«Slavuta» - Organic Pumpkin Seeds
1.14 €
You simply must try this delicious heirloom baking pumpkin from Ukraine! Each heavily ribbed blue-green-white fruit is packed with stringless golden flesh so rich and aromatic you may just have to eat dessert first.
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Ukrainian Heirloom Pumpkin «Slavuta»
You simply must try this delicious heirloom baking pumpkin from Ukraine! Each heavily ribbed blue-green-white fruit is packed with stringless golden flesh so rich and aromatic you may just have to eat dessert first.
The first thing you will notice about these pumpkins is that they are heavier than they look. Nicely shaped with a slightly flattened appearance and good ribbing, they have strong handles and a flat base for easy displaying. But inside, Slavuta is all business: this squash is packed with rich flesh that will delight your palate and fill your pantry. From a 6- to 10-pound pumpkin you will get several quarts of top-quality eating, whether you use the flesh in sweet or savory dishes. And the aroma is heavenly!
And unlike many heirloom varieties, Slavuta is heavily productive. It was bred for high-heat climates, so it's an ideal choice for the hot south and southwest, though you will find it very adaptable to northern climates as well (and it's a good crop for short growing seasons, surprisingly). Expect at least half a dozen fruits from each vine, all colored a slightly different shade of ghoulish Halloween bluish-green to gray!
Slavuta stores well, so you can display this good looker for a few weeks, then cut into it for its delicious flesh. Its portable size, unusual color, and fantastic flavor all combine to make it a terrific all-around favorite, ideal for whatever you desire in a pumpkin!
How to grow
Timing
Direct sow or transplant in late May or early June when soil warms up. For transplants, start seeds indoors during the first two weeks of May. Make sure plants go into the ground no later than June 15th. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 25-35°C (68-95°F). Seeds should sprout in 7-14 days.
Starting
Sow seeds 2cm (1″) deep. Sow 3 seeds in each spot you want a plant to grow and thin to the strongest plant. Space plants at a minimum of 90-120cm (36-48″) apart in rows 120-180cm (48-72″) apart. If starting transplants indoors, consider using the 12-cell plug inserts.
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. These big plants need lots of food! Choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil. Dig in a generous quantity of finished compost and/or composted manure. Dig in 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer under each plant. All pumpkins grow male flowers first, then the female flowers are produced. The female flowers have tiny fruits at the base of the petals and require pollination by bees, mostly. Incomplete pollination is common at the beginning of the season, and results in small fruits that are misshapen at the flower end. Discard these damaged fruits before they rot.
For the largest pumpkins, feed weekly throughout the growing season with fish or kelp based fertilizer. Keep the huge plants well watered, particularly in hot weather. Always water the soil, and avoid any form of overhead watering other than rain. Fruit will grow larger if you keep only one fruit per vine. As the fruit develops, try to gently encourage it to grow at a 90° angle to the vine itself. The largest pumpkin varieties will grow on their sides.
Harvest
Like other winter squash, pumpkins are mature when they have coloured up well and their stems are crisp. For the best sugar content, cut the stem about 4cm (2″) or so from the body of the fruit. If the weather is dry, allow the pumpkins to cure in the field for 10 days, or in a warm room for 4-5 days. Bring pumpkins in under cover before rain.