Pumpkin mug. Unusual pumpkin gourd - features of the processing of bottled vegetables. Bottle gourd

Lagenaria is a representative of decorative pumpkins, having the appearance of vines more than 10 meters long with amazing - long, pear-shaped, in the form of maracas or nesting dolls - fruits. In our area, this pumpkin is also known by the names gourd, calabash, goose in apples, bottle gourd, serpentine gourd - depending on the variety and shape. Planting and caring for lagenaria practically do not differ from ordinary pumpkins, so why not grow such exotic in your garden?

Lagenaria: biological features

Lagenaria belongs to the pumpkin family, but stands out in a separate genus Lagenaria. That is, for (nutmeg, hard-bark, large-fruited), for cucumbers, melons and watermelons - this is a cousin. Its homeland is tropical regions. This is an annual plant with beautiful fluffy leaves and small white-yellow flowers (which, by the way, smell great). From one creeper, you can collect 10-15 pumpkins weighing, on average, 1-1.5 kg and about half a meter long. Although some varieties of lagenaria can grow up to two meters in length and weigh about 8 kg!

There are at least seven species of lagenaria:

- Lagenaria siceraria - common lagenaria. It is this type of lagenarius pumpkin that is most widely represented in the garden plots of our country. Lagenaria vulgaris includes serpentine forms, "goose in apples", nesting dolls, maracas, pears, and other intricate pumpkins.

- Lagenaria breviflora

- Lagenaria guineensis

Not all varieties of lagenaria are suitable for eating even at a young age. The pulp of some is similar to pumpkin, with a slight spicy aftertaste, the pulp of others is more like bitter cotton wool. Indeed, the decorative lagenaria pumpkin contains cucurbitacin - the very one due to which. But cucumbers contain relatively little of this toxin, but the juice of lagenaria, not intended for human consumption, can become a real poison.

Therefore, pay attention to the information on the possibility of using a particular variety of lagenaria pumpkin for food, which the breeder indicates on the package. And better - grow lagenaria for beauty, and not for food))

Sprouting lagenaria seeds

If you are using for growing lagenaria own seeds, do not forget: pumpkin seeds should be sown 2-4 years after harvest. With too fresh seeds, and you will not wait for the fruits.

Many amateur gardeners complain that a lagenaria seed stuck into dry ground does not germinate. To avoid such an unpleasant start to growing exotics, Lagenaria seeds should be prepared for planting.

1) Put the seeds in a cloth envelope, place the envelope in a saucer and moisten well with warm, preferably melted, water, and put in a warm place. Sprouting stimulants can be added to the water if desired.

2) After 3-4 days, remove the seeds with the swollen seed coat. Now you need to help the sprout get out of the relatively strong seed. To do this, the top of the seed should be cut off or cut down, or even easier - bite with your teeth, slightly cracking, as if you were eating ordinary pumpkin seeds. The splitted seeds of lagenaria are again placed in a damp cloth envelope and kept warm for several days - until sprouts appear from the seed. After that, they are transplanted into cups with soil - one in each.

Growing seedlings of lagenaria

In the southern regions, lagenaria seeds can be planted directly into the ground, and in the middle lane this plant is best grown through seedlings. The fact is that the fruits of lagenaria reach maturity no earlier than three months after planting. But, since this fruit is grown, for the most part, for decorative purposes, lagenaria must spend some time on the vine so that the pumpkin skin hardens well. If the pumpkin does not have time to harden by frost, it will either be damaged by frost, or it will begin to rot when stored at home, plucked unripe.

Thus, at the end of April, we take up the germination of lagenaria seeds, at the beginning of May we plant sprouts in cups with soil, deepening them into the ground by 1.5-2 cm. For lagenaria, the most common nutritious, loose one is suitable. Moisten the earth well from time to time. After about a month, the seedlings of lagenaria are transferred to open ground. The main thing is that at this time - the end of May, the beginning of June - there is no longer a threat of night frosts.

Lagenaria Care

Planting and caring for lagenaria grown through seedlings is very simple. Seedlings or seeds are planted at least a meter apart. This is a heat-loving plant, so give preference to the south side. Does not like lagenaria acidic soils.

This pumpkin is planted, as well as, not in the middle of the garden, but near fences, arbors, walls, otherwise the plant, growing, will deprive the light of its neighbors in the garden (one plant can braid an area of 6 "squares"). In any case, decorative lagenaria needs a strong support.

Top dressing for lagenaria on good soil is not required, but with weak growth before flowering, you can feed it with organic matter - mullein, herbal fertilizer, etc. Watering - as needed, but only with warm water. This plant is relatively resistant to traditional and other cucurbits, but with a sharp change in temperature (including soil), rot, anthracnose or powdery mildew may appear on lagenaria.

When the plant reaches two meters in length, pinch the stem and side shoots. You can also remove some of the ovaries so that the remaining fruits form better. Lagenaria flowers bloom in the evening and close in the morning. Some gardeners recommend pollinating plants by plucking the male flower and fanning the female flower with it.

The fruits of lagenaria ripen in September-October. They can be removed from the vine as they mature, always with a stalk. In the article, we talked about the fact that the best drying for any decorative pumpkin is right on the whip, or just in the fresh air. For a well-ripened fruit with a hard shell, frost and rain do not pose any threat.

Grafting on lagenaria cucumbers, melons, watermelons

Another feature of the bottle gourd is its rapid growth and powerful root system. Using these, experimental gardeners plant her close relatives on lagenaria - cucumbers, melons, watermelons. Why is this being done? The graft develops more intensively, begins to bear fruit earlier and more abundantly, and lagenaria is less prone to diseases than other pumpkin.

For example, we will tell you how to plant a cucumber on lagenaria in a reed way:

1) We plant cucumber seeds in a separate cup, after three days we plant lagenaria seeds in another cup (lagenaria grows much faster). After another four days, when the plants are almost the same height (5-10 cm), and the thickness of the stem reaches about 0.5 cm, we proceed to grafting.

2) At the seedlings of lagenaria, we pinch the growth point.

3) Prepare a container with soil. The size of the container should be such that seedlings of lagenaria and cucumber with a clod of earth can easily enter it. We put a little soil on the bottom of the container, carefully remove the seedlings of both plants from the cup and place them side by side in a new container. Try to fit the plants closer to each other, and make sure that they are on the same level.

4) With a blade, we cut the stem of lagenaria from top to bottom. The length of the cut is up to 1 cm, the depth is half the stem. We cut the cucumber stalk in the same way, but only from the bottom up. We insert the tongue of the cucumber to the tongue of lagenaria and fix it with special mini-clips. The latter, in the absence of it, can be replaced with thin strips of adhesive tape or electrical tape. After that, the plants are watered, shaded for several hours, and then exposed to the sun.

5) After five days, we help the cucumber switch to food from lagenaria. To do this, crush the cucumber stalk slightly below the grafting site, after another five days - completely cut it off.

If the vaccination is successful, the cucumber will develop rapidly and you will get a plentiful, earlier harvest.

The use of lagenaria

As already mentioned, when young, some varieties of lagenaria are suitable for eating. In addition, this type of pumpkin is used in folk medicine to combat diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, liver, bladder, and stomach.

But the main use of lagenaria pumpkin is decorative. Dried lagenaria is used to make amazing dishes, musical instruments, toys, smoking pipes, candlesticks and everything that fantasy allows.

It is not for nothing that lagenaria is called the "ware gourd", or "bottle gourd"

Tatyana Kuzmenko, member of the editorial board of the Sobcorrespondent of the online publication "AtmAgro. Agroindustrial Bulletin"

A plant such as bottle gourd (lagenaria) has been known since ancient times. Dishes and various decorative items were made from such a fruit. In addition, it is valued due to its beneficial properties.

Description

The bottle gourd was born on the territory of Africa and modern America, and also became widespread in Central Europe. Archaeologists have discovered dishes from langenaria, which are already more than 12 thousand years old.

The stem of this culture resembles a liana and can reach a length of up to 15 meters. In addition, it is slightly faceted and there is a slight pubescence on it. The leaves of the plant are pentagonal, corrugated. An interesting feature of this variety is that the flowers can only be seen at night, during the day they are hidden in the axils of the leaves.

Fruits can be round, oval or pear-shaped. They grow up to 2 meters in length. The minimum diameter is 10 centimeters. Also, one langenaria can weigh from 500 grams to 1.5 kilograms. Due to such a large size, 10-15 fruits grow on one bush.

Due to the individual characteristics of this variety, it has received many names, for example, bottle gourd, pitcher gourd, gourd, Vietnamese squash or Indian cucumber. Let's talk about cultivation.

Calabash. cultivation

This variety resembles a zucchini in its properties, but the technology for reproducing these two vegetables differs significantly from each other. A long growing season of 120-150 days is an individual feature of such a plant as bottle gourd. Growing at home should begin with the preparation of seeds for seedlings. If you immediately plant a plant in open ground, then it may not have time to mature in a short summer period.

Seed preparation for seedlings

Bottle gourd, the seeds of which are very hard, large and flat, may not germinate at all. To avoid such an outcome, seed must be prepared, namely:

seedling reproduction

As soon as it is noticeable that the seeds have sprouted, they must be moved to pots, the volume of which should not be less than one liter.
The soil must be fertile and moist.
In the process of transplanting, it is necessary to deepen the seeds by 3 cm, sprinkle with earth and lightly crush. To speed up the germination process, you can build a greenhouse that will trap warm air, thereby helping the pumpkin to get out more quickly.
In order for seedlings to appear within 2 weeks, you need to maintain a comfortable temperature equal to 23-25 degrees.
Seedlings need to be watered in a timely manner, avoiding drought, or vice versa, excessive soil moisture.

Plant transplantation in open ground

Bottle gourd, the cultivation of which began at home, sooner or later must move to open ground. It is best to wait for a time when the threat of spring frosts has passed.

Landing site selection:

Bottle gourd is very thermophilic, so it is quite difficult to grow it in areas where there can be significant temperature differences. Such a plant is unlikely to withstand even the weakest frosts.
It is also best to avoid areas with high water tables and acidic soils.
Considering that the plant belongs to the liana type, it needs a support, which can be a fence, a pre-designed fence or simple trellises.

It is best to dig shallow holes at a distance of 1 meter from each other, they need to put 1 tablespoon of any fertilizer containing potassium, or 1 cup of ash. Also, the key to successful growth will be half a bucket of humus or compost.

The seedling pot is placed in a hole at the same level with the ground and dug in with a small layer of fertile soil. At the end of the procedure, the pumpkin should be poured with warm water.

Care

A heat-loving plant is what characterizes a bottle gourd, the care of which should begin with the construction of a shelter. It can be made from improvised means and not removed until favorable temperatures, both during the day and at night.
When watering a plant, special attention should also be paid to this feature. And be sure to use only warm water. This procedure must be carried out as the soil dries.
In order for the formation of fruits to take place most efficiently, as soon as the stem of the plant reaches a size of 2 meters, it must be pinched.

top dressing

Bottle gourd (lagenaria) is very fond of both organic and mineral top dressing. In order for the plant to develop well and bring high-quality fruits, it must be fertilized every 7-10 days, alternating these two types of fertilizers.

During mineral dressing, it is best to use the following composition:

3 tablespoons of nitrogen fertilizer;
2 tablespoons of potash fertilizer;
10 liters of water.

One liter of the prepared solution is consumed per plant.

When preparing organic top dressing, they most often use:

1 kg of manure or 0.5 kg of bird droppings;
10 liters of water.

The resulting fertilizer is poured under one bottle gourd.

Pollination

To get the unusual fruits of langenaria, it must be pollinated by hand. Such a need arises due to the fact that the plant blooms in the dark, when almost all pollinating insects are sleeping.

When doing this, you need to be extremely careful and careful. One careless movement can easily deprive the entire planned crop. The main difficulty lies in the ability to distinguish a male flower from a female one. The presence of small fruits under the flowers indicates the feminine. In order for the process to be carried out correctly, and for the plant to have enough of the substances it needs, several males are used to obtain one fruit.

How to dry bottle gourd

This process has its own characteristics. Bottle gourd is very light, and when dried it is almost weightless, besides, it does not let moisture through. It is for these qualities that it has been valued since ancient times, making dishes from such fruits. The initial step will be the preparation of the material, for this you need to dry the pumpkin.

This whole process is very long and painstaking, it begins with the fact that the fruit must be cut off, leaving only a small tail, moisture will evaporate through it, and thoroughly washed with soapy water, then it must be wiped dry with a towel.
It is best to dry the bottle gourd outside so that there is uniform air circulation, but if this is not possible, then a well-ventilated area can be used. Avoid exposure to open sunlight. Under no circumstances should an oven or microwave oven be used for such purposes. The process should proceed naturally. This is necessary to maintain the shape and all the quality indicators of the pumpkin.
During drying, the bottle gourd should be suspended or lie on a wire rack. It is also necessary to avoid contact of several fruits.
In a bright place, it should be about a week until the top layer hardens and changes color.
Then it must be moved to a dark room, where the entire main process will take place, the duration of which can reach 6 months.
Every week, the pumpkin should be checked for various defects, such as wrinkling or rot. Such specimens are immediately removed so that the detrimental effect does not spread to healthy fruits. They also need to be gradually turned over so that they dry evenly.
Mold is not a serious problem, if you notice it in time, you can wipe the pumpkin with a dry cloth.
The readiness of the fruit can be judged by the sound of seeds that begin to rattle.
As soon as this indicator is noticeable, it is necessary to cut off the tail, remove the seeds and leave the bottle gourd to dry on the inside.
After a few days, the base for various dishes or crafts will be ready. Such a plant can be painted, decorated, polished.

Use of lagenaria

There are many ways to use the fruits and stems of such a plant:

Various crafts, musical instruments, smoking pipes and even toys are made from bottle gourds.
Hats or baskets are woven from the stems, they are very durable and beautiful.
Oil can be obtained from seeds for a long time after harvest.
We must not forget about the beneficial properties of pumpkin as a food product. The pulp of the fetus is used for diseases of the heart, vascular system, kidneys, bladder, liver and stomach. Also, regular intake of lagenaria can help normalize metabolism and, accordingly, lose extra pounds. It is important to remember that only young fruits, the size of which does not exceed 50 centimeters, can be eaten.

The ability to use the fruit as a material for making various crafts is what distinguishes bottle gourd. Caring for and growing a plant is not difficult, and even a beginner can cope with this task, the main thing is to choose the right place for the growth of vines.

Lagenaria, or bottle gourd, is a plant that has many names: bottle lagenaria, Vietnamese squash, gourd. The most popular variety of lagenaria, suitable for growing in the conditions of the Russian middle zone, is called lagenaria serpentine. Any novice gardener can easily cope with the cultivation of lagenaria. Lagenaria does not require complex care. The main thing during its cultivation is to regularly water it. Care also includes top dressing and loosening.

Due to the ease of care and cultivation, it often grows in gardens and orchards. It is usually grown by gardeners who prefer plants that are undemanding to care for. Dishes from lagenaria are very useful, because gourd gourd is rich in vitamins.

However, not everyone knows that, in addition to delicious dishes, very interesting crafts can be made from this original pumpkin. Original do-it-yourself souvenirs from gourds will serve as an excellent gift for relatives and friends and will take their rightful place at a fair or exhibition. You can make original dishes from gourd gourd. Sometimes they make interesting toys out of it. And from it you can make unusual Christmas decorations.

It is no coincidence that Lagenaria is called a table gourd, or a bottle gourd. From it you can make beautiful dishes. This plant is also called gourd, because the fruits of lagenaria have a shape resembling a small pot-bellied vessel with a narrow neck. Most often, in crafts from lagenaria, it is the original form of the fruits of the “Vietnamese zucchini” that is played up.

The main advantage of lagenaria as a material for crafts is that its fruits practically do not require additional processing. It is enough just to dry them, take out the pulp, cover with a colorless varnish and paint in an original way, in accordance with the purpose of the finished product. For the manufacture of crafts, the largest, strongest and ripe fruits of lagenaria should be selected.

Most often, the following types of souvenirs are made from lagenaria, or bottle gourd:

Dishes for children and adults, as well as toy dishes;
Original flower vases;
Kids toys;
Christmas decorations;
Matryoshkas.

Before making crafts, the fruits of lagenaria must be cut and dried. It is best to dry them in such a way that direct sunlight does not fall on the fruits, otherwise the blanks for crafts will quickly burn out and crack. The ideal drying option is on a window facing the sunny side. You can also dry the fruits even faster using special dryers for berries, vegetables and fruits, such as the Veterok dryer. When the fruits are prepared for drying, all the pulp is completely removed from them.

The most convenient way to do this is with a special wire bent at the end, because such a wire, provided it is long enough, allows you to reach the very bottom and successfully collect all the pulp from the walls. Then the workpiece is dried. With proper drying, the workpiece becomes dry and hard. Now the fruit of the Vietnamese squash resembles a cup or a vase, depending on the shape. Using imagination and a creative approach to business, you can make anything from this blank. Fruits intended for the manufacture of crafts should not have damage and signs of decay.

Gallery: pumpkin crafts (25 photos)

Manufacturing features

Even a child, a primary school student, can cope with the manufacture of crafts from lagenaria. The main thing is to properly prepare blanks for crafts. A variety of dishes can be made from lagenaria, because each gourd has a special shape: there are small pot-bellied pumpkins, and there are long, elongated fruits resembling a bottle. Dishes made from lagenaria resemble ancient wooden utensils. Depending on the shape, the following types of kitchen utensils can be made from lagenaria:

Dishes from lagenaria

When making dishes from lagenaria, the home master must start from the shape of the workpiece. Here the basic principle of sculptors operates: take the material and simply cut off everything superfluous from it. You can not paint the finished dishes, but simply cover them with colorless varnish, because the fruits of lagenaria themselves have a beautiful natural color and also have an interesting texture. However, you can also decorate the dishes with an original ornament. In this case, a primer is first applied to the workpiece, then the workpiece is painted.

And, finally, it is completely covered with a colorless varnish and placed on a shelf until it dries completely.

You can use a variety of ornaments for decorating gourd gourd dishes: geometric shapes, borders of zigzags and wavy lines, floral decor, stylized images of animals and birds in the style of old Russian woodcarving. You can apply a drawing with paint, you can decorate the dishes with carvings, or you can use a burning device for this purpose.

Most often, dishes from lagenaria are painted with paints.

Pumpkin dishes can be used for their intended purpose: to drink from it. However, if the workpiece was initially poorly dried, constant contact with liquid can cause mold. It is best to use lagenaria dishes for storing bulk products and spices or as a decoration.

Such dishes are perfect for kitchen interiors decorated in Provence style (aka country, folk or rustic style). Also, dishes made from gourd gourd will look spectacular at exhibitions and fairs of folk crafts. From the smallest pumpkins, you can make a service for a large doll: pots, tureens, bowls and cups.

Also, original toys are often made from dried gourd blanks. You can effectively beat the characteristic shape of a Vietnamese zucchini (pot-bellied pumpkin with an elongated neck) by making a whole set of matryoshka dolls from the fruits. To do this, you need to pick up several fruits of bottle gourd, slightly different from each other in size. The upper, slightly elongated part of the fruit will be the “head” of the nesting doll, and the lower, wide part of the pumpkin will be its “body”.

In the upper part you need to draw a circle, and in this circle you should depict the face of the doll: hair, eyes, nose and mouth, red cheeks, everything is like in a classic matryoshka doll. The rest of the fruit is a “scarf”, a “suit” of a nesting doll, it needs to be painted accordingly. You can draw bright flowers on the “scarf” and “costume”, add hands to the nesting doll, decorate it with bright ornaments in folklore style.

You can paint the blank from lagenaria, intended for the manufacture of dishes, white, and then wait for it to dry and depict blue flowers on a white background, and you will get original dishes decorated with Gzhel-like painting. You can cut the elongated lagenaria fruit lengthwise into two halves, take out the pulp, and you get two blanks for wooden spoons. Improvised spoons - decorate with Khokhloma-style painting.

Many home craftsmen believe that lagenaria crafts must be brightly painted, then they turn out to be the most expressive, cheerful, cheerful and bright. However, among home craftsmen there is another opinion. Some craftsmen who have extensive experience working with lagenaria believe that it does not need to be painted at all, but only covered with a colorless varnish to protect it from damage and mold.

Lagenaria is a wonderful vegetable. You can cook delicious dishes from it, as well as make very unusual cups, caskets, bowls and even toys. Also, the gourd looks beautiful in the garden or in the garden as an ornamental plant. Recently, this plant has been very popular and is quite often found in the front gardens of ornamental plant lovers. Do-it-yourself crafts from lagenaria at home are an excellent souvenir for family and friends. The main thing is to choose healthy, strong fruits and dry them properly.