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Cucumber Finger was bred in the Volgograd region at the experimental station VNIIR them. N. I. Vavilov by the breeder Shefatov Vladimir Anatolyevich. This variety of cucumber is characterized by early maturity, high immunity to various diseases, versatility in use and increased frost resistance. Description of finger cucumbers, reviews and photos, cultivation rules, and agricultural nuances are given in the material below.
Characteristics and description of the variety of cucumbers Finger
Finger cucumbers have been listed in the State Register of the Federation since 2001. They are recommended for cultivation in open ground in the Central, Nizhnevolzhsky and Central Black Earth regions.
Cucumber Finger belongs to indeterminate varieties, the bush is characterized by medium branching with a large number of lashes, the height of an adult plant sometimes reaches 2-2,5 m. Flowering is predominantly female, flowers require pollination by bees or other insects, ovaries are laid in a bundle. The leaf plates are large, saturated dark green in color, the lashes are strong and thick.
According to the author’s description and reviews of gardeners, Finger cucumbers have a long fruiting period (about 2 months). The variety is early ripe – the first fruits can be removed 40-45 days after planting the seedlings in a permanent place.
Cucumber greens of the Finger variety have an elongated cylindrical shape. The skin is dark green with longitudinal stripes and mild spotting; on the entire surface of the cucumber there are rare but large tubercles, white pubescence. The average length of greens is 9,2-12,7 cm, with a diameter of 2,7-3,4 cm, weight is 114-120 g. The flesh of ripe cucumbers Finger has a dense structure, it is juicy and fragrant. When biting or breaking, a pronounced crunch is heard.
Taste qualities of cucumbers
Finger cucumbers are distinguished by their excellent taste and excellent presentation. Zelentsy is consumed fresh, in salads and similar cold appetizers, suitable for any type of home canning. During heat treatment, they do not lose their characteristic crunch.
Pros and cons of the variety
The undeniable advantages of finger cucumbers can be considered the following:
- long fruiting period (up to 60 days);
- the predominance of female flowers;
- the formation of ovaries in the form of a bundle;
- wide range of zoning;
- high taste and product quality;
- resistance to spring and autumn frosts;
- high immunity to many fungal diseases;
- tolerance to downy mildew;
- high yield;
- excellent transportability;
- versatility of use.
The disadvantages of the variety Finger can be considered mandatory timely pinching, pollination by bees, the need to remove greens in time, preventing them from overgrowing.
Optimal Growing Conditions
To grow Finger cucumbers in open ground, you need to choose a place protected from direct sunlight during a period of increased solar activity. According to recent studies, more intensive growth of greens occurs in the dark.
The bed where the bee-pollinated cucumbers of the Finger variety will grow should be located in a calm place, so that the gusts do not blow away pollen that is attractive to insects. Cucumber bushes growing in a draft will be visited by bees much less frequently.
To prevent various diseases and get a rich harvest every year, it is necessary to follow the rules of crop rotation and not plant the same crop for several years in one place. Gradually, “soil fatigue” occurs, there are fewer nutrients in it, and pathogens may be present that overwintered along with the remains of plants from the previous season.
For the successful cultivation of finger cucumbers, the soil must be loose, airy, and moderately moist. It is not recommended to place cucumber beds in places where groundwater accumulates, such planting is fraught with rotting of the root system and loss of the entire crop. In a too humid environment, many fungal diseases are likely to develop. Light sandy loam and loam are considered the most suitable for the cultivation of finger cucumbers.
Cultivation of cucumbers Finger
The agricultural technology of the Finger variety is generally standard for cucumbers, but still, there are several nuances that you should not forget about. The culture of this variety is grown on vertical trellises, providing direct access to pollinating insects.
Direct planting in open ground
When planting seeds directly into the ground, you need to focus on the average daily air temperature outside the window. It must be at least 15°C. In the middle lane, cucumbers of the Finger variety are sown on beds without prior germination in mid-May. Seeds soaked in a damp cloth for several days will sprout a few days earlier than dry ones.
Before sowing, the bed is cleaned of weeds, carefully loosened and fertilized with fresh manure. You can prepare the soil in the fall by digging up the ground and applying fertilizers per 1 m²:
- manure – 25 l;
- wood ash – 200 g;
- potassium – 25 g;
- superphosphate – 40 g.
Seeds are buried in the soil to a depth of 2 cm, placed at an angle of 45 ° with the spout up. This arrangement will allow the sprout to quickly free itself from the seed coat and go up without bending in the soil, while the root system will form parallel to the ground and go deep down. The health and strength of the bush in the future, and, therefore, the harvest will depend on how much energy the plant spends on germination. Before the first shoots appear, the cucumber bed is covered with foil or newspapers. According to vegetable growers, the seeds of Finger cucumbers germinate a week after sowing.
Seedling cultivation
The seedling growing method is good for greenhouses as it is suitable throughout the year. Seeds are placed in shallow furrows made in the nutrient soil, and lightly covered from above. You can use a ready-made purchased substrate, but you can prepare it yourself by mixing the following ingredients:
- sod land – 4 parts;
- lowland peat – 4 parts;
- manure – 1 part;
- sawdust – 1 part.
Fertilizers are applied per 10 liters of soil:
- urea – 6 g;
- superphosphate – 14 g;
- potassium sulfate – 8 g;
- magnesium sulfate – 2 g.
Containers with crops are covered with polyethylene and placed in a room with a temperature of about 25 ° C. After opening the cotyledon leaves, the temperature is gradually reduced by 5°C. For the active growth of seedlings of cucumbers, it is necessary to provide the plants with good illumination, a temperature of 20-23 ° C, regular watering and top dressing.
When transferring seedlings to a permanent place, the plants should have a height of about 25 cm, by that time 5 true leaves should have formed on the stem. It is optimal to adhere to the scheme – 50 * 30 cm.
Watering and top dressing
Finger cucumbers are watered regularly, but carefully. Excess moisture can cause root rot and fungal infections. Bushes are watered under the root early in the morning or in the evening, using settled warm water. Watering with cold water can cause a massive drop of ovaries, the harvest in this case will be poor.
In the first 2 weeks after germination or planting seedlings in open ground, Finger cucumbers need to be fertilized with nitrogen fertilizer. This will allow the bush to grow the necessary green mass. During the flowering period, cucumbers are fertilized with phosphorus, during the active growing season – with nitrogen-potassium supplements.
Formation
Cucumbers of the Finger variety are quite tall, therefore, when grown in greenhouses or greenhouses, the main lash must be pinched over the trellis. Vertical growth on a trellis facilitates harvesting and spraying procedures, if required.
Protection against diseases and pests
The first rule for the prevention of finger cucumber varieties from fungal diseases is to prevent waterlogging of the soil. To protect against pests (ticks, caterpillars, aphids, beetles), you can use both chemicals and folk remedies. In the case of the bee-pollinated variety Finger, it is better to treat the bushes with a decoction of potato or tomato tops or soapy water. To scare away slugs, wood ash is scattered under the cucumber.
Productivity
From 1 m² you can remove 6,8-7 kg of fresh and tasty cucumbers of the Finger variety. At the same time, the percentage of salable greens will be at the level of 76-95%.
Conclusion
Having carefully studied the description of Finger cucumbers, reviews and photos, an increasing number of vegetable growers decide to plant them in their area. Thanks to its excellent taste, attractive appearance, high immunity to various diseases, increased frost resistance, the Finger cucumber conquered gardeners, it is becoming more and more in demand.
