Muscat pumpkin - a description of the variety with a photo, reviews of this vitamin vegetable. Characteristics of nutmeg pumpkin

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and is found throughout Central America, southern Mexico, Colombia and Peru. At present, many varieties obtained by foreign and domestic breeders are widely cultivated in most countries of Eurasia.

Characteristics and description of the best varieties

Butternut squash is an annual plant with creeping stems. The leaves are long, petiolate, alternate, with pubescence. Flowers are yellow. The fruits are multi-seeded false berries with a hard, smooth, pentagonal peduncle expanded at the base. The most popular among Russian gardeners are several varieties of nutmeg pumpkin.

Muscat pumpkin: features of the variety (video)

Variety "Pearl Muscat"

It belongs to the new varieties of nutmeg pumpkin and has a very original fruit shape. The description of the variety suggests the presence of juicy, with excellent taste of the pulp. Ripe pulp is ideal not only for fresh consumption, but is also widely used for processing. Variety "Pearl Muscat" is mid-season, and the period from mass shoots to full ripening of the fruit is 116−135 days.

The plant is formed climbing and quite powerful. Fruits are smooth or slightly segmented. They are characterized by an elongated pear shape and an orange color. The average weight of a marketable fruit does not exceed 3.2-5.6 kg. Fully ripe flesh is dark orange in color, dense in texture, crispy, very sweet and juicy. Contains a significant amount of carotene. The intra-seed chamber is not large, so most of the fruit is occupied by the pulp.

Variety "Muscat de Provence"

Mid-season French variety with high yield. The fruits of "Muscat de Provence" fully ripen in about four months after germination. To many vegetable growers, this highly productive Muscat squash variety from the well-established French company Clause is known as the Muscat Provence squash.

The fruits are flat-round, with pronounced ribbing and an orange surface. The pulp has a dense texture, thick, bright orange, juicy and sweet. The plant is long and climbing, which implies the allocation of sufficiently large areas and allows you to grow a high yield from each plant. The harvested crop compares favorably with the fruits of many nutmeg varieties by its transportability and excellent keeping quality.

Other varieties

Other notable nutmeg varieties less common in our country, but, nevertheless, in terms of their quality characteristics, they deserve the attention of gardeners.

Variety name	Description of fruits	Pulp Features	Advantages and disadvantages
"Vitamin"	Oval or cylindrical in shape, weighing no more than 7.3 kg	Bright orange, thick	Long climbing variety
"Muscat"	oval or spherical shape, with noticeable segmentation, weighing up to 7.3 kg	Thick, bright orange	late ripening
"Butternut"	Pear-shaped, with a dark surface	Orange, sweet, very aromatic	small size fruits
"Plavkadu"	Orange color, medium size	Very juicy and sweet, with a bright aroma	Universal use of pulp
"Marble"	Wrinkled-segmented, tuberculate, covered with gray and dark gray bark, weighing up to 6.5 kg	Intense orange color, thick and firm, crispy, very tasty and sweet	Late maturing variety
"T-7"	Dark green, with a weak, translucent mesh, weighing no more than 2.2 kg	Dark orange, dense, sweet and very juicy	Medium late and long climbing variety, demanding on the soil
"Candied"	Covered with dark brown bark, with a greenish tinge. Average weight no more than 5.1 kg	Up to 4-6 cm thick, orange-red, sweet, juicy	Mid-season and long-braid unpretentious variety

Technology for growing Provencal pumpkin

You can grow nutmeg pumpkin both seedlings and without seedling way:

Seeds prepared for sowing should be planted in the first decade of May under a film cover. Sowing holes should be placed along the ridge at a distance of 80–90 cm at a depth of 5–6 cm. Two seeds should be sown in each planting hole, and after germination, the weakest plant should be removed.
Many gardeners prefer to use seedlings to grow pumpkins. In this case, the prepared seed material is sown in separate seedling containers in April or May. Sowing containers should be placed on the south window, which will allow you to grow strong seedlings without additional illumination. The optimum temperature regime for growing seedlings is 25–27 ° C. Seedlings of nutmeg pumpkin under normal growing conditions appear approximately 6–7 days after planting. It is recommended to plant seedlings on ridges of open ground after the appearance of three true leaves. About a week before planting, the plants should be subjected to hardening measures, gradually reducing the temperature in the daytime to 15-16 ° C, and nighttime indicators should be 13-14 ° C.

For the cultivation of pumpkins, it is recommended to allocate areas where legumes, any types of cabbage, as well as tomatoes or potatoes were previously grown. The place for the pumpkin should be dry and warm, well lit by sunlight and without stagnant moisture. A good result is the cultivation of butternut squash on compost heaps. Seedling material must be planted in planting holes into which no a large number of manure or compost.

For faster and trouble-free survival, high-quality watering of plants should be carried out in the first days, as well as shading from sunlight. The main stem needs to be pinched when it reaches a length of 1.3–1.5 m. As a result of pinching, two side shoots should remain on each adult plant, the length of which does not exceed 0.6–0.7 m.

Care activities

At the stage of intensive growth vegetable crop should be watered at the rate of 15-20 liters of water for each square meter landing area. Before the beginning of the flowering period and in the fruiting phase, watering should be as plentiful as possible, using water at 20 ° C. After watering, a shallow loosening of the soil around the plants is necessarily carried out.

To obtain high yields and improve the quality characteristics of fruits, a vegetable crop must be fed several times per season. The first top dressing is carried out with nitrophoska, carried out after the formation of the fifth true leaf on the plants. The second top dressing - with a solution of mullein in the weaving phase. Irrigation of plants has a good effect warm water with the addition of wood ash.

In order to protect the nutmeg pumpkin from pests and damage by many diseases, a variety of chemical preparations, as well as biological agents, are used. Judging by the reviews of vegetable growers and gardeners, cucurbits of this cultivar have sufficient resistance. However, the implementation of simple protective measures will increase productivity.

All about pumpkin (video)

Fully ripened nutmeg pumpkins should be cut along with the stem, the length of which should be approximately 5-6 cm. Subject to optimal humidity and temperature harvested crop very well preserved until spring.

Butternut squash is annual plant, with long leaves growing on stems that spread along the ground. This is one of the most delicious varieties, its fruits are sugary and juicy. Most of all, such a pumpkin is suitable for making desserts. Since it is very dependent on the sun, it is preferable to grow it in warm regions. Varieties of nutmeg pumpkin with a photo and the description presented on our website will help you grow this plant on your

Varieties of nutmeg pumpkin with photos and descriptions

Varieties of nutmeg pumpkin - what are they?

The benefits of nutmeg pumpkins:

lack of cholesterol in the fruits of nutmeg pumpkin;
low calorie;
promotes the excretion of harmful substances from the body, has a diuretic effect;
helps to increase immunity;
the presence of carotene helps to strengthen visual function;
potassium content, strengthens organs of cardio-vascular system.

There are the following varieties of nutmeg pumpkin:

- the richest in carotene content (up to 16%) pumpkin variety. The appearance of the pumpkin is dark in color and ribbed in shape, its flesh is rich red, crispy and sweet. Fruits can reach a weight of seven kilograms. As a rule, she has a good yield, but sings for a long time - about one hundred and thirty days.

- This pumpkin is a favorite for softness and sweetness. Its fruits have an average weight (about 4 kilograms), ripen in early August (subject to sowing in April).

(walnut, nutmeg, squash) - has an elongated shape, somewhat similar to a zucchini. The color both outside and inside is rich yellow. The internal structure is fibrous, juicy and sweet to taste.

- this is one of the new varieties, it has a very original shape - long, reminiscent of a pear. The pulp of such a pumpkin is juicy and very tasty. The period of its growth is about 130 days, the weight of the average fetus reaches 5 kilograms. The pearl variety of nutmeg gourd is very tasty both fresh and processed.

- this variety, as the name implies, was developed in France. It has a high yield, fully ripens in about four months. The pumpkin fruits of this variety are distinguished by their orange color and ribbed surface, its flesh is very dense, bright orange, and has excellent taste. Its main advantage and different from other varieties of nutmeg pumpkin is that this type of pumpkin is perfectly stored and tolerates transportation well.

- This is a variety bred by Japanese breeders. It has the shape of a pear, its taste is somewhat reminiscent of a chestnut - sweet and spicy. Pumpkins of this variety do not have big size, reach about 2 kilograms.

- a variety that is characterized by high lightness. As the name implies, it has the shape of a guitar, and can reach a weight of four kilograms. As a rule, it ripens in early autumn.

There are a lot of varieties of nutmeg pumpkin, you can also note such as: candied (brown on top and orange inside), golden pear (tear-shaped, sweet and ripening early), matilda (with a wonderful honey aroma), augustina (resembling a spotted zucchini, with dense white pulp). The largest pumpkin of the Muscat variety is distinguished - Arbat, its weight can reach twenty kilograms. Among the pumpkins of this species, it ripens the latest, has the shape of a cylinder.

As a rule, nutmeg varieties are grown in the south, but breeders also bred several varieties for central Russia:

Vita: used in both table and feed nutrition, the fruit is light brown in color and the flesh is orange.
Pearl: used for food and preservation. Almost the entire fruit is filled with dense, sweet pulp. It is rich in carotene and gives a rich harvest.
Prikubanskaya: mid-season variety (about a hundred days), with red-orange pulp, very juicy and sweet.

As a conclusion, it should be noted that the varieties of nutmeg pumpkin, with a photo and description on our website, it will not be difficult to grow even for beginner gardeners. It is grown by planting seedlings and direct sowing of seeds. It does not require very careful care, but always pleases with a sweet and juicy harvest.

Perhaps Cinderella's carriage was transformed by a butternut squash fairy. Although the birthplace of this amazing fruit is on a different continent than France. hot soil South America became a stepfather home for the orange beauty. But everything happens in fairy tales. Possessing magical properties, gustatory qualities, nutmeg pumpkin has long won its place at the dinner and festive table. So, let's find out more about this product.

Inside view

Butternut squash is a wonderful material not only for fabulous transport. On Halloween, it gives great design possibilities for festive lantern faces. However, the main advantages are considered to be its "inner world". The pulp is juicy, sweet, has dietary properties. The body easily and with pleasure assimilates pumpkin.

A lot of dishes are prepared from the fruit, which become favorite among demanding gourmets not only for their taste, but also for their low calorie content. In 100 grams, there will not be more than 31 units.

Benefit and harm

Nutmeg pumpkin is rich in vitamins. Varieties are different, but regardless of the type, the fruits contain pectins, mineral salts necessary for a person (phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, calcium, selenium, manganese, copper). In terms of the presence of carotene, pumpkin is several times superior to carrots, which are more familiar to us. For those who attack the accumulated fat folds, overweight, dishes from the orange beauty will be a real salvation.

It is recommended to include pumpkin in the diet of pregnant women. People prone to "affairs of the heart" will benefit from this valuable product. It is claimed that butternut squash helps to reduce the risk of strokes and arrhythmias. Oncology is also included in the list of diseases in which the use of the fetus is recommended.

Additional valuable bonuses are a general strengthening effect for immunity, a beneficial effect on the condition in case of kidney ailments and liver disease. In addition, pumpkin has laxative and choleretic properties.

Varieties

Muscat, as a rule, has a pear-shaped shape. Some compare her graceful figure with hourglass. But this is far from the only option for the appearance of a sweet beauty.

Today, Muscat pumpkin is also grown on Russian lands. The varieties that can most often be found among domestic farmers, we will now list. This:

pumpkin nutmeg "Pearl" of a cylindrical shape. Weight can reach 7.5 kg. Has a delicate inside;
pumpkin nutmeg "Vitamin", shape - elongated, weight up to 7 kg with crispy pulp;
Muscat pumpkin "Prikubanskaya", small, reaches only 4 kg, the pulp is sweet, tender.

Other varieties are also suitable for the non-chernozem zone. For example, "Marble" pumpkin, the average weight of which is 5 kg. It is distinguished by a spotted, grayish crust covered with tubercles. Inside it is traditionally orange, very sweet. Fruits can be stored up to 9 months.

Pumpkin "Arbatskaya" can reach a weight of 20 kg. Its cylindrical shape thickens towards the top. The peel is very bright, golden-orange. It is considered to be one of the late varieties by ripening. Overtakes the time of ripeness "Delicacy" pumpkin. Outwardly, it resembles a sports dumbbell. Unlike other species, this fruit has very few seeds inside. The Golden Pear variety is compared with a small drop. Possessing a modest weight, up to 2 kg, it tastes slightly like a nut.

Numerous varieties of nutmeg pumpkin are grown today by Russian farmers. The high popularity is due not only to valuable qualities, nutritional properties, excellent taste. Butternut squash is stored for a long time, without requiring particularly refined conditions. Therefore, dishes prepared from this fruit can be seen on the table in any, even the coldest season.

Dishes and recipes

What to cook from butternut squash? Experienced chefs will immediately name a dozen dishes. Porridge, soup, meatballs, side dishes. Many options for stuffing the fruit. Pumpkin is added to pastries, sauces, creams.

For any celebration, you can cook a festive hearty dish. Muscat pumpkin will also help to surprise guests. There are many dishes from this product. For example, a baked fruit with a filling.

Recipe for baked nutmeg pumpkin with vegetables and minced meat

For cooking, you need a medium-sized fruit. In the list of ingredients:

cheese - 30-50 grams;
minced meat (preferably from pork and beef) - 100-150 grams;
bell pepper - 30-50 grams;
medium zucchini - 1 piece;
leek - 30-50 grams;
garlic - 1-2 cloves;
oil (preferably olive) - 30-50 milliliters;
dill - a small bunch;
thyme - 3 grams;
salt, red pepper, black pepper to taste.

cooking process

If the oven is an old model, it is better to preheat it in advance. The required temperature is 170 degrees.

The first step is to prepare the pumpkin. To do this, you need to cut it along. Muscat pear-shaped has a recess to the top, where the seeds are placed. They should be removed along with the connecting fibers. The result should look like two boats.

The next step is processing the pulp of the pumpkin. Notches are applied to the surface with a mesh. The incisions should not damage the peel, but they should be made deep enough.

The marinade is a must for this dish. It contains thyme ground pepper red, black, olive oil. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Grind the garlic beforehand, you can pass it through a crusher and a grater. Beat the resulting mass well with a fork, whisk or mixer.

With a culinary brush or pen, the marinade is applied to the dissected surface of the pumpkin. The filled halves should be allowed to stand for a while so that the dressing seeps into the notches, soaking the pulp.

Pumpkin blanks treated with marinade should be placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment, or in a special container with a heat-resistant surface. The halves are loaded into a hot oven. Baking time from 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the blanks.

While preparing the main dressing for the dish. Sweet pepper cut into small cubes. Zucchini is processed in the same way. If it is young and with a thin skin, then it is not necessary to clean it. A more mature fruit should be freed from the peel, cleaned out the seeds. Curd cheese is cut into cubes. Slightly put aside for decoration. The main part - in the filling. Leek is cut into rings of medium thickness.

Spices, salt are added to the minced meat, everything is thoroughly mixed. For satiety, you can use boiled rice.

The frying pan is on fire. On the vegetable oil the vegetable part of the filling is fried until the onion acquires a golden hue, then salted. After that, minced meat is added to it. It remains on low heat until cooked. Cheese is added to the filling. Stir the mass on fire until it melts.

Muscat pumpkin dishes are distinguished by special juiciness. Baked halves taken out of the oven also give juice, which is better not to pour out of the boats. Then the pulp will become even more tender, richer.

The filling is laid out in recesses with a slide. And the halves are sent back to the oven. The residence time is 10-15 minutes. Then again, the blanks are pulled out, the rest of the cheese is laid out on top. The last stage is 7-10 minutes of baking (until the cheese is melted).

The finished halves are sprinkled with herbs and served on a large platter. Baked pumpkin will become a royal treat and table decoration! Looks appetizing, tastes very juicy. Most importantly, it's satisfying.

Gourmets know how many first courses a nutmeg can decorate with its presence. Recipes are being improved almost daily, each chef brings something of his own. Let's take a look at one of the main ones.

Butternut squash soup recipe

It will take only about an hour to prepare the first orange dish. Ingredients per one medium pumpkin or 4 servings:

chicken broth - half a liter;
celery - 1 stalk;
carrots - 1 piece;
potatoes - 2 pieces;
onion - 1 piece;
spices, salt are added to taste.

Cooking

We clean the pumpkin from the peel, seeds. Then cut into medium size cubes. We process potatoes in the same way. Finely chop the celery, carrots and onions.

You will need a large pot to make soup. The butter is melted right in it. We fall asleep chopped onions, celery, fry carrots, add potato and pumpkin cubes. Simmer for five minutes until lightly browned.

Pour in the broth so that the liquid completely covers the vegetable mass. After the broth boils, reduce the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 35-40 minutes.

Let the soup cool slightly. Pour into a blender and blend until a smooth puree is obtained. Pour into a saucepan again, pour out the rest of the broth, put on fire for a few minutes. Add salt and spices to taste. Serve with greens.

If we discard thoughts about the benefits, and first of all emphasize the taste, then you should pay attention to desserts that use nutmeg pumpkin. Recipes for mashed potatoes, jelly, even orange beauty cakes should be kept in every housewife's culinary notebook.

with raisins

One small butternut squash can make six servings of this dessert. Ingredients are listed per one:

butter - 1 tablespoon;
granulated sugar - 1 teaspoon;
salt - ¼ teaspoon;
cream - 1 tablespoon;
raisins, nuts to taste.

How to cook?

The pumpkin is baked in the oven. The pulp is laid out in a bowl. Here it is mixed with a blender with sugar, butter, cream and salt. The resulting puree is laid out in molds, raisins and nuts are added.

Conclusion

Now you know what a nutmeg pumpkin is, we told you the recipes for preparing this product. We hope you enjoy these delicious and healthy dishes. Orange mood to you!

There are a lot of pumpkin varieties, but all edible fruits are conventionally divided into three groups - hard-barked, large-fruited and nutmeg. It is believed that the nutmeg pumpkin has the most delicious pulp, which is distinguished by a mild nutmeg aroma, thin skin and a record level of sugar content (up to 15%). What varieties belong to nutmeg pumpkins and how to grow them, we will find out further.

What is this pumpkin?

Butternut squash or moskhata is a plant of the pumpkin family, whose homeland is America. It differs from other types of pumpkins in the following properties:

belongs to late-ripening varieties, therefore, due to the lack of heat when grown in middle lane may not give any fruit, or even ovaries;
fruits can reach huge sizes, up to 100 kg;
the shape of the fruit is usually not round, but oblong, and resembles a zucchini, which is somewhat narrowed in the middle and thickened at the place of flowering;
the skin of the fruit is smooth or ribbed, has a bright orange or yellowish-brown color and green longitudinal stripes, but is very thin, so it can be easily removed even with an ordinary knife;
the fruits have a relatively small family nest, but contain a lot of orange-colored juicy fibrous pulp, which has a sweet taste and a slight nutmeg smell.

By palatability Butternut squash occupies a leading position in its family.

Energy value and composition

Butternut squash is a versatile dietary product that is easily absorbed by the body. 100 g of pulp contains up to 45 kcal, and the energy value of the product is as follows:

proteins - 1 g;
fats - 0.1 g;
carbohydrates - 9.69 g;
dietary fiber - 2 g;
water - 86.41 g.

It is important to note that the fruits contain only polyunsaturated fats, that is, they do not contain cholesterol.

Pumpkin is also valued due to the content of a large amount of vitamins, mineral salts, pectins and carotene, which is 2-3 times more than in the same carrots.

What kind of vitamins are present in the fruits of a heat-loving plant can be seen in the table:

Pumpkin contains no less minerals, which are listed in the following table:

Beneficial features

Due to its rich composition, with regular use, nutmeg pumpkin has a positive effect on the human body:

cleanses the body of toxins, cholesterol and decay products, helps in getting rid of body fat (for this reason, pumpkin can be safely included in the diet in the fight against obesity);
normalizes metabolism and supports the functioning of organs gastrointestinal tract;
strengthens the immune system, saturating the body with vitamins and nutrients;
has a choleretic and diuretic effect, helping to remove salts of heavy metals (in this regard, pumpkin is recommended for use in diseases of the liver and kidneys);
improves the condition in diseases of the urinary system, including the dissolution of stones in bladder;
increases visual acuity due to the content of a large amount of carotene;
slows down the aging process with regular eating, as it saturates the body with vitamin K;
prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system and has a positive effect on the state of blood vessels and blood, since it contains potassium (for this reason, pumpkin helps to get rid of anemia);
relieves inflammation in the liver and prostate gland.

To get the benefits of pumpkin, it can be consumed stewed, baked, boiled, and even raw. For medicinal purposes, it is recommended to drink 1/3 cup of pumpkin juice or a decoction of the shoots of the plant several times a day.

Nutmeg pumpkin cannot be included in the diet in only one case - with individual intolerance.

The best varieties of nutmeg pumpkin

The nutmeg pumpkin group includes many varieties that may differ in shape, size, ripening period and many other parameters. The most popular varieties include the following varieties of nutmeg pumpkin:

Vitamin

The growing season is about 130 days, so it is considered a late ripening crop. Fruits grow on a long lash, which have a wide oval or cylindrical shape and weight from 4.5 to 6.8 kg. The skin is thin, and the thickness of the edible bright orange part reaches 10 cm. It has a characteristic brown color and is covered with small patches of yellow and green hues. The pulp has a sweetish taste and a crispy, but delicate texture.

Prikubanskaya

The vegetation period is from 91 to 136 days. The fruit is pear-shaped and weighs an average of 2.3 to 4.6 kg. The thickness of the pulp is about 4 cm, and the peel is thin, and on the cut it has a creamy hue. The flesh is red-orange, tender and sweet, but closer to the stem it is solid and dense. You can store pumpkin after harvest for three months. The variety was bred at the Krasnodar All-Russian Research Institute of Rice.

New

The growing season is about 110-115 days. The fruits are elongated-cylindrical or pear-shaped, and slightly expanded at the flower part. Their weight can reach 5-6 kg. The skin is thin, orange in color and covered with dark orange spots and stripes. The pulp is medium density, sweet and juicy. On average, the yield of the variety is 50-70 t/ha. The novelty has a high keeping quality - 6-8 months.

Bylinka

The vegetation period is 115-120 days. The weight of the average fetus is 4-4.8 kg. Productivity - 25 t/ha. Unlike many of its counterparts, Bylinka has a dense skin from light gray to dark gray color(adjusted in the process of full maturation). The pulp is traditionally bright orange, thick, dense, sweet and juicy, but without the characteristic pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin has a long shelf life - until the next season. The variety was bred by the Kherson breeder "South GSOS".

Pearl

The growing season averages 115-130 days. The fruits weigh about 2.6-5.6 kg, and reach a length of 50 cm. Their shape is round-cylindrical, but there are round or oval pumpkins that have a pronounced ribbed structure. The peel is thin and bright orange in color, but during ripening the shade can change from gray-green to greenish-orange. The flesh is thick and juicy, with a characteristic orange-yellow tint. The plant itself is quite powerful - it gives 4-7 lateral lashes.

Muscat de Provence

The vegetation period is 110-115 days, so the variety is medium late. The mass of fruits averages 4 kg, but can reach up to 8 kg if the seeds are sown at a great distance from each other and the soil is properly fertilized. The fruits are round and slightly flattened. The skin is orange-brown, thin and ribbed. The pulp is sweet and fragrant, containing a lot of sugar and carotene. The variety of French breeders must be stored for 4 months, as it is resistant to many diseases.

Guitar

The vegetation period lasts from 110 to 120 days. The fruits are elongated, resembling a guitar. Their weight averages 2-4 kg, but sometimes it can reach 8 kg. The length of one pumpkin is about 70-80 cm, but on fertile soils it can reach up to 1 m. The skin is thin and smooth, and when the vegetable ripens, it becomes a bright orange color. The pulp occupies about 90-95%, which favorably distinguishes this variety from others.

Trombone

The growing season is about 110 days. The fruits have an original twisted shape and a length of up to 50 cm, so they are often used for decoration. suburban areas. On average, their weight is 6-8 kg, but with favorable soil it can reach 18 kg. The skin is dense and has an orange or green color. By the time of full ripening, the flesh becomes bright orange in color and becomes very fragrant. Can you store a pumpkin? more than a year. The variety was bred by Italian breeders and has several names - “pipe from Albenga” (Albenga is a city in Italy), “tromboncino” (small pipe) and “zucchetta”.

Miracle Yudo

The growing season is up to 120 days. The fruits are oval in shape and weigh up to 6-8 kg. The skin is colored orange, has characteristic mesh patterns and a gray coating. The pulp has a bright orange color with red veins and can be eaten fresh, because it is very tasty - it has a high content of carotene (25.5%) and sugar (4.25%).

Barbara F1

The vegetation period is 50-60 days, therefore it is an early ripe universal hybrid that can be grown in different regions. If the pumpkin is planned to be stored, then it is better to collect it on the 85-90th day after the emergence of shoots. The fruits gain a weight of about 2-6 kg, but with fertile soil this figure can reach 15 kg. They are cylindrical in shape with a thickening at one end. The skin is orange, but covered with dark green longitudinal stripes. The pulp is sweet and tasty, of medium thickness and light color.

Peanut butter

The growing season is about 85 days, so it refers to early ripe varieties bred in Germany. The fruits acquire a pear-shaped shape and reach a weight of up to 4 kg. The skin has a pleasant cream color, and the flesh is bright orange. It tastes sweet and crunchy with a pleasant nutmeg-peanut aroma. The fruit can be stored for 6-12 months.

The growing season is 125-130 days, so the variety is considered medium early. The pumpkin is portioned - gaining a mass of 500-700 g, and up to 30 fruits can grow on one plant. The variety is unique in that during the growth process, a piece can be cut off from the vegetable and used for its intended purpose, while the rest of it will not rot, but will be covered with a new peel and continue to grow. The pumpkin is pear-shaped and creamy-beige in color. The pulp itself is bright orange in color, dense, oily and gives off a bright nutty flavor. The variety was bred by the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station by crossing wild African and nutmeg gourds.

Many varieties of butternut squash are thermophilic, but you can also pick up universal specimens that are adapted to colder climates, for example, the early-ripening hybrid Barbara F1.

Landing methods

Butternut squash is planted mainly in seedlings, which is especially important in the cool conditions of the middle lane. If the plant is grown in a tropical, subtropical or subequatorial zone, then planting can be done directly in open ground. Each method should be considered separately.

Planting through seedlings

Experienced farmers prefer to grow pumpkin through seedlings, regardless of the temperature of the region. The first days are extremely important for the formation of taste qualities in future fruits, so it is extremely important to exclude the possible impact of negative weather conditions. In addition, when growing pumpkins through seedlings, you can speed up the process of obtaining fruits.

It is necessary to prepare seedlings according to the usual rules of agricultural technology 20 days before transplanting into open ground, that is, in April or May. You need to act as follows:

Seed preparation. Soak seeds for 3-4 hours hot water(about 45 ° C), and then wrap them in a damp cloth and keep at room temperature before pecking (usually it will take 2-3 days). Such preparation will accelerate the germination of seeds and protect them from pests. When growing butternut squash experienced gardeners it is also recommended to harden the seeds to increase their cold resistance. So, already pecked pumpkin seeds should be kept for 3-5 days in the same damp cloth on the lower shelves of the refrigerator. Pre-seeds can be sprinkled with ash as a microfertilizer.
Capacity selection. pumpkin seedling does not tolerate transplanting, so it is recommended to plant the seeds in separate peat pots at least 6x6 cm in size. Some gardeners grow seedlings in homemade paper pots. They can be easily cut without harming the root system of the plant. IN last resort, you can use the usual wooden boxes.
Substrate preparation. To prepare soil mix for seedlings, mix 2 parts of peat, 1 part of rotted sawdust and humus. For 1 kg of substrate, add 1 tsp as a fertilizer. nitrophoska. Mix the mixture thoroughly. It should be noted that the gardener can immediately purchase ready ground from the store - a universal vegetable or one that is recommended for cucumbers.
Sowing seeds. Fill the pots with the substrate, and then water them abundantly and prepare small holes in which to drop the seeds. Optimal depth planting - 4-6 cm. If seedlings are grown in boxes, the bottom of the container should be sprinkled with sawdust in a layer of 3-4 cm before filling the soil.

Containers with seedlings should be transferred to a well-lit window sill, preferably south. In this case, you can grow strong seedlings without additional illumination. It is equally important to provide competent care for pumpkin seedlings, which is as follows:

before germination, cover the surface of containers with seedlings with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect with a daytime temperature of +18 ... + 25 ° C and a night temperature of + 15 ... + 18 ° C;
after the emergence of shoots, which occurs on about 6-7 days, reduce the daytime temperature to +15 ... + 18 ° C and the night temperature to + 12 ... + 13 ° C, and after 5-7 days raise it again, but not so intensively, as at first;
regularly, but moderately water the seedlings to prevent either drying out or waterlogging;
on the 7-10th day of germination, apply top dressing - nitrophoska (15 g per 10 l of water) or mullein solution (pour hot water over mullein in a ratio of 1:10, leave for 3-4 hours, dilute again in a ratio of 1:5 and water young plants );
a week before planting in open ground, carry out hardening - gradually reduce the daytime temperature to + 15 ... + 16 ° C and night - to + 13 ... + 14 ° C.

Seedlings can be transplanted outdoors after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves of bright green color. By this time, the seedlings will grow up to 15-20 cm. For their cultivation, you should choose areas where such crops previously grew:

potato;
legumes;
tomatoes;
any kind of cabbage;

The pumpkin cannot be transplanted into the soil in which its "relatives" like zucchini, cucumbers and melons previously grew. In addition, the site should be well lit by sunlight, be dry and warm, and also protected from the winds.

The transplant itself is carried out according to the following rules:

Since autumn, dig up the beds and fertilize - per 1 sq. m. add 3-5 kg of humus, 200 g of lime and 30-40 g of complex mineral fertilizers.
In late May - early June, when the earth warms up to at least + 18 ° C, in cloudy weather or evening time prepare holes, the depth of which is at least 5 cm. The distance between them should be within 60-100 cm.
If seedlings were grown in peat cups, gently destroy its dense outer walls. If the seeds were sown in boxes, the resulting seedlings should be taken out with a clod of earth so as not to harm the delicate roots.
Plant young plants in prepared holes and pour plenty of water.
Cover seedlings with foil to protect them from frost. When the temperature normalizes, the shelter can be removed, and then only used during cold nights.

A properly planted pumpkin produces large and heavy fruits, and 2-3 ovaries ripen on each plant.

Sowing in open ground

In warm southern regions, seeds can be sown immediately in open ground. It is worth doing this in the first decade of May under a film shelter. Optimum temperature for growing crops, it is kept within + 20 ... + 25 ° C.

Landing must be done on a well-lit piece of land, which is protected from shade and winds. It should be noted that if the soil is rich groundwater, then it is not suitable for growing gourds, since its root system goes deep underground and can simply die from an excess of moisture.

The seeds prepared in the previously described way should be sown along the beds to a depth of 5-6 cm and at a distance of 80-90 cm. It is worth throwing 2 seeds into each hole, and when shoots appear, you will need to remove a weaker plant from the root.

Butternut squash care

Regardless of the method of planting, the plant needs proper care, which involves the following activities:

Watering and loosening. You need to water the pumpkin with plenty of warm water (about 20 ° C), and the optimal amount of water is up to 5-6 liters per plant or 15-20 liters per 1 sq. m of landing area. This is enough to give the pumpkin nutritional moisture, but to prevent cracking of the fruit. Before the formation of the ovaries, watering should be carried out once a week, and in the future - once every 2 weeks. After each watering, it is imperative to loosen the soil around the plants shallowly.
top dressing. It helps to increase the yield of the variety and the quality characteristics of the fruit. The first fertilizing with nitrophoska is introduced after the formation of the 5th true leaflet on the plants. The second top dressing with a solution of mullein is introduced in the phase of lash formation. In addition, during the flowering period, the pumpkin can be watered with warm water with the addition of wood ash.
Weed removal and pinching. Before the formation of lashes, it is extremely important to remove weeds in time. When the whips are formed, then the need for this will disappear. At the same time, it is not recommended to move the formed nodes and lashes, especially during the flowering period, since in this case the flowers can be damaged and the development of fruits can be suspended. It is equally important to remember to pinch the ovaries.
Protection from pests and diseases. As a preventive measure, the plant should be treated with biofungicides or growth-stimulating agents, which purely include Immunocytophyte, Krezatsin, Silk and Epin. In addition, bushes can be sprayed with Acrobat or Kurzat.

Despite preventive measures, pumpkin can be affected by various diseases and pests:

powdery mildew. This is a disease that is provoked by a sharp change in day and night temperatures. Spots appear on the fruits, and the leaves turn yellow, dry out and fall off. To prevent powdery mildew, the plant should be covered with a film at night. It is equally important to water the plant abundantly and regularly.
Anthracnose. The disease often affects pumpkins that grow in a closed area or in a greenhouse. Less often, it poses a threat to plants grown in the open field. Anthracnose is manifested by a symmetrical lesion of the leaves, and after the stem and fruits. Ulcers form on the surface, covered with plaque Pink colour. The plant dies completely when the disease affects the root. Anthracnose develops with excessive humidity. In addition, it can appear in the hot period of summer with intensive watering of the fruit.
Ascochitosis. It affects the ground parts of the plant with excessive soil moisture or frost. At the same time, black spots appear on the leaves, stems and fruits. To prevent the development of the disease, seedlings should be covered with a film.
gourd aphid. These are insects that suck the vital juices from the plant, so the leaves dry out due to lack of moisture and nutrients. In the fight against aphids, you can use special drugs or folk remedies like an infusion of chamomile or wormwood. Aphids can be distracted from the pumpkin by potato or tomato tops, ash.
Slugs. These pests can ruin crops as they lay their eggs in the soil and eat the plant at night, making holes in the fruit. In the fight against slugs, it is worth enclosing the area with burlap and even planting burdock on it. During the day, slugs will accumulate under the burlap, and in the evening they need to be exterminated using ashes.

Harvesting and storage

In mid-August or before the onset of autumn cold weather, you can harvest. To do this, you need to carefully cut the fruit from the stalk without damaging the bark and leaving a tail up to 5 cm long.

The collected fruits should be dried in a warm place for 14 days, and then stored in a dry place. If the pumpkin is planned to be consumed immediately after harvest, then you should give it a few days so that it can fully ripen, acquire a special taste and orange color.

Butternut squash is a dietary product that is easily absorbed by the body, helps to strengthen the immune system and alleviate the condition in diseases of the kidneys and liver by providing a choleretic effect. In addition, the fruits of nutmeg pumpkin have a special taste, so they can be eaten fresh, as well as used to prepare savory dishes.

Butternut squash appeared in Russia at the end of the 20th century. It differs from fodder varieties traditionally grown on the territory of the Russian Federation in open ground in its size, shape, appearance, taste of pulp, percentage of carotene and other nutrients.

In the wild, butternut squash grows in Central America and Japan. It is included in the diet of peoples living in Mexico, Colombia, Peru. This vegetable is cultivated in many countries of the world.

This variety of pumpkin is easily cross-pollinated with other species, improving their taste characteristics. Breeders managed to cross the nutmeg pumpkin with lagenaria and get several varieties of butternut, which is used in the diet of the population of America and Europe.

Why nutmeg pumpkin attracts the attention of melon growers

Muscat varieties are more difficult to grow outdoors than zoned table gourds. They bear small fruits, require long daylight hours, good nutrition, and cannot stand shade.

If you violate the rules for their cultivation, then the fruits will develop poorly, part of the crop will rot on the vine, and the part that has time to ripen will be small in size with undeveloped seed pods.

Each variety must grow separately. If you plant several varieties with different tastes next to each other, then in the garden there will be one variety that has a dominant gene. He will be able to pollinate the ovaries, and as a result, hybrids are formed that have similar taste characteristics.

Despite these shortcomings, this variety of pumpkin is readily planted because:

The shell of nutmeg varieties is thin, but dense, with a wax coating that protects against bacterial rot. Thanks to this property, pumpkins can lie up to a year in a cool room.
The pulp contains a large amount of carotene, which gives it a bright carrot color.
The light sweet smell of nutmeg favorably distinguishes it from table varieties of pumpkin.
It is equally delicious raw and after. heat treatment.
The fruits after heat treatment resemble pea puree, but their pulp is more saturated in taste and has a pleasant aftertaste.
The pulp contains a huge amount of mineral salts and sugar, due to which the taste after heat treatment is so rich that it does not require the addition of spices.

All nutmeg varieties contain a large number of various useful substances necessary for the normal functioning of the internal secretion organs. Their presence in the pulp allows you to make nutrition complete and use pumpkin dishes. long time.

People who adhere to the pumpkin diet note an increase in vascular tone and an increase in vitality. IN winter time in Russia, butternut squash is increasingly used as the main type of food.

Muscat vitamin pumpkin varieties are easily digested by the body, do not get bored, and can be used in many dishes.

What varieties to choose for planting

Butternut squash differs in varieties, ripening time and content of nutrients. In a state of biological maturity, it has bright flesh from dirty yellow to red-orange. The color of its peel can have a variety of colors and shades.

Varieties of dark green color are known, such as the Vnuchka pumpkin, which bears small fruits with a maximum weight of no more than 2 kg. This is very sweet variety, having an unusual peel, covered with small dimples. It was obtained by breeders of the Primorsk Experimental Station by crossing Japanese nutmeg pumpkins and zoned varieties. This gourd grows well in Asia outdoors and is recommended for high risk farming areas throughout the country.

Pumpkin Marina from Kyoja is similar in taste and appearance for the granddaughter. This is a medium-late variety, the fruits of which ripen on the 130th day after germination. This variety of butternut squash grows in Europe, on the Mediterranean coast. Produces a flat, ribbed, dark green turban-like fruit. The wrinkled crust can be colored from green to gray. The fruit reaches a weight of up to 12 kg and is stored for a long time without loss of quality. The pulp is used to make puddings, cookies, cakes, mashed potatoes. This variety produces well in open ground in the European part of the country.

Mid-season marble pumpkin with unevenly colored greenish-gray skin, decorated with stripes. This variety grows fruits up to 6 kg in weight, which ripen 130 days after germination. The fruits are large, wrinkled, flattened, weigh up to 10 kg. The pulp is dense orange. Suitable for outdoor cultivation in areas where frost occurs in October.

The mid-late variety Muscat of Provence is not inferior to green pumpkins, in which the color of the bark is painted in light shades of orange. It matures on the 120th day, growing its fruits up to 8 kg. This variety has a round, flattened pumpkin divided into equal segments and bright orange flesh, dense and fragrant. Muscat Provence pumpkin has a small seed chamber where small dense seeds are hidden. Pumpkins lie perfectly in a cool, dry place until the next harvest.

All pumpkins of mid-late varieties, the peel of which has a green or light orange hue in biological ripeness, contain the largest amount of dry matter. The heavier the fruit and the thicker the stalk, the more solids will be in the pulp and the richer the taste of the finished dish.

Fruits with a bright orange color have less dry matter, but have a great aroma. Early ripe pumpkin Golden Pear with bright teardrop-shaped fruits weighing up to 2 kg, gives 5-6 fruits from 1 bush. She has juicy, sweet, with the taste of roasted chestnuts, flesh. This variety can be grown in regions with short cold summers.

Pumpkin Vitaminnaya with oval bright yellow-orange sides, which sometimes decorate stripes, grows well only in the south of the country. She needs 140 days to fully mature. The flesh is dark orange, juicy and sweet. The maximum weight of the fetus is not more than 5 kg. Pumpkin nutmeg Vitamin perfectly stored until the new harvest. It is used to make soft purees, to feed babies and to make juices.

Butternut as a variety of butternut squash

Butternuts are classified as nutmeg varieties because this variety was obtained artificially through repeated crossing of nutmeg gourds with African bottle-shaped lagenaria.

Early and mid-season varieties can grow throughout the Russian Federation. They are high yielding plants producing pear-shaped fruits that can last no more than 3 months after harvest, provided they are harvested before freezing.

Pumpkin Muscat Guitar yields a crop for 110 days and belongs to mid-season varieties.

Its flesh is bright, juicy, with a pleasant smell. Its fruits weighing about 4 kg have a juicy crispy pulp, which is used for jam, candied fruits, casseroles and pumpkin pies.

The mid-late pumpkin Prikubanskaya is similar in appearance to the Guitar, but gives more large fruits. The thin bark of a light orange-brown color is easily damaged when negative temperature. Ripe fruits lie until the New Year. You can remove slightly unripe fruits together with the stalk for ripening. Green fruits spoil quickly.

Pumpkin Muscat Pearl is distinguished by a bright orange peel during the period of biological maturity and a small seed chamber. Zhemchuzhina pumpkin ripens in early September, growing up to 6 kg. During the period of technical maturity, the fruit is colored in a gray-green hue. Her ripe pumpkins keep well if kept in a cool, dry place. The pearl has a dark orange flesh, high in carotene, which is used to make pumpkin juice and casseroles.

Pumpkin Augustine is a large-fruited variety, in its mature form it has a variegated green peel with yellow highlights. It is planted in areas along the middle zone of the European part of the Russian Federation, because this variety has stable high yields. The pods ripen 110 days after germination. Aromatic pulp of bright orange color, dense, sweet and fragrant, rich in mineral salts and carotenes.

Reviews for nutmeg pumpkins always contain a positive assessment. They have such a pleasant aroma, bright color, taste that housewives are happy to use them to prepare various dishes.

The cut butternut can be stored for 5 days in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf. There the pulp retains its juiciness and useful properties.

Muscat pumpkin, the varieties of which are shown in the photo, surprises with its diversity. If you use hybrids obtained at home when planting, then several different pumpkins in shape, color and appearance can grow on 1 bush, but their flesh will be the same in taste.

For good growth and abundant fruiting, plants need timely watering, regular weeding, loosening and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers.

Growing and caring for butternut squash depends on the fertility of the plant. Small varieties are planted in open ground at a distance of 50x50. Large-fruited varieties require landing in nests staggered at a distance of 70x70.

All Muscat varieties form whips up to 6 meters, on which male and female flowers are formed. After the ovary, all the forces of the plant are directed to their cultivation. New female flowers will appear no earlier than the fruit ripening process is completely over.

Early ripe and mid-ripening varieties are capable of producing 2 crops in 1 season. If you remove a semi-ripe fruit from the garden, with a stalk that has almost dried up, in a week female and male flowers. After pollination, they will produce an ovary that will develop quickly if there is enough nutrients in the soil.

Butternat pumpkin belongs to strongly weaving plants, forming a numerous ovary. Crowded plantings will interfere with fruit development, and they will fall off due to lack of heat and sunlight.

Butternut squash, which produce round fruits, require sufficient light, otherwise the squash will remain small.

To grow sweet varieties of dessert pumpkin on the site, you need to prepare the beds for planting in advance. In the southern regions, seeds are thrown into pits covered with mullein, ash and black soil. IN upper part soil mixed with nitrogen and superphosphate. Pits are spilled with water so that they are damp. Such a cake allows you to start the combustion processes that are needed to warm the heat-loving plant in the June cold.

Before the appearance of sprouts, plantings are covered with a film. This will allow you to get friendly shoots. After the threat of frost has disappeared, the covering material is removed.

When 5 true leaves appear, pinch the lash. This allows you to start the growth of lateral lashes and quickly tie the crop.

When the ovary began to pour on 1 lash, the crown must be pinched so that the plant does not waste energy on the growth of other fruits, which often fall off due to lack of nutrition.

It is especially important to pinch on the lashes of mid-late ripening pumpkins. If early frosts begin in the fall, late-set pumpkins will not have time to ripen.

The emerging female flowers are pollinated by hand. This allows you to get several fruits from 1 bush. If you refuse manual pollination, then the plant will be able to tie 1-2 pumpkins.

When the lashes begin to grow, it is important to loosen the soil well, where they will grow fruits. Pumpkin has the ability to produce additional roots to provide the ovary with good nutrition. In loose soil, this is much easier to do than in compacted soil.

Disturbing pumpkin lashes during fruiting is not recommended. This breaks off the root system and can cause rotting of young fruits.

How to grow butternut squash in risky farming areas

In such areas, you need to use varieties that ripen 90-110 days after germination. Growing pumpkins in areas where frosts continue until mid-June should be done through seedlings. Seeds are sown in liter pots with nutrient soil in late April - early May. The sprouts that appear are hardened in a place well lit by the sun, protected from the wind.

Seedlings are planted in open ground after the end of the threat of frost by transshipment. Plants with 2 true leaves are planted in a pile of manure, covered with black soil from above, moved from wood ash. For one hole you need:

2 buckets of mullein;
1 bucket of black soil;
1/3 bucket of ash;
2 tbsp. l. superphosphate;
a bucket of water.

So that the plant does not burn out under the open rays of the sun, seedlings are planted in the evening or in cloudy weather. If the landing is on a sunny day, you need to cover each bush with several layers of burdock leaves. Until the sun dries them up time will pass, which is necessary for the root system to take root.

To get a stable harvest of nutmeg pumpkin, you need to regularly update the seed fund, selecting zoned varieties and hybrids that grow well in the area.

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