Pumpkin Guitar

In this article, you will learn about the Guitar pumpkin variety. We will give a detailed description of the variety, characteristics of its fruits, and note the main advantages and disadvantages. We will tell you how the Guitar pumpkin is grown, from planting to how to care, touch on the topic of diseases and pests, and also share gardeners' reviews.

Butternut pumpkin Guitar: variety description

All gardeners love these varieties of pumpkins, and in general other vegetables that are unpretentious to care for, and the harvest is very tasty and has a long shelf life. Today we will tell you about this kind of pumpkin "Guitar", which ideally fits this description.

• Sometimes the pumpkin variety is called Guitar - "Honey" or "Spanish". Was withdrawn by domestic breeders from the company "Aelita", included in the register in 2013.
• Like all representatives of this culture, the Honey Guitar pumpkin is a thermophilic variety with a development cycle of one year. Most often, the cultivation of the Guitar pumpkin takes place in the southern regions, as well as in the middle lane - by the seedling method.
• This variety has a developed root system. The length of the rod reaches 2.5 meters - which easily allows you to nourish any large fruit. Even in a young shoot, which is 10-20 cm long, the roots penetrate about 40 cm deep.

An interesting fact, if the ground is moist for a sufficient amount of time, the pumpkin is able to take root from the stem, germinating in a new place.

• The pumpkin of the Spanish Guitar variety has a creeping, prickly and rough stem. It grows very quickly, its duration can reach 4-5 meters. Shoots release whiskers that allow the plant to cling to supporting elements.
• The foliage of the Guitar variety is large, wide, reaches 25 - 30 cm in diameter, has a rich green color with white spots.
• Flowers in both the male and female types are large, the diameter reaches 11 cm. They are characterized by an orange-yellow color, they are formed in the axils of the foliage. Pedicels, depending on the type of plant, are different. In the male type, it is longer, in the female type, the length of the pedicel is shorter.
• Corollas bloom with the sun - early in the morning. And they close at sunset, as the sun goes away. The flowering period of fruiting buds is much longer than that of male - barren ovaries.
• Pollination of plants occurs by insects. To do this, many leave the vents wide open. Also, gardeners very often resort to hand pollination. The maximum level of pollen production occurs in the first part of the day.
• The flowering phase of the Guitar begins only at the moment when the thermometer has reached + 18 ... + 25 degrees.
• As mentioned earlier, the Guitar is very fond of light and warmth. The optimum temperature for development is from +20 degrees. The plant is afraid of even small frosts, which can destroy the entire plant.
• If the pumpkin fruits come under sub-zero temperatures, they often freeze, become covered with soft spots along the contour, in which negative organisms multiply.
• This variety is marked as drought tolerant. This is due to its developed root system, which absorbs moisture from the depths.
• Coolness and lack of sun slows down the development of the plant, and also pose a threat to the development of diseases.
• The yield of the Guitar variety is about 2.5 to 4 kg of vegetables from one square meter. It certainly depends on the region and on the climatic conditions. On each shoot, as a rule, 2-3 fruits are left for ripening. This is done in order to give them the opportunity to fully mature and fill up.

Pumpkin Guitar nutmeg - the main characteristics of the fruit

Pumpkin Guitar: photo of the variety

The name "Spanish" this variety "Guitar" was not at all accidental, but probably because the fruits of the plant resemble the shape of a guitar.

The length of the ripe fruit is 40 -70 cm, the diameter in the narrow part is 10-15 cm, and in the wide part it is 18 -27 cm. Pumpkin seeds are very small and flat. And they are located in a wide place. The average weight of fruits is from 2 to 7 kg, most often in the region of 4 kg.

The fruit has a thin, soft skin that is smooth to the touch and has a light orange color. The peel is easily and quickly peeled and cut.

The Guitar has a dense, firm, juicy pulp, a bright orange hue. According to reviews, it is very sweet, tasty and crispy (when only from the garden).

The name "Honey" pumpkin is also not given by chance. Fresh fruits have a slightly sweet taste and light aroma - fruit and vegetable. For this, the variety was nicknamed so.

After heat treatment, the pumpkin pulp acquires a more pronounced sweet taste and rich aroma. The taste characteristics of the variety were evaluated by experts at 4.5 points.

The pumpkin harvest Guitar is stored for about six months, without losing its taste and quality characteristics.

Of the total volume of pumpkin, its pulp is about 90%, which makes this product very profitable in terms of economics.

On the Internet, in books and magazines, you can find a huge number of recipes from the "Guitar" pumpkin variety. These are various salads (which do not require heat treatment), and boiled, and stewed, baked, and for cooking porridge, and as a filling for pies. Also, this variety is used for the preparation of candied fruits.

Advantages and disadvantages of the "Guitar" pumpkin

Merits the Honey guitar has a large number, thanks to which, gardeners opt for this particular type:

• sweet, tasty pulp;
• large fruits;
• resistant to dry weather;
• under favorable weather conditions - resistant to diseases;
• unpretentious to the composition of the soil;
• it is stored for a long time, retaining its taste and quality characteristics.

Essential cons not found in the Guitara variety. One has only to pay attention to the fact that the honey pumpkin is thermophilic, and any frosts, even minor ones, have a very detrimental effect on the growth and development of the plant.

Pumpkin Guitar: outdoor cultivation

Pumpkin of the Guitar variety does not need special cultivation skills and agrotechnical skills. Even the most inexperienced gardener, subject to the general recommendations for cultivation and care, is able to harvest a fruitful, tasty harvest.

Planting a Pumpkin Guitar

You can plant the "Guitar" pumpkin both as seedlings and once in the open ground. But the choice of this or that method directly depends on the growing region. Gardeners of the southern regions sow it directly into the open ground, while the inhabitants of the middle lane use the seedling method.

For seedlings the pumpkin is planted in April - early May. Sowing is planned in such a way that after the seeds have been planted, a month later, the seedlings must be transplanted into a greenhouse or into open ground. At the same time, the air temperature after transplantation should be consistently above + 19 ... + 20 degrees.

Pre-pumpkin seeds, in other things, like the seeds of most other crops, you need to sort and select healthy, strong planting material. After which it is disinfected - for this, a solution of potassium permanganate is used. In order for the seedlings to sprout faster, the change is germinated. To do this, before planting, they are soaked for 20 hours in warm water.

Planting the pumpkin is highly recommended in peat pots or other disposable containers.

Paper cups - decompose in the ground, plastic cups - cut before planting. This is done for the reason that the root structure develops very quickly, and in the process of transplanting it is very difficult to maintain the integrity of the earth clod in which the roots develop, and as a result, it is difficult to maintain the integrity of the roots. And any impact on the roots has a very negative effect on the plant and on the crop.

• 3 seeds are placed in the container, after the emergence of shoots, weak shoots are removed.
• Seedlings of pumpkin Guitar grows very rapidly. Plants must be watered with water at room temperature.After 3-4 leaves have appeared on the seedlings, the seedlings are transferred to the street, thereby hardening it.
• After 3 - 3.5 weeks after germination, the seedlings can be transplanted into a greenhouse or into open ground, for this, holes are prepared and abundantly spilled with water. The distance between the bushes should be at least 90-95 cm, the distance between the rows is about 130 cm, this is done in order not to press the planting and the plants are not confused.

In the greenhouse, it is necessary to build a support with a loop. Pollination is carried out by insects or by hand pollination. The ovaries are placed in hanging bags or on shelves.

How to care for the "Guitar" pumpkin

Aftercare for pumpkin is the same as for other vegetables. And it includes - watering, loosening, weeding and fertilizing.

To water the plant is necessary in the evening, exclusively on the soil, without touching the leaves. Since this can provoke fungal diseases. Water for irrigation should be warm. Many gardeners collect barrels or tubs of water - and by the evening it heats up during the day.

• Moisturizing should be done a couple of times a week.
• If the pumpkin grows in the open field, then it often has enough moisture that natural precipitation provides. It is necessary to take care of watering in the period before flowering and in the phase of active growth of the ovaries.
• After the plant has been watered, the next day you need loosen up the ground. Weeds also need to be weeded out. Insect pests such as aphids, whiteflies and others very often breed on weed grass.
• 2-3 weeks after the seedlings have been transplanted, as well as at the time of the formation of ovaries, the plant needs feeding... For top dressing, shallow grooves are made at a distance of about 30 cm from the root.
• Organic fertilizers are ideal as top dressing. Such as mullein, bird droppings, herbal infusions, special complex fertilizers. Also sprinkle the ground near the root with ash.
• As a rule, if all the recommendations on agricultural technology are followed, and also if it is a warm summer, then pumpkins practically do not get sick.
• After several ovaries have appeared on the bushes, they are formed. For this, the stem is pinched, and unnecessary side shoots are removed. And this is done to increase the yield and for the full ripening of the fruits.
• The fruits are ready for consumption after about 100-125 days, this is approximately the end of August. Harvesting is necessary when the lashes are dry.

Diseases and pests, how to deal with them

Pumpkin of the Guitar variety, like other "brothers", is not resistant to fungal and bacterial diseases and insect pests such as aphids and spider mites.

As a rule, unfavorable weather conditions lead to the development of diseases. This is a sharp drop in temperature and rainy seasons, as well as sudden changes in temperature day and night.

For the prevention of diseases, it is necessary to thin out too dense thickets of foliage and shoots, cutting them off.

For the prevention and control of insect pests, it is recommended to use specialized preparations, the choice of which on the market is huge. Most often, acaricides and insecticides are used to combat.

Conclusion

Pumpkin Guitar gives a very good and tasty harvest, while being unpretentious to the ground. But it is worth noting that it is more suitable for the southern regions, since it is afraid of frost.

For regions of the middle lane, it is recommended to plant by seedling method. Only in this way will the fruits have time to ripen before the onset of the autumn cold. The minimum agronomic tricks and the simplest growing rules will allow you to enjoy a tasty and healthy harvest.

Butternut pumpkin Guitar: grade reviews

Svetlana Vasilievna Dontsova, 32 years old, Saratov

My favorite variety is the Guitar, or as we call it, the Spanish Guitar. Never before has there been such a thing that a pumpkin has not tasty and not sweet pulp. Stores very well until summer.I plant seeds when the soil warms up to 10 degrees, I don't risk it before. Planting depth is about 5 cm. I break through sprouts, no more than two per hole. Every year in the fall we fertilize the garden with a mullein, so I don't additionally fertilize the plot. I field and loosen regularly, watering only if there is a very long drought.

Victor Alekseevich Trotsky, 50 years old, Chepelevo

I grow the Honey Guitar pumpkin in my country house in a polycarbonate greenhouse. My soil is sandy loam, plus I regularly add humus. Pumpkin in such conditions is wonderful - warm, light, healthy. Of the agrotechnical measures, I only water the plants, ventilate the greenhouse and feed them with complex fertilizers. I buy ready-made preparations designed specifically for pumpkins, there are a lot of them on the shelves now.