Hokkaido pumpkin can, under certain conditions, simply be planted in the garden. The location and the soil conditions are important here.
The low-calorie and vitamin-rich Hokkaido pumpkin is known as a delicious oven-cooked vegetable and is often used for a delicious pumpkin soup due to its mild taste. The hallmark of Hokkaido, with the sonorous botanical name Cucurbita maxima Duchesne ssp. maxima convar. maxima 'Red Kuri' is its plump orange color, but there is also a green variant of the Hokkaido pumpkin. The great thing: the pumpkin can be grown even in the home garden. In order for this to work, you have to consider a few important points.Planting Hokkaido Pumpkin - bought seeds are best
Seeds are needed to plant the Hokkaido gourd. The seeds that are available from specialist retailers offer you the best way to harvest a large pumpkin. You can also make the seeds yourself from dried seeds. However, the resulting pumpkins rarely reach a considerable size. But the taste is often significantly more aromatic.
Planting Hokkaido Pumpkin - when is the best time?
Sowing should take place at the end of May because the Hokkaido pumpkin cannot tolerate frost and could be damaged by the ice saints. At the end of May, however, it is also a good time to sow because the hours of sun and therefore the daytime temperatures are slowly increasing and the seeds germinate well.
" Tip: If you want to start sowing earlier, you can also sow the seeds in the flower pot on the windowsill. The sowing time is then in April. You can put the pumpkin outdoors at the end of May.
Location and soil conditions for the Hokkaido gourd
Important isthat you choose the brightest possible location. Without light, no large fruits form, because the power of the plant then predominantly goes into the leaves.
To grow well, the Hokkaido pumpkin needs a mineral-rich soil. Substrates with a large amount of humus or compost are perfect. If none of these options are available to you, you should prepare the soil beforehand with a mineral fertilizer. Alternatively, there are also horn chips or blue grain. The floor should also always be kept moist.
" Tip: If you have compost in the garden, you can also put the seeds directly on the compost. The pumpkin not only finds the best conditions here, the tendrils also hide the actual compost.
This is how the sowing succeeds
Put the pumpkin seeds one by one in the ground Once you have found a suitable location, put the pumpkin seeds one by one, about one centimeter deep in the ground and then cover them with about 1 cm of soil. Then water continuously and make sure that the soil remains moist at all times. The seeds now take about seven days to start germinating.➢ Tip: You don't need to keep the Hokkaido pumpkin alone. You can easily grow it between cucumbers or zucchini.
" Note: It usually takes sixty days for the first flowers to form. The pollen from the male flowers must reach the female, otherwise pumpkins will not form. If your Hokkaido pumpkin forms extremely powerful leaves, simply cut them off. The more large leaves there are, the less power the plant has to drive out the fruit.
Caring for the Hokkaido pumpkin properly
So that you can harvest a magnificent pumpkin in autumn, you have to invest a little in the care. Protection from snails is particularly important. Invest in a snail fence or try out home remedies such as beer and sharp stones, otherwise the snails will be tiring on the leaves.
Interesting facts about the Hokkaido pumpkin
Where does the Hokkaido pumpkin originally come from?
The Hokkaido pumpkin originally comes from Japan, more precisely from the island of Hokkaidō and originated there at the end of the 19th century from a cultivation of the rice pumpkin.
How healthy is Hokkaido pumpkin?
The Hokkaido pumpkin has only about 67 kcal and 0.6 g fat per 100 g and is therefore perfect for the low carb diet. The pumpkin is also an important source of vitamins and minerals (beta carotene, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron). It also fills you up for a long time, protects our cells, is said to strengthen eyesight and help against high blood pressure.
Can you eat the bowl of Hokkaido pumpkin?
Yes, the pumpkin doesn't have to be peeled. Whether you bake it in the oven, process it as soup or prepare a delicious chili con pumpkin, you can eat the bowl of the Hokkaido pumpkin.
Can You Freeze Hokkaido Pumpkin?
Yes, it is possible, but the Hokkaido pumpkin should be fresh and raw. Divide the pumpkin in half, cut off the ends and peel. Scrape out the pulp and seeds and cut the rest into small pieces. Then put everything in a freezer bag and freeze.
