Options
We plant a pumpkin correctly: how to prevent cross-pollination. What to plant next to a pumpkin What not to plant a pumpkin with

We plant a pumpkin correctly: how to prevent cross-pollination. What to plant next to a pumpkin What not to plant a pumpkin with

The golden fruit loved by all, whose homeland is Mexico, has long taken root with us and is part of the culinary traditions. By the way, sowing pumpkins is also popular in China and India. What vegetable grower would miss the opportunity to grow such a beauty in his garden? But in order to do this, you need to know how to plant a pumpkin correctly, what factors should be taken into account if you are going to plant a pumpkin in open ground. How to plant a pumpkin in open ground, and how to further care for the plant, read below.

Landing dates

The first question that needs to be sorted out is: when to plant a pumpkin in open ground? The timing of planting pumpkins, like all melons, falls at the end of spring (at the same time, sowing of all related crops begins). Therefore, seedlings should be placed in the ground in late May - early June. At a temperature of 25 degrees, the plant will actively develop, and at 14 it will stop growing and sowing will be in vain. Do not forget that if you want to get an early harvest, plant seeds for seedlings for a period of 25 days.

Location selection

It's clear that the pumpkin will grow well in the South. But in any case, place the seedlings in a sunny place. It is better to plant a pumpkin in place of onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, legumes. Avoid places where potatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchini, melons used to grow. Neighborhood plays a very important role. Some plants can be harmful to the pumpkin, and some can be harmed by the pumpkin itself. Therefore, the question will not be strange: what can be planted next to pumpkins?

You can plant leeks, beans, peas or spinach nearby. It is not recommended to plant next to potatoes and radishes. Nearby it is better not to place beets, carrots, garlic.

What is it connected with? All gourds abundantly absorb nutrients from the ground, as a result of which they do not allow their neighbors to fully develop. Can squash be planted next to corn? Need to!

Pumpkins are best placed not in windy places, but if you don’t have any, then you can plant corn nearby - create a kind of fence from the wind.

Interestingly, it is impossible to plant a pumpkin after a pumpkin. This is due to soil diseases, the pathogens of which can persist and harm new related plants.

Soil preparation

In relation to the earth, this plant is not picky. But even good soil still needs to be cultivated in the fall. Dig up the site and mix the earth with organic fertilizers - potash and phosphorus. Already in the spring, after the snow has melted, loosen the soil and clear the area of weeds. Before sowing the pumpkin, once again dig everything well and apply nitrogen fertilizers.

Make the beds high. Standard sizes: in width - up to 1.5 m, in height - at least 20 cm, and a distance - half a meter. Sowing can be carried out in different ways, but the most popular is wide-row. The scheme for planting pumpkins in open ground differs depending on the variety. For example, a bush pumpkin is usually planted 70 by 70 cm, and a long climbing pumpkin is 210 by 180 cm. The question “at what distance to plant a pumpkin” will not confuse you now.

How to choose a landing method

If the speed of fruiting is important to you, then you will have to think about choosing a pumpkin planting method and further care. Planting usually occurs either with seeds in open ground or with seeds for seedlings. The second method is relevant for those who are concerned about the question of how to grow a pumpkin in order to get fruit faster.

Features of planting seeds

How to plant pumpkin seeds? First of all, you need to get good seeds. But it is worth considering that not all varieties are sown in open ground. For this, for example, the nutmeg variety, which includes all honey varieties, is not suitable. Planted seeds of this variety may simply not sprout. Be sure to pay attention to the freshness and germination of seeds. To do this, you can conduct a trial sowing on wet gauze.

When the seeds are checked, you need to start preparing them. Warm them up at 60 degrees for about 2 hours, and then dip them into a solution of potassium permanganate. After these events, the seeds can be planted in the ground.

Features of planting seedlings

If you will grow seeds for seedlings, then all the above rules for preparing seeds are also relevant in this case. Prepare a deep pan with sawdust: pour boiling water over the wood and cover with gauze. Put the seeds in there. Then backfill with sawdust and cover with foil. Thus, you have a home greenhouse. Sprouts will begin to be visible already on the 3rd day. Seedlings grown in 25 days then need to move to open ground.

Further care

Planting pumpkins in open ground provides for further care of the plant. Caring for her, like for other melons, includes a number of activities:

weed cleaning;
phased top dressing: the first - with the appearance of the first leaves, the second - after the formation of ovaries;
regular watering (especially at the flowering stage);
pinching long-climbing varieties (on the shoot there should be no more than 3 fruits).

Now the question of how to properly plant a pumpkin in open ground will not bother young vegetable growers. After all, as it turned out, this is not a difficult and time-consuming task. Planting a pumpkin and caring for it in the open field can become not only an ordinary business, but also a favorite hobby.

Pumpkin is famous not only for its exquisite taste, but also for the content of vitamin T, which is rare but necessary for the human body. Any housewife who has planted this vegetable knows that you can feed a huge family with a couple of such fruits, because not only pumpkin porridges are prepared from them, but and jam, marmalade, puree, pies, side dishes.

Video "Planting pumpkins in open ground"

In this video you will hear useful tips for planting pumpkins in open ground.

Many gardeners who own a small garden plot try to grow as many vegetable crops as possible on it. And this is a big mistake. Not all plants are compatible with each other. When grown together, some crops produce a meager and low-quality crop. Today we will talk about whether it is possible to plant pumpkin plants nearby and what will come of it.

When pumpkins and zucchini are planted together, cross-pollination occurs, which can affect the quality, shape and color of future fruits.

Zucchini: description

Zucchini or zucchini is a herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. Gives large yellowish-green or light green fruits of an oblong shape. This is one of the varieties of ordinary pumpkin.

This annual crop is successfully grown in regions with warm and temperate climatic conditions.

The homeland of the vegetable is the American continent. In cooking, this product was first used by Italians. In Europe, one of the most popular varieties of zucchini has become zucchini. Its fruits of dark green color, oblong shape are used in the preparation of a wide variety of dishes.

What can be planted next to this unpretentious culture in care? Zucchini perfectly tolerates the neighborhood with the following plants:

Salad.
Peas.
Spinach.
Bush beans.

Pumpkin: farming culture

This ancient healthy vegetable of the Cucurbitaceae family is grown everywhere. An annual crop with a hairy stem and large, stiff, lobed leaves produces large, orange-colored fruits. Pumpkins of spherical or oblong shape have a pleasant oily taste. Inside the fruit contains loose pulp with a large number of white seeds.

South America is the birthplace of this vegetable. High yield of the plant was noted in the regions of temperate and subtropical zones.

This is a valuable food product, which is widely used not only in cooking, but also in medicine.

What garden crops can be planted with a pumpkin?

Compatible plants:

Beans.
beans.
Peas.

Many gardeners practice planting this vegetable separately on compost heaps.

Cucumber is a plant of the gourd family

It is the most popular horticultural vegetable grown all over the world. An annual culture of the Cucurbitaceae family, it produces tasty, crunchy fruits of a dark green color. Fresh greens are used to prepare a variety of salads, consumed fresh, salted, pickled and canned.

This plant first appeared on the territory of Ancient Egypt and Greece four thousand years ago. Over time, it began to be grown on the European continent.

Cucumber is a heat-loving and moisture-loving plant that needs proper care - nutrition, watering, warmth and good lighting.

Due to the variety of hybrid forms, cucumbers began to be grown not only in the south, but also in the regions of the Middle Strip.

This is a versatile plant that develops well and bears fruit both in open and closed ground.

Cucumber is a versatile plant

What garden crops can be planted next to cucumbers? This plant coexists well with almost all useful vegetation in the garden:

Bulb onions.
Garlic.
Bean cultures.
All kinds of cabbage.
Greens - dill, parsley, basil, spinach.
Radish.
Beet.

Planting Compatibility

Many gardeners, especially beginners, doubt whether it is possible to plant a zucchini with a pumpkin next to it.

When these vegetables are planted together, cross-pollination occurs, which can affect the quality, shape and color of future fruits. Such fruits are edible, but have a slightly specific taste. On the bushes of zucchini, a certain hybrid grows, of a rounded shape of a yellowish color, which is suitable only for making squash fritters. On pumpkins, fruits of an oblong shape with an invariable taste grow.

Therefore, for those who want to get a good crop of vegetables with excellent taste and presentation, pumpkin with zucchini should grow in separate beds.

Recording Is it possible to plant a pumpkin with a zucchini first appeared by SeloMoe.

Tagged

Pumpkin is an amazing plant, its fruits can grow to truly gigantic sizes. Both pulp and seeds are used for food: both there and there contain a huge amount of useful substances. Pumpkin is a champion among vegetables in terms of iron content, rich in pectin, and its healing properties are also known. It requires a large amount of fertilizer, but otherwise the cultivation of pumpkin is not difficult.

Choice of landing site

When it comes to placing a pumpkin, you have to think carefully, because in a common area among other vegetables, it will offend its neighbors, whom it will certainly drown out with its powerful lashes. Although it is often planted among potatoes, which are almost not oppressed. But since the pumpkin, like cucumbers, is able to climb neighboring plants and low structures with the help of antennae, this is what small-land gardeners use, for example, using its whips on fences.

For growing pumpkins, they come up with a variety of supports.

When there is nothing suitable for this in the garden, then directly above the holes they arrange a flooring on stakes from two or three poles or slabs - 1–1.5 m in height. With the beginning of the growth of the lashes, they are sent to the flooring, and separate supports are arranged under the hanging fruits. In this form, the pumpkin is not a hindrance to many undersized vegetables, on a hill above which it will grow.

The next question is how to create suitable soil conditions for pumpkins. The difficulty here is not so great, since one pumpkin bush will require an area for a hole of no more than 1 m 2. Considering that for an average family it is necessary to plant 3-4 bushes, then a place for this can be found anywhere and provide a pumpkin with a nutritious soil mixture on it.

What kind of soil is needed for planting a pumpkin

Pumpkin does well on structural fertile, light dark-colored sandy loamy soils. In areas well fertilized with manure, the fruits reach enormous sizes.

The main tillage for a pumpkin does not differ from tillage for vegetable crops: since autumn, the garden bed is dug up with fertilizers on a shovel bayonet, and in the spring they are leveled with a rake. The soil for this vegetable should have an acidity close to neutral, pH 6.5 is optimal. You should not plant a pumpkin where any pumpkin crops (cucumbers, zucchini, squash) grew last year.

Fertilizers for pumpkin when planting

According to the requirements of the pumpkin to the nutrient content in the soil, it is very similar to cucumbers. Pumpkin feels great on a heap of ready-made compost, where various wastes were dumped last season, as well as in those places where manure used to lie.

You can grow pumpkins in specially prepared trenches, covered with chopped branches, green or dry grass, manure, various household waste, which are mixed with the ground and a layer of fertile soil is poured on top. The depth and width of the trench - up to half a meter.

The greatest effect is obtained with the combined use of organo-mineral fertilizers per 1 m 2: for digging 4–5 kg of manure and for top dressing (when 5–6 leaves appear) 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride. Nitrogen fertilizers (nitrate, urea) can also be applied during spring loosening of the beds.

Landing dates

In central Russia, mainly large-fruited and hard-barked pumpkins are cultivated, in the south - nutmeg. Types of pumpkin differ quite significantly from each other. In the hard-barked gourd, the bark of mature fruits is woody, while in other species it is soft. Such a pumpkin is distinguished by the greatest precocity. Large-fruited pumpkin is the most cold-resistant and productive. Quite resistant to low temperatures and hard-barked pumpkin, the most demanding for heat and also late-ripening - nutmeg.

Thus, it turns out that in the middle lane without growing seedlings, it is guaranteed to get a crop of only hard-barked pumpkin, and nutmeg may not grow even using the seedling method. In the southern half of the country, any pumpkin can be grown, but nutmeg varieties, even in the south, are sometimes grown through seedlings.

Butternut squash is the most delicious, but also the most capricious

Pumpkin seeds germinate in soil heated to 13-14 o C, and its shoots are very sensitive and die at 1-2 degrees below zero. The best temperature for normal growth and development of plants is 20-25 o C. If you sow it in the ground with the onset of heat, you can not wait for ripe fruits, which require from 115 to 130 summer days. Therefore, it is often necessary to start growing pumpkin from seedlings. To do this, pumpkin seeds are sown in peat pots at the end of April. Pots should be large, with a volume of at least a liter.

The term for planting seedlings in the garden is approximately the same as for tomato seedlings. In the regions of the center of Russia, this is usually the end of spring (depending on the actual weather), and in the north it can be mid-June.

When a pumpkin is grown by direct sowing of seeds in a garden bed, they are sown in mid-May and it is better if holes are made for this so that they can be covered with glass. It has been observed that slugs react very early to the emergence of pumpkin seedlings by gnawing at their stems. To catch slugs, pieces of boards are laid out next to the seedlings and checked every morning.

Planting pumpkin seedlings

The best way to prepare seeds for sowing is to germinate, which will lose their flavor and result in less pest damage. Before that, they are disinfected for 20–30 minutes in a dark solution of potassium permanganate.

The pots are stuffed with a nutritious garden mixture. 2–3 seeds are sown in one pot, burying them 3–4 cm, but after germination, one best plant is left, the rest are removed. Seedlings are kept in a greenhouse before planting, they try to give as much sunlight as possible, bearing in mind that pumpkin seedlings are sensitive to a lack of lighting and stretch very quickly. In the apartment, seedlings are kept on a lighted windowsill, where during the day the temperature on clear days is 25–27 ° C and higher, and at night it does not fall below 12 ° C.

For pumpkin seedlings, pots of the largest size are selected

The term for growing seedlings in a greenhouse or at home is about a month. You should not keep it longer - the roots will not have enough volume of the pot for full growth: they will fill it very closely.

Holes for planting seedlings are prepared in a place where in the future the lash can be easily transferred to any supports. To create a better thermal and air regime, the sides of the holes are laid out from any decaying organic material or from turf, boards or slabs with an elevation of 25–30 cm above the soil. Fertilized soil is poured inside the hole in the amount of 2–3 buckets. In order to avoid moisture loss during the spring-summer period, the hole is covered with a film of any color, and its edges are sprinkled with soil.

Before planting the seedlings, a hole is cut in the film in the appropriate place. First, one or two buckets of water heated in the sun are poured into it, and then seedlings are planted. The overgrown and stretched one is lowered into the hole deeper than usual - up to the cotyledons. The planted seedlings are covered with a piece of glass using a box of boards. This measure is necessary to better warm the soil, reduce moisture evaporation and protect against birds.

Ready pumpkin seedlings are a completely viable plant

Watering is done every other day until the seedlings get stronger and grow. Mature plants are watered as needed, as they themselves signal withering leaves.

Video: planting pumpkin seedlings in open ground

How to plant a pumpkin in open ground: seeds to help!

In the southern regions, and often in the central region, pumpkin is grown by sowing seeds in the ground, trying to do this on light fertile soils. Sowing seeds is often carried out on the ridges. Basically, the wells are prepared in the same way as in the case of seedling cultivation. Sowing seeds is very easy.

Under favorable conditions, seedlings after planting pumpkins in open ground appear after 6–8 days. If the weather is really warm, the film can be removed. But sometimes holes are cut in it for sprouts, and the film is left in place for a while so that the soil does not cool down. After a few days, the extra shoots are cut off: it is better not to pull them out so as not to damage the roots of nearby plants.

Video: sowing pumpkin with germinated seeds

Landing patterns

The root system of all types of pumpkins is well developed, penetrating to a depth of 1.5 m. However, it needs a lot of space: the pumpkin spreads its roots not only deep into the ground, but also to the sides, and the growing lashes reach a length of several meters.

Pumpkin feeding areas are perhaps the largest among known garden dwellers. Planting schemes are recommended as follows: 2 x 1 m, one plant per hole, or 3 x 2 m, two plants per nest.

If there is space, you can plant pumpkins along the path, and lay out the lashes in directions from it

Ways to plant a pumpkin

In addition to the usual planting of a pumpkin in a pre-prepared bed (on a flat surface or slightly raised), gardeners often come up with some tricks to save space in the country and make it easier to care for plants.

Landing on a compost heap

Any plant residues are laid in the compost, including those that rot slowly. And if grass compost matures by the next season and can be used as a fertilizer for any vegetables, then large leftovers like cabbage stalks, tree branches or raspberries can be processed within 2-3 years. In order not to waste space, you can plant a pumpkin in this pile, which is not yet ready as a fertilizer.

Partially rotted remains will already be a nutrient medium for the plant, and those that continue to rot will not interfere with it. Pumpkin roots will quickly take up all the free space in this pile: after all, it is quite loose. Since the leaves of the pumpkin are large, they will cover the future compost from the rays of the sun, it will be better to rot rather than dry. True, you should not hope that there will be enough nutrients in such a pile of pumpkins, you will have to add some mineral fertilizers. For the convenience of caring for a pumpkin, a pile should be fenced on the sides with boards, giving it a convenient shape and height. But on top of the plant residues it is necessary to pour a layer of soil of 10–15 centimeters.

Both pumpkin and compost heap mutually help each other

Such a bed, in fact, is a greenhouse: the decay of large fragments warms the soil, and the pumpkin itself helps this. For growing on compost, it is more convenient to use varieties with not very long lashes; it is better to plant seedlings in such a bed, placing the plants no more than 80 cm apart. But early ripening varieties can be planted with seeds, temporarily covering the compost heap with spunbond. Caring for pumpkin planted in compost is very simple. First, you need to lean less. Secondly, such a bed does not require loosening, and often weeding. But watering a bunch is required at least as often as a regular garden bed, and even more often.

Landing in bags

In order to save space in the garden, you can plant a pumpkin in ordinary garbage bags made of thick plastic film, but it is desirable that their capacity is at least 100 liters. After all, bags can be placed anywhere, even on asphalt, the main thing is that they are not completely in the shade. A mixture of soil with compost, or even just compost, is poured into bags in autumn, and one pumpkin is planted in the spring. You can do this even with seeds, even with seedlings, depending on the situation.

It is best to put bags of pumpkins next to the fence so as not to come up with additional support: the stems will climb up, and the growing fruits can be placed in nets, which are also tied to the fence. Bagged pumpkins are easy to care for, if only because the plants are at a very comfortable height. It is also easy to regulate humidity: irrigation water will not leak out through polyethylene, and if, on the contrary, the climate of the area is too humid, then excess moisture can be released through several drainage holes.

A variety of vegetables are planted in bags, including all pumpkin crops.

Using barrels

Metal drums can be used instead of plastic bags. Of course, this pleasure is not so cheap, but for this you can take a barrel that is no longer suitable for use for its intended purpose.

In order for the soil inside the barrel to be better warmed by the sun, it is advisable to paint the barrel outside in a dark color.

Of course, it is a pity to spend a new barrel for such purposes, but if it is clearly superfluous, you will have to drill several drainage holes in its lower part. It is advisable to put a cut watering hose on the upper rim for the convenience of caring for plants.

In autumn, various plant waste is placed at the bottom of the barrel: branches from pruning trees, foliage from under trees and bushes, tops from collected root crops and other plants. Garden soil is poured on top. In the spring, the soil in the barrel is plentifully watered to speed up the decomposition of the waste poured into it. Since the contents of the barrel will settle significantly by the summer, humus will need to be added by the time the pumpkin is planted.

At the very beginning of summer, pumpkin seedlings are planted in a barrel. Sometimes two plants are planted, but it is better to limit yourself to only one. At first, the pumpkin is watered very often: both the engraftment of seedlings and the continued decomposition of biomass are required. Rotting causes heating, and the pumpkin in the barrel is very cozy. Additional top dressing with such a landing is not required.

The fruits of the short-stemmed pumpkin can even be left on the barrel

The lashes hang freely from the barrel, flowers appear on them over time and fruits are born. If they have reached the ground, you can leave them like that, placing a small plank under each. If you remain hanging in the air, you will have to come up with additional support.

Planting a pumpkin on a nettle

One of the most popular natural fertilizers in the garden is an infusion of cut grass and pulled out weeds. It smells very unpleasant, but contains many nutrients necessary for plants, and therefore it is very often used for top dressing. One of the leaders in nutrient content is common nettle. In this regard, it is used not only as a liquid top dressing: various garden crops are often planted in nettles. Unlike manure, this excludes the introduction of pathogenic bacteria, larvae of harmful insects and other pests.

The best quality nettle is spring nettle, collected in May. They make a large hole, up to a bucket, and fill it with chopped nettle leaves (along with the stems, you can cut or tear in any convenient way and not very finely). Nettles are mixed with soil approximately 1:1 and watered well. Watering is best done with an infusion of the same nettle, obtained by filling a bucket of nettle with water and standing for 5-7 days.

From above, the hole is sprinkled with clean earth, after a few days, pumpkin seedlings are planted, watered with clean water. After 3-4 days, the seedlings begin to grow.

Is it possible to plant a pumpkin in a greenhouse

It is impossible to grow butternut squash in harsh climatic conditions, but even with ordinary large-fruited pumpkins there can be a problem due to the lack of warm summer days. In this case, you can plant a pumpkin in a greenhouse. True, the place in the greenhouse is precious, and the pumpkin grows in the form of a huge plant, occupying a large area, so you have to be a little tricky. In modern polycarbonate greenhouses, it is difficult to implement such a trick, but in ordinary film greenhouses it is easy.

Often they plant a pumpkin next to cucumbers, giving her a place somewhere in the very corner. Planting holes are made in the same way as in open ground, they are filled with fertilizers, seedlings are either planted in the holes or seeds are sown. But by the time the stems grow to about half a meter, summer weather is already set in the fresh air. They bend the edge of the film, from which the walls of the greenhouse are made, and release the pumpkin into the street. And so it grows all summer: the roots in the greenhouse, and the fruits in the open air.

A pumpkin is planted in a greenhouse, but let out to live

Features and timing of planting pumpkins in different regions

Not only what varieties of pumpkin can be planted, but also how and when to do it depends on the climatic conditions of the region. If in the middle lane it is difficult to grow only the most heat-loving and late-ripening nutmeg pumpkins, then in Siberia or the Urals problems may arise with more cold-resistant varieties. But usually the preliminary preparation of seedlings solves these problems. In the middle lane, they prefer to grow seedlings of mid-ripening varieties, and the early ones are sown in the garden with seeds. Sowing seeds is possible in the last days of May, and planting seedlings without film shelters is closer to June 10.

The climate of Belarus is similar to the one near Moscow, and the approaches to growing pumpkins there are about the same. The State Register of Belarus includes about twenty varieties of pumpkins, and almost all of them are widely known in the central regions of Russia. The terms for planting seedlings or sowing seeds here are the same as in the middle zone of our country; neither the rules for planting nor the subsequent care differ in any way.

In the Urals and most of Siberia, night frosts are possible even in June, so the time for growing pumpkins is very short. Here, they almost never risk sowing seeds directly into the ground, preferring to grow seedlings. It is transferred to the garden no earlier than mid-June. And even in this case, they monitor the weather, possibly covering the landing with non-woven materials for the first time. However, Siberia is great: in the south, as well as in the Southern Urals, the summer is sunny, and sometimes even dry: in these areas you can grow almost any variety of pumpkin, including direct sowing of seeds in the garden.

In the south of the European part of Russia, there is no need to grow seedlings. Here the pumpkin grows without problems, huge fields are allocated for it, it is illuminated by the hot southern sun and grows large and tasty. All available varieties have time to ripen from sowing seeds directly in the field, which, depending on the weather, is possible either in early May or even earlier.

Video: planting a pumpkin in a tire

Pumpkin compatibility with other plants when planting

If you talk about what can be planted next to a pumpkin, first of all you need to think that it does not drown out its neighbors: the bushes of the pumpkin are huge, and the lashes stretch far. Therefore, if, for example, she climbs into a garden with carrots, there will be no need to expect any carrot harvest. Therefore, the question of neighbors should be asked only after it is clear which area will limit the distribution of pumpkin lashes.

From a biological point of view, anything can grow next to a pumpkin patch: it, apart from its geometry, does not interfere with anything.

Pumpkin feels very good near corn, beans, onions, and various salads. It is undesirable to plant it not far from the cabbage. Sometimes you can read that potatoes are also an undesirable neighbor, but the practice of planting pumpkins in potato fields has long been known, and both plants coexist normally. Although, it is probably better to listen to agronomists in this matter and limit the possibility of such a neighborhood.

Pumpkin can be grown both by sowing seeds in the garden, and by pre-preparing seedlings. Options are selected based on the climate of the region, the variety of pumpkin and the preferences of the gardener. In any case, pumpkin is an unpretentious vegetable, and, apart from good doses of fertilizers, it does not require anything special, and the planting process itself will not complicate even the most unskilled gardener.

When pumpkins and zucchini are planted together, cross-pollination occurs, which can affect the quality, shape and color of future fruits.

Zucchini: description

Zucchini or zucchini is a herbaceous plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. Gives large yellowish-green or light green fruits of an oblong shape. This is one of the varieties of ordinary pumpkin.

This annual crop is successfully grown in regions with warm and temperate climatic conditions.

What can be planted next to this unpretentious culture in care? Zucchini perfectly tolerates the neighborhood with the following plants:

Salad.
Peas.
Spinach.
Bush beans.

Pumpkin: farming culture

South America is the birthplace of this vegetable. High yield of the plant was noted in the regions of temperate and subtropical zones.

This is a valuable food product, which is widely used not only in cooking, but also in medicine.

This ancient healthy vegetable of the Pumpkin family is grown everywhere.

What garden crops can be planted with a pumpkin?

Compatible plants:

Beans.
beans.
Peas.

Many gardeners practice planting this vegetable separately on compost heaps.

Cucumber is a plant of the gourd family

This plant first appeared on the territory of Ancient Egypt and Greece four thousand years ago. Over time, it began to be grown on the European continent.

Cucumber is a heat-loving and moisture-loving plant that needs proper care - nutrition, watering, warmth and good lighting.

Due to the variety of hybrid forms, cucumbers began to be grown not only in the south, but also in the regions of the Middle Strip.

This is a versatile plant that develops well and bears fruit both in open and closed ground.

Cucumber is a versatile plant

What garden crops can be planted next to cucumbers? This plant coexists well with almost all useful vegetation in the garden:

Bulb onions.
Garlic.
Bean cultures.
All kinds of cabbage.
Greens - dill, parsley, basil, spinach.
Radish.
Beet.

Planting Compatibility

Many gardeners, especially beginners, doubt whether it is possible to plant a zucchini with a pumpkin next to it.

Therefore, for those who want to get a good crop of vegetables with excellent taste and presentation, pumpkin with zucchini should grow in separate beds.

Zucchini and squash belong to the gourd family. Although they share common growing conditions, planting and growing zucchini and squash outdoors are slightly different. In order not to make mistakes and get a full harvest, when planting, you need to take into account all the nuances of each plant.

General requirements for growing conditions

Zucchini and pumpkin are heat-loving plants. At temperatures from +12 to +18°C, seeds germinate for about two weeks, and at temperatures from +20 to +25°C, seedlings appear quickly, after 5-7 days. The seeds are sown in the ground in the second decade of May, under a film, and do not remove it until shoots appear. Further, the shelter is removed only during the day, if the weather permits, and again covered at night. Such protection is necessary until the threat of frost has passed.

It is possible to speed up the fruit setting and ripening of the harvest of pumpkins and zucchini when planting seedlings in open ground. Usually, seeds are sown for seedlings in early May, 25-30 days before planting in the garden. Before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are hardened, and for the first time after planting they are covered with agrofiber to protect against possible night cooling.

Zucchini and pumpkins do not tolerate root damage, so each plant must be grown in a separate cup, and transplanted very carefully.

For both zucchini and pumpkin, an air temperature close to zero is detrimental. For growth, it is optimal if the air is heated during the day to 22-28 ° C. At a prolonged temperature of 15-18 ° C, growth slows down, and if the air humidity is increased and the soil does not dry out, the plant begins to rot.

Pumpkins and squashes love bright light. The site should be illuminated by the sun throughout the day. The less sun shines on plantings, the slower growth occurs. In addition, it is important that the place is protected from drafts and northern winds. Well, if you can plant gourds along the fence, which will be protection from the cold wind, or near the southern wall of the house.

Representatives of the pumpkin family love when their roots are in warm soil.

In cold regions, warm beds are suitable for growing, which are prepared in the fall. Another growing option is to plant seedlings on a compost heap, which must be sprinkled with a layer of earth and thoroughly spilled with warm water.

The soil in the garden should be loose, fertile, with neutral acidity. If the soil is acidic, it must be limed.

Is it possible to plant zucchini next to a pumpkin

Due to the fact that zucchini and pumpkins belong to the same family, they cannot be grown side by side. There are several reasons for this, and the most important is the likelihood of cross-pollination. In this case, the fruits will not meet expectations either in appearance or in taste. Pumpkins may lose their sweetness and change shape, while zucchini may have rough skins and unpalatable flesh.

Also, you can not plant zucchini and pumpkins in one place for several years in a row. Re-planting is possible no earlier than after 4 years. The reasons are pretty simple:

lack of nutrients in the soil that the plant used up in the previous year;
the presence of pathogens or pest larvae in the soil. Both pumpkin and zucchini suffer from some ailments, the pathogens of which remain in the soil for a long time.

Preparing zucchini and pumpkin seeds for planting

Pumpkin and zucchini seeds are sorted by weight. Only heavy seeds are left for cultivation. If it is difficult to visually determine this, then the seed is immersed in a strong salt solution. Those seeds that have surfaced are empty inside, they are rejected. Heavy, full-fledged seeds will settle to the bottom.

In order for the plants to produce more female flowers than male flowers, the seed material must be kept warm for two months before planting. Seeds are wrapped in natural fabric and placed near the battery.

To reduce the likelihood of diseases, the seeds are soaked for 30 minutes in a bright solution of potassium permanganate. After that, they are washed in warm water.

To speed up germination, the seeds can be wrapped in a damp cloth and kept in a warm place until they hatch. It is necessary to plant immediately, otherwise overgrown sprouts may break off.

Rules for planting and growing zucchini

A bed for growing zucchini should be 50 cm wide for bush varieties and 70 cm for climbing varieties. Rules for placing zucchini in the garden - there should be no more than three plants per square meter.

Prepare a bed in a few days:

dig up;
remove the roots of weeds;
if the soil is acidic, then it is limed;
richly moisturize.

If seeds are sown on the garden bed, then they do it in late May or early June, depending on the weather. Holes are made at the indicated distance, a handful of ash and a shovel of rotted manure are brought to the bottom of which, mixed well. Pour the bottom with hot water. Seeds are placed in 3-4 pieces at a depth of 4 cm and covered with soil. If cool weather is expected, the beds are covered with dense white agrofibre to speed up germination.

After shoots appear and 2 true leaves grow, the strongest sprout is left in the hole, and the rest are removed.

Seedlings are planted in early June, the holes are prepared in the same way as for seeds. The seedling is deepened by cotyledon leaves. Water under the root so that drops of water do not fall on the leaves. At night, the first time they cover with agrofiber. This is important not only so that the seedlings do not fall under frost, but also to protect them from cold morning dew.

The roots of zucchini are close to the surface of the soil. It is necessary to loosen the planting shallowly so as not to damage the root system. Watering should be neat, with a weak stream of water. From a strong pressure, the soil (especially light, sandy) is washed off, and the roots are exposed. These problems can be avoided if the soil around the bush is mulched with mowed grass, hay or sawdust.

Zucchini are harvested when their length reaches 20 cm. If necessary, small fruits can also be cut. Timely cutting of fruits provokes the setting of new ones, therefore it is not recommended to leave ripe zucchini on the bush for a long time. In addition, overgrown zucchini coarsens and becomes tasteless.

Rules for planting and growing pumpkins

The place for growing pumpkins should be very warm, bright and spacious. The entire area is cleared of weeds. A few days before planting, they dig up, bring in rotted manure or compost and level it. Wells are prepared at a great distance from each other. Between plants of climbing varieties should be 2-3 meters, between bush - at least one and a half.

Several seeds are placed in each hole to a depth of about 5 cm, after germination, the most developed one is selected, the rest are removed. If seedlings have already appeared, and the weather forecast warns of an approaching cold snap, arcs must be installed over each hole and covering material must be pulled.

Planting time for seedlings is early June. Planted when her age is 25-30 days. Pre-hardening is carried out. Landing is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening, when the rays of the sun stop baking. Planted seedlings, as well as seedlings in the garden, it is important to shelter from possible frosts and cold dew. Plants can be left without shelter from mid-June.

Unlike zucchini, pumpkin bushes need to be shaped. One or two lashes are left, but the total number of fruits that should be on the plant is 3 or 4, depending on the variety. All stepchildren are removed in a timely manner. After the last pumpkin, 4 leaves are left on the lash and the lash is cut off, sprinkled with earth in several places. In this place, additional roots are formed, which will supply the plant with more nutrition.

The rule for watering pumpkins is rarely, but plentifully. Each adult bush will need 2-3 buckets of water.

Watering is carried out according to a special scheme:

the first month after the emergence of shoots, it is plentifully watered 3 times;
then take a break for 3 weeks;
after flowers form on the plant, water it once every 7 days;
in August, when the fruits finish growing and begin to ripen, watering should be rare;
Do not water three weeks before harvest.

conclusions

Planting pumpkins and zucchini should be carried out in different places on the site. It is better if some structure separates them.

Particular attention should be paid to these plants at the beginning of summer, when a drop in temperature to zero can destroy all plantings. Shelter is labor-intensive, but it justifies itself by the fact that the plant is not stressed by temperature changes, the ovaries are formed on time and the fruits have time to ripen before the end of the season. In addition, under shelter, in warmth, more female flowers are formed, which is a guarantee of a high yield.