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Orange gourd is known for its beneficial properties and unusual taste. It has been used in home cooking for a long time. Culture has become a symbol of many European holidays, and it is widely used to create a haute cuisine menu. Few people know that among the variety of varieties there are fruits of different shapes and shades. Pumpkin Volzhskaya gray 92 is a large-fruited hybrid with an outer shell color unusual for many. The variety has earned positive reviews due to its stable large-fruited yield, as well as unpretentious care.
Description of the pumpkin variety Volzhskaya series
The hybrid Volzhskaya gray 92 was bred by an experimental melon station in 1940. Upon re-registration, it was re-entered into the State Register of the Russian Federation with permission to grow on the soils of the North Caucasus, territories adjacent to the Lower Volga District, as well as in the Ural region.
A hybrid of gray pumpkin is grown by seed and seedlings. 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 features:
- The bush of a medium-sized plant, as a rule, consists of a large central stem with branching thinner lateral leaves.
- The formation of green mass is characterized as moderate. As they mature, the green foliage turns pale and tends to dry out.
- Flowers of a medium-sized plant, solitary, pale yellow, slightly pubescent on the outside.
Volzhskaya gray pumpkin is prone to active growth, which is easy to see in the photos, which are taken by agricultural technicians in the process of growing. Scourges of bushes with close plantings intertwine with each other, forming a closed space.
With proper care, timely watering, sufficient fertilizing during the period of setting and ripening of fruits, the leaves rise above the whips, 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. When ripe, the peel turns into a rich gray. It is not prone to yellowing after reaching technical ripeness and does not change color when stored after harvest.
The color of the flesh is more familiar to pumpkin lovers: when fully ripe, it acquires an orange tint. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, the hybrid is classified as a sweet type. But culinary experts claim that the sweetness of the vegetable goes well with meat and seafood.
A brief description of the fruits of the Volga sulfur pumpkin:
- shape: round, with a pronounced flattening of the upper and lower edges of gray;
- peel: thick, elastic, can be easily removed with a sharp knife;
- pulp: a layer of at least 5 cm.
Inside the pulp are semi-oval seeds. The seeds have a pronounced pumpkin flavor.
The average weight of one gray pumpkin is 10 kg, but when additional additives are added, vegetable growers grow pumpkins weighing up to 20 kg.
Pumpkins have high keeping rates, this is due to the presence of a thick, dense peel that is difficult to damage. Pumpkins are prone to transportation and can retain their original appearance for a long time.
The purpose of the pumpkin Volzhskaya sulfur 92 can be called universal. In terms of taste, it is suitable for making desserts. The juiciness and aftertaste of the fruit is used for the preparation of second courses.The vegetable can also be eaten raw. The unique seeds are valuable and can be eaten raw or roasted.
Variety characteristics
The hybrid is characterized as large-fruited, it belongs to the mid-ripening type of maturation. From the emergence of seedlings to the onset of technical ripeness, it takes about 105 days. The culture is grown in shaded areas with a stable supply of diffused sunlight. The Volga gray pumpkin is sun-loving, but direct rays can lead to 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 areas of 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 capable of producing 2 - 3 fruits.
Sustainability
Reviews of experts about the pumpkin Volzhskaya gray 92 indicate that the description of the variety is completely true:
- gray pumpkin is resistant to pest infestations;
- has average resistance to fungal diseases (such as: fusarium or powdery mildew);
- is a drought tolerant variety;
- tolerates temperatures as low as +10 ° C.
Droughts will not harm the plant if the leaves and fruits are not in areas under the scorching sun.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the advantages, the following qualities are distinguished:
- the ability to withstand prolonged drought, provided that the ovaries have had time to form;
- stable fruiting;
- the ability to produce large specimens;
- taste, juiciness of the pulp.
Due to the dense gray skin, pumpkins are able to lie on the ground almost until the very frost. They do not rot, do not change their shade. This does not affect their taste.
The disadvantage of Volga sulfur is the need to add additional fertilizing, since the plant needs fertile soil.
Growing technology
In the south of the country, the Volga gray is grown by the seed method. The length of the warm summer period in the south favors the unhurried development of culture and the ripening 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 warming up of the soil to at least +15 ° C;
- the minimum distance between the holes should remain 60 cm;
- the soil must be pre-fertilized with compost, wood ash.
Volzhskaya gray pumpkin is not planted next to erect crops, lashes can tightly wrap around adjacent stems and interfere with the development of the plant.
- Seed planting. Suitable for southern regions. Before sowing, the seeds are selected, then soaked in biostimulants. The planting material is buried by 8 - 10 cm. 2 - 3 seeds are placed in the holes, after germination the largest is left, the rest are planted.
- Seedling landing. The seedling should be about 1 month old when transplanted. Before that, they are tempered for a week, fed with mineral fertilizers. After planting, the pumpkin is covered with plastic wrap overnight if the air temperature drops below +10 ° C.
After planting, the land is regularly fertilized with wood ash. This method avoids changes in soil composition and also inhibits growth weeds.
Watering is carried out with warm water, which is pre-defended. Evening hours are suitable for watering when the sun sets. For irrigation, drip irrigation becomes the best option.
For shaping, use the method of regular pruning. If you leave the pumpkin of the Volzhskaya gray variety to grow without control over the number of shoots, then very soon it will grow. This can lead to significant fruit shrinkage and the formation of non-viable shoots. In addition, the bush is regularly thinned and weeded to remove 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 the fruit.
To maintain the natural reserve of strength and help the plant to form a full-fledged fruit, it is necessary to make regular feeding:
- young sprouts are fed with herbal infusions and mullein;
- 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 bud setting.
Conclusion
Pumpkin Volzhskaya gray 92 is suitable for cultivation throughout Russia. This is due to the plant's ability to withstand difficult climatic conditions. Due to its taste, the variety is especially popular. Pumpkin enriches the taste of the first and second courses, and also becomes an independent ingredient in desserts.
