Table of contents
- ornamental gourd
- seed
- Plant
- Care
- harvest
In autumn, a decorative pumpkin is a wonderful decorative element that draws a lot of warmth into every apartment. But what to do if there is not enough space in the garden to be able to cultivate these visually extremely attractive pumpkins in the summer? Then it is best to grow in a plant pot or planter. The maintenance effort is kept within very narrow limits.
ornamental gourd
Ornamental gourds are not intended for consumption. Although you could eat many varieties, it makes little sense because of the small amount of pulp. In addition, there are also varieties that can lead to significant stomach cramps because of their bitter substances. As the name suggests, however, these pumpkins are mainly grown for their appearance anyway. Varieties whose fruits are not too large are particularly suitable for cultivation in pots or tubs. These include, among others:
- Autumn Wing, fruit size 10 to 15 cm
- Flat striped, fruit size 5 to 10 cm
- Gourd Verruqueuse, fruit size 8 to 12 cm
- Mini ball, fruit size 5 to 8 cm
- Pear Bicolor, fruit size 7 to 10 cm
- Shenot Crowns: fruit size 10 to 15 cm
These varieties all have different fruit shapes and shades of colour. The shell can be smooth or jagged or jagged. be uneven. What they all have in common is that they are heavy feeders, i.e. they need an extraordinary amount of nutrients in order to grow and form magnificent fruits.
A notice:
In addition to the fruit size, the number of fruits also plays an important role in pot cultivation. Except for Flat Striped (up to 20 fruits), the yield oscillates between six to twelve fruits.
seed
Ornamental gourds are usually grown in pots from seeds. Seeds for the individual varieties are available in specialist garden shops for relatively little money. Ideally, it is first sown in smaller pots. Pots with a diameter of six to ten centimeters are initially sufficient. It is best to use a very humus-rich potting soil as a plant substrate, which already provides the seedlings with the required amount of nutrients. The perfect time for sowing is late spring, around mid or late April. This is how you should do it:
- Fill the pots loosely with the potting soil
- Press two seeds per pot loosely into the soil
- water well
- Move pots to a light-flooded location
- keep the temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius
- Always keep soil moist
After about three to four weeks, the seedlings should have developed several pairs of leaves. Then you can start moving the young plants into a larger planter.
Tip:
Always sow the purchased seed in the year of purchase. Since fresh seed develops best, a year later you can be in for a big disappointment.
Plant
Before you start putting the young plants in the larger container, you should think about the required size of the container and the later location. It is always important to remember that pumpkin plants can grow very large and grow wild. In addition, the fruits also need space. The plant pot should therefore have a capacity of at least 60 to 90 liters. In addition, a climbing aid should be integrated right from the start. It also makes sense to place the bucket on a plant trolley immediately - this will make transporting the heavy container much easier later on. The ideal plant substrate is a typical vegetable soil with a very high proportion of compost. You should proceed as follows:
- Create a drainage made of potsherds over the bottom opening in the bucket
- Spread a fleece over the drainage that is permeable to air and water
- Fill in the plant substrate
- Dig a small hollow in the middle
- place the strongest of the two young plants from the small pot in the hollow
- Press the soil down lightly and water well immediately
So that the cultivation of the ornamental pumpkins is really successful, the planter should first be brought to a sheltered, semi-shaded place. It then stays there for eight to ten days. A place on the balcony is usually ideal for this. It can then be placed in its final location. This location should definitely be very sunny. There should also be some space next to the pot for the fruit to lie on if necessary.
Care
Growing ornamental pumpkins is also appealing because they don't require a lot of maintenance. They get along quite well without constant attention. However, it is important to water them regularly. It is advisable to keep the area around the roots well moist at all times. In addition, you should always add compost as a natural fertilizer in the summer months. If you want to work the fertilizer into the soil, extreme caution is required, as the ornamental pumpkin has very sensitive roots that can be easily damaged. Tendrils and leaves have to be loosely attached to the climbing aid or the trellis from time to time.
harvest
Ornamental squashes grow throughout the summer and into early fall. The fruits can usually only be harvested in the second half of October. In any case, the harvest should take place before the first frost. The stalk is cut off generously with a sharp knife. It is important not to damage the fruit under any circumstances when harvesting, as this significantly affects its ability to be stored. The fruit should be stored at a temperature of ten to twelve degrees Celsius. They are therefore more suitable as a decoration for a stairwell and have no place in the heated living room.
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