Pumpkins and squash belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. Generally pumpkins belong to the Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, and C. moschata species. The C. pepo species are usually recognized as the true pumpkin. Pumpkin varieties within this group have orange-yellow flowers, and fruits with bright orange skin and hard, woody, distinctly furrowed stems. This group also includes gourds, vegetable marrow, Pattypan summer squash, scallop summer squash, gray and black zucchini and summer crookneck squash.
The maxima species also contains varieties that produce pumpkin-like fruit but the skin is usually more yellow than orange and the stems are soft and spongy or corky, without ridges and without an enlargement next to the fruit. They don't really make good handles for jack-o'-lanterns. Varieties such as Atlantic Giant, Big Max and Show King are often listed as pumpkins but are more properly called pumpkin-squash or squash- type pumpkins. Other members of the maxima group are Hubbard squashes, banana squashes, buttercup squashes and turban squashes - in short, most autumn and winter squash.
The moschata species containvarietiesthat producelong and oblong fruits . Mature fruits havetan rather than orange skin. The stems are deeply ridged and enlarged next to the fruit. Members of this group are used for canned pumpkin pie production. The other non-pumpkin members include the squash-like cushaw, winter crookneck squash and butternut squash.
The mixta species contain varieties that have yellow to green or orange flowers, and produce cylindrical, curved fruits that are bulbous at the apex. The rinds are hard to soft , and they have hard, five angled, large fruit stem. Some of the white pumpkins, blue or blue-green pumpkinsbelong to this group. The other members of this group include Cushaw squash.
When growing pumpkins, select varieties that perform well in your area.
Plant semi-bush varieties one inch deep (four or five seeds per hill) and thin to the best two plants per hill. Allow 4 feet between hills and 8 feet between rows.
Plant miniature varieties one inch deep, with two or three seeds every 2 feet in the row. Rows should be 6 to 8 feet apart, with seedlings thinned to the best plant every 2 feet when they have their first true leaves.
Plant bush varieties one inch deep (1 or 2 seeds per foot of row) and thin to a single plant every 3 feet. Allow 4 to 6 feet between rows.
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