2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Wax gourd (Latin Benincasa hispida) - a representative of the Benincasa genus of the Pumpkin family. Other names are winter melon or winter gourd. The homeland of the plant is considered to be South and East Asia. In the wild, wax gourd is rare. Currently cultivated in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and China. In Russia, it is grown only on personal household plots.
Characteristics of culture
Wax gourd is a fast-growing herbaceous vine with coarsely pubescent shoots. Leaves are cordate, 5-7-lobed, wavy, long-petiolate, dentate along the edge. The flowers are large, golden yellow, fragrant. Wax gourd blooms in July. Fruits are oval, white or light green with a waxy bloom, up to 35 cm long.
The subtleties of growing
Wax gourd prefers light, moderately moist, permeable soils with a pH of 5, 8-6, 8. The location is preferably sunny. In a dense shade, plants practically do not bloom and often rot. The best precursors are all types of cabbage, potatoes, carrots, beets and legumes. It is not recommended to plant after representatives of the Pumpkin family.
Wax gourd is grown mainly in seedlings. Sowing is carried out in late April - early May. The seeding depth is 1-2 cm. Seedlings are regularly watered and fed with liquid mineral fertilizers. At the age of 20-25 days, the seedlings are transplanted into open ground under a shelter, in June the shelter is removed. The distance between plants should be about 35-40 cm, and between rows - 60-70 cm.
Wax gourd is relatively drought-resistant, but it needs systematic irrigation with warm and settled water, especially in the fruiting phase. During the growing season, it is necessary to carry out two dressings. As fertilizers, it is not prohibited to use ammophos (30-40 g per 1 sq. M), ammonium nitrate (15-20 g per 1 sq. M) and potassium sulfate (20-25 g per 1 sq. M).
Wax gourd flowers are pollinated by insects, but artificial pollination is also encouraged. Plants require formative pruning, which consists in removing lateral shoots to a length of 1 m. Up to 4-5 fruits are preserved on the plant. Since the fruits of the crop are heavy, the plants must be tied to a support.
Application
The fruits of the wax gourd have a sweetish pulp with a slight sourness. They are used for making salads, soups, cereals, drinks and pie fillings. The leaves, shoots and tendrils of plants are also edible and are widely used in folk medicine. Wax gourd has diuretic, antihelminthic, laxative, antifebrile, adaptogenic, antifebrile and aphrodisiac properties.
Wax gourd is useful for treating diseases of the nervous system, venereal diseases and as a means of increasing appetite. In China, national pies and moon cakes are made from pumpkins, which are especially relevant on the autumn holiday. In Pakistan, the fruits of the wax gourd are used to make sweets. The inhabitants of this country believe that plant seeds soaked in milk increase sperm count and increase their activity.
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