It turns out that you can grow a pumpkin, the seeds of which do not contain a peel, they are naked, for which the variety was named gymnosperm. It refers to the species of hard-boiled pumpkin. This vegetable is grown in Russia, Belarus and in all countries of Europe. The pulp and seeds are rich in beneficial substances and vitamins. It is not common in summer gardens.
Appearance of gymnosperm gourd
The plant has a bushy or climbing shape, the stems of which can reach 12 m. The faceted stem is covered with spikes, contains large hard, jagged, five-lobed leaves. The flowers are large, yellow, dioecious, with a pleasant smell.
Fruits are greenish-yellow or orange-yellow. The pulp is coarse and fibrous, sweet or fresh, quickly boils. The soft layer is about 2.5 cm thick and contains a small amount of light orange pigment. The bark on the fetus is thin. Seeds without the upper shell are green, light green or dark green. They can be eaten right away.
Seat selection
Hard-bodied pumpkin gymnosperms, reviews of which are distributed among summer residents, are grown in the same way as all other pumpkin crops. The main thing is to put her away from squash, squash and other types of pumpkins, so that she does not dust herself and does not lose her individual properties, for which she was planted. For growing pumpkins, choose a place on the sunny side with fertile, well-fertilized soil. Only in this case the fruits will grow large and sweet, which means that they will be stored for a long time.
Preparation for landing
A landing site is prepared in the fall. Dig a bed, add manure or humus, you can put potash and phosphate fertilizers. Pumpkin grows very well on compost piles. To do this, with the onset of the autumn period, they add up healthy leaves from plants, food waste, foliage, sawdust, ash, small branches, humus. In the spring, plants are planted on the prepared site.
The best predecessors for planting gymnospermous pumpkin are potatoes, onions, various root vegetables and cabbage. This culture should not be grown where vegetables from the pumpkin family grew , since they have the same diseases and pests.
Gymnosperm pumpkin: planting and care, reviews
When growing pumpkins through seedlings, according to gardeners, it grows faster and gives a rich harvest. Plants are planted in the ground at the end of the first decade of June, after the threat of frost. Even with a slight minus temperature, gymnospermous seedlings will die. Often seeds are sown directly into the ground. They are planted in warm soil when its temperature reaches about 12 degrees. Seeds are planted in a bed to a depth of 5 cm, 3 pieces per hole. Between plants should be at least one meter. Shoots will hatch 12 days after planting. In inclement and cool weather, sometimes the seeds rot, not having time to sprout, so it is safer to use the seedling method for planting.
The gymnospermous pumpkin, reviews of which can be heard when buying seeds, is not picky when grown. Caring for it comes down to weeding, loosening the soil, fertilizing and watering. Soil loosening should be done 4 times during the summer period. Leaves of impressive size evaporate a large amount of moisture, so the plant should be watered once a week if there is no rain. During flowering, water less frequently than usual. This pumpkin variety is undemanding for watering. The first time they feed 10 days after planting seedlings, the next time - during flowering. Pumpkin responds well to watering with infusion of mullein and ash.
Pumpkin Danae (gymnospermous): reviews
The peel of the fruit of this variety has a green-yellow color with yellowish stripes. Small pumpkins - 3-5 kg, the pulp is juicy, sweet, the seeds do not have a hard shell. The variety belongs to mid-season species. A large number of vitamins and minerals are found in seeds and pulp, so the fruit is often used for diet and baby food. They use it boiled, baked, stewed, and also used to make juices and drinks. The vegetable is well transported and well stored.
Danae pumpkin is grown in two ways: in open ground and using seedlings. In March-April, the seeds are sown in boxes. When 3 true leaves appear, the plant is transplanted into the open ground (certainly after the threat of frost). The temperature of the soil at this time should be about 14 degrees. Seeds are planted at the end of May or in early June, following the 1 x 1 m pattern.
Pumpkin Danae, like all pumpkin crops, requires additional nutrition. 10 days after planting, seedlings carry out the first fertilizing of the soil, the second - during flowering. The plant should be timely watered and weed. As they ripen, the fruits are cut and eaten, both seeds and pulp. Gardeners note that the seeds are very tasty, do not require peeling, although they are in the film. The pulp has a light orange color, it makes a wonderful juice.
Apricot pumpkin
Pumpkin of this species belongs to the unique mid-early varieties of pumpkin. She ripens about 3 months after planting. The fruit has a round-cylindrical shape with fuzzy ribbing. In the stage of full ripeness, the color of the apricot pumpkin bark is yellowish with fairly wide stripes of green, looks bright and attractive. The peel of the fetus is not thick, but firm. The pulp is slightly fibrous, soft with a yellow tint. Pumpkin seeds without a dense shell, covered with a thin film. Pumpkin apricot gymnosperm, reviews which is only positive, belongs to the dessert varieties.
A variety is grown to produce pumpkin seeds, mash and produce juice that tastes like apricot. Pumpkin pulp is also consumed raw.
Harvesting
The gymnospermous pumpkin, reviews of which are passed from mouth to mouth, has the lowest yield from the entire family of hard-barked. To accelerate the ripening of the crop, pinch the main stem of the plant when 3 ovaries form on it. On one plant grows up to 6 fruits. They remove the pumpkin before the onset of cold weather, when the stalk dries up in the fetus. You can store it for about three months at a temperature of 8 to 10 degrees.
Beneficial features
How is gymnosperm pumpkin useful from a medical point of view? Its merits are very difficult to overestimate. It is famous for its dietary properties. The pulp of gymnospermous pumpkin contains:
- sugar - 4-11%, and glucose is 2.6%;
- fiber, protein, starch, pectin;
- B vitamins, carotene, E, C, PP;
- macronutrients: magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, silicon, sodium;
- trace elements: iodine, cobalt, iron, zinc, fluorine, copper.
Pumpkin leaves contain much more vitamin C than pulp. And the following useful substances are included in pumpkin seeds:
- fatty oil - up to 50%;
- protein - 28%;
- vitamins B1, C;
- phytosterols;
- carotenoids;
In gymnospermous pumpkin seeds, young shoots and pulp can be used for medicinal purposes. Due to the low calorie content, the gymnosperm pumpkin, which is heard by people who are prone to overweight, is suitable for cooking on fasting days. They need to eat one and a half kilograms of baked in the oven or boiled pumpkin. The high pectin content in pumpkin is excellent for patients with inflammatory processes in the large intestine. In addition, pectins contribute to the removal of harmful cholesterol from the human body and prevent its absorption.
Eating pumpkin:
- promotes the release of chlorine by the kidneys, therefore it is very useful for patients suffering from edema in heart disease;
- recommended for patients with poor kidney, liver function;
- helps people with gout.
The main property of pumpkin seeds for medicine is their anthelmintic action. They contribute to the expulsion of round and ribbon worms and are taken for preventive purposes. Gymnosperm pumpkin has a particularly strong effect. Reviews on the use of seeds prove the great benefit of this product.
Growing gymnospermous pumpkin is not much different from other hard-core crops. It should be noted that it is more heat-loving, so you need to plant it in warm earth and better seedling method. Otherwise, seedless seeds may simply rot. Many gardeners like gymnospermous pumpkin to taste. Reviews of delicious pulp and seeds that do not need to be cleaned are quickly distributed among gardeners.