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Cucumbers are the most important part of the summer-autumn preparations for any housewife. And jars with various types of cucumber rolls lined up in long rows are truly a symbol of hospitality. This is probably why it is so important, despite the abundance of varieties and hybrids of cucumbers currently offered, to choose for yourself the one that you want to plant more and more, and not worry about problems with its cultivation, but only collect all new and delicious recipes for cucumber blanks. . Cucumber Graceful in many of its characteristics is just such a trouble-free variety.
Description and characteristics
The Graceful cucumber variety has been grown by gardeners in their backyards for a very long time and still has not lost its significance, despite the abundance of new varieties and hybrids that appear every year. And that means something! It was bred back in the distant 60s at VNIISSOK by breeder O.V. Yurina. In 1971, it was included in the state register of Our Country for use in almost all regions of Our Country from the central regions to the Far East. The description of the variety of cucumbers Graceful includes the following characteristics:
- Variety Graceful refers to early ripening, which means that the first cucumbers can be harvested as early as 38-40 days after shoots have appeared;
- The variety is universal in terms of growing conditions – it means that it will grow equally well both in open ground and in greenhouses. But a feature of cucumbers of this variety is increased cold resistance, so it can be used both for early sowing and for growing in open ground in the northern regions under short summer conditions;
- Cucumber variety Graceful is bee-pollinated and at the same time produces a large number of male flowers. The cultivar can serve as an excellent pollinator for other cultivars, eg predominantly female flowering type;
- Cucumber plants of the Grade Izashchny variety are medium climbing, form from 5 to 7 lateral shoots;
- The variety is also distinguished by increased resistance to diseases: bacteriosis, powdery mildew and olive blotch.
Fruit Characteristics
The cucumbers of the Graceful variety themselves have an elliptical elongated shape, juicy green in color. The length of greens is from 8 to 14 cm, weight is from 120 to 150 grams. Cucumbers are usually aligned, with small tubercles and white pubescence. The peel is thin with white stripes and a light top. The pulp of cucumbers is crispy, juicy, without bitterness. Taste is high. The purpose of the variety is universal – it is used both for salads and for pickling and canning. Commercial yield is not very high – about 5-7 kg per square meter.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Graceful cucumber variety has the following advantages: unpretentiousness to growing conditions, early ripening of fruits, high taste, cold resistance, low cost of seeds, even when the fruits are overripe, their seeds remain tender, cucumbers do not turn yellow.
The Graceful cucumber variety also has disadvantages: a relatively low yield, especially compared to the latest hybrids, a large number of fruits with white barrels that may not look very nice in blanks, according to some reviews, the skin becomes rough when overripe, while other sources reject this drawback .
Features of landing
Graceful cucumbers can be planted in two ways: sown directly into the ground or grown through seedlings.
For seedlings, cucumber seeds are sown in late April or early May.
Then the seeds are planted one seed in each individual container, since cucumbers really do not like to be disturbed by their roots during transplantation. When about 4 leaves appear, the age of the seedlings by this time will be about 25 days, they are planted in the ground, trying not to destroy the earthen clod when planting. Cucumber seedlings of the Graceful variety are planted in such a way that there are no more than three plants per square meter.
When sowing in the ground, it is necessary to wait until the soil warms up to + 15 ° C. Seeds are sown to a depth of 1,5-2 cm. The soil for sowing cucumbers is traditionally prepared since autumn, since it is necessary that it be loose and fertile, with a high content of humus. To do this, a sufficiently thick layer of organic matter is laid to a depth of 10-20 cm, which, by the time of sowing, already has time to begin to decompose and release heat and nutrients. After sowing, the soil is maintained in a constantly wet state, watering if necessary daily. It is possible to cover the bed with any additional covering material before the emergence of cucumber shoots to preserve heat and humidity.
When seedlings appear, it is advisable to place supports or trellises so that cucumber plants can be allowed to grow vertically. This saves space, allows you to form Graceful cucumber bushes, and makes it easier to care for and harvest.
Care for cucumbers
Being a very unpretentious variety, the Graceful cucumber does not require any special cultivation techniques, but nevertheless the basic rules of care must be observed. Since cucumbers are 90% water, the most basic thing you need to successfully grow cucumbers is regular and timely watering. In hot sunny weather, it will be necessary to water the cucumber bushes every day.
For good and abundant fruiting, cucumbers of the Graceful variety also need regular top dressing every 10-12 days. It is best to alternate fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers containing trace elements with organic fertilizers.
For cucumber plants of the Graceful variety grown in a greenhouse, it is necessary to provide free access for bees and other insects for good pollination. Although the Graceful cucumber variety is partially self-pollinated, that is, it has flowers that have both a pistil and stamens at the same time. Thus, even without insects, the harvest will still be, but to increase it, it is desirable to attract bees and bumblebees by spraying the bushes with honey or sugar syrup.
If there are still few insects, for example, in the early stages of growing cucumbers in greenhouses, then in these cases they often resort to artificial pollination. There is nothing complicated in it. To do this, male flowers (with stamens) are freed from petals and anthers are manually carried out several times over the pistil in female flowers, as in the photo below.
The main technique for the formation of the maximum possible yield, as well as for the prevention of various diseases, is the formation and pruning of cucumber bushes Graceful. Indeed, in cucumber plants, the root system is rather weak, and often cannot cope with the provision of nutrients and water to all the formed ovaries. Some of them may therefore dry out and wither. To prevent this process, the bush must be removed in advance of the extra parts. Since the Graceful variety is medium in height, pruning and shaping are minimal compared to other more vigorous varieties.
Starting from 4-6 leaves from the bottom, the main stem is pinched, and the growing side shoots are directed to the supports, pinned to the ground and partially sprinkled with soil to obtain additional roots. A cucumber bush of the Graceful variety usually forms 5-6 lashes, and this technique is enough to fully ensure the maximum yield of this variety of cucumbers.
Cucumbers should be harvested every day, if possible, to stimulate the formation of new ovaries. With good care, picking cucumbers can occur throughout the summer period.
Reviews of gardeners about the grade Graceful
Cucumber Graceful has really enjoyed popular love for many years, as evidenced by the numerous positive reviews and photos of grown cucumbers.
As you can see, the reviews about cucumbers of the Graceful variety are the most positive, it is not in vain that the variety has existed for so many years and many continue to grow it with pleasure. Even if it does not have some super characteristics of the latest hybrids, you are guaranteed a cucumber harvest in any case.
