Cucurbitaceae are an extensive family of plants that you may not know by their scientific name, but that you will surely know at least in part. How many times have you eaten or had a melon, a cucumber, a pumpkin or watermelon in your hands? All these fruits give them edible cucurbitacea. In fact, the cucurbitaceae and solanáceas are of the most important crops for the human being, with vegetables that are consumed throughout the world.
If you want to learn what the Cucurbitacea plants are and what characteristics they have, accompany us in this Ecology Verde article in which we detail What are cucurbitaceae, their characteristics and diseasesamong more details and examples.
What are cucurbitaceae
Plants are classified into different Botanical families And, specifically, the cucurbitaceae or cucurbitaceae They are one of these great families.
These are plants that have, mostly, origin in tropical or subtropical areasso they develop well in warm or at least without cold winters, since some have successfully emigrated to some European climates. They are very important plant species, both for the human consumption As for many animals.
Characteristics of Cucurbitaceae
The vast majority of these plants are annual or the unfavorable months pass surviving underground with their bulbs, rhizomes, tubers or similar. For the rest, almost all its other characteristics vary greatly depending on each concrete species, although we can find some characteristics of the mostly shared cucurbitaceae:
- These are species of easy cultivation.
- They produce cucurbitacins, which give a bitter taste to the plant and its green fruits so that they are not consumed before maturation.
- They are plants with a need for considerable landThey are bulky.
- They tend to show flowers in a battleship.
Cucurbitaceae species examples
Cucurbitaceae are a family with more than 700 species, but there are some especially common for us for their widespread consumption and culture. These are some of the most known cucurbitaceous species or important:
Pumpkin and zucchini
Pumpkin is a hard peel ber, highly valued in practically everyone for its great nutritional value. Gastronomies around the world use pumpkin for its flavor and nutrients, particularly popular in pastry.
Something that not everyone knows is that zucchini is nothing other than a type of immature pumpkin, collected before the tightening of the peel. In some species, the immature fruit is toxic although others, among which are obviously those that are marketed as such, are perfectly suitable for consumption. These are in fact, next to the cucumbers, the most popular edible skin cucurbitaceae.
In addition, if you want to plant them at home, here you can buy the pumpkin seeds and here buy the zucchini seeds.
We recommend reading these other related posts on how to plant pumpkins, pumpkin seeds and grow zucchini in pot.
Cucumber
Another fruit widely extended for its excellent nutritional and antioxidant properties, cucumber is as well -known as cosmetically. Its flavor is very refreshing, so it is particularly popular in summer and warm climates.
Here you can know how to sow and grow cucumbers and in this button you can acquire the seeds.
Melon
Another of the best known non -edible skin cucurbitaceae, the melon is one of the great stars of the fruit shops when the heat arrives. It is very sweet and its cultivation is incredibly widespread, with a huge diversity of varieties and species. It is particularly rich in water, vitamins and sugar.
Know 8 types of melons and when and how to plant melons reading these other articles. In addition, here you can get the seeds.
Watermelon
Watermelon is an excellent ally against high temperatures due to its great contribution of water and its refreshing flavor, less sweet than melon. Its easy crop makes it very popular in garden fans environments, since its fruit is large and striking.
We tell you how to sow waterfalls with this guide and we recommend you acquire the seeds here.
Cucurbitaceae cultivation
Here are some basic indications of the cultivation of the cucurbitaceae:
- Most cucurbitaceae They are better sown in seedbed, and then be transplanted to their definitive location Once the plant is not so susceptible to weather conditions.
- This is the case of plants such as pumpkin or cucumber, whose crop in a seedbed allows them to plant them in the middle of winter, to be transplanted already in spring, once the frost and cold have passed. Others, however, such as melon and watermelon, are usually planted with the beginning of spring, respecting at least one meter away between plants and being able to harvest between mid and late summer.
- Cucurbitaceae are not demanding with the ground, but they do require Good drainage and regular risks that maintain moisture so that they can gain their great fruits.
Pests and diseases of the cucurbitaceas
The diseases and pests of the cucurbitaceae are well known due to their widespread crop, and that is probably its weakest point.
Excess irrigation, or poorly managed irrigation that produces flooding can frequently cause diseases such as The hearing in cucurbitaceaethat can be fought by maintaining controlled moisture with drip irrigation or looking for a more sunny and better ventilated location. Here you can learn more about how to fight the hearing with home remedies.
Similarly it occurs with THE MILDIU IN CUCURBITACEASanother fungus that appears when there is excessive humidity, poor aeration and temperatures between 10 ºC and 20 ºC. Pruning to improve plant ventilation can help in these cases. Here we tell you more about how to fight the Mildiu.
If you want to read more articles similar to Cucurbitaceae: What are, characteristics and diseaseswe recommend that you enter our biology category.
