Each gardener wants to grow unusual crops. These include the spaghetti pumpkin. You will learn about the features of growing and the secrets of cooking delicious dishes from it from this article.

Grade description

The name of the variety speaks for itself: when fully ripened, its flesh breaks up into thin fibrous wedges, which exactly resemble pasta, especially during heat treatment. Therefore, the plant is also called “pasta pumpkin”, “squash pumpkin”.

Did you know? The word squash is derived from the language of the Indians of Massachusetts, where it means “eaten raw.” They have been growing pumpkin for millennia. At first, only seeds were eaten, and then they began to eat raw pulp.

Growing seedlings at home

Growing a variety of "spaghetti" is no different from growing ordinary pumpkins.

Sowing time

Seeds are sown for seedlings from mid-April to early May.

Landing tanks and soil

It is better to sow “spaghetti” in peat tablets, so as not to pick them later. This is more convenient for the reason that the plants do not tolerate transplanting. In extreme cases, you can use wooden boxes.

The soil mixture for them can be bought in a store or prepared independently by mixing peat, sawdust and humus in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. For 1 kg of soil, add 1 tsp. Nitrofoski.

Seed preparation

Seeds are pre-wrapped in wet tissue and placed in a warm, dark place for several days. You can use another method. Fill a half of a plastic glass with dry shavings.

Pour it with boiling water, cover and leave to cool. Place the seeds in the cooled chips. Wrap a glass in a bag and put in a warm dark place for a couple of days.

Experienced gardeners also recommend hardening the sprouted seeds by placing them in the refrigerator for 3 days.

For small disinfection purposes, seeds can be soaked in a 2% potassium permanganate solution for 30 minutes. To prepare it, dissolve in 1 ml of water in 300 ml of water.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Seeds are sown to a depth of 4 cm at a distance of 2-3 cm.

Further care

The containers are covered with glass or film before seedlings begin. This variety is photophilous, so place the seedlings in a well-lit place. The most suitable temperature for plants is +15 ... + 25 ° С.

Watering should be moderate. Water the seedlings as the soil dries.

Important! In no case do not allow the drying out or waterlogging of the soil. This will lead to plant diseases.

Two weeks before the planned planting of seedlings to a permanent place, it is tempered. Tanks are taken out daily for a couple of hours, so that the plants adapt to environmental conditions.

Transplanting seedlings in the open ground

Further on how to properly plant seedlings in a permanent place.

The timing

4 weeks after seedling, seedlings are planted in open ground. On the street, until this time, a stable temperature should be established, since the "spaghetti" variety does not tolerate its differences.

Seat selection and crop rotation

When choosing a place you need to consider a lot. There should be plenty of room on the pumpkin bed. To increase soil fertility, it has been prepared since the fall. The earth is sprinkled with manure (4 kg per 1 sq. M). After that, the bed is dug up.

If the bed is acidic, sprinkle it with ash at the rate of 200 g per 1 sq. Km. m. Place for landing, choose a well-lit. If there is a lot of shade on the bed, the pumpkin will not produce fruit.

Pumpkin has no place in the garden on which zucchini, squash and cucumbers grew last season. Plants will be sick and will not give a good harvest.

Important! The best forerunners of pumpkin are tomatoes, potatoes and legumes. These crops saturate the soil with the elements necessary for the active development of the plant.

The best neighbors of pumpkins are: zucchini, cucumbers, radishes, corn, melons, peas, beans. Together with these crops, the pumpkin will give a good harvest, and there will be no diseases. Two weeks before the planned planting of seedlings, cover the bed with a black film so that the seedlings are warmed faster and better.

Scheme

Plant seedlings at a distance of up to 80 cm. The depth of the hole should be about 12 cm. Before planting a seedling in it, pour hot water there and wait until it is absorbed into the soil. Now you can plant a plant.

Further outdoor care

More about leaving already planted seedlings.

Watering

Use a radical type of irrigation. It is important to be careful not to wash the roots out of the ground.

Important! It should be borne in mind that this plant does not like excess moisture and reacts to a large amount of water with the appearance of a fungus.

Pumpkin "spaghetti" refers to drought-resistant plants. The optimal frequency of watering is 2 times a week. It is better to do this in the evening or in the morning when it is cool outside. Only the planted seedlings are watered as the soil dries. During the heat, water every two days.

Topping

You need to pinch the pumpkin lash. Otherwise, its length will reach 7 m, and the plant will not yield many fruits. Up to 4 lateral shoots and 4 to 6 leaves are left on the stem. After 6 sheets, the top is pinched off. Side lashes also pinch after 6 sheets.

Fertilizer application

The first time the pumpkin is fertilized immediately a week after planting. To do this, it is good to use chicken droppings, diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 4. Then feed “spaghetti” every 2 weeks. Use a solution of ash (1 cup per 10 liters of water).Urea (10 g per 10 l of water) also has a beneficial effect on plants. Spaghetti, like any other pumpkin variety, loves potassium, so put 2 tbsp. In each hole before planting seedlings. ash. Organic fertilizers alternate with mineral ones. Use superphosphate (2 tbsp. Per bucket of water).

You can also use ready-made fertilizers purchased at an agricultural store: Nitrofosku, Mortar, AVA. Use them according to the instructions indicated on the package.

Weeding and loosening the soil

The soil needs regular cultivation. This should be done after watering and rain. It is very important that a lot of oxygen is continuously supplied to the pumpkin roots. If weeds appear, remove them immediately. This is usually done while the pumpkin is small.

When the bush grows, the weeds underneath it usually do not grow. The bushes of the plant must be spudded every 20 days.

Useful properties of an unusual pumpkin

• The beneficial properties of the fruit of this pumpkin variety for the human body are obvious:
• prevents heart disease;
• heals the gastrointestinal tract;
• normalizes metabolism;
• calms the nervous system;
• removes chloride salts from the body due to diuretic and choleretic action.

How to cook delicious

From "spaghetti" you can cook a lot of delicious dishes. Here are some of them.

Recipe 1

You will need:

• spaghetti pumpkin;
• salt;
• pepper;
• olive oil.

How to make pumpkin: video

Cooking:

1. Cut the fruit along and take out the seeds.
2. Pour the halves with olive or other oil.
3. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
4. Take a baking dish and grease it with oil.
5. Preheat the oven to + 180 ° C.
6. Put the pumpkin halves on the form with the slice down.
7. Bake for 40-60 minutes. (availability depends on the size of the pumpkin).
8. Remove the finished pumpkin from the oven and separate the pulp into spaghetti fibers with a fork (do this from the edges to the center).

"Spaghetti" can be used as a side dish for main dishes, can be added to other recipes even instead of real spaghetti pasta.

A delicious salad can be made from the pulp of a pumpkin. Add grated parmesan, parsley and spices to your taste. Season the salad with olive oil and mix.

Recipe 2

You will need:

• Spaghetti pumpkin - 1 pc.;
• bacon - 4 strips;
• onion - 1/2 pcs.;
• garlic - 1 clove;
• vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
• cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp;
• salt, black pepper to taste;
• Parmesan - 2 tbsp. l .;
• parsley to taste.

Pumpkin Spaghetti: video

Cooking:

1. Cut the pumpkin in half and take out the seeds.
2. Grease the halves with vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste (you can add a little cayenne pepper).
3. Bake pumpkin for about 40 minutes. until ready in an oven preheated to + 200 ° C.
4. While the fruit is baked, finely chop the onion, garlic, and bacon.
5. Fry the bacon in a pan to give a little fat.
6. Add onions and garlic, fry them until transparent.
7. Take the finished pumpkin and separate the spaghetti pulp with a fork.
8. Transfer pumpkin spaghetti in a pan to the bacon with onions and garlic, mix well.
9. Add half the parmesan cooked for the recipe, mix.
10. Sprinkle the rest with Parmesan and parsley on top of the mixture.

As you can see, spaghetti pumpkin is a unique product, very healthy and incredibly tasty. It is also very easy to grow.