We are setting yield records by growing the giant variety of pumpkin “Hundred Pounds” on our plot.

Pumpkin is one of the most popular fruit crops. It contains many vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. The fruits are recommended to be included in the diet of children, as well as those who are losing weight and those suffering from vitamin deficiency. Pumpkin is stored for a long time and does not lose its beneficial properties throughout the winter.

When growing, novice gardeners are advised to give preference to proven varieties that are easy to care for. These include the Hundred Pound Pumpkin. It has been present in horticultural markets for decades. This representative of melon crops has gained popularity due not only to its excellent taste and ease of cultivation, but also to its impressive size.

Description of the pumpkin variety

The Stofuntovaya pumpkin variety was developed by domestic breeders. The exact name of its originator is unknown. This culture has been present in the markets for a very long time. Stofuntovaya was included in the State Register more than 50 years ago (in 1947). Recommended for cultivation in the central regions of our country.

Note! Hundred-pound pumpkin is a varietal pumpkin, so seeds from its fruits are used for planting. Planting material is collected only from pumpkins that have ripened on the bush.

Distinctive features

The main distinguishing feature of Stofuntova is the large size of the fruits. Each of them weighs at least 10 kg. There are specimens weighing up to 60 kg.

The fruits have a classic pumpkin taste.Not very sweet, tender and juicy, they are more suitable for preparing main courses than for desserts.

One of the positive properties of the Hundred Pumpkin is the large number of tasty and large seeds. They contain beneficial fatty acids and have an anthelmintic effect.

The product contains a lot of beta-carotene. Thanks to this, it has a positive effect on visual acuity, metabolism and immunity. Pumpkin helps remove harmful substances from the body and normalize liver function.

Main characteristics

The description will please both beginners and experienced gardeners. This proven variety will not let you down even in harsh weather conditions.

Characteristics of the Hundred Pumpkin:

How to grow

Pumpkin is an unpretentious plant. It is grown in open ground in all regions of our country.

For cultivation, choose the most illuminated area of ​​the garden. It is better to plant it on a hill. It is important that the chosen location does not flood during precipitation.

When choosing a location, preference is given to areas where melons, cabbage and cucumbers did not grow the year before. This plant is planted in beds after nightshade and root crops.

Pumpkin needs loose and fertile soil. To prepare the soil for planting, in the fall it is cleared of weeds and dug to the depth of a spade bayonet. To enrich the soil, rotted manure or humus is scattered over the selected area. For 1 sq. m apply 6–8 kg of fertilizer.

If the acidity of the soil is increased, add dry lime or ash. To make the soil lighter, it is mixed with sand.

Seed preparation

Pumpkin is grown by seedlings and seed methods. The seedless option is only suitable for regions with warm and long summers, since in this case the fruits ripen later.

Before sowing, the seeds are treated. This is done to accelerate germination and increase resistance to adverse environmental factors:

1. For planting use only dense, smooth seeds, no damage or dark spots.
2. The seeds are heated: wrapped in several layers of gauze and placed on a radiator or in the sun.Another option is to keep it in the oven according to the following scheme: the first hour – +20 °C, the second – +30 °C, the third – +40 °C, the fourth – +50 °C, the fifth – +60 °C.
3. Planting material is disinfected, soaking for half an hour in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then the seeds are washed.
4. Stimulates seed germination: placed for 12 hours in an ash solution of 1 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. l. ash. The temperature of the liquid should not fall below 40 °C. To do this, a container with planting material is placed on the battery.
5. Hardening: The soaked seeds are wrapped in cloth and placed in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

Seed method

In the southern regions, cultivation by seed is possible. It involves sowing planting material directly into the ground.

Seeds are sown when the soil warms up to 15 °C. The temperature is measured at a depth of 15 cm. In the southern regions, pumpkins are planted in early May.

In pre-prepared beds, holes are dug of different depths (6–10 cm). This will allow the seeds to grow even during return frosts. A distance of 1.4 m is maintained between the recesses. The width of the hole itself should be 20–30 cm.

Fertilizers are poured into the holes. For pumpkin, rotted manure, humus, or long-acting complex additives are used.

Two pumpkin seeds are planted in each hole at different edges of the recess. After this, the holes are covered with soil without compacting.

Advice. To protect seeds from frost, the beds with crops are sprinkled with peat or humus.

Plantings are watered with warm water. For 1 sq. m use 1-2 buckets of liquid.

The bed is covered with film. Every day it is opened slightly during the warm part of the day for several hours. In July, the greenhouse is dismantled.

Seedling method

To grow pumpkin seedlings, choose nutritious and light soil.The store sells universal soil substrates. Such compositions are also prepared independently. One option is to mix black soil, humus and sand in equal proportions.

The soil must be disinfected by watering it with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Pumpkin does not like picking, so the seeds are sown immediately in individual containers. It is more convenient to use peat pots.

They begin to grow pumpkin seedlings in the second half of April. They are planted in a permanent place in the second decade of May.

Growing pumpkin seedlings:

1. Drainage is poured into the bottom of the pot: broken ceramics, brick or expanded clay. Then the containers are filled with soil, which is moistened with a spray bottle.
2. Sow 2 seeds in each pot, deepening them to 3 cm.
3. Containers with seeds are placed in a well-lit place and covered with film. As the soil dries, moisten it.
4. Pumpkin seedlings need 16 hours of daylight. The lack of natural light is compensated for by fluorescent lamps.
5. When the seeds germinate and two true leaves appear on the plants, leave one pumpkin in each pot. Weaker stem pinching.
6. Water the pumpkin with warm, settled water. It is important to ensure that the liquid does not get on the above-ground part of the plant.
7. During the entire growing period, seedlings are fed once - a week before planting in the ground. Chicken manure and water are diluted (1:10), complex mineral fertilizers or vermicompost are used.
8. Two weeks before planting in open ground, the pumpkin begins to be hardened by taking it out into the fresh air.

When planting, the holes are placed at a distance of 1.4 m from each other. Mullein is poured into them. The plants are watered and covered with film for a week.

Basic rules of care

Growing Hundred Pound Pumpkins is not particularly difficult.This plant is easy to care for.

The beds on which the pumpkin grows are mulched - covered with humus, peat or straw.

Water the pumpkin 2-3 times a week. At least 2 liters of water are used for each plant. Use liquid only at room temperature. It is important that during flowering moisture does not fall on the above-ground part of the plant. Otherwise, the water will stick the pollen together and the flowers will not be pollinated.

After each watering, the beds are loosened and cleared of weeds.

The lashes must be pinched. Their growth is limited after the sixth leaf.

After the pumpkin reaches one month of age, it begins to be fed. Fertilizers are applied every two weeks. The following scheme is used:

1. When the plant has 5 leaves, use dry nitrophoska: 10 g of product for 1 pumpkin.
2. After two weeks, the plant is fed with mullein solution: 1 liter. manure is dissolved in 10 liters. water. For each root use 1 liter. mixtures.
3. After another two weeks, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied.
4. When the first inflorescences appear on the pumpkins, fertilize the soil with an ash solution: 1 tbsp. spoon of ash dissolved in 1 liter. water, per plant.
5. When the pumpkins ripen, mullein solution is poured under the bushes.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Often in the process of growing pumpkins, gardeners face a number of difficulties. The list shows the most common:

1. Yellowing of leaves. This problem occurs if the pumpkin grows in poor soil or produces too many fruits. The ground part also turns yellow if the pumpkin grows in a shaded area of ​​the garden.
2. The seeds do not germinate. This problem occurs if the soil or water used to water the crops is too cold.
3. Pumpkin stems are thin and limp. The reason lies in poor soil. To correct the situation, a solution of mullein is added to the soil.
4. Rotting of pumpkin roots after removing one of the plants from the hole. Pumpkin roots are damaged if the neighboring sprout is not pinched, but pulled out.
5. Few ovaries. To cope with this problem, pumpkins are pollinated artificially. The male flowers are carefully cut off and placed with the stamens on the stigmas of the female flowers.

Growing tips from experienced gardeners

To get maximum yield, experienced gardeners resort to some tricks when growing pumpkins:

1. No more than three lashes are left on one plant. In one place, each is pressed to the ground to form additional roots.
2. A piece of plywood is placed under pumpkins lying on the ground to protect the fruits from rotting.
3. When the fruits ripen, watering is stopped. Then they will turn out sweeter.

Diseases and pests

Hundred Pound Pumpkin has average immunity to melon and melon diseases. With proper care, it does not suffer from root rot. But the risks of infection still exist:

1. Bacteriosis. The leaves and fruits are covered first with dark green and then with dry brown spots. At the beginning of the development of the disease, the bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture. Severely affected plants are pulled out and buried.
2. Powdery mildew. The leaves become covered with white spots, which lead to the drying out of the above-ground part of the plant. At the first signs of disease, the pumpkin is sprayed with a solution prepared from 50 g of sodium phosphate and 10 liters of water.
3. Spider mite. The plant becomes covered with cobwebs and yellow spots form on the leaves. To drive away the pest, the pumpkin is regularly sprayed with an infusion of onion peels (1 kg per 10 liters of water).
4. Aphid. Insects attack the underside of leaves. This leads to curling of the greenery, shedding of ovaries and inflorescences. To cope with the pest, the bushes are sprayed with karbofos.

Harvesting and application

The fruits of the Hundred Pound Pumpkin turn out large and beautiful, as in the photo. They ripen at the end of August, but it is better to collect them in the second half of September. The longer the pumpkins hang on the bush, the sweeter their flesh will be.

The fruits are suitable for making pies, salads, casseroles, desserts and first courses. They make a lot juice.

Pumpkin seeds are also edible. It is recommended to fry them before eating.

Pumpkins can be stored for more than six months. The seeds will lie in a dry place for several years.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The variety has undeniable advantages:

• resistance to crown and root rot;
• ease of care;
• large fruit;
• juiciness and good taste of pumpkins;
• the possibility of using seeds from fruits for planting.

Some people consider the lack of sweetness of pumpkin to be a negative quality.

Farmer reviews

Reviews from gardeners about the Hundred Pumpkin have been positive for several decades. This is a proven variety that is not inferior to the latest breeding achievements.

Irina, Tula: “My mother grew the hundred-pounder. And this is not the first year I’ve been planting it. This is a truly large-fruited variety. Of course, it’s not very sweet, but it’s perfect for preparing main courses.”

Victor, Ryazan: “I’ve been growing Hundred Pounds for 8 years. I use this variety for preparing soups, meat dishes and cereals. For pies and desserts, I prefer sweeter varieties. The pumpkin doesn't get sick at all. I leave only two fruits on one plant. This makes them very large."

Read also:

What is good about the Orange Bush pumpkin and why it is worth trying to grow it.

Dutch early-ripening pumpkin hybrid "Matilda".

Instructions for growing pumpkins in open ground in the Urals.

Conclusion

Hundred Pound is a variety that has been tested for more than one decade. Despite the fact that there are a large number of new varieties on the market, it has not lost its popularity.

The possibility of long-term storage of the crop allows you to use Stiftovaya throughout the winter. Vitamins and beneficial substances of pumpkin have a positive effect on vision, metabolism and immunity.

Growing Hundred Pound Pumpkins is very easy. You just need to remember about timely watering and disease prevention.