Pumpkin is a herbaceous plant of the Pumpkin family, the fruits of which are actively eaten. It is grown for a long time and is now widely used among gardeners around the world due to its unpretentiousness and excellent taste.
Pumpkin Classification
There are several species that differ in their external characteristics, care requirements and taste: large-fruited, nutmeg, hard-bark, which is divided into pumpkin, zucchini and squash. For practical purposes, another classification was formed. Using it, any gardener will be able to choose a suitable copy.
- By maturity. Various varieties have their own period of growth and active vegetation. Depending on its duration, plants ripen on different dates.
- By the size of the fruit. Outwardly, it is quite easy to distinguish a large representative of pumpkin from a small one. Dimensions play an important role, because they affect the amount of pulp and seeds.
- By grade: table, decorative, stern. Each has its own characteristics that fully reflect the name.
- On the lashes. There are representatives with compact, long and bushy.
Hardcore pumpkins
The ripened representatives of this group have a thick, dense crust, sometimes stiff, which protects the flesh of the fetus from external influences.
It is noted that the seeds of hard-boiled pumpkins are especially tasty. Medium-sized fruits ripen quickly enough and are characterized by their unpretentiousness and resistance to disease.
Hard pumpkin varieties
| Grade | Description | Weight, kg) | Ripening period |
| Acorn. | A delicious table with rich pulp and large seeds. Shrub and compact variations. The surface is smooth, the color is often yellow, but black, green and white with an orange tint are also found. | 1-1,5. | 80-90 days. |
| Freckle. | Representative with characteristic flesh. Has an original coloring: saturated green peel with white marks, similar to freckles. Grows like a bush. | 0,5-3,2. | Early ripening. |
| Mushroom bush 189. | Unusual, with a beautiful color: light orange or yellow, covered with black, white lines or large spots. Develops like a bush. | 2,5-5. | 80-100 days. |
| Gleisdorfer Elkerbis. | A wicker table with a unique flavor and classic yellow color. The crust is smooth, firm, when ripe acquires an orange hue. The pulp is juicy, seeds are large, white. | 3,5-4,5. | Mid-season. |
| Danae. | Branched, growing with its lashes for many centimeters around. Bright orange peel and tasty pulp are characteristic. Due to the taste, this variety is usually used when cooking porridge. | 5-7. | |
| Aport. | Compact shrub with small branches. The fruits are juicy, sweet, the color is orange or yellow. | 4,5-7,5. | |
| Spaghetti. | The shape is oblong, bright yellow in color, similar to a melon. Fibrous, juicy pulp, large grayish seeds. When cooking breaks up into characteristic segments. | 2,5-5. |
Large-fruited pumpkins
Very sweet, large pumpkins are the favorite plants of gardeners. They grow on a smooth rounded peduncle of cylindrical shape.
Unpretentious in care, many representatives are able to tolerate drought and unexpected frosts. It is stored for a long time without losing its taste.
Varieties of large-fruited pumpkins
| Grade | Description | Weight, kg) | Ripening period |
| Mushroom winter. | It has long lashes and a flattened gray-green crust. The pulp is orange-red, bright with a characteristic taste and rounded beige seeds. It can be stored for a long time. | 2-3,5. | 120-140 days. |
| Winter is sweet. | Dark gray segmented fruits flattened laterally. Thick sweetish pulp, orange blossom. Able to tolerate prolonged drought. Juices and mashed potatoes for baby food are made from this variety. | 5,5-6. | Late ripening. |
| Altair. | The peel is gray with a bluish tint. The pulp is juicy, fibrous, bright orange in color, many large seeds. The shape is slightly flattened with characteristic stripes on the sides. | 3-5. | Mid-season. |
| Common. | The most popular, grown due to its unpretentiousness and excellent taste. Pale orange peel with greenish patches, standard seeds and orange flesh. | 5-20. | |
| Tradeswoman. | A common dining room with a delicate yellow peel and a mild, pleasant taste. It is stored for no more than 5 months, after which it can be used as animal feed. | 10-20. | |
| Sweetie. | It can grow greatly with proper care and a nutritious substrate. Gives at least 8 fruits at a time. The crust is orange-red with scarlet marks. The pulp is dense, crisp, rich in vitamin C and minerals. | 2-2,5. | |
| Kherson. | Climbing with a gray-green crust, on which light gray spots appear. The pulp is juicy, sweet. It survives short periods of drought and light frosts, it can be stored for a long time. | 4,5-6. | |
| Volga gray. | Long lashes and bluish-gray fruits of a rounded shape are characteristic. The average taste, the pulp is bright orange, the seeds are standard. Tolerates drought, well stored. | 5-8. |
Nutmeg pumpkins
Grown in the southern regions with a hot climate and the absence of sudden changes in temperature. It’s a rather capricious look, which has high palatability and is notable for the original colors and shape of the fruit, which can be ripened removed from the garden even at home.
Varieties of nutmeg pumpkins
| Grade | Description | Weight, kg) | Ripening period |
| Butternut. | The shape resembles a pear, the crust is bright orange, segmented. Very juicy, watery, sweet pulp with a bright aroma. It is actively eaten, even in raw form. Contains many vitamins and minerals in the composition. | 0,5-1. | Mid-season. |
| Epic. | Small bluish fruits flattened laterally. Bright orange flesh is used raw to achieve maximum palatability. | 2-3. | |
| Amber. | Long-toed. The orange peel has a brown tint and a slight waxy coating to protect against pests. It tolerates hot times. Classic taste of pulp, seeds are large. | 2,5-6,5. | |
| Hokkaido | A dining room with a fabulous sweet flesh with a pleasant nutty flavor. The shape is round, slightly elongated, similar to a bulb. | 0,8-2. | 90-110 days. |
| Crumpet. | Strongly branching with greenish fruits. The pulp is bright orange in color, very sweet, high-calorie, which is why it got its name. It is actively used in cooking. | 5-7. | Late ripening. |
| Vitamin. | Strongly branching, with long large lashes. Fruits are bright green, ellipsoidal with yellow vertical spots. The sugar content in the pulp is quite high: 7-9%, has a unique component - beta-carotene, useful for the human body. It is recommended to use as baby food and for making juices. | 5-6. | |
| Prikubanskaya. | Distributed in the south of Russia. It has unique taste and cylindrical shape. The color is brown with an orange tint. The pulp is tender, sweet and sour. | 2,5-6,5. | 90-130 days. |
Decorative pumpkins
They have an unusual shape and color.
Representatives are used to decorate the site or create compositions; they are rarely consumed as food.
| Grade | Description |
| Shyot. | Pale or bluish color with a predominant green hue. The peel is ribbed, slightly rough. The shape is narrowed in the middle, similar to a pear. It has large seeds suitable for further breeding. Unpretentious, able to tolerate light frosts and dry periods. |
| Red Riding Hood. | A medium-sized fruit with a modified crust: the upper part resembles a mushroom cap and is colored red or bright orange, the lower part is pinkish or yellow. The color is very unusual and with maturation becomes more saturated. |
| Lagenaria. | Large with a thick strong crust. Used in decorating the garden, it is from it that Halloween products are made. It is quite demanding in care, the crop should be harvested before the onset of cold weather, otherwise the fruit will crack and spoil. After naturally drying, pumpkins become light. |
| Phycephaly. | A unique representative with fig-shaped leaves. The bones are black, and the pulp in the prepared form can be eaten. Fruits can be stored for up to 3 years in a cool, dark place. |
| Crookneck. | Small oblong elongated. They taper slightly towards the top, a dark orange peel is covered with numerous growths resembling warts. Able to be stored for a long time in a cool place. |
Varieties of pumpkins for the suburbs
The climate of this region is conducive to the cultivation of pumpkins, but the representatives who give the highest productivity stand out.
| Grade | Description | Ripening period (days) | Application |
| Baby | Small fruits with slightly sugary sweet pulp. The crust is dense, painted in gray-green with small transverse stripes. It can be stored for a long period. Bushes are resistant to various diseases, but favored by pests. | 120-130. | Dietary nutrition. |
| Sweet pie. | A round-shaped pumpkin with juicy yellow pulp, capable of gaining up to 3 kg of weight. Do not spoil for a long time, quite unpretentious. | 90-100. | Soups, sweets. |
| Melon. | The most popular variety, due to its characteristics. It is able to grow up to 30 kg, while it has a sweet, delicate pulp, rich in vitamins, similar to melon in taste. It can survive frost and drought, it is stored for a long time. | 115-120. | Baby food, juices, salads. |
| I made champagne. | Large oblong fruits with a thin pale orange peel. The pulp is dense, has a light vanilla flavor, resembles a carrot. | Mid-season. | Juices, stews, pies. It is used fresh. |
| Dawn. | Large-fruited pumpkin of unusual color: bright orange and yellow spots appear on a dark green peel. The pulp is incomplete, has a sweetish taste. | 100-120. | Dietary nutrition. |
| Russian woman. | Medium sized fruit with an orange peel. The pulp is friable, sweet, tastes like melon. Very productive variety, able to tolerate sudden changes in temperature and freezing. | Early ripening. | Sweets, pastries. |
Varieties of pumpkins for Siberia, the Urals
The temperature in these areas is unstable, frost and drought often occur, so there are several unpretentious varieties.
| Grade | Description | Ripening period | Application |
| Therapeutic. | Medium fruits with a bluish color and small greenish blotches. It can withstand temperatures up to -2 ° C, is stored for a long time. Able to gain weight up to 5 kg. | Early ripening. | Dietary nutrition. |
| Smile. | It grows in bushes on which up to 8-9 pumpkins appear. The peel is orange in color with beige longitudinal lines. It can be stored for a long time, even at room temperature it retains its rich taste and aroma. | Early ripening. | Salads, soups, stews. |
| Pearl. | Strong enough with large elastic lashes. The dark yellow crust is covered with an orange thin net and bright marks. The pulp is reddish with an unusual pleasant taste. Gains up to 6 kg. | Late ripening. | Baking, baby food. |
Mr. Summer resident recommends: pumpkin is a healthy product
The pulp of pumpkin is enriched with many substances that are beneficial for the human body: proteins, fiber, pectins and vitamins of group C.
It favorably affects the state of the intestine, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and is used to treat iron deficiency anemia and liver diseases. Most representatives of low-calorie, despite their sweetness, are used in dietary nutrition. Even the seeds are eaten after thorough drying.
