How to grow Gribovskaya bush pumpkin: secrets of agricultural technology
People have been growing pumpkins for 5 thousand years. During this time, hundreds of varieties, varieties and subspecies were created. The time-tested Gribovskaya bush variety is popular among gardeners due to the excellent taste of the pulp, high yield, ease of care and long-term storage of fruits.
Description of the variety
In 1964, Soviet breeders developed a variety of bush crop — Gribovskaya bush. The variety is recommended for cultivation in all regions of Russia.
Subspecies 189
Gribovskaya bush 189 is one of the oldest and most famous crop varieties among vegetable growers.. Subspecies 189 is grown in the North-Western region, the Urals and Siberia. Cultivated in garden plots and fields.
Early ripening variety: 86–98 days pass from emergence to fruit harvest.
For reference. Later, in 1972, another related variety was bred - the large-fruited Gribovskaya winter.
Distinctive features
Subspecies 189 - tasty and unpretentious pumpkin. Plants love warmth, light, fertile soil, and are resistant to pests and diseases. The bushes themselves are powerful, but not climbing, compact. The leaves are large.
Sowing in open ground is carried out in early May., they begin to grow seedlings 2-3 weeks before planting them in a permanent place.
Fruit characteristics and yield
Gribovskaya bush pumpkin has large fruits: from 3 to 5 kg. In shape they resemble a zucchini, oblong, tapering at the stalk. The surface is smooth or slightly ribbed, hard bark.The color of mature pumpkins is light orange with dark green stripes.
The pulp is dense, sweet, contains many seeds, and is universal in cooking. The fruit contains 5 times more beta-carotene than carrots.
Productive crop: from 1 m2 get up to 8 kg (30–40 t/ha).
How to grow
The agricultural technology of the variety is practically the same from growing other pumpkin varieties.
About other varieties of pumpkin:
Growing mid-season pumpkin “Guitar”
Planting seeds and seedlings
Depending on the climate, the cultivation method is chosen: seeds for beds or seedlings. In cold regions, the seedling method is preferable. Planting pattern - 60x60 cm.
Growing seedlings:
- Seeds are disinfected with a weak solution of manganese to protect future sprouts from diseases.
- Choose a warm, illuminated place with an air temperature of about +20...+25 °C.
- Seeds are planted in individual containers or peat pots, which are half filled with a soil mixture of humus, peat and turf soil (2:1:1). The same substrate is poured on top, but with the addition of 10–15 g of ash and mullein infusion.
- The soil is moistened and covered with a film to create a greenhouse effect and retain the necessary moisture.
- Water the seedlings moderately and feed them twice with mineral fertilizers.
- A week before picking, the plants are hardened: they are taken out into the fresh air, gradually increasing the time to the length of daylight hours.
- Planted in open ground when the weather is warm (late May - early June).
Before sowing, planting material is prepared immediately on the beds:
- The seeds are heated for several days in an oven or near a radiator.
- In a saline solution (1 tsp salt per 1 tbsp.water) check the specimens for unsuitability. The floating grains are thrown away, the rest are washed.
- Then the seeds are germinated: they are placed in damp gauze and placed in a warm place until the seedlings appear.
Sowing is done when the soil temperature at a depth of 10 cm warms up to +12…+15 °C. Choose areas protected from the wind, well-lit, where potatoes, onions, and legumes used to grow.
The soil itself has been dug up since the fall., remove weeds, apply fertilizers (5 kg of humus, 30 g of superphosphate, 15 g of potassium chloride per m2). If the soil is acidic, add chalk or dolomite flour. Peat and sand will improve the structure of the soil.
Before planting, the beds are loosened again, clear of weeds, add 20 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 m2. The seeds are buried 5–8 cm and the soil is moistened. The distance between rows is at least 1 m. At first, the crop is germinated under covering material.
Care
Water the pumpkin regularly with warm water, at least 2 times a week. (if the summer was hot, the frequency of irrigation is increased up to 4 times). Nitrogen fertilizing improves crop development. During fruit formation, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are used.
If the soil is depleted, do the following::
- 10 days after planting, add a solution of 1 liter of manure per bucket of water or 10 g of nitrophoska per 10 liters of liquid to the soil;
- During fruiting, the same composition is used.
Fertilize vegetables 3-4 times per season. Instead of manure, you can use litter or herbal infusion.
Gribovskaya pumpkin bushes are pinchedso that nutrients go to fruit growth. Excess ovaries are removed as soon as they appear. Leave 2-3 ovaries. Loosen the soil after each watering for better oxygen supply to the roots; do this carefully so as not to damage the plants.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
The right landing site - one of the main points of cultivation. The area should not be shaded. In regions with cold climates, greenhouses are built.
Although the crop needs regular watering, which is reduced until ovaries form, otherwise the leaves will become fleshy, and not the future fruits. Water only with warm, settled water to avoid rotting of the roots and increase the shelf life of vegetables.
During the period of fruit ripening, watering is stopped. This will make the pulp sweeter.
Read also:
Growing Tips
Summer residents pour a little hot water into the holes before planting the seeds to warm the soil and disinfect it.
When growing pumpkin seedlings, pay attention to air temperature: before emergence, optimal values are +20 °C during the day and +16 °C at night. Over the next 6 days, the temperature is reduced to +15 °C and +12 °C, respectively, and then returned to the original characteristics. This will prevent the seedlings from stretching. The seedlings themselves are not watered, but sprayed.
For better exposure to sunlight As the fruit begins to ripen, excess green leaves are removed from the plants. To protect the crop from frost, plastic containers (5 liters) with a cut bottom are placed in the wells.
Diseases and pests
Gribovskaya bush is relatively resistant to rot, but often suffers from powdery mildew and bacteriosis:
Bacteriosis
Appears as dark green spots between the leaf veins. The underside of the plates is oily. After some time, the spots darken, the dried fragments fall off, and holes appear on the leaves. The affected areas of the bushes are removed.
Powdery mildew
White round spots appear on the leaves, stems are affected, plants wither. To combat the disease, the crop is sprayed with sulfur agents.
White rot
The aerial parts become covered with dark spots and mucus.. Fruit-bearing bushes die first. Diseased areas are removed, bushes are treated with copper sulfate.
Root rot
The roots become brownish-gray and crack. The lower leaves turn yellow and the pumpkin stops developing. As a preventative measure, avoid overmoistening the soil; if there is excess liquid, add dry soil.
Diseases appear in damp weather and when watering with cold water.. Weeding and removing weeds prevents the appearance of fungi.
Pests
Melon aphids and spider mites are the main crop pests. To combat them, use a tincture of garlic, colloidal sulfur and baking soda or special preparations.
Harvesting and application
Gribovskaya bush 189 is harvested 80–90 days after planting. The ripe fruits are orange in color with a green stem that has dried out and looked like a cork. Cut off the vegetables along with the stalk, leaving a long tail.
After harvesting, the crop is stored in a warm, dry room. (about +10 °C), possible in the sun. If the air humidity is high, the fruits will not be stored for more than 2 months.
Special racks are made in the cellar for vegetables. Pumpkins are placed with their tails up, close to each other, but not close together. Periodically inspect the fruits and throw out those that have begun to rot. To extend the shelf life, damaged areas of the bark are lubricated with an antiseptic and sealed with a band-aid.
Vegetables are used for fresh consumption, adding to various dishes, dietary nutrition.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Benefits of Gribovskaya bush pumpkin:
- possibility of long-term storage;
- relative resistance to fruit rot;
- suitable for therapeutic and dietary nutrition;
- pleasant taste of pulp with a high sugar content;
- unpretentiousness to weather conditions;
- compactness of bushes;
- high yield.
As such culture has no disadvantages.
Farmer reviews
Vegetable growers note the good taste of the fruit, their ability to be used in cooking, the crop’s ease of care and resistance to weather conditions:
Ekaterina, Chelyabinsk region: “I’ve been growing this variety for a long time. From childhood I remember how he grew up in my grandmother’s garden. Gribovskaya bush is unpretentious in care and takes root well in the climate of Chelyabinsk. I plant when the ground warms up well. I cultivate it in open ground, not in a greenhouse. I love stew and jam from Gribovskaya pumpkin".
Tatiana, Volgograd: “I liked the photographs of the fruits and their descriptions, which prompted me to purchase the variety. There are 11 seeds in the bag, but only 2 sprouted. I planted them in June. The scourges grew powerful. From 2 bushes the harvest turned out to be 5 fruits. Two large ones, 5-6 kg each, and three medium-sized ones. The pulp is very sweet, but, unfortunately, a bit dry. The pumpkin turned out to be an excellent porridge, smooth and fiber-free.”.
Sergey, Nizhny Novgorod: “I remember the Gribovskaya bush pumpkin from childhood; its flesh was juicy and sweet. When I saw the seeds in the store, I bought one bag. There are 4 seeds in it, one was damaged, from the remaining others 3 seedling bushes grew. I planted the pumpkin in the shade and rarely appeared at the dacha. Judging by all the norms and rules of crop care, then there was no need to expect a harvest. To my surprise, in the fall I found 6 pumpkins weighing from 2 to 3 kg in the grass.They were stored at home until December, and when cut, the flesh was sweet, but not as juicy as in childhood.".
Conclusion
Gribovskaya bush 189 is one of the best varieties of pumpkin. It is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, immunity to major diseases, and a high yield of large juicy fruits. Due to the beneficial properties of the culture and low calorie content, it is used in cooking and added to medicinal and dietary diets.
The fruits are stored for a long time without loss of taste and commercial qualities.