Growing pumpkin in the garden has long been a cult. The only question is what use you have in mind. As a delicious dish, for decoration, carved into a lantern or as a record pumpkin? Get to know popular species and varieties here.
What types and varieties of pumpkin are there and what are they suitable for?
Popular types of pumpkin include garden pumpkin, musk pumpkin and giant pumpkin. Some tasty varieties include Pattison, Butternut and Muscade de Provence. Decorative gourds include Turk's turban and bottle gourds. Baby Bear, Small Wonder F1 and Unique F1 are suitable for growing on the balcony. For giant pumpkins, Atlantic Giant and Yellow Centner are ideal, while Jack O'Lantern and Pumpkin Autumn Gold F1 are typical Halloween pumpkins.
The three best pumpkin types for the garden and balcony
There are five species within the genus, of which the following three have become established for cultivation in the garden and on the balcony:
- Garden pumpkin with a multifaceted shape from long and narrow to round and flat
- Musk pumpkin with the cream-colored skin and the aromatic taste
- Giant pumpkins, the giants with what it takes to set a world record
Based on these species, gardeners worldwide developed a wide variety of fascinating varieties.
Delicate delicacies
Pattison pumpkins are a feast for the senses. Young and freshly harvested, connoisseurs even eat them along with the delicate peel. Butternut pumpkins are not inferior to this. Only a few seeds impair the refined taste experience. The pumpkin variety Muscade de Provence scores as a sweet, nutty treat.
Pumpkin varieties that set accents
They are all edible. Some examples also have a decorative shape. The Turkish turban is a prime example with a flat look and thick bulges. A pretty decoration are bottle gourds, whose 5 mm thick shell is carved like wood.
Perfect candidates for bucket culture
Ambitious pumpkin gardeners are not afraid to cultivate the plants on the balcony. The following varieties are available:
- Baby Bear: 10 to 15 cm tall and very productive with 6-8 fruits
- Small Wonder F1: the small yield miracle with 600 gram light pumpkins
- Unique F1: bright orange, distinctive shape, high tolerance to mildew
- Stripetti: striped classic for the balcony with 1-2 kilogram fruits
Giant pumpkins with potential
Where does it say that the largest pumpkins always come from overseas? The following varieties definitely have the vigor that the next record holder was sown in your garden.
- Giant Atlantic Giant pumpkin with orange peel, delicious pulp and an impressive weight of several hundred kilograms
- Giant red pumpkin, which has a delicate pulp under its rich red color
- Giant pumpkin yellow hundredweight, a feast for the eyes in the bed with huge, light yellow habit
- Hokkaido pumpkin varieties, the incarnation of the classic giant pumpkin in many color nuances
The best types of pumpkins to scare you on Halloween
What great fun turning a pumpkin from the garden into a spooky lantern for Halloween. The tasty pulp provides the energy you need while you work.
The classic for this purpose is the 'Jack O'Lantern' variety with its rich yellow skin and the ideal weight of 5 to 6 kilograms. In this respect, the award-winning Pumpkin Autumn Gold F1 variety is in a neck-and-neck race with the top dog.
Tips & Tricks
The largest pumpkin in the world weighed an impressive 933 kilos. The magnificent specimen was bred - how could it be otherwise? – in the USA by an ambitious farmer. As a reward, he received prize money of 10,000 euros and a large parade in his honor.
