It is thanks to the unique honey taste that this type of pumpkin got its name - Honey. It is appreciated by gardeners not only for its high taste, but also for its unpretentious care. There are several varieties of such pumpkins: Honey Princess, Honey Tale, Pumpkin Muscat Guitar - the description of the variety fully reveals the benefits of these bright healthy vegetables.
Features of the variety
Pumpkin Guitar is an annual plant that loves warmth and light. The plant has a well-developed horse system. A young seedling already has a root more than 40 cm long. The penetration depth of the root of an adult plant into the soil reaches 2.5 m. The lateral roots of the plant also develop quite actively.
The stem of the Honey Guitar pumpkin is developing rapidly and actively.
Pumpkin Honey
Here, through the use of antennae, the stem is securely fixed to the soil. In each leaf sinus, from 3 to 5 antennae are formed. The stem has a fairly strong crust, which forms edges covered with tough down.
Large leaves with long petioles develop on the stem. They have a heart-shaped shape, small spots are visible between the veins, several tones lighter than the color of the leaf itself.
Flowering pumpkin
Nutmeg gourd Guitar begins to bloom at a temperature of 17 - 26 degrees. Flowering duration is from 30 to 45 days. Pumpkin Spanish Guitar forms flowers of two sexes on its stems: the males have long stems, and the females form on short stems.
During the season, on average, approximately 30 female flowers and 100 male flowers are formed. A distinctive feature of male flowers is that their flowering period lasts only 4 - 5 days.
Female flowers form on the main stem. The pollen of the flowers is rather large and sticky. It is carried by insects.
The female flowers form a calyx, which consists of pointed petals and awl-shaped sepals. The pistils are orange. Female flowers are formed mainly at 8 - 17 nodes. Flowers of this type are in the shape of a cup with a short length and thin sepals.
Fruit sizes can range from 25 to 35 cm in diameter. The weight of a mature fruit reaches 5-10 kg. Inside each fruit there is a seed nest, where the seeds are formed.
Pumpkin seeds
The pulp of the fruit is used not only in processed form, but also raw. It has an orange color and a delicate honey flavor.
The variety belongs to early maturing, ripening lasts 3 months. Ripe fruits can be stored for 3 months or more. Provided that favorable conditions are created, the shelf life of the fruit can be increased.
Feature of cultivation and care
The pumpkin can be grown outdoors.
Pumpkin in the open field
The yield of pumpkin directly depends on how correctly the seeds for sowing were chosen. The longer the seeds are stored, the less likely it is to get a high yield. To determine the suitability of the seeds, they must be placed in a container of water for 1 hour. Those seeds that float to the surface of the water are not suitable for use.
An equally important condition is the choice of soil where the honey pumpkin seeds will be sown. If the site is dominated by clay soil, it is not very suitable for cultivating pumpkin. On such a soil, it will not be possible to get a good harvest.
Superphosphate fertilizer
This soil must be mixed with compost and loosened well. You also need to add superphosphate fertilizer. Thanks to this, it will be possible to increase the nutritional value of the soil.
If pumpkin seeds are grown for seedlings, you need to use peat cups for this. Then you do not have to transplant the sprouts, they can be planted in the soil along with the cups.
Seedling pumpkin
The sowing depth of pumpkin seeds depends on the type of soil used for planting. On sandy soil, seeds should be buried 4 to 6 cm in the ground, and no more than 3 to 4 cm into clay soil. The distance between plants should be approximately 1/2 meter. This is quite enough for all plants to develop normally without interfering with each other.
Honey pumpkin does not require any special care. The soil in the garden under the plants should be loosened as necessary, removing weeds.
Be sure to add top dressing several times. You can use a mullein dissolved in water to fertilize the pumpkin. During the season, the pumpkin must be fertilized at least 3 times: after the first shoots appear, during the flowering of plants, during the formation of fruits.
To grow a good harvest, pumpkin bushes need to be properly shaped. One shoot should not have more than 3 fruits. Otherwise, the pumpkins will be small.
Forming pumpkin stalks
Watering pumpkins also has its own characteristics. Plants especially need moisture before the flowering period begins. At this time, the soil in the beds should be constantly moist. When the flowers are in full bloom, the soil should be watered only as it dries.
It is recommended to harvest the fruits only after their stems begin to dry. For this, a sharp knife or scissors is used. When cutting a pumpkin, it is recommended to leave a tail of at least 10 cm.
Pumpkin harvest
The harvested crop can be stored indoors with a low humidity level. Under optimal conditions, pumpkins can be stored for 3 to 4 months.
Honey pumpkin is used for cooking cereals, casseroles, making fillings for pies or pies. Cultivation of a pumpkin does not require much time and effort. But if you follow the above recommendations, you will be able to get a good harvest of Honey pumpkin and stock up on vitamins until the next harvest.
