How to distinguish seedlings of zucchini from pumpkins: features of sprouts and leaves of crops. Differences between pumpkin and zucchini How does the fruit of zucchini differ from pumpkin

Melon, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, patisson - it's hard to imagine that plants so different in appearance are representatives of the same family. And yes, they are very different in taste. Is it possible to compare the juicy sweet pulp of a watermelon with an absolutely insipid squash? No wonder the first fruit is considered an excellent dessert, and the second is much more often used in salting for the winter. However, in our article we will not talk about them at all. Let's talk about the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Definitions

vegetable marrow- herbaceous annual plant of the gourd family. The fruits are oblong, green, yellow or white. Zucchini came to us from America, where initially only its seeds were eaten. It was brought to Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Then no one thought that the fruits of a strange plant can be eaten, and zucchini was grown in botanical gardens. Today it is difficult to imagine Mediterranean cuisine without this vegetable. It is believed that the Italians were the first to add unripe zucchini to dishes. It happened in the XVIII century. Today, the vegetable is actively used in cooking. Young fruits are eaten raw along with the skin, adding them to various salads. Larger zucchini is subjected to heat treatment: they are stewed, fried, baked. They are also good as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Pumpkin- herbaceous annual plant, melon culture. Forms large fruits of spherical or oval shape, predominantly orange in color. However, there are pumpkins of combined shades. Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of the plant, because it was in the Oaxaca Valley that it first appeared about 8 thousand years ago. Initially, only nutritious seeds were eaten. A little later, the pumpkin spread north into the valleys of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Spaniards brought the plant to Europe. In the 16th century, it gained popularity in the Old World. The leading positions in the cultivation of pumpkins are occupied by Russia, India and China. Ripe fruits are eaten both boiled, fried and baked, and fresh. Juice is squeezed out of them, mashed potatoes, caviar, jam and jam are made.

Comparison

Let's start the comparison with appearance fruits. The zucchini has an oblong, sometimes slightly curved shape. Its color can be either green or yellow, or almost white. Pumpkin fruits are round and often very large. Sometimes there are dark green specimens, but in general their color range varies from yellowish to bright orange. As for the pulp, when ripe, it has the same rich sunny hue. Inside the pumpkin is a loose seed cavity, as well as a hard shell layer located just under the skin. Similar is present in melon and watermelon. The flesh of the zucchini is white, its seed cavity is much denser. The shell layer is absent.

It is worth noting that zucchini is recommended to be eaten unripe. Such fruits can be eaten raw and directly with the skin, they have a number of useful properties. Pumpkin is included in the diet only when ripe, when the fruit reaches a very impressive size. By this time, the flesh becomes more tender, juicy and fragrant. Another difference between zucchini and pumpkin is that the latter plant forms powerful branched lashes. Their length can reach several meters. Zucchini grow in small bushes, and if they form lashes, they are very short. Their leaves are large, pawled, pentagonal in shape, while those of a pumpkin are rounded, with denticles along the edges.

Special attention should be paid to the taste of the fruit. In the case of zucchini, it can be called quite bland. That is why this vegetable is often eaten in combination with other ingredients. Pumpkin has a very rich sweet taste, slightly reminiscent of melon. It makes excellent cereals, juices and desserts. Despite the fact that zucchini is of great benefit to our body, pumpkin is much superior to it in this parameter. The pulp of the fruit contains many vitamins along with silicon, phosphorus, potassium, nicotinic acid, calcium, iron, etc. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic, and the oil obtained from them is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is used for metabolic disorders, in order to accelerate regeneration of liver tissues, mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, prostate gland.

To summarize, what is the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Zucchini is a type of hard-skinned pumpkin. Unlike ordinary pumpkin, they are more eaten in the form of young ovaries. Most often they have a bush form, but there are also semi-bush and long-branched forms.

The stem of zucchini is thick, erect or decumbent. The root system is powerful, consisting of tap and lateral roots. The fruits of zucchini are cylindrical or oblong, the color is from white to dark green.

The length of zucchini can reach 50 cm. The bark of young zucchini is soft, and becomes hard when ripe. Although zucchini is heat demanding, it is the most cold-resistant of all vegetable squash.

Its seeds begin to germinate at 10°C. It tolerates short-term cooling down to 5-6°C, and at 0°C the plant dies.

If a cold snap is accompanied by excessive moisture, then the plants become ill with root rot, powdery mildew, etc., and the roots may die off. Zucchini is photophilous, does not tolerate a lack of light.

It grows well and bears fruit in long daylight conditions. It does not tolerate thickening of plantings, while reducing the yield.

In the conditions of the Middle Urals, zucchini is mainly grown in seedlings, because. it provides an early harvest and allows them to be grown in areas with short and cool summers. Zucchini seeds remain viable for 5-7 years.

At the same time, it is better not to use fresh seeds for sowing, because. they form very vigorous plants with many male flowers and low yields. In plants grown from 2-3-year-old seeds, leaves and lashes develop weaker, but plants form female flowers profusely, bear fruit better and are more resistant to diseases.

There are many ways to prepare for sowing zucchini seeds. The easiest way is to warm the selected seeds in the open sun for several days. This technique also disinfects seeds very well.

Often, dry fresh zucchini seeds are heated for 3 hours at a temperature of 50-60 ° C, or 24 hours at a temperature of 40 degrees, or they are kept near the heating system in a linen bag for 1.5-2 months. Such seeds give quick shoots and form many female flowers.

And for disinfection, they are often treated in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate for 20 minutes, followed by rinsing in cold water. To obtain friendly and strong seedlings, it is advisable to treat zucchini seeds in a solution of trace elements (for 1 liter of warm water - 1 teaspoon of nitrophoska, or 0.5 tablets of microelements, or 1 tablespoon of wood ash).

But the most reliable and easiest way to prepare seeds is to use modern growth stimulants, which are now in abundance. Own seeds must be soaked before sowing, preferably until the swelling stage.

To do this, seeds disinfected and treated with growth stimulants are wrapped in a damp cloth, placed in a plastic bag and placed in a warm place, airing it 2-3 times a day. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the fabric is constantly moist, but without excess water.

Of course, the seeds will sprout faster if they are germinated. But these sprouts in zucchini are very fragile. Seeds with long thin sprouts (more than 0.5 cm) should not be sown, because. weakened plants grow from them.

Yes, and storing germinated seeds is very difficult if you do not have the opportunity to sow them immediately. And it is more convenient to work with swollen seeds, and it is convenient to store them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Hardening seeds is very effective, especially if you are going to sow them early.

To do this, the seeds are placed for 2-3 days in the lower compartment of the refrigerator or hardened with varying temperatures: they are kept at room temperature for 8-10 hours, and then for 15-16 hours in the lower compartment of the refrigerator. Zucchini seedlings are often affected by black leg.

In this case, the root neck turns brown, the tissue rots and the seedlings die. The source of the disease is often the soil. Therefore, soil preparation begins with its disinfection.

The oldest and fairly reliable way is to freeze the finished soil on the balcony for 1-2 months. A week before planting, the soil is brought into the house and allowed to gradually thaw. It is very important to choose the right composition of the soil mixture.

For zucchini, which have large seeds and strong sprouts, a soil mixture is well suited, consisting of soddy soil - 3 hours, decomposed peat - 3 hours, manure humus - 3 hours, semi-rotted sawdust or coarse-grained river sand - 1 hour. Excellent and inexpensive soil can be obtained by mixing 2 hours of ready-made and inexpensive soil "Gardener" (for cucumbers), 2 hours of stale sawdust, 1 hour of biohumus. Instead of "Gardener", you can use ready-made soils "Uralets", "Flora", "Krepysh", "Ogorodnik", "Special No. 2" (based on "Live Land").

It is desirable to grow seedlings of zucchini in "personal" pots, cubes, sachets 10x10 cm in size. For drainage, you can put finely chopped sphagnum moss on the bottom or punch holes in pots.

In the absence of sphagnum, hardwood sawdust scalded with boiling water can be used as drainage. Then the container is filled with soil mixture. In pots, one hatched seed is sown to a depth of 3-4 cm.

Seeds are laid flat, covered with nutrient mixture and lightly compacted. If you are not sure about the high germination of your seeds, then it is better to put two seeds per hole. Until the emergence of seedlings, the pots are kept in a warm place, covering them with a film.

But as soon as shoots appear, the pots must be installed on the brightest window ... (Ural Gardener No. 12, March 23, 2011)

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How to distinguish a zucchini from a pumpkin?

Happy Tasha over a year ago

sowing watermelon seeds for seedlings

1) by the fruit and 2) by the plant, that is, by the seedlings (I planted both, and now I don’t know which of them sprouted. How to determine?)

Lilyusenka over a year ago

It is not difficult to distinguish the fruit of a zucchini from a pumpkin - the pumpkin is round, the zucchini is elongated, the pumpkin is more often orange, the zucchini is yellow (there are green varieties or even half green, half yellow, we grew up like this funny :))). As for the seedlings, at one time it was also, confusing the seeds of zucchini and pumpkin, diligently trying to understand where who was :) Here's what I understood: in zucchini, the first leaves are more elongated, lighter than in pumpkin, the stem is longer and thinner, in pumpkin, respectively, the stem is shorter, denser, the leaves are larger, thicker, darker, and further, developing the pumpkin also has larger and darker leaves than the zucchini.

Of course, these are not one hundred percent signs, it happens that zucchini are quite large and can be leaf and bush similar to pumpkins. Also, if you want to preserve the variety of pumpkin and zucchini and not lose their quality next year, then try to plant them farther from each other, they can pollinate, you will get hybrids, for example, the pumpkin will become less sweet or the zucchini will mutate into something then a medium between pumpkin and zucchini having lost its taste.

Seedlings of cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkin

Seedlings of cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins grown in pots, as it does not tolerate transplants. Before sowing seeds, they must be germinated. In late March - early April, the seeds are soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate - 2 g per glass of water.

After 15 minutes, they are washed in clean water and placed between layers of damp cloth, maintaining a temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° and moistening the cloth as it dries. The sown seeds, one or two, are sown in pots.

The composition of potting mixes and doses of mineral fertilizers for seedlings are presented here. Then the pots are placed in seedling boxes close to each other, watered and placed in a greenhouse, greenhouse or room in a warm place (covered with plastic wrap), where you can maintain the temperature until germination within 25-30 ° C. Reduce it after 4-7 days to +14...+17°, and then maintain at the level of 20°.

It is necessary to water cucumber seedlings with water heated to 25-30 ° C. Seedlings get sick from cold water and may even die. During the growing period, seedlings give 1-2 top dressings with a solution of mineral fertilizers. 7-10 days before planting in open ground, the plants are hardened.

For this purpose, the premises where seedlings are grown are often ventilated, the temperature in them is reduced to 15-16 ° FROM, seedlings are watered less often, trying not to create excess moisture. Under no circumstances should seedlings be allowed to grow.

Mai?k Mikalowitz - The Pumpkin Method

Although it has more leaves, however, after planting in the garden, it does not develop a sufficiently large leaf apparatus, blooms early and quickly ages, which leads to a sharp decrease in yield. By the time of planting in open ground, seedlings of cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkins should be healthy, hardened, with a low stocky stem, short internodes and 2-3 well-developed dark green leaves. Planting seedlings of pumpkin plants in the ground on our website is presented on the example of planting zucchini with detailed photographs.

Growing zucchini

Growing zucchini- a very simple task, even for those who have no experience in gardening. They are very resistant to diseases, not picky about growing conditions and have a lot of useful properties.

Zucchini almost always gives a large and pleasing harvest, and it often happens that there is nowhere to put the crop. Zucchini, like cucumbers, belong to the same family of vegetables, in this regard, their cultivation is similar, but zucchini is most likely to give excellent, if not excellent, results.

Zucchini is a relatively frost-resistant crop and should be planted in early May, but if there is a desire to be content with fruits earlier, then in mid-April the seeds are sown in pots, and a month later, seedlings are planted and covered with plastic wrap. The following varieties are considered the best varieties of zucchini: Gribovsky-37, Nemchinovsky, hybrid Beloplodny VIR.

Growing seedlings of zucchiniSowing zucchini seeds for seedlings. In order to get good seedlings, you must first soak the seeds for twelve hours, it is better to do this during the day, in a solution of the following composition: you need a teaspoon of nitrophoska per liter of water, then this mixture must be kept for three days in a wet bag.

When to plant zucchini for seedlings? Seeds are sown for seedlings from April 10 to May 10. Accordingly, they are planted in the ground from mid-May to mid-June, when the threat of frost has passed.

If you decide to sow seedlings in May immediately into the ground, then you definitely need to cover it after planting with plastic wrap, thereby creating a small greenhouse. It is recommended to loosen the ground before planting, and it is better to fertilize it with black soil, since zucchini is very demanding on the fertile properties of the soil.

Soil preparation It is better to prepare the beds in early May, and then fertilize them with manure humus or compost, at the rate of 1 bucket per square meter.

You should also pay attention to the composition of the soil, if it is dense and heavy, then half a bucket of sawdust should be added to each square meter. Mineral fertilizers should also be involved in soil preparation, the following list of such fertilizers is well suited for this: two tablespoons of double superphosphate, one tablespoon of potassium sulfate, one teaspoon of ammonium nitrate and a can of wood ash with a capacity of five hundred milliliters. The beds should be dug up and watered a solution of potassium permanganate, which must be made with the following composition: one and a half grams of potassium permanganate must be mixed with ten liters of water.

This solution should be applied at the rate of three liters of solution per square meter of beds. Sowing seeds

Next, you need to make a furrow along the bed and sow the seeds at a distance of eighty centimeters from each other, and you need to throw two seeds into each nest, so you will insure your crops in case some seeds suddenly do not sprout. If it turns out that both seedlings will germinate and begin to develop, then you need to choose the best one from them, and cut the second one at the very base and remove it, but if possible, it is better to transplant.

Planting zucchini in a permanent place The procedure for transplanting into open ground is quite simple: for each grown seedling, you can dig an individual hole, carefully trying not to disturb the earthen ball, remove the seedling from the temporary seedling pot and set the seedling in the hole.

Next, sprinkle the bush with earth and slightly crush the soil, it is worth remembering that deepening the root neck of a young plant is unacceptable. It is recommended to transplant into moist soil, and then make a shelter for seedlings using plastic wrap.

Nevertheless, a good crop of zucchini depends on the so-called human factor: you need to sow seeds to a depth of five or six centimeters, but if your soil is loose in density, and if the soil in which you sow zucchini is dense, then you should adhere to the depth no more than four centimeters. top dressing

Now let's pay some attention to top dressing for zucchini. In total, they need to be done several times. The first top dressing occurs before flowering, and is a liter jar of mullein and one tablespoon of nitrophoska diluted in ten liters of water.

This dressing is applied in the amount of one liter for each plant. The second top dressing should be done already during flowering, and it is a solution of ten liters of water, to which a liter jar of diluted chicken manure is added in a ratio of three to one and one tablespoon of full fertilizer (Riga, Gomel), and the consumption of such top dressing is five liters per square meter.

During fruiting, it is recommended to apply top dressing of the following composition: for 10 liters of water, add one tablespoon of double superphosphate and the same amount of potassium and urea, and the consumption of this top dressing is ten liters per square meter. When you notice that the fruits of your zucchini begin to pour (increase), then you should make two final top dressings with a solution of urea at the rate of 1 tablespoon of urea per ten liters of water.

Moreover, the interval between the first and second feeding should be from ten to twelve days. Further care for zucchini

In order for the zucchini to receive more light and to ensure their better ventilation, 1-3 leaves should be removed during fruiting. In this way, you will help the plant get rid of or avoid rot.

The number of fruits that you can collect from one plant is also quite large - 18 pieces. The zucchini will be ready in about 2 months after the first shoots appear.

Zelentsy recommend picking 2 times a week, not allowing them to be overgrown, because otherwise it will affect the crop, it will be much less, and the quality of the fruit will decrease. For the health of your zucchini, you should water them with warm water, so they can avoid many diseases.

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vegetable marrow- herbaceous annual plant of the gourd family.

How to distinguish seedlings of zucchini from pumpkins: features of sprouts and leaves of crops

The fruits are oblong, green, yellow or white. Zucchini came to us from America, where initially only its seeds were eaten. It was brought to Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Then no one thought that the fruits of a strange plant can be eaten, and zucchini was grown in botanical gardens. Today it is difficult to imagine Mediterranean cuisine without this vegetable. It is believed that the Italians were the first to add unripe zucchini to dishes. It happened in the XVIII century. Today, the vegetable is actively used in cooking. Young fruits are eaten raw along with the skin, adding them to various salads. Larger zucchini is subjected to heat treatment: they are stewed, fried, baked. They are also good as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Pumpkin

Comparison

Melon, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, patisson - it's hard to imagine that plants so different in appearance are representatives of the same family. And yes, they are very different in taste. Is it possible to compare the juicy sweet pulp of a watermelon with an absolutely insipid squash? No wonder the first fruit is considered an excellent dessert, and the second is much more often used in salting for the winter. However, in our article we will not talk about them at all. Let's talk about the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Definitions

vegetable marrow

Pumpkin- herbaceous annual plant, melon culture. Forms large fruits of spherical or oval shape, predominantly orange in color. However, there are pumpkins of combined shades. Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of the plant, because it was in the Oaxaca Valley that it first appeared about 8 thousand years ago. Initially, only nutritious seeds were eaten. A little later, the pumpkin spread north into the valleys of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Spaniards brought the plant to Europe. In the 16th century, it gained popularity in the Old World. The leading positions in the cultivation of pumpkins are occupied by Russia, India and China. Ripe fruits are eaten both boiled, fried and baked, and fresh. Juice is squeezed out of them, mashed potatoes, caviar, jam and jam are made.

Comparison

Let's start the comparison with the appearance of the fruit. The zucchini has an oblong, sometimes slightly curved shape. Its color can be either green or yellow, or almost white. Pumpkin fruits are round and often very large. Sometimes there are dark green specimens, but in general their color range varies from yellowish to bright orange. As for the pulp, when ripe, it has the same rich sunny hue.

Inside the pumpkin is a loose seed cavity, as well as a hard shell layer located just under the skin. Similar is present in melon and watermelon. The flesh of the zucchini is white, its seed cavity is much denser. The shell layer is absent.

It is worth noting that zucchini is recommended to be eaten unripe. Such fruits can be eaten raw and directly with the skin, they have a number of useful properties. Pumpkin is included in the diet only when ripe, when the fruit reaches a very impressive size. By this time, the flesh becomes more tender, juicy and fragrant. Another difference between zucchini and pumpkin is that the latter plant forms powerful branched lashes. Their length can reach several meters. Zucchini grow in small bushes, and if they form lashes, they are very short. Their leaves are large, pawled, pentagonal in shape, while those of a pumpkin are rounded, with denticles along the edges.

Special attention should be paid to the taste of the fruit. In the case of zucchini, it can be called quite bland. That is why this vegetable is often eaten in combination with other ingredients. Pumpkin has a very rich sweet taste, slightly reminiscent of melon. It makes excellent cereals, juices and desserts. Despite the fact that zucchini is of great benefit to our body, pumpkin is much superior to it in this parameter. The pulp of the fruit contains many vitamins along with silicon, phosphorus, potassium, nicotinic acid, calcium, iron, etc. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic, and the oil obtained from them is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is used for metabolic disorders, in order to accelerate regeneration of liver tissues, mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, prostate gland.

To summarize, what is the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Melon, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, patisson - it's hard to imagine that plants so different in appearance are representatives of the same family. And yes, they are very different in taste. Is it possible to compare the juicy sweet pulp of a watermelon with an absolutely insipid squash? No wonder the first fruit is considered an excellent dessert, and the second is much more often used in salting for the winter. However, in our article we will not talk about them at all. Let's talk about the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Definitions

vegetable marrow- herbaceous annual plant of the gourd family. The fruits are oblong, green, yellow or white. Zucchini came to us from America, where initially only its seeds were eaten. It was brought to Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Then no one thought that the fruits of a strange plant can be eaten, and zucchini was grown in botanical gardens. Today it is difficult to imagine Mediterranean cuisine without this vegetable. It is believed that the Italians were the first to add unripe zucchini to dishes. It happened in the XVIII century. Today, the vegetable is actively used in cooking. Young fruits are eaten raw along with the skin, adding them to various salads. Larger zucchini is subjected to heat treatment: they are stewed, fried, baked. They are also good as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Pumpkin- herbaceous annual plant, melon culture. Forms large fruits of spherical or oval shape, predominantly orange in color. However, there are pumpkins of combined shades. Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of the plant, because it was in the Oaxaca Valley that it first appeared about 8 thousand years ago. Initially, only nutritious seeds were eaten.

The main differences between pumpkin seeds and zucchini

A little later, the pumpkin spread north into the valleys of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Spaniards brought the plant to Europe. In the 16th century, it gained popularity in the Old World. The leading positions in the cultivation of pumpkins are occupied by Russia, India and China. Ripe fruits are eaten both boiled, fried and baked, and fresh. Juice is squeezed out of them, mashed potatoes, caviar, jam and jam are made.

Comparison

Let's start the comparison with the appearance of the fruit. The zucchini has an oblong, sometimes slightly curved shape. Its color can be either green or yellow, or almost white. Pumpkin fruits are round and often very large. Sometimes there are dark green specimens, but in general their color range varies from yellowish to bright orange. As for the pulp, when ripe, it has the same rich sunny hue. Inside the pumpkin is a loose seed cavity, as well as a hard shell layer located just under the skin. Similar is present in melon and watermelon. The flesh of the zucchini is white, its seed cavity is much denser. The shell layer is absent.

It is worth noting that zucchini is recommended to be eaten unripe. Such fruits can be eaten raw and directly with the skin, they have a number of useful properties. Pumpkin is included in the diet only when ripe, when the fruit reaches a very impressive size. By this time, the flesh becomes more tender, juicy and fragrant. Another difference between zucchini and pumpkin is that the latter plant forms powerful branched lashes. Their length can reach several meters. Zucchini grow in small bushes, and if they form lashes, they are very short. Their leaves are large, pawled, pentagonal in shape, while those of a pumpkin are rounded, with denticles along the edges.

Special attention should be paid to the taste of the fruit. In the case of zucchini, it can be called quite bland. That is why this vegetable is often eaten in combination with other ingredients. Pumpkin has a very rich sweet taste, slightly reminiscent of melon. It makes excellent cereals, juices and desserts. Despite the fact that zucchini is of great benefit to our body, pumpkin is much superior to it in this parameter. The pulp of the fruit contains many vitamins along with silicon, phosphorus, potassium, nicotinic acid, calcium, iron, etc. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic, and the oil obtained from them is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is used for metabolic disorders, in order to accelerate regeneration of liver tissues, mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, prostate gland.

To summarize, what is the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Melon, watermelon, cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, patisson - it's hard to imagine that plants so different in appearance are representatives of the same family. And yes, they are very different in taste. Is it possible to compare the juicy sweet pulp of a watermelon with an absolutely insipid squash? No wonder the first fruit is considered an excellent dessert, and the second is much more often used in salting for the winter. However, in our article we will not talk about them at all. Let's talk about the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

Definitions

vegetable marrow- herbaceous annual plant of the gourd family. The fruits are oblong, green, yellow or white. Zucchini came to us from America, where initially only its seeds were eaten. It was brought to Europe from the New World in the 16th century. Then no one thought that the fruits of a strange plant can be eaten, and zucchini was grown in botanical gardens. Today it is difficult to imagine Mediterranean cuisine without this vegetable. It is believed that the Italians were the first to add unripe zucchini to dishes. It happened in the XVIII century. Today, the vegetable is actively used in cooking. Young fruits are eaten raw along with the skin, adding them to various salads. Larger zucchini is subjected to heat treatment: they are stewed, fried, baked. They are also good as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Pumpkin- herbaceous annual plant, melon culture. Forms large fruits of spherical or oval shape, predominantly orange in color. However, there are pumpkins of combined shades. Mexico is considered to be the birthplace of the plant, because it was in the Oaxaca Valley that it first appeared about 8 thousand years ago. Initially, only nutritious seeds were eaten. A little later, the pumpkin spread north into the valleys of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Spaniards brought the plant to Europe. In the 16th century, it gained popularity in the Old World. The leading positions in the cultivation of pumpkins are occupied by Russia, India and China. Ripe fruits are eaten both boiled, fried and baked, and fresh. Juice is squeezed out of them, mashed potatoes, caviar, jam and jam are made.

Comparison

Let's start the comparison with the appearance of the fruit. The zucchini has an oblong, sometimes slightly curved shape. Its color can be either green or yellow, or almost white. Pumpkin fruits are round and often very large. Sometimes there are dark green specimens, but in general their color range varies from yellowish to bright orange. As for the pulp, when ripe, it has the same rich sunny hue. Inside the pumpkin is a loose seed cavity, as well as a hard shell layer located just under the skin. Similar is present in melon and watermelon. The flesh of the zucchini is white, its seed cavity is much denser. The shell layer is absent.

It is worth noting that zucchini is recommended to be eaten unripe. Such fruits can be eaten raw and directly with the skin, they have a number of useful properties. Pumpkin is included in the diet only when ripe, when the fruit reaches a very impressive size. By this time, the flesh becomes more tender, juicy and fragrant. Another difference between zucchini and pumpkin is that the latter plant forms powerful branched lashes. Their length can reach several meters. Zucchini grow in small bushes, and if they form lashes, they are very short.

How to distinguish seedlings of zucchini from seedlings of pumpkin

Their leaves are large, pawled, pentagonal in shape, while those of a pumpkin are rounded, with denticles along the edges.

Special attention should be paid to the taste of the fruit. In the case of zucchini, it can be called quite bland. That is why this vegetable is often eaten in combination with other ingredients. Pumpkin has a very rich sweet taste, slightly reminiscent of melon. It makes excellent cereals, juices and desserts. Despite the fact that zucchini is of great benefit to our body, pumpkin is much superior to it in this parameter. The pulp of the fruit contains many vitamins along with silicon, phosphorus, potassium, nicotinic acid, calcium, iron, etc. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic, and the oil obtained from them is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and is used for metabolic disorders, in order to accelerate regeneration of liver tissues, mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, prostate gland.

To summarize, what is the difference between zucchini and pumpkin.

What is the difference between pumpkins and squash in the seedling stage, if both belong to the gourd family? How can you tell them apart for sure? This article provides answers to these questions.

Those who grow vegetables from seedlings for several years can visually identify seedlings and grown specimens of different plants, even if they are representatives of the same gourd family. But what should beginner gardeners do when the irreparable happened:

1. They forgot which pots contain pumpkin and where zucchini.
2. They signed, but the naughty child took out all the plates.
3. When cleaning, a home pest mixed up containers from different seedling racks.

Advice. It is easy to make plates for pots with seedlings from an aluminum can cut into strips. By signing them (preferably with an indelible marker), you will receive "eternal" reminders for future harvests.

In this case, the observations of experienced gardeners will come in handy.

How many leaves - so many differences

You can distinguish seedlings of pumpkin and zucchini on different stages development:

• at the time of germination and the first days of growth;
• when real leaves unfold and grow;
• when it's time to plant seedlings.

squash seedling

Newly unfolded pumpkin cotyledon leaves are rounder, larger and thicker than squash, looking more powerful. Zucchini cotyledons are oval, lighter than those of a pumpkin. The pumpkin stalk is thickened, shortened, compared to the squash, it looks more stocky, and the leg of the squash plant is thinner, it is easy to break it.

Advice. If your climate does not involve sowing seeds directly into the ground, then plant all types of pumpkin seeds in peat pots, their seedlings do not tolerate transplantation, the slightest injury to the roots.

The main features are color and volume

Real pumpkin leaves are round, dense, well-opened, rich green plates with a narrow light border along the very edge. The leaves of zucchini are five-lobed, slightly raised to the central vein. For an inexperienced "agronomist" they are a bit similar in structure to maple, they have more visible light leaf veins and a carved "jagged" edge. Once carefully observing the development of plants at all stages, then it is difficult to confuse them.

Surely you can distinguish pumpkin seedlings from zucchini seedlings before planting

When the seedlings become adults, peat containers can be inspected before sending them to their permanent place of residence. The pumpkin has a more developed, voluminous and strong root system, the roots quickly break through the walls of the pots, and zucchini do not behave like this. This advice does not guarantee a 100% hit, but may be of additional help in the difficult task of identifying seedlings.

Still, the most reliable method is to distinguish plants by adult leaves.

Pumpkin seedlings - video