Pumpkin is an unpretentious gourd, it grows in many parts of the world. With basic care, you can get a high yield. It is removed when the ovaries dry out. And when to pick up a pumpkin in the Urals? We find out.
Definition of ripeness
The fruit of this culture is of great value for both man and livestock. It will be tastier if it lies down. Unripe pumpkins are unsweetened and not popular.
Harvest time depends on climatic conditions and variety. When to harvest a pumpkin in the Urals? Then, when the leaves become dried and yellow, and the stalk becomes stiff. The color of the fetus should be saturated, bright, and the peel should be solid and dense.
Hard-bred varieties are early ripening: at the end of the summer season (August) they are ready for use. Large-fruited varieties - medium and late ripe. Muscat gourd ripens later than anyone else and is distinguished by its unique taste.
So when to pick up a pumpkin in the Urals? Ural is a region where frost can be already in the beginning of autumn. It is important to harvest before them, as frost-bitten fruits are unsuitable for eating. If pumpkin is grown not for food, but for decorating the kitchen, then it can be harvested later, most importantly, so that the appearance is not affected.
Pumpkin Harvest
Traditionally, in the Urals, pumpkin is removed in early autumn, guided by the weather forecast and the expected onset of frost. It is preferable that the weather be dry on the day of collection. If the fruits are harvested on a rainy day, then they need to be dried.
The fruits are removed along with the stalk, cutting it to five centimeters. Pumpkins without a stalk spoil very quickly: it is impossible to save them for the winter. Pumpkins to be stored must be intact, without dents or scratches. If in September there is warm and dry weather, then a pumpkin in the Urals can remain in the beds. However, it is necessary to monitor the air temperature, especially at night. As soon as it descends and becomes slightly above zero, the fruits must be collected.
Pumpkin storage after harvest
Fruits can ripen indoors, but this is only as a last resort - in adverse weather conditions. The optimum temperature for storage is from 10 to 15 degrees. Pumpkin can lie at home at twenty degrees, but the shelf life will be less.
Hard-bred varieties can be stored for up to a month without losing their taste and nutritional qualities, large-fruited - up to six months. With longer storage, the pulp becomes fibrous and tasteless.
The later the pumpkin is harvested, the longer it will lie, so the question of summer residents is: “When to harvest the pumpkin in the Urals?”, Relevant. The traditional harvesting time is September 1-15, so the best large-fruited fruits will remain until the month of March.
Timely pumpkin harvesting guarantees the preservation of beneficial properties and long-term storage. In order for the harvest to please all winter, the fruits must be ripened in dry weather. The degree of maturity is determined by drying out, sampling of the stalk, well-marked bark pattern, its hardening. And do not forget: it is necessary to remove the pumpkin before the onset of the first frost.