Contents
Not so long ago, a mysterious plant appeared in summer cottages with fruits of an original, and even strange shape. It is called lagenaria, other names are pumpkin gourd or Indian cucumber. An exotic guest came to us from the tropics and attracted the attention of not only gardeners, but also people of art. What is lagenaria and how to grow a tropical crop in an ordinary garden bed – read below.
Description of lagenaria
Lagenaria vulgaris is an annual vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. Under natural conditions, it lives in Latin America, India, and on the African continent. It has long creeping stems, is characterized by rapid growth – in two weeks the lashes can stretch 1,5-2 m. The leaves are 5-angled, corrugated, rough and slightly pubescent.
It blooms like a pumpkin, with small tubular flowers of white or cream color, located singly in the axils of the leaves. An interesting feature is that the flowers open and exude fragrance only at night, and begin to close at dawn. The fruits of lagenaria are also similar to pumpkins, but more diverse in shape, size and color.
Varieties and types of culture
All varieties and hybrids of lagenaria are divided into two groups – edible and decorative. Each group has bright representatives.
calabash
An ornamental variety that surprises with the shape and size of the fruit. The whips reach 15 m. The fruits are pear-shaped, green in color, reach a length of 45-40 cm, however, two-meter pears are not uncommon. It is from such fruits that large vessels and jugs are made.
Bottled
Compact ornamental variety. The lashes grow to 3 m, the maximum length of the fruit is 70 cm, the shape resembles a jug, but with a fairly wide upper part. The color of pumpkins is pale green or white.
field-shaped
Edible species with fruits that look and taste reminiscent of young zucchini. The bush itself is branched, the leaves are similar to pumpkin, the fruits are large, in full maturity they reach a weight of 10-15 kg, the peel is light.
Serpentine
An amazing variety with very long, light green fruits that curve like a snake. In terms of taste properties, the serpentine variety is similar to the previous one. However, the fruits themselves are smaller – 5-6 kg with a length of 70 cm.
Cobra
The variety is distinguished by an unusual spotted color and intricate shape of the fruit, in which a noticeable thickening can be traced in the lower part, and in the upper part there is a thin curved “neck”, like a snake. The fruits have excellent taste.
goose in apples
Another edible variety that looks very decorative. The fruits are similar in shape to the Cobra, but their “neck” is thinner and more curved. For this feature and spotty coloring, the variety was named Goose in apples.
Lebedushka
In appearance, Lebedushka is similar to the previous variety, only its “neck” is curved to the side and, as it were, raised up. The variety is considered decorative and is not eaten, but long creepers are often used in vertical gardening.
Swan geese
Another related “goose” variety. The fruits practically do not differ in appearance, but the bush is very compact, the length of the lashes does not exceed 1,5 m. Ripe pumpkins are used for souvenirs. Young fruits have a good taste.
hostess
This variety is characterized by a variety of forms – fruits can be in the form of pears, cylinders, bottles with a smooth and elongated “neck” with a thickening in the upper part. The color is light green or green with spotting.
Cylindrical
This variety is something averaged between the Serpentine and Log-shaped variety. The fruits are also long, but even, bright green or salad color. When young, their flesh is very tender and tasty.
warty
Rarely cultivated variety due to low fruit attractiveness. Their color and shape are standard, like those of a zucchini, but the surface is completely covered with small growths that look like warts.
Club-shaped
The fruits of this lagenaria resemble a mace in shape – they are wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. They grow to an impressive size – about 2 m in length, the color is pale, like a zucchini. The club-shaped variety is cultivated only for decorative purposes.
Turban
The most decorative variety with miniature fruits in the form of mushrooms. Pumpkins have a light “leg” and “hat”, which, when fully ripe, acquires a bright orange color.
Video “Description and cultivation of lagenaria”
This video explains what lagenaria is and how to grow it.
Features of planting and growing
The cultivation technology of lagenaria is similar to the agricultural technology of pumpkin or zucchini. In the southern regions, seeds are sown in mid-April. In the middle lane and the Moscow region, the culture is grown through seedlings, which are sown a month before transplanting to the garden.
Seed preparation
Due to the dense shell, the seeds germinate for a long time. To speed up this process, they are soaked and artificially helped to open up. First, they are placed in water for 2 days, then laid out on a cloth or sawdust, pre-moistened with water with a few drops of a growth stimulator.
At a temperature not lower than +23 °C, the casing swells in 5-6 days. After that, each seed is split by hand and again placed in a humid environment. They are planted in the soil after a few days, when the sprouts hatch.
Planting in the ground or seedlings
For direct planting in the ground, shallow holes are dug at a distance of 1,5-2 m. A little humus and ash are poured there, water is poured in, after which 2-3 seeds are laid out in each hole. Then they are covered with earth, and watered again. It is desirable to plant the culture in a sunny, calm place.
For seedlings, separate small containers should be used, since the sprouts do not tolerate picking. The substrate is universal. Planting is done at a depth of 1,5-2 cm. Care consists in regular watering, maintaining temperature and lighting. Seedlings are moved to the bed when the risk of night frost passes.
Care Tips
There are no special care requirements. The main activities are watering as the soil dries, loosening and top dressing no more than 2 times for the entire season. When several true leaves appear, complex fertilizers with nitrogen are applied under the bush, during flowering – a potassium-phosphorus complex.
So that the vines do not grow much, they are pinched. For each lash that has reached a length of 1,5-2 m, the top and extra ovaries are broken off, leaving no more than 5-6 fruits on the bush.
Since the flowers open at night, pollination problems can occur. If you see that there are few ovaries, take a brush and run through the stamens and pistils of the flowers one by one.
Author’s advice
Cooking application
The main use of lagenria, of course, is cooking. Only young fruits are eaten, as the flesh begins to taste bitter as it ages. A young vegetable tastes like a zucchini, so the recipes are very similar. From the product you can cook warm salads, vegetable stews, omelettes, all kinds of casseroles, squash-type caviar, stuffed dishes, and make blanks. We offer a couple of recipes for cooking delicious dishes.
To prepare the casserole, you need the following ingredients:
- 600 g of fruit;
- 200 g sour cream;
- 200 g hard cheese;
- 2-3 cloves of garlic;
- some butter;
- salt, spices.
Cut the fruits into thin (about 1 cm) rings and blanch in salted water for 5 minutes. Grate the cheese, chop the garlic and mix with sour cream. Lubricate the casserole dish with oil, lay out the lagenaria in layers, spread with sour cream and sprinkle with cheese so that the top layer is cheese. Bake at 180°C until golden brown.
To prepare vegetables stuffed with meat, you will need the following ingredients:
- 0,5 kg of long fruits of lagenaria;
- 0,5 kg ground beef;
- 1-2 carrots;
- 2 medium bulbs;
- 100 g sour cream;
- 100 g cheese;
- some vegetable oil;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Cut lagenaria into pieces 4-5 cm long, cut out the middle, lower the blanks into boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes. Grated carrots and chopped onion stew in vegetable oil until soft. Combine stewed vegetables with meat, add salt, pepper, mix everything and fill with minced meat. Cover the form with foil, put the vegetables close to each other, pour over the sour cream and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake until golden brown.
The fruits of lagenaria can be cut off in parts right on the bush. The cut will not rot – it will simply dry out, after which the vegetable will continue to grow further.
The use of lagenaria for decorative purposes
The peel of mature fruits is strong and waterproof. This property allows the use of lagenaria in decorative art. The inhabitants of Africa, Latin America and island states have long learned to make kitchen utensils, musical instruments, smoking pipes and even toys from fruits. For decorative purposes, lagenaria is removed as late as possible, just before the frost. To build some craft, the fruit must be well dried, then cut off the top, scrape out the pulp, and decorate the shell with a pattern.
The most common products from lagenaria are all kinds of vessels, vases, jugs, containers for food storage. The solid surface of pumpkins is easily painted, varnished, you can burn it out and create any drawings, the main thing is fantasy. Unforgettable impressions from the creative process are guaranteed.
A fast-growing vine can be successfully used to decorate arches and fences. Literally in a month, she will braid the structure and create a fertile shadow.
Lagenaria can be considered a unique vegetable crop. Its cultivation does not cause much trouble, and the crop can be used in many areas, from cooking to decorative painting. In addition, any housewife will be pleased to receive handmade dishes from natural materials as a gift.