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Pumpkin Matilda is a variety that belongs to the Dutch selection. It has been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements since 2009. The crop is recommended for cultivation in private and farm households in the Central Region. Pumpkin Matilda belongs to the table variety of medium ripening. The variety is ideal for making desserts and juices.
Description of pumpkin Matilda
Pumpkin Matilda F1 is an annual, herbaceous plant, belongs to the Muscat type. This is one of the sweetest and most vitamin varieties. The plant is formed climbing. Stems can reach 5 m in length. When several fruits appear on one lash, it is necessary to limit the growth by pinching. Based on the description and photo of the Matilda pumpkin, it is clear that its creeping and powerful stems can withstand the high weight of vegetables. The leaves are heart-shaped, alternate.
The flowers of the variety are large, but they are not always found by pollinating insects, so hand pollination may be required. To do this, pollen is transferred with a brush from male flowers to female ones. The male flowers of the culture are distinguished by a longer pedicel.
Description of fruits
The fruits of the variety are large, bottle-shaped, expanding downwards. The ribbing is small, more pronounced at the stem. The skin is thin, easily cut with a knife. The size of one fruit is from 3,5 to 5 kg. The seed chamber is small, located in the wide part of the fruit. Seeds in a variety plant may be absent or in small quantities. The rest of the pulp is dense, fleshy, without voids. Juiciness is average.
In the photo of the Matilda pumpkin, you can see that the color of the surface, depending on the degree of maturity, can be from mustard yellow to orange. The flesh of Matilda F1 acquires taste, color and aroma only when fully ripe. In unripe vegetables, it is pale in color, in ripe ones – a characteristic orange hue. At maturity it becomes oily.
Vegetables retain commercial quality for 4 months after removal. During storage, the taste improves. Pumpkin variety Matilda F1 is highly vitaminized, with a higher content of carotene than in carrots and apricots. To taste the pulp is sweet with honey aroma. Pumpkin Matilda F1 can be subjected to various types of heat treatment: stewing, baking. It is also consumed fresh. Used for making pumpkin juices, in mixes with apple and carrot juices. Suitable for diet food.
Characteristics of a variety
Pumpkin Matilda F1 is resistant to low and high temperatures. In the southern regions, the crop is harvested 3 months after germination, in other regions – in early autumn. It is important not to leave the Matilda F1 pumpkin in the open ground when even the smallest negative temperatures occur.
The yield of a crop depends on the quality of the soil, the planting area, and the possibility of pollination. Female flowers appear in the presence of sufficient sunlight. When grown in favorable conditions (on fertile and warm soil), the Matilda pumpkin brings about 10 vegetables from one bush. In order for vegetables to grow larger and have time to ripen, it is necessary to control the growth of lashes. The culture is suitable for industrial cultivation. The yield of Matilda pumpkin per hectare is 696-940 centners.
Pest and disease resistance
Pumpkin variety Matilda F1 is resistant to various infections and pests. But under unfavorable growing conditions, a small number of sunny days, various fungal diseases can affect the culture. At the same time, during the dry period, spider mites may appear on the leaves.
With dense plantings with a large number of weeds, the melon aphid affects the vegetative mass. To prevent the appearance of pests, it is necessary to observe crop rotation and not grow Matilda F1 pumpkin in one place more than 1 time in 3-4 years.
Advantages and disadvantages
Hybrid Matilda is plastic, which means high adaptability to the environment and growing methods. The culture of the Dutch selection is well adapted to the climate. Resistant to stressful weather conditions. Has a stable yield. The positive quality of the variety also includes its low susceptibility to diseases.
The main advantages of the fruits of the Matilda F1 variety are a large amount of pulp, high yield. Vegetables have excellent internal structure and marketability. Fruits are of high nutritional and vitamin value. They contain a large amount of sugar and mineral salts. Cleanse the body of toxins.
Pumpkin Matilda F1 requires a large planting area. Pumpkins can be picked unripe and grown indoors. Vegetables have good keeping quality. Stored up to 4 months. Matilda F1 is suitable for transportation.
The disadvantages include the fact that the hybrid, denoted by the F1 mark, does not involve growing from its own seeds. Stable signs of the Matilda F1 pumpkin variety show only when planted from seeds that can be found on sale. Such planting material is obtained through complex selection work, which cannot be done at home.
Growing pumpkin Matilda F1
The culture requires high temperature for germination. In the first days of growth, the taste qualities of the fruit are laid. Therefore, depending on the region of cultivation, it is planted in seedling and seedless method.
Planting seeds of the variety for seedlings begins from the end of March and continues until mid-April. It will take about 30-35 days to grow seedlings. Young plants do not tolerate transplanting well. Therefore, it is most favorable to plant seeds in peat tablets. Such planting containers contain all the necessary substances for the initial stage of growth. In open ground, seedlings grown in peat tablets are transferred without removing the shell from the earthen coma.
Only sunny areas are suitable for growing. When planting a pumpkin, varieties Matilda F1 by direct sowing in open ground, it is necessary to wait until a constant air temperature is set from + 16 ° С. For cultivation, high, warm ridges rich in nutrients are built, or compost heaps are used.
The soil in the place where melons are grown is prepared in the previous season. Top dressing is applied when digging the soil in the fall. The seeding depth is 6-8 cm. For the growth of the culture, a sufficient area of nutrition and illumination is necessary. Therefore, the distance between plants must be maintained at about 1 m.
For gourds, regular watering is necessary. Before the appearance of fruits, it is watered once every 1 days, using about 5 liters of water per plant. In the fruiting phase, watering is increased to 3 time in 1-3 days. For irrigation, warm water is used, pouring it not under the root, but over the soil in the circumference of the leaf part.
The growth of the lash must be limited so that the vegetables can gain mass and maturity. To do this, pinch the main stem when 2-3 fruits appear on it. On the side lashes, one set fruit is left. Leaves are left in the amount of 4-6 pieces. for one fruit. The rest are removed so as to open the access of light to the fruits.
For top dressing, complex mineral fertilizers are used. For a young plant, at the first fertilizer, the dosage is reduced by 2 times. Organic fertilizers are also used:
- manure;
- bird droppings;
- humus;
- biohumus;
- ash;
- herbal infusions.
To achieve the best result when growing pumpkins, mineral and organic fertilizers should be alternated depending on the initial nutritional value of the soil. When growing gourds, it is important to apply fertilizer evenly and regularly.
Harvesting is carried out before frost, the pumpkin can be covered on the soil if a decrease in temperature is expected. Vegetables are laid for storage without damage, the length of the stalk is left about 8 cm.
Conclusion
Pumpkin Matilda F1 is a culture created with improved growth qualities, has a fast ripening period, excellent taste characteristics. Does not lose commercial qualities during long-term storage. In the description of the variety, the Matilda pumpkin is indicated as unpretentious in care, resistant to weather changes and a high-yielding crop.
