Pumpkin - melon and vegetable garden, widespread throughout the world. The plant is very unpretentious - a good harvest of pumpkin can be obtained even with elementary care. The fruit of a pumpkin has a significant nutritional value for humans and livestock, and, as a rule, it becomes more delicious when they lie down for a while. Unlike other melons, melons and melons , pumpkins can be stored for a long time and consumed almost all winter. The question is when to clean the pumpkin, so that the taste and nutritious qualities are more preserved, is relevant for gardener-lovers. After a timely collection of pumpkin guarantees the safety of its useful properties, frozen fruits lose them.
Definition of ripeness of a pumpkin
We immediately determine that the time for cleaning the pumpkin depends on the variety and climatic conditions of the cultivation area. Common signs of pumpkin maturation - the leaves become yellow and withered, the stalk is rusty, the color of the fruit becomes bright, saturated, and the peel is very dense and firm.
If we consider by species, the varieties of solid-grained pumpkin are characterized by early maturity, and are already ready for consumption at the end of August. Varieties of large-fruited pumpkins are medium- and late-ripening. Later, muscat gourd varieties, which have excellent taste qualities, are ripening. It is wiser to clean them immediately before the onset of frosts on the soil, which in the mild climatic zone occur in mid-September. Harvesting decorative pumpkins that do not eat, but are used most often in the decor of kitchens and public catering facilities, can occur later, most importantly, that their appearance is not affected.
Determining the time when it is possible to collect a pumpkin, depending on geographical areas, it is roughly recommended in Moscow suburbs to harvest crops in the second decade of September, in Siberia - in the early days of autumn, in southern areas, pumpkin harvesting can be carried out at the end of September or beginning of October. But first of all, you need to pay attention to the weather forecast, and when choosing the timing of harvesting, be guided by the expected time of the onset of frosts.
When to collect a pumpkin?
Preferably for harvesting a ripened pumpkin - dry weather. Pumpkins, collected in wet rainy weather, must be dried. It is recommended that the fruits, identified for storage, be removed together with the pedicel, cutting it 4 to 5 cm. Removed without a peduncle pumpkin quickly rot, so they can not be saved. Pumpkins are selected with intact fruits, without scratches, dents. If the autumn is dry and warm, it is possible to leave the cut fruits for some time on the beds, but at the same time to monitor the changes in the air temperature, including night time.
Terms and conditions for storing pumpkin
In the case of early harvest due to unfavorable weather conditions, the fruits can ripen, lying in a room - a room, a veranda, a shed. Determining pumpkins for long-term storage, note that its fruits can be stored at room temperature, but the optimal temperature for storage is 10-15 degrees above zero. In general, the same storage
The least hard-cultivated cultivars are kept in time. The maximum shelf life of the cut fruits of this type of pumpkin is 1 month, then the seeds begin to germinate. Large-fruited and nutmeg types of pumpkin are kept for 5-6 months without changing taste and useful qualities. With longer storage, the taste of the product changes: the pulp becomes tasteless and fibrous, and the sugar content decreases.