Patison (Cucurbita pepo var. Patisoniana) is a species belonging to the gourd family. It was brought to Europe by the Spaniards in the 17th century and became very popular at the French court. It is an annual herbaceous plant with a shrubby habit. Yellow, single flowers are dioecious and appear in June. The fruit, which resembles a flattened disc, can be green, purple, white or yellow in color, sometimes with spots or stripes.
Contents:
- Patison - position
- Patison propagation - how to prepare a seedling?
- Patisons - care
Patison - position
Patisons, like other cucurbits, are extremely sensitive to low temperatures. Therefore, a suitable place for growing this plant should be well lit and sheltered from the wind. The substrate for the patison should be loose, fertile, with a pH close to neutral.
Good forecrops for this plant are: cabbage, radish, carrot, onion, tomato, pea, potato. In the vicinity of vegetables, patison should not be planted after other cucurbit plants due to the risk of transmitting diseases characteristic of this family.
Patison propagation - how to prepare a seedling?
In order to obtain the earliest possible harvest, it is best to cultivate a seedling patison. The seeds are sown in the second or third decade of April … We sow 2 seeds into the pots and place them in a warm room at a temperature of 20oC.They germinate after a week, and after another 3 weeks, the plants can be planted permanently. Due to the high thermal requirements, the seedlings should be planted after May 15, when the risk of spring frosts has passed. Patisons need a lot of space, so we plant them with a spacing of 100-120x80 cm.
In order to maintain the appropriate temperature and soil moisture, inhibit the growth of weeds and isolate the fruit from the ground, it is good to mulch the plants, e.g. with a black polypropylene fleece.
Patisons: care
Watering and fertilization are the most important care treatments in the cultivation of patison.
After planting the seedlings, the seedlings should be watered regularly, frequently and abundantly until they get used to their new location. Before the plants bloom, they should be watered every 5-6 days. Every 3-4 days we water the plants while they are setting fruit.
Patisons have high nutritional requirements. We feed them weekly with a dose of organic fertilizer (biohumus, plant slurries), as well as multi-component mineral fertilizers.
Patison fruit can be harvested from June to October. Harvesting is carried out every few days, as leaving the planted fruit on the plant inhibits the development of the next ones. Patisons are harvested before they reach technical maturity. They have a delicate skin and flesh. Fully ripe fruits have a hard skin and large, thick seeds. Such a fruit is ideal for obtaining seeds.
See also:
How to grow gooseberries? We advise!
How to grow melons in the garden?
