Benincasa Or Wax Gourd

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Do you want to plant a healthy and unusual vegetable on your garden plot? Pay attention to the pumpkin family, the fruits of which are so different in size, color and even shape that it is not always possible to assume that they are related. Another surprise of this family is a vegetable crop called benincasa or waxy gourd. She surprises with a long shelf life, under normal conditions the fruits can be stored for up to a couple of years

For gardeners - lovers of Russia, benincasa is still exotic and not widespread. This plant comes from the countries of the Latin American and Asian continents, and is also well cultivated in Japan, Africa, India. In different countries, Benincasa has its own name, which characterize the appearance of the culture. Sometimes confusion arises, because beninkaza is called white Indian pumpkin and winter pumpkin, pillow pumpkin, bristly pumpkin and even Chinese calabash.

Unfortunately, on the Russian seed market, beninkase is represented by one variety "Akulina" and is rarely found on the shelves.

Description

Wax gourd is a dioecious climbing annual, shoots can reach 4 m in length. Externally, the plant looks decorative

The stems have edges, in shape and size they resemble a pencil, the whips are omitted. The leaves of this culture are much smaller than those of the pumpkins we are accustomed to, they are heart-shaped, lobed, with a sinuous plate surface and a jagged edge. Antennae grow from the axils of the leaves, with which the plant clings to the support. Benincase flowers are dioecious, large in diameter up to 15 cm, consist of 5 orange petals and smell delicious.

The fruits of the described vegetable culture have different shapes: round, spherical and oblong. The weight of beninkase in theory reaches up to 15 kg, but in the Russian climate it usually does not exceed 5 kg. Oval fruits reach 30-60 cm in length, have a bark of a different green shade and become covered with a bluish-gray waxy bloom as they ripen. Thanks to such a wax protection, benincase fruits hold the record for keeping quality, while the taste is not lost. The ripe flesh of this outlandish pumpkin is creamy white, sweetish, juicy, not fibrous, contains a large amount of pectins. Benincase juice is similar to cucumber juice. Young, unripe fruits are slightly bland, and taste like zucchini. The advantage of such a pumpkin is not pronounced corking of the bark.

Cultivation of beninkase

The ripening period of beninkase pilaf reaches 90 days. Planting in the southern regions of Russia is possible immediately in the ground in mid-May; for the middle lane and to the north, it is advisable to plant wax pumpkin through seedlings. The best time for sowing seeds for seedlings is April 10-20, you can initially germinate seeds on damp gauze. Seedlings are planted in open ground after the end of frost, approximately May 20 - 25. The distance between the plants should be 50 - 70 cm, with strong thickening, the wax pumpkin does not bear fruit well, the optimum temperature for development is 25 degrees. It is also possible to grow beninkase in unheated film greenhouses.

The resulting male and female flowers are large, yellow. In order for the ovary to form faster, it is recommended to carry out additional pollination by transferring pollen from male flowers to the pistil of female flowers with a soft brush. It is advisable to pinch the shoot at the end of summer so that the fruits have time to ripen.

The agricultural technique of the wax gourd is simple. When caring for it, keep in mind that it is a liana-like, climbing plant, so install a trellis support immediately. As the pumpkin grows, shape the trunk by removing the side shoots. The culture is hygrophilous, irrigation is required during growth and flowering, preferably with warm water. However, benincasa is drought-resistant and in the future, after flowering, it can withstand temporary drying, since it has a powerful root system.

Benincasa loves the sun, so plant in open, bright areas of your garden. Prepare the soil for it in autumn, white pumpkin loves a nutrient medium with a neutral reaction. Legumes, root crops, cabbage are suitable as predecessors. Fertilize regularly, twice a month. When planted closely with other pumpkins, cross-pollination does not occur.

Storage

Benincasse should be removed before the onset of cold weather. Ripe fruits are cut along with the stalk. Vegetables are stored at room temperature. Young pumpkins are not stored, it is better to use immediately or peel and freeze.

Application

You can use unripe or ripe fruits to prepare benincase dishes.

Young pumpkins can be used as a component for a fresh salad; for this, it is enough to chop it finely. Porridge, soups, casseroles, side dishes - all this can be prepared from benincasa. Benincase juice is an ideal base for the production of candied fruits.

Its fruits can also be canned, pickled, stewed. And the fried old pieces of benincasa will remind you of a fish delicacy. Young leaves and flower buds are also edible.

Except in cooking, benincase fruits are used for medicinal purposes. The pulp serves as a diuretic, antipyretic and pain reliever. The seeds have a soothing tonic effect.

Due to the most valuable composition (vitamin C, carbohydrates, alkaline salts), the juice of this plant is used to treat ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract, helminths, diabetes, allergies, and dermatological diseases.