When to harvest pumpkins in the Moscow region and how to do it correctly: features of growing and harvesting

Even the earliest ripening pumpkins fully ripen no earlier than 4 months after planting. At the same time, late-ripening varieties are considered especially valuable and dietary. But even in hot regions, such pumpkins need to ripen. Therefore, in the central zone, including the Moscow region, this vegetable is grown by seedlings.

When to harvest pumpkins in the Moscow region to get high-quality, tasty fruits? You will find a detailed answer to this question in the article.

Features of growing and caring for pumpkins in the Moscow region

Pumpkin fully ripened on its own roots - this is only possible in the southern regions of Russia. But this does not prevent the vegetable from being successfully grown in the Moscow region, including on an industrial scale.

Pumpkin has a remarkable ability to ripen after being picked from the bush. All you need is the right conditions: cool, dry and dark. 1-2 months after picking, you can get the fruit completely ready for consumption.

Important! Pumpkins ripened in the garden taste better, so farmers often use a semi-greenhouse growing method. The roots of the plants remain warm for a long time and allow the pumpkins to absorb additional nutrients. The lashes may be outside.

The best varieties for this region

The most delicious nutmeg varieties are late-ripening; in the Moscow region they do not ripen on the vine. Of the nutmeg pumpkins, the Tsukatnaya variety is recommended for the Moscow region.It has brown leathery fruits with a waxy coating, segmented, weighing up to 7 kg.

The variety has a shelf life of 7 months after harvesting, the crop is adaptive and can grow in different climates.

Of the late and mid-late varieties, Atlant, Bolshoi Max, and Moskvichka varieties are suitable for the Moscow region. They grow well and are highly productive.

However, in the Moscow region it is optimal to grow early and mid-ripening varieties.

Early ripening pumpkins:

1. Freckle. The fruits are medium-sized, up to 3 kg, rounded and flattened. The color of ripe fruits is green, variegated due to the fine light yellow mesh.
2. Gribovskaya bush. Oval, elongated, barrel-shaped pumpkins, more like large zucchini. Weight – 3-6 kg. Vegetables may have slight ribbing or be smooth. Ripe fruits have a bright color: a light orange background with rich green, almost black, intermittent stripes.
3. Medical. Flattened, weakly segmented pumpkins weighing up to 5 kg. The crust is light gray with a dense network of dark gray spots.
4. Marseillaise. The fruits are flattened, with segments, up to 8-15 kg. The bark is dark orange, smooth, no pattern.
5. Olga. The fruits are smooth, segmented, medium-sized, up to 1.5 kg, and ripen together. The bark is pink, with a reddish marble pattern.
6. Paris gold. It has segmented fruits weighing up to 9-16 kg, cream-colored with a yellow spotted pattern.
7. Motherland. The fruits look like a wide pear, smooth, orange, with weak segments, no pattern on the bark. Fruit weight – up to 5.5 kg.
8. Russian. Fruits up to 1.9 kg, orange, smooth, pear-shaped, the bark is fragile and soft.
9. Healing. Flat-round pumpkins with segments, standard orange color, smooth, average weight 3 kg (can reach 7 kg).

All these varieties are distinguished by a thin crust and a short shelf life of 1 month.

Mid-season pumpkins:

1. Amazon. The fruits are smooth, round, with segments, weighing up to 5 kg, the color of the ripe skin is dark creamy.
2. Golden Dome. Yellow pumpkins weighing up to 10 kg, round, with weakly defined segments, smooth.
3. Kolobok. Classic round segmented orange pumpkins weighing 3.5-5 kg. The bark is smooth to the touch.
4. Sweetie. Round, well-segmented miniature pumpkins weighing up to 3 kg. The color of ripe fruits is dark red with a green spotted pattern. The surface of the crust of a ripe fruit is rough.
5. Merchant's wife. Square, segmented pumpkins are light orange in color with cream spots. Smooth. The average weight is 3-5 kg, but individual specimens can reach 13 kg.
6. Smile. Bright orange small pumpkins 1.5 kg. There is a barely noticeable pattern in the form of white stripes.

They ripen for 4 months, are stored for up to 2 months, many retain their taste and commercial qualities for up to 3-4 months.

When to remove pumpkin from the garden in the Moscow region

It is important to collect the fruits before prolonged rains, dampness, and frosts. Pay close attention to the weather forecast. A drop in night temperature to zero or below will damage the crop.

Harvest dates

Near Moscow, pumpkins are harvested until mid-September. Autumn in this region is too cold and damp for this vegetable, so leaving the fruits in the open ground for longer is strictly not recommended. The harvest is harvested earlier if the weather forecast promises cold weather and prolonged rains.

Early ripening varieties grown by seedlings can be harvested as early as the end of August.

What determines the cleaning time?

The basic principle is that the later the fruit is harvested, the better. Naturally ripened pumpkins are tastier, sweeter, and juicier.However, even in the southern regions they are often harvested before biological maturity. If you miss the deadline, dampness and cold will hopelessly ruin the harvest. Even slightly frozen fruits are not suitable for ripening.

Gardeners often rely on generally accepted deadlines for the region. For example, in Crimea the standard harvesting time is late September - early October. Late varieties ripen indoors.

Exact calculation

To harvest at the optimal time, focus on the variety. The packaging with seeds always indicates how many days it will take for the fruits to reach technical ripeness. Technical maturity is the age at which the fruit has reached the required weight, but complete ripening of the seeds has not yet occurred. Biological ripeness is the final ripening of the pumpkin.

Reference. Volga gray from "Aelita" reaches technical ripeness in 120-121 days from the moment of sowing.

However, the period is indicated for ideal conditions, so when harvesting it is worth focusing on the weather and the condition of the fruit.

Favorable days according to the lunar calendar

Favorable days for harvesting this melon crop from the garden in 2019:

• July 23-27;
• August 19-25;
• September 8, 9, 16-21, 25, 26;
• October 3-6, 15-19, 22-25.

How to determine fruit ripeness

When the growing season ends, the appearance of the plant itself and the fruits changes.

External signs

The optimal harvest time is determined by the appearance of the fruit. Pumpkins can be picked if:

1. The leaves began to naturally dry out, wither, and turn yellow (not to be confused with yellowing and drying out due to diseases, for example, anthracnose).
2. The pumpkin crust has become brighter, the color is well defined, the pattern, if there is one, is clearer and more noticeable. This applies to varieties of any color.Even pumpkins with a gray crust take on a cleaner, clearer hue.
3. The rind of the fruit is difficult to scratch with a fingernail.
4. When pressed with a finger, the crust does not give in at all, there is no feeling of springiness.
5. The peduncle and stem have become hard, similar to a cork to the touch, and have lost their flexibility. It is difficult to transfer the pumpkin to the other side without ruining the stem. If the stem is so dry that it is difficult to scratch, the pumpkin is fully ripe.
6. A waxy, matte coating has appeared on the crust, and the stalk is easily removed. This is a fully ripe pumpkin.

Lifehacks for checking

You can check the ripeness of the fruit in the following ways:

1. Slap your palm on the surface. A clear, clear sound indicates that the pulp has reached the desired density and elasticity, and the peel has hardened. A dull sound indicates that the pumpkin is not yet ripe.
2. To check the ripeness of varieties with gray-green coloring of ripe fruits, the stalk and peel are evaluated. An unripe pumpkin will have a fresh stalk, while a ripe one will begin to dry out. The peel of a ripe pumpkin is dense, very rough in places, and the relief is well defined.

Harvesting rules

All varieties of pumpkin are harvested following the general rules:

1. When collecting there should be clear, warm weather. Do not collect in damp or frosty conditions. But you shouldn’t delay waiting for good weather. If you had to cut pumpkins in the rain, you need to wipe them with a napkin or dry them well.
2. If the rains start, but there is no way to collect, the crop is covered with plastic wrap, to prevent moisture from getting on the pumpkins.
3. The stalk is never cut off at the root. Such a fruit will quickly deteriorate, because cutting down to the pulp opens the way for oxygen, bacteria, and microbes. Be sure to leave a tip of 3-5 cm. The cut of the tip should be even.
4. Treat the pumpkin crust as carefully as possible. Any damage, even a small scratch, reduces the chances of successful storage. Avoid falls that do not cause visible damage. A strong shock will damage the internal integrity of the vegetable, which does not contribute to keeping quality. One pumpkin that starts to spoil can cause the others to spoil.
5. Large pumpkins are removed from the garden separately, they take longer to ripen.

Further storage

Before storing the pumpkin, keep it in a bright, warm room for 2-3 weeks. The temperature should be around 20°C. Under such conditions, the vegetable ripens, vitamins accumulate in it, and the pulp becomes sweeter and more aromatic.

The following conditions are important during storage:

1. It is undesirable for the fruits to come into contact with each other.
2. All damaged areas, scratches, and small punctures are covered with brilliant green.
3. It is better to store deformed and injured vegetables separately.
4. Good drying is especially important for vegetables collected in the rain and for damaged specimens. The room should be about 28°C, humidity – up to 80%. Injured pumpkins will dry out well under these conditions.
5. The optimal temperature for storage is 5-10°C. The room should be dark, dry, with good ventilation, humidity - no more than 80%. Usually these are basements, balconies. Low lighting is acceptable. Bright light is undesirable: seeds may begin to germinate inside the fruit.

Ripening

If you need to bring the vegetable to full maturity, it is kept in a warm, bright room. But there are nuances:

1. Make sure the pumpkin really needs to ripen. In many varieties, even fully mature pumpkins have gray or green skin.
2. Before storing for ripening, the fruits are carefully checked for quality and integrity. There should be no cuts, dents, scratches, or places that have begun to rot. It is better to use such fruits immediately.

Advice from experienced farmers

Only through practice can you learn the secrets of growing vegetables. Experienced gardeners recommend:

1. Do not overfeed the pumpkin with nitrogenous fertilizers or fresh organic matter. The fruits obtained from such plants do not differ in keeping quality.
2. The most delicious seeds come from gymnospermous pumpkins.
3. Spanish varieties are excellent guitar, Pink Banana, Miracle Yudo, Red Baroness, Marble, Volga gray, Matilda, Chit.
4. Large pumpkins cannot be eaten at once; you have to store the pieces. Already cut vegetables are frozen or dried (in the sun, in the oven). Some gardeners manage to preserve fruits under normal room conditions: at a certain temperature and humidity, the cut simply dries out.

Conclusion

Growing pumpkin in the Moscow region is associated with a number of difficulties due to changeable weather conditions and the relatively short summer period. By choosing a suitable variety and providing conditions for the growth of this heat-loving melon crop, gardeners in the Moscow region receive a good harvest. By following simple recommendations, they manage to preserve this healthy vegetable without losing its nutritional and healing properties until spring.