Pumpkin Spaghetti

Pumpkin Spaghetti is an unusual variety with a pulp that looks like boiled Italian pasta. It was bred by domestic breeders who sought to obtain plants with fruits suitable for various types of processing. The advantages of the pumpkin were appreciated by summer residents from many regions of the Russian Federation, as well as foreign collectors.

The variety was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2001. Received by the breeder A. N. Kononov. The application for registration was submitted by the "Association Biotechnics" from St. Petersburg, which is a regional public organization.

Spaghetti belongs to the hard-peeled pumpkin varieties. Differs in good transportability and marketability. Stored for 1-2 months after removal. The fruits are rich in carotene, suitable for processing in the manufacture of baby or diet food. The flowers on the plant are bisexual, the pollination process depends on the bees.

The variety is grown in an annual culture in the open field or under a film, in greenhouses, greenhouses. Has low commercial prospects due to low predictability of harvest volumes. The formation of new ovaries is carried out continuously and until the very cold weather.

Pumpkin bushes of this variety are climbing, with a shoot length of about 1 m. Their root system is powerful, branched, requiring a lot of space. Stems with a hollow structure, pubescent, with a characteristic hard hair. Leaves are medium in size, pentagonal in shape, light to common green. Each plant forms 5-6 full-fledged ovaries.

The fruits of the Spaghetti pumpkin are barrel-shaped, medium-sized, with an average weight of about 0.85 kg. The bark is ligneous, of medium thickness, smooth, whitish and light green in technical ripeness. In full ripeness it becomes creamy. Inside there is a beige pulp with a pronounced fibrous structure, when it reaches full maturity, it breaks down into characteristic long stripes.

The planets are located centrally, they are dense, closed type. Seeds are elliptical or narrowly elliptical, medium in size, whitish in color.

Spaghetti is perfect for preparing fresh salads and other dishes. The pulp is used for all types of processing, as well as for culinary purposes. It has a not very juicy delicate texture, a slightly sweet pleasant taste and aroma of vanilla.

Spaghetti belongs to the early ripening pumpkin varieties. It takes about 62 days from germination to harvest. The crop is harvested from July to September.

The variety gives up to 5.6 kg of fruit per 1 m2. It is considered high yielding.

The variety can be grown without restrictions in all regions of the Russian Federation. In cold climates, it is planted in greenhouses or under film shelters.

With the seedling method of cultivation, the seeds are sown in April. You can start transferring to open ground no earlier than May-June. Direct seeding can be carried out around this time. Plants are arranged according to the scheme 60x60 cm, with a depth of 30-50 mm. Open sunny areas are suitable for planting.

Spaghetti pumpkin requires minimal effort on the part of the grower as it grows.The variety is responsive to feeding with organic fertilizers, but it is undesirable to give them in the 2nd half of the ripening period. The easiest way to drive seedlings is in peat pots, where an optimal nutrient medium is immediately created. Seed material is pre-heated, disinfected, kept after sowing under a film.

Watering pumpkin Spaghetti is necessary regular, but individual, taking into account the characteristics of the climate, ambient temperature. In dry periods without precipitation, it is carried out weekly, avoiding the formation of a dry crust. The earth is then gently loosened. To keep the fruit set clean, the soil surface is recommended to be mulched with agrofibre, straw or sawdust.

The Spaghetti variety is cold-resistant. This pumpkin also tolerates soil drought in short-term periods, it is insensitive to a significant decrease in air humidity. Prefers loose and fertile soils, rich in organic matter and minerals. In regions with frequent temperature changes, it requires a mandatory shelter.

The variety is pretty well protected from the main crop diseases. In unfavorable conditions, it can be affected by fusarium wilting, brown spot, powdery mildew. Sensitive to yellow mosaic virus. Among pests, the greatest danger to this pumpkin is aphid and spider mite. Shoots must be regularly examined, planted annually in a new place in order to prevent diseases.

Summer residents greeted the appearance of the Spaghetti pumpkin with delight. The variety is highly praised by all lovers of healthy food, as well as tireless culinary experimenters. The hard-barked pumpkin looks quite unusual, in shape and color it resembles a squash, but in the cut, the difference becomes obvious. The taste of the variety is not rated too highly, it is more interesting for its unusual pulp.

Other advantages include short lashes, making it easy to control the spread of shoots. The relatively small size of the bush itself is also cited as an advantage. Seeds have good germination, sprout amicably. There are 10-12 of them in a pack.

Among the disadvantages of Spaghetti pumpkin, summer residents note the difficulties with the formation of ovaries. Plants tend to form exclusively male inflorescences. In addition, the inexpressive taste differs markedly from the usual pumpkin, and not all cooks like vanilla tints in the aroma. When plants are affected by diseases, they reduce productivity, a similar problem arises when grown on too dense soils. When planting without shelter, young shoots often die during the period of recurrent frosts.