Pumpkin is an amazing product, because not only the pulp of the vegetable is eaten, but also the seeds and even the flowers. Finding a pumpkin today is as easy as shelling pears; at the market or in the store they offer vegetables for every taste and color. However, they cannot compare with crops grown on your own plot.
The Smile pumpkin variety is recognized as one of the sunniest and most attractive. Let's consider further why the Smile is so valued and what are the secrets of its cultivation.
Description of the pumpkin variety
The variety is early ripening, ripens in 80-90 days. It is characterized by high productivity and ease of care. Pumpkins are grown in greenhouses or in open ground, depending on the weather conditions of the region.
Distinctive features
Medium-sized bushes with small vines. In total, the bush forms about 6-7 shoots, on which about 10 pumpkins ripen.
The leaves are large with a wavy pattern. The flowers on the bushes are bright yellow, with a bright sweet aroma. Smile is resistant to drought and frost, and is not afraid of winds.
Fruit characteristics and yield
The weight of one pumpkin is about 900 g. The bark is dense and hard, rich orange in color. The pulp is tender and sugary, tastes like melon. The fruit has a pleasant sweet smell. From 1 bush, summer residents collect about 9 kg of healthy and tasty vegetables.
Interesting ! In China, pumpkin is given a magical meaning and is considered a talisman. According to legend, the vegetable is capable of collecting the forces of evil and protecting its owner from them.
Resistance to pests and diseases
The pumpkin variety Smile is resistant to diseases and pest damage. It was said a little higher that there is a possibility of rot forming on the fruit if the humidity is too high.
Despite this resistance, prevention is necessary. Watering is especially important. It should be moderate to prevent excess moisture. There should be no swampy areas where the crop grows.
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It is necessary to remove weeds and loosen the soil in time. This will improve growth and help the plant receive sufficient nutrients and vitamins.
Pumpkin Smile is an excellent choice for planting and growing in any area
. Suitable for beginner gardeners. It does not require much time and effort to care for, but it produces a good, tasty harvest. Those who have already grown or are growing this variety note the sweet, juicy taste and pronounced aroma of ripe fruits.
How to grow
The quality of the future harvest largely depends on the selected seeds. We advise you to trust only trusted agricultural companies and buy material in specialized stores. In general, planting and caring for Smile is simple and does not require much time and effort. The variety is planted in seedlings or without seedlings.
Planting by seeds
Select large seeds for planting. To check their quality, dip the material in a saline solution and stir gently . Remove the seeds that have sunk to the bottom and dry thoroughly. They are the ones who have passed the “test” and will be used in the future.
For a good harvest, the seeds are disinfected by heating. For 5 hours, keep the seeds at a temperature of 50 degrees, for example, in the oven. After disinfection, do not forget to harden the material. Place the seeds in the freezer overnight, then leave them in the room for the day. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times, so the plant’s immunity will improve.
Important ! Don't forget about preparing the ground for the pumpkin. The culture loves a mixture of loamy and sandy loam soils that are well fertilized and contain organic fertilizers. The best place for planting Smiles is considered to be spacious areas protected from the wind with loose soil.
In the area where you decide to grow the crop, scatter ash and compost in the fall. Together with melt water, they will be absorbed into the soil, making the beds more nutritious and productive. In the spring, dig up the ground and apply the mineral fertilizer “Nitrophoska” at the rate of 60 g per 1 sq. m. m.
On the day of planting, make grooves in the beds 3-4 cm deep, the distance between them is about 1 m. Place 3-4 seeds in one hole, sprinkle with earth on top and moisten well with warm water. To speed up the development of the plant, sprinkle the beds with peat chips or humus.
Planting seedlings
The seedling method is the most effective, since the seeds have time to grow stronger and better adapt to external factors. After disinfection and hardening, the material is germinated, wrapped in a warm, damp cloth.
To accelerate growth, add a stimulant, for example, “Zircon” or “Solution +”. The preparations improve germination and saturate the seeds with useful elements. The main thing is to follow the dosage and manufacturer’s recommendations.
After germination, place the seeds in a container with soil. The soil must be nutritious so that the seedlings sprout faster. Use pallets or special cassettes as containers for seedlings. Place the seedlings on a warm, sunny windowsill. Water the seedlings every 7 days, and after 2 weeks feed with liquid organic fertilizers. When growing, be careful with drafts, as they harm the sprouts.
Important ! Daylight hours should last at least 10 hours. If there is not enough light, arrange additional lighting with lamps.
Care
Smile is best planted after legumes or potatoes. Don't forget to water the bushes every 5 days. The amount of watering depends on the weather; during rainy summers, water consumption is reduced. It is best to use melt water, spending about 1 liter per bush. Periodically water the bushes not with plain water, but with nettle infusion. This folk remedy has an excellent healing effect on the plant.
Pumpkin needs to be fertilized with minerals; they saturate the crop with nitrogen, iron and calcium. A large content of useful elements is contained in the products “Kornevin”, “Nutrivant” and ammonium nitrate . It is recommended to apply mineral complexes every 2 weeks, alternating with organic fertilizers.
Organic pumpkin reacts well to yeast and ash. They reduce the acidity of the soil, making it more useful. Solutions that are applied directly to the roots before watering are especially effective. Also, such fertilizing protects the bushes from diseases and harmful insects.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Pay special attention to weeding the beds. The procedure is carried out every 10 days, combined with loosening. Loosening retains moisture in the soil and gets rid of the crust on the top layer of soil, which blocks the roots from accessing oxygen. It is recommended to loosen the soil after rains.
It is also important to form the lashes in time. When 2-3 pumpkins form on one, tear off the end of the lash. If this is not done, new vegetables will begin to appear, and there will not be enough nutrients for everything. Also, leave no more than four leaves on one shoot so that the pumpkins can easily access sunlight.
If the lashes are tangled together, untangle them and place them on the ground, sprinkling soil on top.
Growing tips from experienced gardeners
Many summer residents advise watering the crop only with rainwater - it is the softest and most nutritious. Collect water using a drainpipe and a barrel. You can water the pumpkin with cold tap water, but its temperature does not correspond to the desired norm. Therefore, it is better to pour it into a container in advance and leave it to bask in the sun until its temperature reaches 20-22 degrees.
Gardeners also recommend feeding the plant with liquid chicken manure 2-3 times per season. It is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and iron. 1 liter of litter is diluted in 20 liters of water. Before use, the mixture must steep for 10 days.
Fertilizer is applied between rows, not in holes. Otherwise, burns may occur. There is also a less aggressive, odorless ready-made biofertilizer made from chicken manure. It is sold in granules, so this drug is easier to use.
Important ! When fertilizing bushes with ash, avoid nitrogen-containing fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate, urea, and manure. When mixing these compounds, some of the nitrogen is washed out, and the plant does not receive the necessary nutrients. The period between fertilizers should be at least 10-15 days.
Diseases and pests
For preventive purposes, spray the bushes with a soap solution. For 10 liters of water, 20 g of dry grated soap is required. An effective and simple remedy helps to avoid powdery mildew, which occurs due to improper care and excess moisture. The disease appears as a white coating on the leaves. Powdery mildew can also infect neighboring bushes, so we recommend taking action immediately as soon as you see external signs of the disease.
Smile also gets sick with bacteriosis, which is a dangerous fungal infection and manifests itself in the form of brown, dry spots on the leaves.
Bordeaux mixture, which you can prepare yourself or purchase a ready-made solution in the store, helps fight infection. Work the beds wearing gloves and protective clothing. Use Bordeaux mixture at least 2 weeks before harvest.
Among the pests that attack pumpkin beds are aphids, slugs and spider mites. Pests suck nutrients and minerals from the body, as a result of which the bushes die.
Insects appear due to lack of fertilizer or improper care. As a preventive measure, gardeners use a solution of onion peels or wood ash.
Planting seeds directly in open ground
Although the “smile” variety is considered cold-resistant, seeds, unlike seedlings, are planted only in warm soil. A pair of prepared seeds is placed in each hole, and after germination the weakest seedling is removed.
To prepare seeds for sowing, they are pre-soaked the day before:
- in a solution of growth stimulants, for which you can use aloe juice and vitamin C;
- in a solution of fungicides;
- in warm water.
Deadlines
Since direct sowing can be carried out only when the soil has warmed up sufficiently and the threat of frost on the ground has passed, it is optimal to carry out this procedure in late May - early June. During this period, the earth, even in the cool night time, is already quite warm and its temperature is 10–12°C. If an abnormal decrease in temperature is expected, to preserve the viability of the seedlings, they are covered with paper caps or structures made of plastic bottles.
Did you know? India, China and Russia are the record holders for pumpkin cultivation.
Site selection and crop rotation
When choosing a corner where the “smile” pumpkin will grow, it is worth considering the following factors that are directly related to its fertility and successful growth:
- the place should be well lit and also protected from strong gusts of wind and drafts; it’s good if it’s the south or southwest side of buildings and fences;
- the soil should be light loamy, sandy loam;
- good soil fertilization is necessary.
You can plant a pumpkin in the place where onions, cabbage, legumes or root crops were previously planted. It can often be found along the edges of potato beds. It is not advisable to plant a pumpkin in the place where cucumbers, zucchini, and squash grew before.
Preparing the bed
Before directly planting “smile” seeds in the soil, it is necessary to dig it up to a depth of 30 cm. During the digging process, the soil is fertilized by adding organic fertilizers and wood ash.
It is also worth conducting a soil study first, examining:
- acidity;
- structure.
Since pumpkin will not grow on acidic clay soil, various mineral fertilizers and additives are used to correct these factors, which reduce acidity and increase the looseness of the soil.
Important! After harvesting a crop and before sowing a new one, you can sow green manure - plants that improve the structure of the soil, inhibit weeds and enrich the soil with nitrogen.
For this use:
- lime;
- peat;
- sand;
- dolomite flour.
The soil before planting should be free of weeds and pests.
Sowing scheme
Sow pumpkin seeds according to this scheme:
- After digging and fertilizing the soil, small holes are created in it, where the prepared seeds are placed. They are deepened by 5–7 cm.
- The distance between the holes should be 70 × 70 cm or 75 × 75 cm; it can be increased slightly, but not less than these values.
- The seeds are buried and watered with warm water.
- Then mulching is used, which will avoid premature evaporation of moisture under the rays of the sun, since the sowing site must warm up well and have enough light for the fruits to ripen.
Harvesting and application
The Smile is collected closer to mid-September. The stalk of a ripe vegetable is dry and hard. If the tail is green, this means that the pumpkin is not yet ripe. Also look at the peel - it should be firm and rich orange in color.
For long-term storage, pick the pumpkins together with the stem. Store the crop at a temperature of 5 to 15 degrees with an air humidity of 80%. Vegetables with scratches or dents are best eaten immediately.
They use culture in a variety of areas. In cooking, the product is used to prepare a delicate puree soup and bake pumpkin pancakes, as well as add the vegetable to nutritious side dishes and use it to prepare sweet pumpkin juice.
In folk medicine, the pulp of the vegetable is used to prevent heart disease, and the seeds are used to normalize intestinal function. In cosmetology, the product is used to make anti-aging face masks and hair oils.
Interesting ! Until now, in a number of countries, pumpkin is used as a dish or vase. This manufacturing method appeared long before people began making wooden or clay containers. This is a real skill that requires talent and ingenuity. Before production, the pumpkin is dried, treated with a special substance, shaped, and only then painted with amazing designs. It is believed that food from such dishes is healthier and more flavorful.
Care and formation features
In general, caring for this crop is no different from caring for any other pumpkin. These plants are valued for their amazing unpretentiousness to living conditions - the most important thing is to choose the right variety.
Some gardeners use seedlings to a greater extent, which require timely watering, fertilizing, and loosening. If you decide to plant Smile using seeds, then you should not immerse them in the soil too deeply. A depth of 5-6 centimeters will be sufficient.
Do not forget that before sowing it is necessary to soak the seeds in a solution of fungicides and growth stimulants one day before sowing.
Pumpkins are planted according to a 70 by 70 pattern in open ground when the latter warms up to a temperature of at least 12 degrees.
Since pumpkin of the Ulybka variety is a bush crop, to care for it it is enough to pinch or remove the apical bud. Thanks to this, side shoots will begin to actively grow.
Mulching is very beneficial for these pumpkins. This procedure can be resorted to immediately after sowing.
It is important to ensure that the soil around young plants remains clean - there should be no weeds or pests. When the fruits have already set, reduce watering or pinch the bushes. The crop must be harvested just before frost in dry weather.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The Ulybka variety is one of the most delicious and sweet. It is not for nothing that the product is widely used in cooking - it is good both fresh and after processing. It is easy to get a good harvest; the variety is unpretentious in care. The advantages of the vegetable are that it is resistant to diseases and has immunity to both frost and heat. The smile is stored for a long time and can easily withstand long-distance transportation.
Disadvantages include the variety's need for nutritious soil. In order for vegetables to grow juicy, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory measures and fertilize the soil well in the fall. In the future, it is also necessary to maintain optimal acidity and temperature of the earth, as well as disinfect the beds.
Growing Pumpkin Smile
As reviews and photos show, the Smile pumpkin does not require special care; the culture is unpretentious. Despite this, minimal favorable conditions for growing still need to be created. Due to the fact that the variety is susceptible to rot, watering must be moderate.
Many gardeners recommend initially growing seedlings and only then replanting them in open ground. For germination, it is necessary to place the planting material for some time in a solution that stimulates growth. During planting, you must adhere to the 70x70 cm pattern. Place 2 seeds in each hole. If 2 shoots appear, the weak one should be removed.
Farmer reviews
During its existence, Pumpkin Smile has won the attention of many gardeners. Every year the number of her fans is rapidly increasing. However, there are also those summer residents who do not like the variety.
Galina, St. Petersburg: “It is important for me to get not only tasty, but also healthy vegetables from my garden. Pumpkin is a wonderful produce that I have been growing for over 12 years. I tried many varieties, one of the best is Ulybka. I like its taste and appearance. I keep my vegetables in the garage until January.”
Vlada, Sochi: “ I planted Smile seedlings in early July. After a couple of weeks, the sprouts began to develop rapidly. The ovary is fast and simultaneous, which pleased me. The pumpkins turned out to be of medium size, the largest weighed 700 g. Overall, the variety is excellent, I recommend it.”
Inna, Saratov: “I really love melons, especially zucchini and pumpkins. I prefer sweet varieties, so I tried Smile on a recommendation. The seedlings were very elongated, so some difficulties arose during transplantation and a couple of stems were broken. The remaining seedlings developed slowly, and only by the end of July did the first vegetables appear. The yield is below average, the taste is slightly watery. I expected more."
