About the timing of pumpkin harvesting in the suburbs

To determine the exact time when to harvest a pumpkin in the suburbs, attention should be paid to several factors at once. Harvest time depends on the variety, and the climatic conditions of a particular season. There are large-fruited varieties of this vegetable, as well as with hard bark. What kind fertile zodiac signs do you know

Most often, we grow nutmeg pumpkin, which is a late-ripening species. You can buy it at the markets throughout the winter, because such a pumpkin is perfectly stored.

The first, as a rule, are the varieties of this orange vegetable with hard bark. You can collect such pumpkin varieties in late August and early September. Here it’s easy to determine maturity: just look at the stalk. If it has dried, it means the vegetable has stopped growing.

Interesting! The maturity of the pumpkin can be indicated by the correct pattern on the sides of the vegetable. The color should be saturated yellow or orange, some pumpkins come in brown light.

Varieties with hard bark will not be stored for long. If you need to make reserves for the winter, then these types of pumpkins are not suitable. They are stored for a month, and then the seeds begin to germinate and the vegetable becomes tasteless.

Large-fruited, nutmeg pumpkins

As for when to pick large-fruited, as well as nutmeg pumpkins in the Moscow Region, the terms are much shifted. Such vegetables will feel calmly in the garden before the start of frosts. That is, until the middle, or even the end of September.

Do not leave a pumpkin in the garden for a long time after the onset of frost. Such fruits quickly lose their palatability, and they can be used, perhaps, for pet food. When the pumpkin is harvested, it needs to be allowed to ripen a little. For this, the fruit should be placed in a room with room temperature for 20 days.

Important! Nutmeg pumpkins are ideal for winter storage. They can maintain excellent appearance and taste, vitamins and nutrients for up to six months after harvesting. But the sugar content in the pumpkin decreases, due to which by the end of storage the pulp can become fibrous and tasteless.

To understand that such types of pumpkins are ripe will also be quite simple. Yellowing or drying of the leaves, even one of the leaves, indicates the degree of maturity. The peduncle becomes wooden, and the fruit itself changes color, becomes more saturated. The shell itself also becomes harder. Regardless of the type of pumpkin, you need to clean it before the first frosts this year.

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About the right harvest

If the vegetable has not yet had time to ripen before the first frost, then do not worry. You can let him ripen already in a torn form on the veranda or in the room. Well, if the rays of the sun will fall on the fruits.

When harvesting decorative pumpkins, you need to focus on size and color. You should also remember about the dried stalk and leaves. That is, when choosing any kind of pumpkin, the rules for determining maturity will be the same.

Interesting! Decorative pumpkin varieties are not intended for human consumption. So, they are not afraid of light frosts, because they affect the taste, but not on the appearance.

When a pumpkin is cut, regardless of its variety, it is necessary to leave the stalk about 5 cm long, in no case less than the specified number. If you immediately cut the stem, then the integrity of the vegetable will be violated, and it will not be stored: soon it will simply begin to rot. The optimal temperature for storing pumpkins is 10-15 degrees Celsius.

When to harvest a pumpkin in the suburbs: a summary

If it comes about the middle zone of Russia, then the main criterion for determining the timing of the harvest, including pumpkins of any variety, will be the presence of frost. As a rule, they begin in mid-September. So, do not overexpose the fruits in the beds when it is already frosty on the street.

Important! Light frost in September is often not at day, but at night. So, the person does not even notice him. But for pumpkins, such a frost can be fatal, it will quickly spoil the excellent taste of the vegetable.

If autumn is dry and sunny this year, then you can cut pumpkins, but take your time to transfer them to the room. They can ripen right on the beds, only you need to strictly monitor the day and night air temperatures.

Now, every gardener will be able to determine for himself when to pick a pumpkin in the suburbs or another region. It is important not to leave the fruit in the cold so as not to lose taste. If we are talking about decorative varieties that are not eaten, then they will not be afraid of frost at all.