Pumpkin Matilda: description, cultivation

The article presents Matilda f1 pumpkin: description of the variety, growing rules.

Pumpkin Matilda: full characteristic of the variety

Pumpkin Matilda: photo

The Matilda pumpkin variety was bred thanks to breeders from Holland. And our State Register Matilda appeared relatively recently, in the 2009th year. It is recommended to grow Matilda pumpkin in the Central region of our country. It is a table variety that ripens quite late. Matilda pumpkin makes delicious juices and desserts.

This variety belongs to annuals and is a herbaceous plant. As for the type, it is butternut squash. The fruits are very sweet and contain many vitamins. Matilda grows in the form of a climbing plant. Shoots can grow up to five meters. Scourges must be pinched periodically when several small pumpkins appear on one shoot. This variety has powerful lashes that spread. They can handle heavy fruit. The foliage is heart-shaped.

The flowers of this variety are large enough. Gardeners note some difficulties with insect pollination. So you often need to do it yourself. To carry out pollination on its own, the pollen from the males must be transferred to the female plants. It is convenient to do this using a brush. In males, the peduncle is larger.

Pumpkins of this variety are rather large, have the shape of a bottle, and the fruit expands in the lower part. It has a slightly ribbed texture, it mainly appears near the stalk. The pumpkin does not have a thick skin, which can be easily cut with a knife. In its weight, one fruit usually reaches from three to five kilograms. Chamber with seeds and small size. The plant has either very few seeds, or they are absent altogether. Inside, the pumpkin has a fairly dense texture, there are no voids. As for the juice, its amount is average.

As for the color of the fruit, it is capable of changing as it ripens. Typically, the color ranges from mustard yellow to bright red. The fruit accumulates all the main taste and aroma qualities only when fully ripe. Pumpkins that are not yet fully ripe have a pale hue, while those that are fully ripe have orange flesh and a buttery texture.

Once the vegetable has been cut, it is able to maintain its attractive appearance and freshness for about four months. As the pumpkin lays down, it only improves its taste. The chemical composition of such pumpkins contains many vitamins, and they also contain valuable carotene, which, by the way, is more than in carrots and apricots. Pumpkin has a sweet pleasant taste, honey tints are guessed in the aroma. This pumpkin is perfect for preparing various dishes. It is very good to stew it, bake it in the oven. The pulp is also suitable for fresh consumption. Pumpkin is very good for people who follow the figure.

The Matilda pumpkin variety survives high and low temperatures quite calmly. In regions with a southern climate, fruits can be harvested already three months later, after the first plants hatch. As for other regions, the harvest is usually harvested in the fall. If even light frosts come, pumpkin plantings must be covered without fail.

How rich you can harvest depends on the growing conditions of the Matilda pumpkin, as well as on compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. The future harvest is influenced by many factors: the level of soil fertility, planting scheme, pollination of plants. If your plants receive the sun's rays in the right amount, then there will be no problems with the formation of female flowers. If you provide the plants with the necessary conditions and take care of them correctly, then about ten fruits can be obtained from one bush. Be sure to pay attention to how the plant's whips grow. This moment must be kept under control, otherwise there is a risk that the fruits will not be large enough, and some vegetables may not have time to ripen at all.

The Matilda pumpkin variety is not bad for commercial purposes. So, for example, from one hectare of area you can get from seven hundred to nine hundred centners.

As for various diseases and pests, pumpkin has a fairly strong immunity. However, if the weather conditions are too bad, for example, little sun and a lot of rain, then there is a risk of fungal diseases. If there is a drought, then the plant may be damaged by a spider mite.

During the ripening of the fruits, it is recommended to put planks under them. This is necessary so that, lying on the ground, the pumpkin does not start to rot and be attacked by slugs.

If the plantings are too close, and there is a riot of weeds in the beds, then there is a risk that the plants will be affected by melon aphids. To avoid such problems, follow the rules of crop rotation. It is also not recommended to plant pumpkins in the same place more than once every three to four years.

Like any crop, the Matilda pumpkin variety has its pros and cons. We will talk about them further.

Pumpkin Matilda: a description of the pros and cons

Pumpkin Matilda: photo

This variety is able to adapt very well to different growing conditions. Such a pumpkin thrives on the territory of many Russian regions. Also Matilda has good resistance to negative weather conditions. This variety has very good yields. Matilda has a strong immunity, so problems with the occurrence of certain diseases and pests, as a rule, do not arise.

Among the main advantages of this variety, gardeners note the large size of the fruits. The inside of the fruit has a lot of pulp. This pumpkin is perfect for commercial purposes, as the appearance of the fruit is very presentable. Pumpkin contains many elements and vitamins useful for the body.

In order for the plant to feel good on the site, you need to provide a sufficiently large area. Gardeners note that the fruits can be harvested when they have not yet reached full maturity, since the fruits are quite capable of ripening at home. Pumpkin can be stored for a long time, it can retain its qualities for four months. Such fruits tolerate transportation well over long distances.

Among the disadvantages, experienced gardeners call the inability to grow Matilda pumpkin from their seeds. Varietal properties are retained only if Matilda seeds were purchased from a garden store. This is due to the fact that such Matilda pumpkin seeds are obtained through the work of breeders, which cannot be achieved at home.

How to properly grow the Matilda f1 pumpkin variety

Pumpkin Matilda: photo

In order for the plant to germinate successfully, a certain temperature regime must be observed. It should be warm enough. Already at the very first time, the taste and aroma of future pumpkins begin to form. Which growing method to choose (with or without seedlings) depends quite a lot on the climatic conditions of your region.

Disembarkation

As a rule, Matilda pumpkin seeds are planted for seedlings from the last days of March to the fifteenth of April.Seedlings are usually ready in thirty to thirty-five days. It should be noted that young seedlings do not survive the transplant procedure very well. For this reason, it is best to use peat tablets for growing seedlings. In such pots, it has all the necessary nutrition for the sprouts to develop normally. Such seedlings are transferred to open soil along with a clod of earth and a shell.

It should be noted that no preliminary work is required before sowing seeds.

Choose well-lit areas for planting your pumpkins. If you decide to sow pumpkin seeds directly into the open ground, then be sure to wait for stable warm weather. The air temperature should not be lower than +16 degrees. It will be best if the beds are raised. And the soil must contain a sufficient amount of nutrients. Also, experienced gardeners often use compost heaps for this purpose.

The preparation of the site for planting is carried out, as a rule, in the fall. To do this, you need to dig up the soil and apply the necessary fertilizers. The seeds sink about six to eight centimeters into the ground. In order for the plant to grow and develop normally, it is necessary to allocate enough space for this. This way, your pumpkins will receive the required amount of light and nutrients. The distance between bushes is usually about one meter.

Watering, pruning

Plants are quite demanding for watering. It should be done on a regular basis. Until the fruits of the plant appear, you need to water it once every five days. One bush takes about three liters of water. When the pumpkin begins to bear fruit, watering should be increased. And then you need to water once every three to four days. The water must be warm. It should be poured not under the root system itself, but along the perimeter of the green mass.

In order for your fruits to be large and ripen well, you need to control the lashes of the plant. It is necessary to leave from four to six leaves for one vegetable, and then the fruits will receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. Also, stem growth must be limited for normal fruit development. To this end, the main lash must be pinched when two or three fruits are formed on it. As for the side lashes, then one vegetable should be left on them. One pumpkin leaves from four to six leaves. The rest must be removed.

Top dressing, harvesting

During the growing season, it is necessary to apply fertilizer several times. The first time this procedure is done one week after the seedlings are transplanted to their permanent habitat. The second time the plants are fed during the flowering period of pumpkins.
For this purpose, as a rule, fertilizers based on minerals are purchased in a complex. The feeding dosage for a young plant should be halved. Pumpkin also responds well to organic applications. Gardeners and gardeners use ash, humus, manure, vermicompost, bird droppings, as well as herbal infusions.

In order to achieve the best results in terms of the yield of Matilda pumpkin, it is recommended to add mineral fertilizing to the soil alternately with organic. This, of course, strongly depends on how nutritious the soil is initially. However, additional dressings are periodically needed, and they need to be applied in accordance with all dosages.

Harvesting takes place before the first cold temperatures. If the pumpkins are not yet ripe, and a cold snap is approaching, you need to cover the plants. In order for vegetables to be well stored, you need to choose undamaged fruits. It is also recommended to leave the stalk about eight centimeters long.

Reviews of the Matilda pumpkin among gardeners are very positive. The fruits ripen quickly enough, have a great taste and aroma. Vegetables retain their fancy appearance for a long time, which makes them suitable for commercial purposes.The Matilda pumpkin variety is not too difficult in its agricultural technology. In addition, Matilda quickly adapts to different climates.

Pumpkin Matilda