When do pumpkins mature and hit the market, and which varieties are best to choose?

Pumpkin, also called wogua, fangua, fangua (rice gourd), etc., is an annual trailing herbaceous plant of the genus Cucurbita in the Cucurbitaceae family, with high nutritional value. So when do pumpkins mature and hit the market? Which varieties are best?

The time when pumpkins mature and hit the market:

Pumpkin is a vegetable that matures in late summer and early autumn. It generally flowers from May to July and fruits from July to September. After fruit set, it usually can be sold within 10 days, but it takes about 1 month to turn yellow. The fruit stalk of the pumpkin is stout, with ridges and grooves, 5 to 7 cm long, and the stem end of the fruit expands into a trumpet shape. The pepo varies in shape depending on the variety, often with several longitudinal grooves on the outside or none. Seeds are numerous, long ovate or oblong, grayish white, with thin edges.

[Pumpkin production areas]

Pumpkin originated in the region from Mexico to Central America and has a cultivation history of 9,000 years. Columbus brought it back to Europe, and it was later introduced by the Portuguese to Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other places, and entered China during the Ming Dynasty. It is now widely cultivated around the world, with the largest cultivation area in Asia, followed by Europe and South America. In China, it is widely planted in both the north and the south, with the most extensive planting in the Northeast, especially in Heilongjiang.

[Pumpkin benefits and effects]

1. Detoxifying effect: Pumpkin contains vitamins and pectin. Pectin has good adsorptivity and can bind and eliminate bacterial toxins and other harmful substances in the body, such as lead, mercury, and radioactive elements among heavy metals, thus playing a detoxifying role.

2. Aiding digestion: The pectin contained in pumpkin can also protect the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract from irritation by rough foods, promote the healing of ulcers, and is suitable for patients with stomach conditions. Its components can promote bile secretion, strengthen gastrointestinal motility, and help food digestion.

3. Lowering blood sugar: Pumpkin is rich in cobalt. Cobalt can activate human metabolism, promote blood production, and participate in the synthesis of vitamin B12 in the human body, with special efficacy in preventing and treating diabetes and lowering blood sugar.

4. Cancer-preventing effect: Pumpkin can eliminate the mutagenic effect of the carcinogen nitrosamine, has a cancer-preventing effect, and can help the recovery of liver and kidney function and enhance the regenerative capacity of liver and kidney cells.

5. Promoting growth: Pumpkin is rich in zinc, participates in the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins in the human body, is an inherent component of adrenal cortical hormones, and is an important substance for human growth and development.

Which pumpkin varieties are best

There are many types of pumpkin varieties, most of which are late-maturing varieties, and there are also medium- and early-maturing types. According to fruit shape, many types can be distinguished. Skin color also differs, including dark green, yellow-red, orange-red, and green skin scattered with yellow-red spots and other different colors. At present, most cultivated varieties are local varieties. Several main representative varieties are introduced here:

(1) Boshan long pumpkin: a local variety of Boshan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province. The stem is trailing, and the plant has strong growth vigor and branching ability. The leaves are large, dark green, and palmately pentagonal. The first female flower node is above the 18th node. The fruit is slender-necked and cylindrical, with dark green skin, a smooth surface, and a waxy bloom. A single fruit weighs about 1.5 kg. The growth period is 120 to 140 days. It is relatively resistant to viral disease and powdery mildew.

(2) Ye'er San pumpkin: a local variety of Pingyuan County, Shandong Province. The stem is trailing, with strong branching ability. The leaves are relatively large and palmately pentagonal. The first female flower node is at the 8th to 9th node. Early-maturing. The fruit is oblate, and the young fruit is dark green with yellow-white spots. The mature fruit is brownish yellow with flesh-colored spots. The fruit surface has obvious white deep ridges and a waxy bloom. A single fruit weighs about 1.25 kg. The growth period is 95 to 105 days. It is relatively resistant to viral disease but not resistant to powdery mildew.

(3) Ox-leg pumpkin: a local variety of Yinan County, Shandong Province. The stem is trailing, with strong branching ability. The first female flower node is at the 5th to 8th node, and it is early-maturing. The fruit is long, thick-necked, and cylindrical. The young fruit is dark green. The fruit surface is smooth and has a waxy bloom. A single fruit weighs about 2.5 kg. The growth period is 95 to 105 days. It is resistant to viral disease but not resistant to powdery mildew.

(4) Zaozhuang pumpkin: a local variety of the suburbs of Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province. The stem is trailing, with strong growth vigor. It has strong branching ability. The leaves are dark green with scattered white spots and are palmately pentagonal. The first female flower node is at the 6th to 10th node, and it is medium-early maturing. The fruit is oblate with longitudinal ridges. The young fruit skin is dark green with yellow-white spots, and the mature fruit skin is brownish yellow with flesh-colored spots and a waxy bloom. The fruit is about 10 cm in longitudinal diameter and 18 cm in transverse diameter, and a single fruit weighs about 1.5 kg. The mature fruit tastes sweet but is not mealy, and has good quality. It is relatively resistant to viral disease and powdery mildew. The growth period is 95 to 105 days.