Cultivation and storage of squash

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This variety of ordinary pumpkins in various parts of the world is called vegetable and dish-shaped, in the international classification, where the squash is called Cucurbita pepo var. Clypeata, fixed its comparison with the scallop. Squash has an unusual name - the Jerusalem artichoke. The word "squash" comes from the name of the French gingerbread cake, pate. Vegetable culture is very similar to this dish in its shape and unusual look for the pumpkin family.

So, how do the patissons look, and why is the comparison with a plate and a pie very reasonable?

Unlike the pumpkin, the squash does not give lashes. Like their closest relatives, the squash grows, forming a large shrub, on which, after flowering, a flattened, disc-shaped ovary appears with an almost flat or shaped edge.

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It is interesting that wild-growing squash does not occur in nature. Therefore, the origin of the species is still not entirely clear. Most likely, the squaws were the result of spontaneous crossing and first appeared somewhere in Central or South America, and then spread to other parts of the globe. The most popular culture in France and the United States. And on the North American continent, the squash is deservedly styled patty pan, which literally translates as a baking pan.

In Russia, a formerly once-famous vegetable today is forgotten and replaced by other related species, although it is easy to grow squash and care for it, even for a novice gardener.

Cultivation of squash and care for planting

Squash seeds outwardly have much in common with the squash seeds, they also remain viable for up to 8 years, but a little smaller. The temperature at which the seeds start to grow is 12–14 ° C, and the squash at 15–27 ° C develops and bears fruit. When planting this crop, it is important to bear in mind that frost is destructive for plants, therefore seeds or seedling of patissons fall into open ground not earlier than the second half of May.

Read also: Fertilizers for vegetable seedlings - types and recommendations for making

Disc pumpkin also has its own requirements for soil composition and structure. The best place for planting squash is a well-lit area with loose soil, rich in organic matter. The plant on black soil mixed with sawdust or sand feels good:

  • Loams fertilized with organic matter at the rate of 4–6 kg per square meter are suitable for growing squash.
  • In the fall, 46 grams of superphosphate and 12 grams of potassium salts are added to the soil per square meter of beds.
  • In the spring, when fertilizing the soil, 13 grams of urea is per meter.

When choosing a place for sowing squash take into account that after cucumbers, zucchini, squash and pumpkins themselves, this culture should not be planted.

How do patissons grow in proximity to other garden crops? In order to avoid the development of diseases inherent in these closely related species, the scallops can occupy the same bed only after 4–5 years. But after legumes, carrots and parsley, onions and cabbage, the harvest of these unusual pumpkins will be good, and the bushes healthy. As in the case of pumpkins, perfectly combined with potatoes, squash can be grown in between the rows among potato bushes. It is interesting to observe how the scallops grow on compost heaps. Constant heating of the soil and its nutritional value positively affect the growth of the bush and the number of ovaries.

In an open ground, the seeds are closed in the second half of May. On the depth of from 3 to 5 cm should fall on 2-3 seed. The bed is marked in such a way that there is at least 70 cm between the plants. When the seedlings open the first true leaves. They are thinned, leaving one germ per well.

If spring cooling or frost is not excluded, when growing patissons, crops are necessarily covered with a film.

When the squash grows through seedlings, sowing in pots with a diameter of 8 cm is carried out in the last third of April. Seedlings are transported to the soil in 25–35 days, when the danger of frost has passed. Under the film, the scallops can be transplanted two weeks earlier. Due to the powerful root system, the bush squash bush receives food from a depth of up to half a meter and a piece of soil with a diameter of about 4 meters. Therefore, infrequent but abundant watering is preferred for plants, combined with top dressing:

  • Seedlings with two open leaves are fed with a solution of 15–20 grams of urea and half the amount of potash and phosphorus fertilizers per square meter.
  • At the stage of bud formation, fertilizing is repeated, doubling the rate of potash salts and a half to half of phosphate and nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
  • During large-scale fruiting, squash bushes are fertilized with a similar composition.

During dry periods, the squash is watered at least once a week.

For better illumination and ventilation of the plantings on adult fruiting bushes, part of the foliage is cut off, which will prevent the development of putrefactive bacteria and fungi. In order to avoid rotting of the fruit, it is better not to allow the ovary to fall on the ground, and also to remove the rims of faded flowers.

Read also: Detailed instructions for growing tomatoes on the windowsill in the winter and summer

How to keep the scallops for the winter and use in the summer?

Like squash, squash is used immature, when the skin has not yet hardened, the seeds have not formed, and the pulp has a rather pleasant consistency. When the pumpkin ripens, the surface layer becomes inedible, the inner part of the fruit becomes friable, seeds ripen. Such squash to save for the winter is not difficult, but their nutritional value is low.

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will help in the fight against plum pestsHarvesting of such fruits is carried out at least twice a week, always leaving a stalk on the squash.

The more regular the cutting is, the more new the ovary will form until the cold.

It is almost impossible to keep young fresh scalps longer than a month. At home, at a temperature of not more than 4–8 ° C, the fruit retains its appearance and taste for the longest. Squashes with a dense skin are beautifully kept until spring. At the same time, the fruits sent to the storage should be intact, without scratches and dents on the skin, with a small stem and flower remnants removed.

The best storage conditions are 1–3 ° C, moderate humidity and ventilation.

How to keep the squash for the winter in room conditions? To do this, the fruit is wrapped in paper and placed in a dark place so that the pumpkin does not touch. Like squash, squash, shot long before the onset of maturity, can be excellent ingredients for homemade marinades, pickles and delicious caviar.

How to keep the scallops for the winter almost fresh and juicy? Young squashes can be kept fresh by subjecting them to quick freezing in the form of whole small fruits intended for stuffing, or small cubes going to stew, soups and other culinary dishes. Frozen vegetables fully preserve the nutritional value and taste of freshly picked fruit.


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