An exotic vegetable with an unusual taste and name - “Pink Banana” pumpkin: description of the variety
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “pink banana”? Surely an ordinary banana, only pink. And imagine your surprise if they tell you that by Pink Banana, gardeners and gardeners understand not a fruit at all, but a vegetable. This is the name given to one of the pumpkin varieties due to its unusual shape and color.
In this article, we will look in detail at what Pink Banana pumpkin is and how to grow it correctly.
Description of the pumpkin variety
The original name of the variety is Jumbo Pink Banana Squash. Previously, culture referred only to ornamental plants. The Pink Banana first appeared in America more than 100 years ago, and in our country they learned about it relatively recently.
The pumpkin has long and strong lashes that need to be untied in time, otherwise they will become intertwined. This exotic plant is especially appreciated by lovers of unusual and beautiful crops.
Distinctive features
The plant takes root well even outdoors. The bushes are powerful, the root system is strong and developed. The foliage is medium, the color is dark green.
If all agrotechnical rules are observed, vegetables are produced throughout the summer. Up to three pumpkins ripen on one vine. The best results are obtained if the bushes are formed in advance.
Pink banana is a mid-ripening variety; the first ripe pumpkin is obtained after 90-100 days.
Characteristics of vegetables
As befits a banana, the shape of the fruit is elongated, reaching 1.1 m in length. The tip is pointed, the crust is hard. On average, the weight of one pumpkin varies from 4 to 18 kg. The color is pink-yellow.
During the ripening process, the shell becomes harder and the fruit acquires a rich pink color. The pumpkin pulp is fiber-free, pleasant and soft. It tastes sweet and juicy. It has an orange tint due to carotene.
Productivity
The number of ripe pumpkins depends on the region of cultivation and care. If all the rules are followed, about 50 kg are collected from one bush. The collected vegetables are stored well.
How to grow
There are several ways to grow Pink Banana. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages, we will consider them below.
Planting by seeds
It involves planting seeds directly into open ground without preparing seedlings. Produced in late May or early July. For this method, it is necessary to disinfect the seeds - they may contain dangerous microbes or pathogens.
“Fitosporin +” is recognized as an excellent disinfectant. Soak the seeds in the Fitosporin solution for 2 hours. The product is sold in the form of a powder, paste or solution at any gardening store.
Next, you need to cultivate the land. Starting in the fall, dig up the beds and clear them of debris and remnants of old plants. With the arrival of spring, water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or hydrogen peroxide. These products perfectly rid the soil of insect larvae and dangerous microorganisms.
Important! For planting, choose the morning of a cloudy day.
The required distance between plants is at least 1.5 m. Otherwise, the root system will have nowhere to develop. If you live in an area with a variable climate, cover the top of the Pink Banana with plastic wrap.
Planting seedlings
To prepare seedlings, in addition to seeds, you will need a container and soil. Any flower pots, wooden boxes, or plastic buckets are suitable as containers. The main thing is that the container is clean and dry. If you don’t have anything suitable at hand, purchase special containers for seedlings or cassettes from the store.
Many gardeners prepare the soil for seedlings themselves. For pumpkin, the following composition is considered an excellent option: 4 parts of soil from the garden, 1 part of humus, 1 part of sawdust or river sand. After mixing the components, be sure to water the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Once everything is ready, fill the container with soil, making small holes in it. Place a seed in each, sprinkle some soil on top and pour with warm, settled water.
Important! If you are growing Pink Banana in one container rather than in separate containers, place some expanded clay underneath for drainage. The optimal thickness of the layer is about 2 cm.
Prepare the seedlings approximately 20 days before planting in open ground. The timing depends on the region of residence and weather conditions.
Planting takes place in early June. The best predecessors for pumpkin are legumes, potatoes and onions. The beds must be level.
Remove seedlings with as many roots as possible and try not to damage them. After placing the young plants in the holes, press the soil down tightly so that there are no voids.
Don’t forget to water the pumpkin; 1 bush requires about 0.5 liters of water. If the weather is clear and the sun is hot, cover the seedlings with newspaper.
Care
Pumpkin loves water. The root system of the plant is branched and powerful, so frequent watering is needed. The average interval between them is 4-6 days, depending on weather conditions.
Pink banana especially needs moisture during the flowering and fruiting periods. The water temperature must be at least 20 degrees. Thanks to its strong roots, the crop tolerates periods of drought and heat well.
To obtain a good harvest, the plant is formed into one or two stems. If you form one stem, remove additional ovaries immediately after they appear. Be careful not to damage the main stem. When forming into two stems, leave two pumpkins on the main vine, and one on the side. Next, pinch the tops and leave 3-4 leaves on each lash.
Important! Don't forget about the whips. If they grow too long, untangle them and cover them with soil. If this is not done in time, they will get tangled and break the leaves, which will negatively affect the development of the pumpkin itself. In addition, loosen the beds every 8-10 days and remove weeds.
Another necessary stage of care is feeding. Try to alternate mineral and organic fertilizers. For example, the first time you feed the Pink Banana with nettle infusion, the second time you fertilize it with Nitrophoska.
Pay special attention to fertilizing during the fruiting period. Wood ash solution is recognized as an excellent fertilizer. It not only has a positive effect on the quality of the crop, but also protects the crop from pests.
Read also:
A tasty and healthy treatment with natural ingredients - pumpkin and honey for the liver.
Features of cultivation and possible difficulties
The quality of the crop largely depends on the place of cultivation. Find a sunny, windless place on your site for the plant. It is desirable that the soil be fertile and loose, as well as deep and arable.We do not recommend sowing pumpkin after cucumbers or zucchini.
To speed up plant development, use growth stimulants. This is especially true for gardeners living in regions with a temperate climate and short summers. Zircon and Kornevin are recognized as excellent drugs. They are used as a supplement to watering. With their help, the productivity of Pink banana increases by 10%. Do not forget to read the information on the package and follow the dosages before use.
Important! If you apply the drugs incorrectly, you will have the opposite effect - the plant will slow down in growth. The pumpkin will begin to develop only from internal reserves and will soon die. Also, you should not process the pumpkin after flowering, because it is useless.
Growing tips from experienced gardeners
When growing vegetables in seedlings, farmers advise not to forget about fertilizing the seedlings. The first fertilizing is applied 2 weeks after planting. Mineral fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate, are an excellent remedy. And a few days before planting, it is recommended to harden the seedlings. To do this, take it out onto the balcony first for 1-2 hours, then gradually increasing the time spent outside the room.
Many farmers plant Pink Banana on a compost heap, after adding a little ash and superphosphate. And adding sawdust or sand will create the necessary drainage layer. River sand is especially suitable.
Also, experienced gardeners recommend using film when planting without seedlings. As soon as the first shoots appear, make cuts above each plant in the film for ventilation. Once the risk of frost has passed, carefully remove the cover.
Diseases and pests
Any pumpkin can get powdery mildew.This fungal infection appears as a white coating on the leaves. It then spreads to the stems and neighboring plants. Subsequently, the leaves acquire a brown tint, the plant slows down its development, and the pumpkin does not ripen.
As a preventive measure, use spraying with a solution of tobacco leaves. Also, do not forget to remove weeds in a timely manner, as fungal pathogens may be present in them.
There is a high chance of developing root rot. Due to the disease, the stems weaken and break. Then the lashes dry out and growth stops. The cause of rot is high humidity and lack of fertilizing. For prevention, use irrigation with the addition of urea.
Of the insects, vegetables are most often attacked by whiteflies, aphids, mucus or wireworms. The reasons for the appearance of insects are hot and dry weather, contaminated soil, and non-compliance with plant care rules.
To prevent the appearance of insects, remove weeds in a timely manner, spray the bushes with a spray bottle in hot weather, and add sprays based on onion peels. If the pumpkin is growing in a greenhouse, do not forget to ventilate the structure.
Harvesting and application
Harvest in dry weather. It is recommended to remove vegetables along with the stalk, tearing it away from the bush by only 4-5 cm. They do this so that the pumpkin can be stored longer. If the autumn is dry and warm, ripe vegetables are left in the beds for another 1-2 weeks. When harvesting after rain, be sure to dry the vegetables in a warm place.
Pumpkin contains a large number of useful elements, so it is widely used in cooking. dietary dishes. For example, they make pumpkin pie with ginger and nutmeg. The vegetable is also suitable for preparing milk porridges, soups and salads.
Interesting! The largest pumpkin pie was baked in the USA - its diameter was 152 cm. To prepare it, it took 3 kg of pumpkin, 144 eggs and 1.5 kg of sugar. This giant was baked for 6 hours.
Pumpkin seeds are actively used in folk medicine. This is an excellent diuretic, which additionally has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Pumpkin is also used as a remedy for seasickness. Surprisingly, the older the seeds, the more beneficial they are.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The pink banana is a real miracle, not a pumpkin. The vegetable has a number of remarkable properties:
- excellent taste and moderate sweetness;
- original appearance;
- versatility in use;
- ease of care;
- high productivity;
- immunity to disease;
- resistance to transportation.
The variety has no obvious shortcomings, only sometimes gardeners note that the vegetables turn out to be too heavy. To prevent the stems from breaking, you have to build additional support for the pumpkin.
Reviews from gardeners
Valentina, Moscow: “I am very glad that I was advised to plant Pink Banana. I have never had such a beautiful vegetable. And he has excellent taste! The pulp is sweet and juicy, the aroma is weak, so you can safely add it to different dishes.”
Irina, Nizhny Novgorod: “Growing pumpkins is not always easy, but it is interesting. Especially when you get such unusual specimens. She reaped a rich harvest; the largest banana weighed 13 kg. It is stored well, I put it in a dry and cool basement.”
Alexander, Orel: “The land on the site is fertile, but for some reason the variety has not taken root well. Maybe because I planted it without seedlings. The stems were sluggish, developed poorly, and the vines turned out to be weak.The pumpkins themselves seem to be quite good, but I’ve seen better varieties before.”
Conclusion
The Pink banana variety will decorate your garden. Large pink vegetables have great flavor. They are moderately sweet and are widely used in cooking. Both pulp and seeds are suitable for use. In addition, pumpkin is low in calories - it contains only 24 kcal per 100 g.
It is useful to eat a few pieces of pumpkin after meals to improve digestion. Therefore, feel free to grow the Pink Banana variety on your site. Moreover, it is unpretentious in care; the main thing is to water and feed the bushes on time.