A favorite among gardeners and cooks is the Butternut pumpkin: we grow it without hassle and use it in delicious recipes
The unusual taste, nutmeg aroma and sweet pulp of this exotic vegetable, bred in the USA, will not leave anyone indifferent. Today we will talk about a hybrid of butternut squash and wild bottle-shaped pumpkins - the Butternut pumpkin. In the article you will find everything about this culture - features, planting rules, care and use.
Description of the variety and distinctive features of Butternut pumpkin
Pumpkin got its name due to its unusual taste for this vegetable crop.. It resembles nut butter (from English butternut translates as “butter nut”). That’s why the vegetable is also called “nut pumpkin.”
The Butternut variety is early ripening. After planting by seed, the harvest is harvested within 90 days, and seedlings - even faster. In the middle zone, experienced vegetable growers recommend growing Butternut seedlings, and in the south, already in early June, the seeds are thrown directly into the ground.
Pictured is a Butternut pumpkin.
Fruit characteristics and yield
The fruits of the Butternut variety are pear-shaped, also reminiscent of a guitar.. The color of the pumpkin, depending on the degree of its ripening, varies from yellowish-orange to pink-orange. The peel is thin but hard. The average weight of one pumpkin is about 1.5 kg, the maximum is 3-4 kg.
The pulp is light orange in color (pale), sweet with a nutmeg and nutty flavor and aroma, the texture is loose and juicy.. All seeds are concentrated in the lower (wide) part of the fruit.
Important. Butternut pumpkin has a high yield. In favorable climatic conditions and with proper care, up to 15 kg of fruits can be harvested from one medium-sized bush. On average, one plant produces from 5 to 15 pumpkins.
How to grow
Butternut pumpkin - a heat-loving plant. Let us remind you that you can plant it in the ground with seeds only in the southern regions, where there are no frosts in mid-autumn. In the middle zone and northern regions, the seedling method is used.
Seed preparation
First of all, the pumpkin seeds are heated. Do this for 1-2 months near a heating device or stove. Warming up increases the chances of getting more female flowers, and therefore a good harvest. Then the planting material is prepared.
Preparation consists of a number of activities:
- Seed selection. Empty seeds are discarded at this stage. To determine whether the seeds are empty or not, they are placed in a salt solution. Those that do not drown are empty and not suitable for planting.
- Hardening. The seed, wrapped in a damp cloth, is kept in the refrigerator for three days. This helps the seedlings adapt more quickly to weather changes.
- Disinfection. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for 10 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or water with aloe juice.
Planting by seeds
To plant seeds earlier, warm beds of compost or manure are prepared in the fall. Immediately make holes and fill them with fertile soil. When the beds are ready, they are covered with transparent polyethylene. This allows biofuel to begin heating the soil as early as March.
In mid-May, pre-sprouted seeds can already be planted in holes to a depth of 2-3 cm. In this case, the film is not removed, but holes are made in it above the hole.
Important! If frosts are still expected, the beds must be covered with film.
Seedling
Seeds are planted for seedlings in early May.. Most gardeners use special pots with nutritious soil. Seedlings require regular moisture, but excessive moisture should be avoided. The pots with seeds are covered with film, creating a greenhouse effect, but ventilation must be provided periodically.
Landing
It is better to plant seedlings in loamy soil in the sunny part of the garden.. The recommended distance between the beds is 0.6-0.7 m. The optimal period for planting seedlings in the ground is the beginning of June, when frosts are no longer expected.
Care
Butternut is not as capricious a variety as it is described. It doesn't require much time or effort. However, there are some nuances in caring for this vegetable.
Watering and mulching
Watering plays a special role in growing butternut squash.. Experienced vegetable growers combine it with weeding the beds and loosening the soil. The soil is regularly loosened to avoid the formation of a crust, which prevents the penetration of air and moisture to the roots of the plant. During the second loosening, about a month after the emergence of mass shoots, it is important to remove all weeds and carefully arrange the growing vines of the plant.
After female flowers have appeared on the plant and ovaries have formed, it is watered at least three times a month.. In August, watering is reduced, which allows already formed fruits to accumulate sugar content and form the most durable crust.
Attention! Watering must be stopped after the fruits reach the size of a small apple, otherwise the pumpkin will be watery.
The soil under the bushes is additionally mulched with straw, hay or construction sand. They do this to retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing. To regulate soil moisture, it is good to use vermiculite or coconut briquettes.
Feeding
During flowering and the formation of a large number of ovaries, it is important to feed the plant. It is correct to do this simultaneously with irrigation measures. Apply mineral fertilizers to feed the pumpkin carefully. And they must be alternated with organic fertilizers (chicken droppings or cow manure diluted in water).
Read about other varieties of pumpkin:
One of the most popular varieties of pumpkin “Vitaminnaya”
Enriching the soil with wood ash gives good results.. Herbal infusions, including nettle, will also be beneficial.
Important! Pumpkin does not like acidic soil. Therefore, after applying organic fertilizers that increase acidity, wood ash is added. It is introduced during watering (take 2 cups of ash per bucket of water) or sprinkled on top.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
Because the Butternut pumpkin is a heat-loving southern plant; it is important to observe the temperature regime. For active growth and development, the air temperature during the day should be at least +25°C, and at night - at least +15°C.
There are a number of other features in growing Butternut pumpkin:
- This variety is also demanding on lighting. It should be planted in the sunniest place in an area protected from northern winds.
- The climbing variety requires a larger area when grown horizontally. Therefore, sometimes this variety is planted near the southern wall of the house, setting up a trellis there.
- To fill the ovaries, Butternut requires regular watering. With a lack of water, the vegetable grows and bears fruit poorly.
Growing tips from experienced gardeners
Growing a plant and subsequently caring for it has its own characteristics. Experienced vegetable growers already know them, so To get a good harvest of Butternut pumpkin it is recommended:
- Plant the plant after legumes or cruciferous plants.
- During the entire growing season, carry out two feedings. The first - in the two-leaf phase, after weeding. The second is in the four-leaf phase.
- Promptly remove faded flowers that cause rotting of cuttings, stems and fruits.
- Leave only two lashes on each plant.
- Pick off the fruits, leaving only 2-3 pumpkins on one vine.
Diseases and pests
An important point in caring for any plant is protection from diseases and pests.. To prevent infection, the plant should be watered on time, weeds should be removed and the soil should be loosened in a timely manner. Before planting, it is important to fertilize the soil with natural fertilizers.
Important! The most dangerous pests for this variety are spider mites and aphids. The only remedy for them is timely watering and removal of diseased leaves. The plant cannot be treated with chemicals.
Harvesting and application
Pumpkin reaches full maturity 90 days after germination.. The harvest is usually harvested in September on dry, warm days, without waiting for frost.
Butternut pumpkin fruits should be cut with a small stalk (about 5 cm). Then they will ripen and last longer. Butternut is a winter variety: if stored properly, it will last until spring without loss of taste.
Important! When harvesting, the main thing is to catch it before the first frost. When grown in unfavorable climatic conditions, the fruits are removed unripe. However, you shouldn’t pick pumpkins too early either - the crust should harden.Otherwise, the vegetable will rot.
Application
In America, butternut squash is the most popular vegetable.. It is grown for different purposes. Large pumpkins are used as feed for livestock and poultry. Medium-sized fruits - for making juices, purees and canned products. This variety is consumed both in heat-treated and raw form.
All over the world, butternut squash is used to prepare porridges, puree soups, casseroles and pancakes. The vegetable is used in meat and pasta dishes. Due to the small size of the fruit, it can be baked whole or stuffed with vegetables/meat, creating exquisite culinary masterpieces. The juicy pulp is also consumed fresh – as part of slices and vegetable salads. Dessert dishes are also prepared from Butternut: puddings, pastries, cakes, candied fruits.
Recipe for roasting whole pumpkin in the oven:
- To prepare this dish, only small fruits weighing no more than 1 kg are suitable.
- The vegetable is cut lengthwise into two halves, the seeds are removed and placed in a baking dish or on a baking sheet, skin side down.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin on top with cinnamon and place in the oven at 180 degrees for about half an hour.
- The finished dish can be greased with a piece of butter.
How to store
Before the onset of cold weather, the pumpkin is stored on a closed balcony or in another dry room.. When the air temperature begins to drop below +5ºC at night, the fruits are transferred to a warmer place. You can store vegetables in an apartment, but the optimal storage temperature is from +4 to +8ºC.
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Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Butternut squash has many advantages over other varieties., popular in our country.Its fruits contain a huge amount of vitamins and microelements necessary for the body. Therefore, it is suitable for baby and diet food.
Among the advantages of Butternut:
- high productivity;
- early ripeness (approximately 80 days after planting, the pumpkin can be eaten);
- easy to pollinate - no need for artificial pollination;
- versatility in preparation, the ability to eat raw fruits;
- unique taste and aroma;
- small mass of fruits (up to 4 kg, and on average 1.5 kg), which allows you to consume the entire vegetable at once;
- thin peel, which makes peeling the vegetable easier;
- a small number of seeds concentrated only in the lower part of the fruit;
- long storage period without loss of vitamins.
Butternut has practically no disadvantages. All the plant needs is proper watering and proper care.
Farmer reviews
There are more positive reviews about the Butternut variety than negative ones. Farmers appreciated both the taste of the pumpkin and its yield. In addition, gardeners highlight a number of other advantages of this crop. Here are a few reviews from vegetable growers from different parts of our country:
Svetlana, Stavropol region: “This year my husband and I tried to grow butternut squash on our plot for the first time. We were quite pleased with the result. Of course, on the one hand, this variety is very capricious, but on the other hand, it stores well and grows small. This allows you to prepare a dish from the whole vegetable at once - good advantages for us".
Sergey, Kemerovo region: “I grew quite a decent crop of Butternuts in the country. I really liked the unusual taste.I eat it both raw and cooked, and I plan to plant a little more of it next year, because it stores well.”.
Nikolay, Novosibirsk region: “I spend every summer at the dacha, so growing such a high-maintenance variety was not a problem for me. I would rather recommend it to experienced gardeners for planting, since caring for the plant requires certain experience and knowledge.”.
Conclusion
Butternut is one of the most popular pumpkin varieties today. You will appreciate its delicate taste, nutmeg aroma and convenient small size of the fruit. With proper care of this crop, even a beginner will achieve a good harvest. The characterization of Butternut as a capricious plant is greatly exaggerated. Growing a fragrant “nut squash” is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.