How to choose pumpkin varieties

Few people do not know the pumpkin, and among the truck farmers there are few who did not grow it in their garden. But it was not everyone who tried to taste tasty pumpkin dishes. The fact is that until recently, really delicious and suitable for a variety of culinary cultivars, pumpkin varieties were rare.

Most pumpkin species originate from South America and are quite thermophilic. In addition, pumpkins grow long, and fruits are used for food ripe, at least in the phase of technical ripeness (in contrast to zucchini and squash, in which young, unripe fruits go for food). Pumpkin varieties with good taste, but late-ripening (and, especially, large-fruited) in the middle zone often have to be removed unripened, so the fruit will not have time to gain enough sugar and will be tasteless as grass. There are some types and varieties of pumpkin that can ripen during storage, but most varieties are not suitable for this.

There are also two other reasons why delicious pumpkins are not common. Some truck farmers, not completely figuring out, buy seeds of pumpkin fodder varieties and hope for sweet fruits. Fodder varieties of pumpkin, of course, yield and fruits they have very large, but the taste pulls on the top three on a five-point system. The second reason is that trying to get your own seeds of the variety you like, truck farmers do not take into account the following: the pumpkin is pollinated by insects and they fly quite far. And next to this time other cucurbitaceous flowers (and not necessarily pumpkins, it can be zucchini and even cucumbers) or simply pumpkins of a different kind. The plant is perepylyaetsya and from the seeds it grows is not what you expected.

How to solve all these problems? First, we will understand with varieties and kinds of a pumpkin.

Pumpkin is solid. It is this species we have the most common. It is good for its early ripeness, the fruits can be removed beginning in August. Fruits in appearance - a classic pumpkin on the Halloween, yellow-red, the right form. The best varieties of pumpkin hard-root - with small "portioned" fruits. This species has the best seeds (there is even a sort of "golosemyanka" with seeds without peel). Fruits are not stored for a long time - they start to get bitter. The best varieties of pumpkin hard-faced: Miranda, Sweet Pie, Melon, Premiere, unusual varieties Golosemyanka and Spaghetti.

Pumpkin is nutmeg. The most delicious and useful - carotene in it is much more than carrots, yet it is great for diet meals. The species is late-ripening, in the middle zone this pumpkin can be grown only through seedlings. But the fruits can ripen a little during storage, they can be stored for about a year. The fruits have a thin crust, a reddish flesh with a muscat aroma, and a shape closer to the squash. The most delicious and sweet varieties of pumpkin: Muscat, Pearl, Augustine, Sentyabrina, Vitamin.

Pumpkin is large-fruited. More cold-resistant than other types of pumpkin. Srednespelaya, fruits are removed in September, immature. And they can only be used for food when they completely ripen during storage. Fruits can grow to 100 kg. It is certainly good, but at one time it's difficult to use such a pumpkin, and the cut pumpkin is not stored ... In the fruits of this species can contain quite a lot of sugar, but not in all varieties. The flesh is dense and long boils, but the taste is good. The best varieties of pumpkin are large-fruited: Stoepundovaya, Big Moon, Mother, Fatty, Barn and old variety Volzhskaya Gray.

Pumpkin figolistnaya. Very interesting, but so far little known in our species of pumpkin. This plant - a perennial, but in the culture is cultivated as an annual. He has long whips, requiring a lot of space and beautiful, mottled leaves, similar in shape to the leaves of figs. You can plant this pumpkin as an ornamental plant. It has resistance to diseases. Not perepylyaetsya with other pumpkin plants Fruits are small, about 3 kg. The flesh of the fruit is white, juicy and not sweet, in its raw form suitable for salads, you can cook from it and any other dishes. Has healing properties for a variety of diseases. Fruits are fully ripened, they can be stored for up to 3 years.

It remains to say that it is desirable to buy pumpkin seeds from well-known manufacturers. In this there is another advantage (except for the quality of seeds): usually a description of the variety is given and you will know what to expect from it. In recent years, varieties have been popular, yielding small fruits weighing 1.5-3 kg. Such varieties: Arina, Amazon, Smile, Crumb, Red delicious. And the newest and best varieties of pumpkin: F1 Candy and F1 Sweet Chestnut.