BOGATYRSKAYA SILA — a table variety of pumpkin with high-quality fruits, belonging to the mid-season type and maturing within 100-110 days from germination to harvesting. Plants are long-vining, which contributes to the formation of large fruits. The pumpkins have a flat-round shape with slight segmentation and depressed profiles at the stem and blossom ends. The average fruit weight is 4-6 kg, with a maximum weight reaching up to 15 kg. The fruit skin is leathery, while the flesh is crispy, thick, and juicy, making them especially attractive for various culinary purposes.
The variety seeds are large and white, and the fruits have good shelf life, storing up to four months. During storage, the flesh increases its sugar content, improving its taste qualities. Pumpkin flesh possesses a complex of healing properties and is widely used in preparing salads, porridges, stews, pies, as well as for producing juice and puree.
For cultivation, seeds can be sown either for seedlings or directly into open ground. Seedlings are transplanted at 20-25 days old. When sowing in the ground, seeds are placed in holes 2-3 pieces per hole at a depth of 3-5 cm; after germination, thinning is conducted, leaving 3-4 fruits on the plant. To improve fruit growth, the plant's tip is pinched, leaving 5-7 leaves above the fruits. Plants require regular watering, weeding, loosening, and fertilization. Under unfavorable weather conditions with weak fruit setting, artificial pollination is recommended. Also, when 3-4 leaves have formed, the plants are mounded with moist soil to form adventitious roots.
