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Orange pumpkin is known for its beneficial properties and unusual taste. It has been used in home cooking for a long time. The culture has become a symbol of many European holidays, and it is widely used to create haute cuisine menus. Few people know that among the variety of varieties there are fruits of different shapes and shades. Pumpkin Volga gray 92 is a large-fruited hybrid with an unusual color for many of the outer shell. The variety has earned positive reviews due to a stable large-fruited crop, as well as unpretentiousness in care.
Description of the pumpkin variety Volzhskaya series
The hybrid Volzhskaya gray 92 was bred by an experimental melon plant in 1940. When re-registered, it was re-entered into the State Register of the Federation with permission to grow on the soils of the North Caucasus, the territories adjacent to the Nizhnevolzhsky district, as well as in the areas of the Ural region.
The gray pumpkin hybrid is grown by seed and seedling method. This is due to the fact that the growing season of the crop is designed for the long-term formation of large fruits. The variety has the following features:
- The bush of the plant is medium in size, as a rule, it consists of a large central stem with branched, thinner side leaves.
- The formation of green mass is characterized as moderate. As it matures, the green foliage turns pale and tends to dry out.
- The flowers of the plant are medium in size, solitary, pale yellow, slightly pubescent on the outside.
The gray Volga pumpkin is prone to active growth, which is easy to see in the photos taken by agricultural technicians in the process of growing. The lashes of bushes at close landings are intertwined with each other, forming a closed space.
With proper care, timely watering, sufficient fertilizing during the period of fruit setting and ripening, the leaves rise above the lashes, thus creating an additional layer of protection from direct sunlight.
Description of fruits
The main difference between the Volga gray pumpkin, which appears in all descriptions, is the color of the peel, by which it is easy to distinguish it in the photo. The peel becomes dark gray when ripe. It is not prone to yellowing after reaching technical maturity and does not change color during storage after harvest.
The color of the pulp is more familiar to lovers of pumpkins: when fully ripe, it acquires an orange tint. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, the hybrid belongs to the sweet types. But culinary experts say that the sweetness of the vegetable goes well with meat and seafood.
A brief description of the fruits of the Volga gray pumpkin:
- shape: round, with a pronounced flattening of the upper and lower faces of gray;
- peel: thick, elastic, easily removed with a sharp knife;
- pulp: a layer of at least 5 cm.
Inside the pulp are semi-oval seeds. Seeds have a pronounced pumpkin flavor.
The average weight of one gray pumpkin is 10 kg, but with the introduction of additional additives, vegetable growers grow pumpkins weighing up to 20 kg.
Pumpkins have high keeping quality, this is due to the presence of a thick dense peel, which is difficult to damage. Pumpkins are prone to transportation, they can retain their original appearance for a long time.
The purpose of pumpkin Volga gray 92 can be called universal. Its taste is suitable for making desserts. The juiciness and aftertaste of the fruit is used to prepare second courses. Vegetables can also be eaten raw. Unique seeds that can be consumed raw or roasted have value.
Characteristics of a variety
The hybrid is characterized as large-fruited, it belongs to the mid-season type of maturation. About 105 days pass from the appearance of seedlings to the onset of technical ripeness. The culture is grown in shaded areas with the condition of a stable supply of diffused sunlight. Pumpkin Volga gray is sun-loving, but direct rays can lead to the formation of burns on the leaves.
Pumpkin Gray Volzhskaya 92, according to agricultural technicians, has several characteristic features:
- due to the density of the outer shell, gray pumpkins do not rot;
- the gray shade of the fruit remains the same throughout the growing season.
The culture is planted in open ground with seeds or seedlings. From 1 sq. m collect up to 15 kg. One bush of the Volga gray pumpkin during the growing season is able to form 2-3 fruits.
Stability
Reviews of experts about pumpkin Volzhskaya gray 92 indicate that the description of the variety is fully true:
- gray pumpkin is resistant to pest invasion;
- has an average resistance to fungal diseases (such as fusarium or powdery mildew);
- is a drought-resistant variety;
- tolerates temperatures down to +10 °C.
Droughts will not harm the plant if the leaves and fruits are not in areas located under the scorching sun.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages are the following qualities:
- the ability to tolerate prolonged drought, provided that the ovaries have had time to form;
- stable fruiting;
- the ability to produce large specimens;
- palatability, juiciness of the pulp.
Due to the dense gray skin of pumpkins, they are able to lie on the ground until almost frost. They do not rot, do not change color. This does not affect their taste.
The disadvantage of Volga gray is the need to add additional dressings, since the plant needs fertile soil.
Cultivation technology
In the south of the country, the Volga gray is grown by seed. The duration of the warm summer period in the south favors the slow development of culture and the maturation of large pumpkins.
In the north, the Volga gray pumpkin is grown in seedlings. Seedlings are planted under the film in May. Additional shelter is removed when warm weather is established and there are no return frosts.
When growing, you must adhere to some rules:
- planting is carried out taking into account the heating of the soil to at least +15 ° C;
- the minimum distance between the holes should remain at 60 cm;
- the soil must be fertilized in advance with compost, wood ash.
Volga gray pumpkin is not planted next to upright crops, lashes can tightly wrap around neighboring stems and interfere with the development of the plant.
- Planting by seed. Suitable for southern regions. Before sowing, the seeds are subjected to selection, then soaked in biostimulants. Planting material is deepened by 8-10 cm. 2-3 seeds are placed in the holes, after germination the largest is left, the rest are planted.
- Seedling planting. The seedling should be about 1 month old when transplanted. Before that, they are hardened for a week, fed with mineral fertilizers. After planting, the pumpkin is covered with plastic wrap at night if the air temperature drops below +10 ° C.
After planting, the land is regularly fertilized with wood ash. This method avoids changing the composition of the soil, and also inhibits the growth of weeds.
Watering is carried out with warm water, which is preliminarily defended. For watering, evening hours are suitable, when the sun sets. For irrigation, drip irrigation is the best option.
For the formation using the method of regular trimming. If you leave the pumpkin of the Volzhskaya gray variety to grow without control over the number of shoots, then it will grow very soon. This can lead to significant shrinkage of fruits and the formation of non-viable shoots. In addition, the bush is regularly thinned and weeded from weeds.
Each bush, with proper care, forms 2 fruits. In order to grow a large pumpkin, the second ovary is artificially removed. This will allow the bush to give strength to the ripening and growth of fruits.
To maintain a natural reserve of strength and help the plant form a full-fledged fruit, it is necessary to make regular top dressing:
- young sprouts are fed with herbal and mullein infusions;
- adult bushes with ovaries are fertilized with potassium-phosphorus mixtures; during this period, nitrogen is completely excluded.
To avoid the invasion of parasitic insects, the bushes are treated with a tobacco solution at the stage of tying the buds.
Conclusion
Pumpkin Volzhskaya gray 92 is suitable for growing throughout Our Country. This is due to the ability of the plant to endure difficult climatic conditions. Because of the taste, the variety is especially popular. Pumpkin enriches the taste of first and second courses, and also becomes an independent ingredient in desserts.
Reviews about pumpkin Volga gray 92
