variety, have many fans.

Sergey, Volnogorsk: “I admit that my first harvest was lumpy: I was in a hurry with planting the seedlings, because of the cold, growth was disrupted, and as a result the fruits turned out small. The second year I was more prudent, covered the beds with film, and the culture justified itself.”

Anna, Belgorod: “We planted this variety around potatoes, and the pumpkins ripened well. Children love puree, it turns out sweet. And for the whole family we add this pumpkin to the meat in manti, it turns out very tasty.”

Varieties with large fruits

• Summer residents do not really like varieties that form large pumpkins, since you cannot eat the vegetable at once, and storing it in a city apartment is extremely inconvenient.
• Large-fruited pumpkin includes about 100 varieties.

Pumpkin lantern

• Refers to a variety of large-fruited pumpkin. It takes 3-3.5 months for the fruit to ripen.
• On the outside they are smooth, orange-pink in color, slightly ribbed.
• The shape is round, slightly elongated.
• Each specimen weighs 5-6 kg. The inside is tender yellow-orange, crispy, juicy.
• Picked pumpkin can be stored for 3-3.5 months. The variety is suitable for transportation.
• The harvested crop is subjected to heat treatment. Used for making juices and purees.
• The plant is heat-loving and drought-resistant. Plantings can be affected by powdery mildew and bacteriosis.

Russian porridge

• Belongs to the large-fruited variety. It may take up to 4 months to receive the first fruits.
• The variety is considered mid-season. One bush produces 3-4 pumpkins, weighing 6-7 kg, orange-pink in color.
• Their shape is round, with subtle ribbing.
• The inner part is medium density, painted orange. The taste is good.
• The fruits can be stored.
• From the name you can already assume that the variety is excellent for stewing, baking, and boiling.
• It can also be used for canning and consumed unprocessed.

Application

In cooking

The pulp of nutmeg pumpkin is widely used in cooking. It is considered the most useful to eat pumpkin raw, as it retains all its beneficial substances. In addition, pumpkin can be baked, fried, boiled. Porridges, soups, purees and other side dishes are prepared from it. Due to its sweetness, pumpkin is used to make desserts, such as halva, pancakes, candied fruits, and is also used as a filling for pies.

In medicine

Doctors recommend including nutmeg pumpkin in the diet of those people who suffer from diseases of the circulatory system, heart and blood vessels. Traditional medicine also advises eating pumpkin, as it helps fight cancer.

When losing weight

Nutritionists strongly recommend including pumpkin in the diet for those who are on a diet or want to lose weight because of its low calorie content - only 45 Kcal per 100 g. It is considered a dietary product. Thanks to pumpkin, you can get a large amount of vitamins and get rid of extra pounds.

Varieties of hard-bark pumpkin

This group also includes zucchini and squash.

• This variety can most often be found in Russian areas.
• Hard-bark varieties are characterized by long plant stems - up to 7 m. They are also called table plants.
• But there are also plants with short stems.

Bun

• Early variety. It takes about 3 months to get the first pumpkins.
• The fruits are small - 1.5 kg, colored orange. White stripes divide it into segments.
• The inside is sugary, juicy, and orange in color.
• The variety is suitable for storage. The harvested crop can be consumed fresh, used for making juices, dietary dishes, etc.

Gymnosperm

• Gymnosperm pumpkin is a group of plants whose seeds are not covered with a hard shell. This variety was known at the beginning of the 20th century, but nowadays it has begun to gain popularity again.
• Externally, the fruits are not particularly attractive - they are green and yellow in color. The outside is covered with a dense, hard, but thin peel. Round in shape, with barely noticeable ribbing, weighing 3-7 kg.
• The first harvest is harvested 4 months after emergence. The shelf life of the fruit is about 2 months.
• The pulp is used both in raw form and for preparing various dishes, as well as in cosmetology and medicine. Some sources say the best time to use pumpkins is a few weeks after picking. At this point they reveal their full taste.
• Most often, this variety is grown specifically for seeds. Representatives of gymnosperms are recommended to be planted away from other pumpkin vegetables, as they can cross-pollinate. In this case, the seed will already have a dense shell.

The most famous varieties of gymnosperm pumpkin:

Sources:

https://irecommend.ru/content/tykvu-bolshe-ne-vyrashchivayu-tverdila-ya-sebe-sobiraya-urozhai-no-vkusovye-retseptory-menya https://ferma.expert/rasteniya/ovoshchi/tykva/prikubanskaya / https://krrot.net/opisanie-sortov-tukvu/

Foreign varieties

We present to you the best and most common varieties of pumpkin abroad.

Marina Di Chioggia

The original variety of pumpkin, its rind is covered with “blisters” and has a deep blue-green color. One of the most unique and beautiful varieties of pumpkin. Abroad it is used in making pasta. Ripens in 95 days on the Italian coast. The sweet yellow-orange flesh has a rich flavor and is widely used in pies and fried. The fruit weighs about 4.5 kg.

Photo Italian pumpkin variety Marina di Chioggia

The photo shows a cross-section of the Marina Di Chioggia pumpkin

Pumpkin variety Galeux d'Eysines

The description of this pumpkin variety is unique, with a fruit shape similar to a flattened globe with an orange-pink rind. The number of “blisters” increases with growth time. Harvesting the Galeux d'Eysines variety must be done during the ripening period, since the fruits crack when overripe. The variety is decorative, but is also excellent for making pumpkin soups and stews. Weight is about 7 kg, 2 fruits are left standing. Another name for this unusual variety is peanut pumpkin (due to its appearance).

Photo of pumpkin variety Galeux d'Eysines

Turkish Turban

The original decorative variety of pumpkin is the Turkish Turban. This excellent variety has rich, deep colors and excellent uniformity in the size of its pumpkins. Growth period is 100 days. The bottom half of the squash is usually a solid color in shades of dark orange to reddish orange. The top is usually beige with streaks of reddish-orange and dark green. The fruits grow weighing up to 2 kg. The Turk's Turban pumpkin variety is very tasty, good baked, fried, in soup and grilled. The variety is also known under the names: Mexican hat, French turban, Turkish hat.

The photo shows the Turkish turban variety

Triamble

A very rare and unique Triamble variety that was imported from Australia in 1932. The ripening period of the fruit is 110-120 days, the yield of 2-3 fruits per plant. Weighs about 4.5 kg, has fine-grained flesh, and tastes similar to a sweet orange. In appearance, this delicious variety of pumpkin is very unusual - it has three blades, like a clover, a great look both for eating and for decorating interiors!

Pictured is a rare Australian pumpkin variety, Triamble.

Casperita

Casperita is a mini pumpkin variety. Growth period is 90 days. The white fruit has a classic pumpkin shape with deep ribs and a strong, green handle. This attractive pumpkin has sweet, white flesh. Casperita gives good yields with pumpkins weighing from 200 to 500 grams, 7-8 fruits per plant.

Photo of mini pumpkin variety Casperita

Table Ace Squash

Table Ace Squash is a delicious variety of squash. Ripening period – 78 days. The color of the pumpkin rind is black-green and does not change during storage. Bright orange flesh. The plant grows quite compactly and produces many tasty fruits. Store all winter.

Photo of pumpkin variety Table Ace Squash

Jarrahdal

Jarrahdal is a pumpkin variety from Australia. In 100 days, gray-blue fruits of excellent quality grow from medium to large, weighing 5 - 8 kg. The fruits are ribbed and have a decorative appearance. Sweet, thick, orange flesh, the pumpkin has a long shelf life. 2-3 fruits are removed from one plant.

Photo variety Jarrahdale

Kamo Kamo

Ethnic variety - pumpkin of the Maori people of New Zealand. Also known as Kumi Kumi. Ripening period – 65 days. New Zealanders say that this is the best of all pumpkin varieties, the young fruits can be eaten boiled, fried or baked, and they have a rich, nutty aroma, the fruits of this variety of pumpkin are quite tasty.

Pictured is a Kamo Kamo pumpkin

Speckled Swan

Speckled Swan - this variety is usually used for decorative purposes. The fruits are elongated and resemble a swan in appearance. 3–5 fruits grow on one plant.

Photo variety of bottle gourd Speckled Swan

White Cushaw

White Cushaw is a variety of white musk squash. This plant produces large, slightly sweet, nutty, orange-fleshed fruits that are good either cooked or raw. The variety is resistant to pests and productive. This variety is also called “Jonathan pumpkin.”

In the photo there is a variety of musk pumpkin White Cushaw

Speckled Hound

Another foreign variety is Speckled Hound. Pumpkins are an unusual pink-orange color with green and blue-green spots on them. The pulp is yellow-orange, tasty with a dry texture. The fruits of this pumpkin variety weigh 1.3 – 2.6 kg; on one plant they grow up to 8 pieces in 100 days.

Pictured is Speckled Hound varietal pumpkin

Naples Long

Naples Long is an old Italian variety of pumpkin. Grown in America since 1863. Suitable for cultivation in warm areas. The ripening period is three months. The fruits of this pumpkin are large, “peanut” shaped, reaching a weight of 9 – 22 kilograms! The bark is dark green, turning brownish during storage. The pulp of this variety is bright orange in color, and the aroma is excellent - rich and very sweet.

Photo of Naples Long pumpkin

Pink Banana Squash

The Pink Banana Squash variety (or “pink banana”) is a quite tasty, banana-shaped pink variety of pumpkin that produces large yields and reaches a weight of 4.5 - 18 kg in 105 days. This variety has been known for 100 years. The pulp is dry and aromatic, sweet, orange in color. One of the advantages of the described pumpkin variety is good germination. For example, one of the foreign gardeners planted 3 plants and received 11 pumpkins weighing from 6.8 to 10.8 kilograms.

The photo shows the variety Pink Banana Squash

Long Island Cheese

The Long Island Cheese variety is a medium-ribed, slightly flattened pumpkin with an average ripening period. The pulp of this pumpkin variety is orange in color and moderately sweet. Ripening period – 105 days. Long shelf life. Reaches 4.5 kg.

Pictured is a Long Island Cheese pumpkin.

Musque de Provence

On the shelves of French markets and shops you can often find a sweet and fragrant, large, round-flat, segmented pumpkin of the Musque de Provence variety. The flat, ribbed brown fruits of Muscat of Provence grow larger than those of the similar Long Island Cheese variety. The average weight of the described variety is 3.5-6.5 kg. The flesh is thick, deep orange in color and the pulp is moderately sweet. Late ripening, long-term storage. Refers to nutmeg pumpkin varieties.

The photo shows a Musque de Provence pumpkin

Rouge Vif d'Etampes

Rouge Vif D'Etampes is a bright red, productive French pumpkin variety. The orange flesh is moderately sweet and the fruit is used for baking pies. Weight 4.5-7 kg. Domestic gardeners and pumpkin growers believe that this pumpkin has an average taste and has an average shelf life.

Photo pumpkin Rouge Vif D'Etampes

Variety Kakai

A pumpkin variety with medium-sized fruits weighing 2-3.5 kg. The seeds are dark green and are delicious after roasting. Also, spicy oil is made from pumpkin seeds of the described variety.

Pictured is a Kakai pumpkin