When to plant Lagenaria for seedlings and how to grow it

Tell me when to plant lagenaria for seedlings? This summer I first saw her at a neighbor's. I liked the unusual pumpkins so much that in the fall I took one for divorce. The neighbor says that she is planting seedlings, because the plant is afraid of the cold, and we have a late spring. How to calculate the timing so that the seedlings have time to form before disembarking on the street, but not overgrow?

Lagenaria or bottle gourd is not a very common plant and not all gardeners know about it. Some who tried to plant a vegetable in the garden were disappointed, without getting a result. Despite the rapid growth of the crop itself, its original dense-skinned seeds germinate reluctantly. If you want to grow this unusual pumpkin, the best option is to use the seedling method. It will give a higher germination rate, besides, by the time of planting in open ground, you will already have full-fledged bushes, perhaps even with buds. The main thing is to correctly determine when to plant lagenaria for seedlings. Like all pumpkin seeds, it is sensitive to low temperatures. We will talk about this today.

When to plant lagenaria for seedlings?

Planting dates depend only on the growing region and weather conditions. In southern latitudes, where spring comes early and the soil and air warm up quickly, this can be done in late March - early April. In the central lane, it is worth postponing planting until mid, or even until the end of April. Sowing too early will cause the seedlings overexposed in room conditions to stretch out. Premature planting on the street can destroy plants with recurrent frosts and cold soil.

It takes about a month from the moment of sowing to planting in open ground. This is what you need to focus on, because the lagenaria grows quickly after germination.

How to grow Lagenaria seedlings?

Due to the large size, planting bottle gourd seeds will not cause much trouble, except for one. They need pre-treatment, because the very dense skin is reluctant to open in order to release the sprout:

• first, the seeds must be soaked in a growth stimulator for a couple of hours;
• then germinate in moist sawdust, placing the container in a warm place.

It is necessary to start preparing seeds a week before sowing - about how long they will germinate.

Sprouted seeds can already be planted in a loose and nutritious substrate. A mixture of humus, sand and peat with the addition of a small amount of wood ash. It is better to plant it immediately in separate pots, deepening the seeds by a couple of centimeters. Seedlings need to be well lit and watered on time as soon as the soil dries out from above. Now she does not need a high temperature - 15 ° C of heat is enough. When the lagenaria grows up to 10-15 cm, it is planted in open ground using the transshipment method. However, this can be done not earlier than the frost has passed, otherwise the plants will die.

Video about growing seedlings of lagenaria