Mid-season and unpretentious muscat pumpkin variety “Kubanskaya”: what is good about it, and how to grow it correctly
Pumpkin is a low-calorie vegetable that contains no saturated fat or cholesterol. At the same time, pumpkin fruits are rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The vegetable does not require special care; the main requirement is that the soil must allow the development of a root system of the required length and branching.
Butternut squash is traditionally considered the sweetest. The birthplace of the culture is hot Mexico, for this reason muscat varieties they did not immediately take root in Russia, because they need plenty of sun and a long period of warmth to ripen.
However, domestic breeders began to develop varieties that are quite suitable for cultivation in the southern regions of our country.
Description of the pumpkin variety
At the Krasnodar Research Institute of Vegetable and Potato Farming, a new variety of nutmeg pumpkin, Prikubanskaya, was developed, which is commonly called simply Kubanskaya.
Distinctive features
The Kuban pumpkin is characterized by an orange-red color and a sweet taste, and the sweetness and to a certain extent soft consistency are preserved even during long-term storage.
The pumpkin vines are not particularly long, they are considered medium, and the main stem stretches up to 400 cm. The leaves have the shape of a dark green pentagon interspersed with white spots.
Fruit characteristics and yield
The fruits of this variety are smooth, have the shape of cylinders, thickening at the bottom. Color – orange-brown.
Fruit weight – from 2 to 4.6 kg.The ripening period of fruits in various weather conditions is from 90 to 135 days.
Most gardeners claim that the fruits of this variety retain their presentation and taste for up to 3 months.
The yield is 1-2 kg per square meter. m, depending on the growing temperature.
How to grow
You can grow pumpkin by seed and seedlings. Next, we will consider each of them separately.
Planting with seeds/seedlings
Since the ripening period of this crop is relatively long, it is recommended to grow nutmeg pumpkin in seedlings. It is recommended to plant Kuban pumpkin seedlings approximately three weeks before planting in open ground, in most regions this is the end of April.
Planting by seeds
The process of preparing seeds is important when growing nutmeg pumpkin of any variety, since the size and taste of the future harvest will largely depend on the quality of the seed material.
Initially, the seeds are soaked in relatively hot (up to 40°C) water, then wrapped in a damp cloth and left at room temperature for several days. This simple procedure will facilitate germination and disinfect the seed.
Next, the moisture resistance of the seeds is increased. For this purpose, the seeds, all in the same damp cloth, are sent to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 5 days.
The crop does not tolerate picking and transplanting well, so it is recommended to immediately plant the seeds in separate peat pots. Ordinary wooden seedling boxes are quite suitable, only the distance between the seeds should be increased immediately.
The recommended soil is as follows: a mixture of 2 parts peat and 1 part sawdust or leaf humus. You can add some fertilizer in the form of nitrophoska.If you purchase soil directly from the store, soil for vegetables is most suitable.
The mixture is poured into pots and watered generously. After this, holes are made in it, where the prepared seeds are planted. Depth – about 5 cm.
The pots are immediately placed on a well-lit windowsill and covered with film to create a greenhouse effect.
You can plant it in open ground when 3 true leaves appear, but there is no need to rush, wait until the average air temperature rises to at least +18 °C. For some time after planting, it is recommended to cover the seedlings with film - they are susceptible to any temperature fluctuations, especially downward.
Planting seedlings
The very name of the pumpkin variety (Prikubanskaya or Kubanskaya) indicates the desired location for its cultivation. The climate on the Kuban coast is relatively warm; already in May the temperature rises above 20°C. At this time, sowing in open ground is recommended.
Important! In regions with a temperate climate, this variety of pumpkin can only be fully grown in seedlings or even under film.
Seeds are prepared in the same way as in the case of seedlings; planting is done in rows at a distance of 70-100 cm. You can plant 2-3 seeds in one hole in order to then cull weak shoots.
Choose a sunny place for planting and transplanting seedlings. We recommend areas where the following crops were grown last year:
- potatoes (you need to make sure that the soil is not oversaturated with herbicides);
- tomatoes;
- all types of legumes;
- onion;
- cauliflower and white cabbage.
Care
Caring for a zoned nutmeg pumpkin is relatively simple, but requires certain sequential steps.
Watering
Be sure to water with warm water, and quite generously: up to 5 liters per plant. Until the ovaries are formed, water once a week, then once every 2 weeks is enough.
Important! After each watering, be sure to loosen the soil. But they do it shallowly. Initially, the root system actively develops not only in depth, but also in breadth; deep loosening can greatly harm this process.
Top dressing
Feeding is carried out in stages:
- first - after the formation of the 5th leaf, nitrophoska is used;
- the second is produced by mullein and is necessary when lashes begin to form.
When watering, you can add a little wood ash to the water.
Weed removal and pinching
Remove weeds especially carefully before the formation of lashes; in the future, their harm is minimal.
Important! It is not recommended to move the vines when weeding; this can lead to the ovaries falling off or improper formation.
Pinching the ovaries is performed as necessary to form the required number of fruits.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
The main enemy of nutmeg pumpkin is cold. Try to cover fragile sprouts at the first sign of a drop in temperature. Cold weather may not destroy the plant, but it will certainly make the fruits ripen longer and the fruits themselves relatively small.
Another important circumstance: if the groundwater at the planting site is high, the long root system of the nutmeg pumpkin may begin to rot from excess moisture, and the plant will die for no apparent reason.
Growing tips from experienced gardeners
There are several secrets for growing this variety of pumpkin that are useful to know:
- The older the seeds, the better.It is optimal if they were stored somewhere for several years.
- You should not water the pumpkin during flowering, this delays pollination, making the pollen heavier.
- If you want to grow a large pumpkin, leave only one fruit per plant.
- You can’t pick a pumpkin too early, even if the fruit appears to be fully formed, - during storage an unripe, unripe pumpkin will begin rot.
Diseases and pests
It is believed that pests do not favor pumpkin. But they are still greedy for nutmeg because it is sweet. There are also a number of diseases that you may have to deal with:
- Powdery mildew develops when there are sharp changes in day and night temperatures. The disease can be prevented by covering the plants with film at night.
- Anthracnose most often affects plants that are grown under film; the leaves and stem turn pink and die. The reason is high humidity and excessive watering.
- Ascochyta blight can also occur due to moisture or frost on the soil; black spots appear on the leaves. Covering with film material will prevent the disease.
- Melon aphids, which suck out plant juices, will be repelled by an infusion of wormwood or chamomile.
Of the pests, slugs are especially annoying to butternut squash. They must be collected and destroyed in time; it is advisable to fence the area with burlap.
Harvesting and application
You can collect Kuban pumpkin at the end of August and throughout September. The fruits should be cut, leaving a small tail. After bringing the harvest home, let the pumpkin ripen a little, dry leave it in the sun for two weeks, and then store it in a warm place.
Butternut squash is good baked and steamed, as an addition to porridges, especially millet.This is an excellent choleretic agent, recommended for kidney and liver diseases.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantage of the Kuban pumpkin is that the variety is zoned specifically for local climatic conditions, which is why it takes root so well there. This pumpkin has many beneficial properties:
- It is believed that nutmeg varieties are completely free of cholesterol.
- Despite the sweet taste, this pumpkin has a minimum of calories.
- Regular consumption of pumpkin normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
- Pumpkin is suitable for use in dietary and baby food.
- The fruits have thin skin.
- The variety does not require constant painstaking care when growing; it is avoided by many pests and diseases.
The disadvantages of the Kuban pumpkin include the following factors:
- Relatively long ripening times.
- Sensitivity to temperature changes.
- Frequent consumption of pumpkin can adversely affect the condition of people suffering from gallstone disease.
Reviews
Muscat pumpkins, and in particular the Kuban variety, have many fans.
Sergey, Volnogorsk: “I admit that my first harvest was lumpy: I was too hasty in planting the seedlings, the cold weather disrupted growth, and as a result the fruits turned out small. The second year I was more prudent, covered the beds with film, and the culture justified itself.”
Anna, Belgorod: “We planted this variety around potatoes and the pumpkins ripened well. Children love puree, it turns out sweet. And for the whole family we add this pumpkin to the meat in manti, it turns out very tasty.”
Read also:
A delicious and extremely unusual variety of butternut squash “Trombone”.
Conclusion
If desired, Kuban pumpkin can be successfully grown not only in the southern regions of Russia, but also in other regions - for this you need to follow the rules of care, cover and plant on time. The extra trouble will surely pay off with a unique sweet taste. And the ease of growing this variety will not burden you during other gardening work.