A large-fruited variety with a positive name - pumpkin “Smile”: secrets of agricultural technology for obtaining a bountiful harvest

Pumpkin is an amazing product, because not only the pulp of the vegetable is eaten, but also the seeds and even the flowers. Finding a pumpkin today is as easy as shelling pears; at the market or in the store they offer vegetables for every taste and color. However, they cannot compare with the harvest, grown on our own plot.

The Smile pumpkin variety is recognized as one of the sunniest and most attractive. Let's consider further why the Smile is so valued and what are the secrets of its cultivation.

Description of the pumpkin variety

The variety is early ripening, ripens in 80-90 days. It is characterized by high productivity and ease of care. Pumpkins are grown in greenhouses or in open ground depending on the weather conditions of the region.

Distinctive features

Medium-sized bushes with small vines. In total, the bush forms about 6-7 shoots, on which about 10 pumpkins ripen.

The leaves are large with a wavy pattern. The flowers on the bushes are bright yellow, with a bright sweet aroma. Smile is resistant to drought and frost, and is not afraid of winds.

Fruit characteristics and yield

The weight of one pumpkin is about 900 g. The bark is dense and hard, rich orange in color. The pulp is tender and sugary, tastes like melon. The fruit has a pleasant sweet smell. From 1 bush, summer residents collect about 9 kg of healthy and tasty vegetables.

Interesting! In China, the pumpkin is endowed with magical meaning and is considered a talisman. According to legend, the vegetable is capable of collecting the forces of evil and protecting its owner from them.

How to grow

The quality of the future harvest largely depends on the selected seeds. We advise you to trust only trusted agricultural companies and buy material in specialized stores. In general, planting and caring for Smile is simple and does not require much time and effort. Planted out variety seedling or non-seedling method.

Planting by seeds

Select large seeds for planting. To check their quality, dip the material in a saline solution and stir gently. Remove the seeds that have sunk to the bottom and dry thoroughly. They are the ones who have passed the “test” and will be used in the future.

For a good harvest, the seeds are disinfected by heating. For 5 hours, keep the seeds at a temperature of 50 degrees, for example, in the oven. After disinfection, do not forget to harden the material. Place the seeds in the freezer overnight, then leave them in the room for the day. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times, so the plant’s immunity will improve.

Important! Don't forget about preparing the ground for the pumpkin. The culture loves a mixture of loamy and sandy loam soils that are well fertilized and contain organic fertilizers. The best place for planting Smiles is considered to be spacious areas protected from the wind with loose soil.

In the area where you decide to grow the crop, scatter ash and compost in the fall. Together with melt water, they will be absorbed into the soil, making the beds more nutritious and productive. In the spring, dig up the ground and apply the mineral fertilizer “Nitrophoska” at the rate of 60 g per 1 sq. m. m.

On the day of planting, make grooves in the beds 3-4 cm deep, the distance between them is about 1 m. Place 3-4 seeds in one hole, sprinkle with earth on top and moisten well with warm water.To speed up the development of the plant, sprinkle the beds with peat chips or humus.

Planting seedlings

The seedling method is the most effective, since the seeds have time to grow stronger and better adapt to external factors. After disinfection and hardening, the material is germinated, wrapped in a warm, damp cloth.

To accelerate growth, add a stimulant, for example, “Zircon” or “Solution +”. The preparations improve germination and saturate the seeds with useful elements. The main thing is to follow the dosage and manufacturer’s recommendations.

After germination, place the seeds in a container with soil. The soil must be nutritious so that the seedlings sprout faster. Use pallets or special cassettes as containers for seedlings. Place the seedlings on a warm, sunny windowsill. Water the seedlings every 7 days, and after 2 weeks feed with liquid organic fertilizers. When growing, be careful with drafts, as they harm the sprouts.

Important! Daylight hours should last at least 10 hours. If there is not enough light, arrange additional lighting with lamps.

Care

Smile is best planted after legumes or potatoes. Don't forget to water the bushes every 5 days. The amount of watering depends on the weather; during rainy summers, water consumption is reduced. It is best to use melt water, spending about 1 liter per bush. Periodically water the bushes not with plain water, but with nettle infusion. This folk remedy has an excellent healing effect on the plant.

Pumpkin needs to be fertilized with minerals; they saturate the crop with nitrogen, iron and calcium. A high content of useful elements is contained in the products “Kornevin”, “Nutrivant” and ammonium nitrate. It is recommended to apply mineral complexes every 2 weeks, alternating with organic fertilizers.

Organic pumpkin reacts well to yeast and ash. They reduce the acidity of the soil, making it more useful. Solutions that are applied directly to the roots before watering are especially effective. Also, such fertilizing protects the bushes from diseases and harmful insects.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

Pay special attention to weeding the beds. The procedure is carried out every 10 days, combined with loosening. Loosening retains moisture in the soil and gets rid of the crust on the top layer of soil, which blocks the roots from accessing oxygen. It is recommended to loosen the soil after rains.

It is also important to form the lashes in time. When 2-3 pumpkins form on one, tear off the end of the lash. If this is not done, new vegetables will begin to appear, and there will not be enough nutrients for everything. Also, leave no more than four leaves on one shoot so that the pumpkins can easily access sunlight.

If the lashes are tangled together, untangle them and place them on the ground, sprinkling soil on top.

Growing tips from experienced gardeners

Many summer residents advise watering the crop only with rainwater - it is the softest and most nutritious. Collect water using a drainpipe and a barrel. You can water the pumpkin with cold tap water, but its temperature does not correspond to the desired norm. Therefore, it is better to pour it into a container in advance and leave it to bask in the sun until its temperature reaches 20-22 degrees.

Gardeners also recommend feeding the plant with liquid chicken manure 2-3 times per season. It is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and iron. 1 liter of litter is diluted in 20 liters of water.Before use, the mixture must steep for 10 days.

Fertilizer is applied between rows, not in holes. Otherwise, burns may occur. There is also a less aggressive, odorless ready-made biofertilizer made from chicken manure. It is sold in granules, so this drug is easier to use.

Important! When fertilizing bushes with ash, avoid nitrogen-containing fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate, urea, and manure. When mixing these compounds, some of the nitrogen is washed out, and the plant does not receive the necessary nutrients. The period between fertilizers should be at least 10-15 days.

Diseases and pests

For preventive purposes, spray the bushes with a soap solution. For 10 liters of water, 20 g of dry grated soap is required. An effective and simple remedy helps to avoid powdery mildew, which occurs due to improper care and excess moisture. The disease appears as a white coating on the leaves. Powdery mildew can also infect neighboring bushes, so we recommend taking action immediately as soon as you see external signs of the disease.

Smile also gets sick with bacteriosis, which is a dangerous fungal infection and manifests itself in the form of brown, dry spots on the leaves.

Bordeaux mixture, which you can prepare yourself or purchase a ready-made solution in the store, helps fight infection. Work the beds wearing gloves and protective clothing. Use Bordeaux mixture at least 2 weeks before harvest.

Among the pests that attack pumpkin beds are aphids, slugs and spider mites. Pests suck nutrients and minerals from the body, as a result of which the bushes die.

Insects appear due to lack of fertilizer or improper care.As a preventive measure, gardeners use a solution of onion peels or wood ash.

Harvesting and application

The Smile is collected closer to mid-September. The stalk of a ripe vegetable is dry and hard. If the tail is green, this means that the pumpkin is not yet ripe. Also look at the peel - it should be firm and rich orange in color.

For long-term storage, pick the pumpkins together with the stem. Store the crop at a temperature of 5 to 15 degrees with an air humidity of 80%. Vegetables with scratches or dents are best eaten immediately.

Use culture in a variety of areas. In cooking, a delicate puree soup is prepared from the product and pumpkin pancakes are baked, and the vegetable is also added to nutritious side dishes and used to make sweets. pumpkin juice.

In folk medicine, the pulp of the vegetable is used to prevent heart disease, and seeds used to normalize intestinal function. In cosmetology, the product is used to make rejuvenating face masks and oils for hair.

Interesting! Until now, in a number of countries, pumpkin is used as a dish or vase. This manufacturing method appeared long before people began making wooden or clay containers. This is a real skill that requires talent and ingenuity. Before production, the pumpkin is dried, treated with a special substance, shaped and only then painted with amazing patterns. It is believed that food from such dishes is healthier and more flavorful.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The Ulybka variety is one of the most delicious and sweet. It is not for nothing that the product is widely used in cooking - it is good both fresh and after processing. It is easy to get a good harvest; the variety is unpretentious in care.The advantages of the vegetable are that it is resistant to diseases and has immunity to both frost and heat. The smile is stored for a long time and can easily withstand long-distance transportation.

Disadvantages include the variety's need for nutritious soil. In order for vegetables to grow juicy, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory measures and fertilize the soil well in the fall. In the future, it is also necessary to maintain optimal acidity and temperature of the earth, as well as disinfect the beds.

Farmer reviews

During its existence, Pumpkin Smile has won the attention of many gardeners. Every year the number of her fans is rapidly increasing. However, there are also those summer residents who do not like the variety.

Galina, St. Petersburg: “It is important for me to get from my garden not only tasty, but also healthy vegetables. Pumpkin is a wonderful produce that I have been growing for over 12 years. I tried many varieties, one of the best is Ulybka. I like its taste and appearance. I keep my vegetables in the garage until January.”

Vlada, Sochi: “I planted Ulybka seedlings in early July. After a couple of weeks, the sprouts began to develop rapidly. The ovary is fast and simultaneous, which pleased me. The pumpkins turned out to be of medium size, the largest weighed 700 g. Overall, the variety is excellent, I recommend it.”

Inna, Saratov: “I really love melons, especially zucchini and pumpkins. I prefer sweet varieties, so I tried Smile on a recommendation. The seedlings were very elongated, so some difficulties arose during transplantation and a couple of stems were broken. The remaining seedlings developed slowly, and only by the end of July did the first vegetables appear. The yield is below average, the taste is slightly watery.I expected more."

Conclusion

The vegetable is indispensable for those summer residents who take care of their health and eat right. Pumpkin Smile is rich in vitamins and minerals, strengthens the immune system. When planted in a sunny bed, the crop shows the best yield. Care is simple, the main thing is to form the lashes in time and water the bushes. Also, do not forget to apply mineral and organic fertilizers, which make the vegetables more tasty.