Growing pumpkins in the garden has long been a cult. Just wondering what use you have in mind. As a delicious dish, for decoration, carved into a lantern or as a record pumpkin? Get to know popular species and varieties here.

The three best types of pumpkin for the garden and balcony

There are five species within the genus, of which the following three have established themselves for cultivation in the garden and on the balcony:

  • Garden pumpkin with a multi-faceted shape from long and narrow to round and flat
  • Musk squash with the creamy skin and aromatic taste
  • Giant pumpkins, the giants with what it takes to set world records

Based on these species, gardeners around the world have developed a wide variety of fascinating varieties.

Delicious treats

Pattison squashes are a feast for the senses. Harvested young and fresh, connoisseurs even eat them together with the tender skin. Butternut squash is no different. Only a few seeds affect the refined taste experience. The pumpkin variety Muscade de Provence scores as a sweet and nutty treat.

Pumpkin varieties that set accents

They are all edible. Some specimens throw a decorative form into the balance at the same time. The Turkish turban is a prime example with a flat look and thick beads. A pretty decoration are bottle gourds, whose 5 mm thick shell is carved like wood.

Perfect candidates for tub culture

Ambitious pumpkin gardeners are not afraid to cultivate the plants on the balcony. The following varieties are available:

  • Baby Bear: 10 to 15 cm tall and very productive with 6-8 fruits
  • Small Wonder F1: the small yield miracle with 600 gram light pumpkins
  • Unique F1: bright orange, distinctive shape, high mildew tolerance
  • Stripetti: striped classic for the balcony with fruit weighing 1-2 kilograms

Giant pumpkins with potential

Where is it written that the biggest pumpkins always come from overseas? The following varieties certainly have the vigor to plant the next record holder in your garden.

  • Atlantic Giant pumpkin with an orange skin, delicious flesh and an impressive weight of several hundred kilograms
  • Giant red hundredweight pumpkin, which hides a delicate pulp under a deep red colour
  • Giant yellow centner pumpkin, a feast for the eyes in the bed with a huge, light yellow habit
  • Hokkaido pumpkin varieties, the incarnation of the classic giant pumpkin in many shades

The Best Pumpkin Varieties for Spooky Halloween

What a blast turning a pumpkin from the garden into a spooky lantern for Halloween. The tasty pulp provides the necessary energy for work.

The classic par excellence for this purpose is the 'Jack O'Lantern' variety with its rich yellow skin and the ideal weight of 5 to 6 kilograms. The award-winning strain Pumpkin Autumn Gold F1 is going head-to-head with the top dog in this respect.

tips and tricks

The largest pumpkin in the world weighed an impressive 933 kilos. The magnificent specimen was bred - how could it be otherwise? - in the USA by an ambitious farmer. As a reward, he received prize money of 10,000 euros and a big parade in his honor.

Category:

Vegetable garden