People learned to cultivate pumpkin more than five thousand years ago. In ancient times, food was prepared from the pulp of the fruits of this unpretentious culture, oil was squeezed from the seeds, and dishes were made from the peel. Of course, this wonderful vegetable is also very popular among modern gardeners. In this article, the reader will be presented with the best pumpkin varieties with photos available today.
The three most popular varieties
Pumpkin belongs to the genus Cucurbita of the Cucurbitaceae family. Today, more than 27 of its cultivated and wild varieties are known. But the most popular among Russian summer residents are pumpkins:
tevdokory;
nutmeg;
- large fruited.
Description of varieties of large-fruited pumpkin
The main feature of this variety of Cucurbita are, as can already be judged by its name, the large size of the fruit. These popular pumpkins, grown by Russian summer residents for more than a decade, are primarily distinguished by a fairly soft and fibrous pulp and a thin, not too hard peel.
Large-fruited pumpkin can be cultivated in almost all regions of Russia, including the Urals and Siberia. The varieties of this variety of Cucurbita breeders in total have bred about 100 - more than any other.
Pumpkin Titan
This wonderful variety, in addition to the large size of the fruit, is different:
In care, the Titan hybrid is completely unpretentious. It is believed that this pumpkin variety is best suited for open ground. After all, its fruits grow really simply huge. In most cases, Titan pumpkins have a weight of 30-50 kg. But some summer residents manage to grow fruits of this variety and 100-150 kg. In order to get such huge pumpkins from Titan, you just need to leave no more than 1-2 ovaries on one bush.
The lashes of this variety are quite long and spreading. Therefore, it is recommended to plant Titan seeds in increments of at least 1.5 m.
Paris red
This variety is famous primarily for its high productivity. In this case, the weight of the Parisian red pumpkin can reach up to 20 kg. The pulp in the fruits of this variety has a pale yellow color. The advantages of Parisian red include good transportability.
Among other things, the fruits of this pumpkin also have a relatively good taste. However, they are unfortunately inferior to many other varieties in this regard, according to summer residents. Most homeowners still prefer to grow Parisian red primarily for animal feed.
Pumpkin Yellow Centner
This variety was bred by German breeders. The weight of the pumpkin fruit Yellow centner can reach 55 kg. The advantages of this variety are primarily considered:
Pumpkin Pulp A yellow centner contains just a huge amount of sugar and carotene. Therefore, it is used in everyday life and industry, including for the manufacture of baby food - all kinds of juices and mashed potatoes. The advantages of the Yellow Centner are also good keeping quality and portability.
Hard Bark Gourd: The Best Varieties
The advantage of this variety of Cucurbita gardeners consider, above all, the possibility of long-term storage of fruits. The flesh of the varieties of this variety is usually pleasant in taste - crispy and juicy. Also, such pumpkins are appreciated by summer residents and for good transportability of the fruits. In total, there are currently about 30 hardcore varieties of Cucurbita.
Acorn
This pumpkin for the characteristic shape of the fruit is also called acorn. Acorn fruits do not grow too large. But the flesh of this pumpkin is tender, juicy and relatively sweet. The peel of the fruit of the variety may have a different color. The Acorn pumpkin pulp has a rich dark yellow hue.
Like most other hard-bark Cucurbita, this variety is unpretentious bush. And many summer residents appreciate it, including for ease of care. The sweet pulp of this pumpkin is often used to make desserts. In addition, the fruits of Acorn due to its special shape are also considered very convenient for stuffing.
Smile
The peel of the fruits of this variety has a bright orange color. The pulp of a pumpkin Smile with a lighter shade. The average weight of the fruits of this variety is only about 0.85-1.1 kg.
Like Acorn, Smile pumpkin belongs to the group of compact bush hybrids. Excellent transportability and early ripening, as well as resistance to frost and drought - this is what, among other things, earned just excellent reviews from summer residents for this pumpkin variety.
Spaghetti
This hard-boiled early ripe pumpkin can be grown both in open ground and under the film. Spaghetti fruits are barrel-shaped and creamy in color. The flesh of this variety is fibrous and quite dense. After harvesting, the fruits of Spaghetti can retain their commercial qualities for about 1-2 months.
Use the pulp of this pumpkin to cook mainly caviar and sauces. It is also considered very suitable for canning. This variety is named so because when boiled, the pulp of its fruits is very similar in taste to spaghetti.
Lady's Nail
This pumpkin is grown by summer residents mainly not for the sake of pulp, but for getting seeds. The shape of the fruit varieties Lady's nail are slightly flattened. Their skin is light gray, smooth, and the flesh has a sweet taste and has a light yellow color. With proper care, pumpkins Ladies' nails can grow up to 5 kg.
Best Muscat Pumpkins
Such varieties by their biological characteristics are a cross between hard bark and large-fruited varieties. The advantages of Cucurbita in this group include excellent taste of the fruit and the possibility of long-term storage. A small drawback of nutmeg pumpkin varieties is some moodiness in the care. This variety is grown mainly in the southern regions of the country.
Epic
A characteristic feature of this pumpkin is an ashen-colored peel. The pulp of the Bylinka variety is bright orange, very sweet and juicy. Many summer residents use it, including for preparing all kinds of desserts.
Gardeners also value Bylinka for the fact that its flesh has practically no smack of pumpkin. The shape of the fruits of this pumpkin variety is slightly flattened.
Marvelous
The fruits of this mid-ripening variety are pepper-shaped and painted in a light brown color. The skin of the Divo pumpkin is very thin, and the flesh is crispy, juicy and sweet. The weight of fruits of this variety reaches 8-9 kg.
The advantages of Divo pumpkins are, first of all, excellent transportability and keeping quality. The fruits of this variety can be stored after harvest for up to one year. Also, this pumpkin is undemanding regarding watering. In the dry land, its yield can be up to 50 kg / t.
Plav Kadu
This is not only delicious, but also a very healthy variety of pumpkin. In India, for example, the flesh of Plav-Kadu is used to treat tuberculosis. The weight of the fruits of the variety can reach 10 kg. Both their flesh and peel are orange. You can store such a pumpkin for up to 4 months.
Spanish guitar
This pumpkin got its name for the unusual pear-shaped shape of the fruit. The pluses of the Spanish guitar variety are summer residents, first of all, a very pleasant apricot taste of pulp. Many gardeners use this pumpkin for both stewing and frying. The pulp of the fruits of the Spanish guitar is very good, according to the hostesses, suitable for making candied fruits, as well as toppings for pies.
The advantage of this pumpkin variety, in comparison with many others, is the significant thickness of the pulp. At the same time, the fruits of the Spanish guitar can be stored up to 12 months without loss of presentation.
Sweet varieties
The pumpkins described above are very popular among gardeners. But many summer residents are interested, of course, and what are currently the sweetest pumpkin varieties. At present, there are several such varieties of this culture.
Winter sweet
This pumpkin belongs to the large-fruited group. The peel of winter sweet pumpkins has a gray tint. The pulp of the variety is sugary, orange, very dense in structure and aromatic.
It is believed that this sweet pumpkin is perfect for preparing all sorts of fresh dishes, as well as all kinds of preserves. Summer residents also include the possibility of long-term storage.
Growing a winter sweet pumpkin, according to gardeners, is very easy on the plot. She is absolutely unpretentious in leaving. In addition, Winter Sweet is resistant to most pumpkin diseases.
Paris Gold
It is believed that this sweet variety is excellent for planting in regions with an arid climate. This pumpkin was called golden for the very beautiful pale yellow color of the peel of its fruits.
The flesh of this variety is very juicy, sweet and tasty. The color she also has a pleasant golden. The flesh of this pumpkin is used mainly for making soups, pastries, frosts and baby purees. The fruits of Parisian gold can be stored up to 12 months.
Pumpkin Sweetie
This variety is also popular among summer residents, primarily for the sweet taste of the pulp of the fruit. In shape, the pumpkin Sweetie resembles a ball. Her peel has a bright orange tint. The weight of the fruit candy can reach 1-3 kg.
The flesh of this pumpkin is dense, bright orange. You can make puree from it even without using sugar.
Summer residents who decide to grow this variety on their site should be more careful when buying seeds. On sale today there is another similar sort of pumpkin with a similar name - Sweet F1. The peel of this hybrid has a gray tint. The taste of the flesh of this pumpkin is quite pleasant. However, she is still not as sweet as that of Candy.
Instead of a conclusion
The descriptions of pumpkin varieties with photos given above may help one of the summer residents to choose the most suitable seeds of this crop for their site. All the varieties considered in the article are really distinguished by their unpretentious care, remarkable taste qualities of the pulp of the fruits and the possibility of long storage.
But, of course, on sale today there are seeds of other quite popular and easy-to-care varieties of Cucurbita. Pumpkin - the plant is actually very unpretentious. She can, for example, just take some unused place on the site - at the fence or next to the outbuildings - and give a minimum of attention during the season. Planting new pumpkins from year to year, it will thus be easy to choose the variety that is most attractive for yourself.