Contents
- Cucumber – what kind of plant is it
- Description of cucumber
- What is useful cucumber
- How to eat cucumber
- The best varieties of cucumber
- How to grow cucumber
- Growing and caring for cucumbers in the open field
- Growing and caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse
- Harvesting
- Diseases and pests
- Reproduction
- Conclusion
- Reviews about cucumber from those who planted
A new crop in the 90s was received by the breeder P. Ya. Saraev, who carried out developments to improve the frost resistance of tomatoes and cucumbers. Cultivation and care of cucumber is one of the interesting activities for gardeners who are fond of breeding unusual plants.
Cucumber – what kind of plant is it
The birthplace of culture is the countries of Central Asia. The cucumber vegetable was obtained by crossing crops of the same name. When ripe, the fruit looks like a cucumber. Ripe fruits are similar in taste to melons.
Description of cucumber
The total height of the culture with proper care does not exceed 2 m. The leaf plates of the bush are green in color, large in size. The root system is close to the surface of the earth, but well developed.
The vegetable is characterized by precocity; when growing cucumbers in a greenhouse, they harvest after 40-60 days from planting.
Depending on the variety and care, the weight of the cucumber reaches 3 kg, and the length is 0,5 m. The vegetable is characterized by juicy pulp and a small number of seeds.
When grown, not fully ripened cucumbers have a greenish skin with fluff, similar in taste to a cucumber. Ripe vegetables are harvested in August, when they change color to yellow, acquire a honey aroma and taste.
The yield of the plant, subject to the rules of care, is high: when grown, depending on the variety, 10-20 vegetables can be harvested from one bush. The advantage of culture is the presence of immunity to diseases.
What is useful cucumber
In addition to pleasant taste, the fruits are known for their properties. With regular use of cucumber, the work of the gastrointestinal tract improves, excess salts and cholesterol are removed.
In addition to antioxidant and anti-sclerotic properties, the culture has a diuretic and choleretic effect.
How to eat cucumber
Both ripe and unripe vegetables are edible. Early plucked cucumber tastes like cucumbers, yellowed fruits are identical to melon.
Ripe vegetables can be used in the preparation of salads, preserving jams.
Freezing cucumber is not recommended. Ripe fruits are poorly stored and do not tolerate long-term transportation.
The best varieties of cucumber
Taste, ripening time and planting characteristics are associated with varietal characteristics of the crop. When studying cucumber photos on the Internet, you can evaluate the variety of plant species, which allows you to choose the best option for planting and growing.
- A popular crop variety is Manduria (Nectarine): fruits are shaped like a torpedo, reach a length of 50 cm. The pulp is very juicy, crispy, with a small amount of seeds. With proper care, the mass of a vegetable is 1-1,5 kg, up to 10 vegetables can be harvested from one bush. The term of maturation is 70-75 days.
- Among the best varieties of cucumber for the Urals – Orenburg: an oblong-oval vegetable, unripe fruits grow up to 12 cm in length, have a pronounced cucumber flavor. When grown in ripe fruits, the appearance does not change, the weight reaches 2 kg. The Orenburg cucumber is very sweet, the yield from one bush, subject to the rules of care, is 10-12 vegetables.
- Chinese variety Watermelon differs in a dense peel and fragrant aroma of a cucumber. As they ripen, the fruits change color to yellow, become fragrant and very sweet. A ripe cucumber can be eaten with the peel, but it is impossible to store the crop for a long time.
- It is possible to grow cucumber varieties from seeds Larton F Outwardly, the plant resembles a vine with striped cucumbers in the form of fruits. As they ripen, they become rounded, becoming like a melon. Up to 20 pieces are collected from one bush, each weighing 1,2 kg.
- Melonflechuosus represented by several varieties: Tarot, Tags and others. Ripened fruits have a serpentine shape, inside the vegetable has juicy pulp, similar in taste to melon. Ripening terms vary within 68-80 days, the weight of one cucumber reaches 5 kg. On one bush grows up to 10 fruits.
How to grow cucumber
The volume of the crop and the particular care of the plant depend on the method of its cultivation. Cucumber can be bred both in greenhouse conditions and in open ground.
Growing and caring for cucumbers in the open field
The culture favors the sun’s rays, so it is recommended to choose a non-shaded area, without drafts. Cucumber should not be grown near the melon family. This will prevent cross pollination.
Cucumber planting dates
For growing cucumbers in the Moscow region in the open field, it is recommended to start preparatory work from the end of April. Sprouts are transferred to open ground a month after planting.
Site preparation
In addition to proper care, when growing cucumbers, it is important to fertilize the soil. In autumn, the site is dug up, then top dressing is applied to it: 1 m2 you need 25 g of superphosphate, 15 g of ammonium nitrate, 12 g of potassium sulfate and ½ bucket of humus.
Preparation of planting material
As containers, it is recommended to use peat pots that decompose in the soil. This will prevent damage to the root system during crop transplantation.
When using reusable containers, they must be thoroughly rinsed, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and dried. Ventilation holes are formed at the bottom of the dishes.
Acquired seeds should be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate for 20-30 minutes for disinfection, and then treated with growth stimulants (potassium humate or Epin). To check the germination of planting material, it is placed in a damp cloth and wrapped in a plastic bag. The first shoots appear on the second day. Dead seeds are removed, live samples are transferred to containers with soil.
Before planting seedlings, the soil is well moistened, after which the processed material is deepened into it by 1-1,5 cm, sprinkled with earth.
Care consists in moving the container to a sunny, calm place, timely moistening the soil and airing the seedlings.
How to plant cucumber
It is necessary to transfer seedlings in established warm sunny weather. The soil is loosened, holes are formed at a distance of 1 m from each other and top dressing is applied.
Cucumber agrotechnology consists in transferring a seedling into the ground in such a way that the root system is evenly distributed along the bottom of the pit and covered with soil. After transplantation, the culture is abundantly moistened, protection is established over it in the form of greenhouses.
Cucumber care
On the Internet, it is possible to find videos on growing cucumbers, taking into account the region. The basic principles of care are the creation of comfortable conditions for the development of the plant.
The vegetable does not need to be watered often, it is recommended to moisten the soil with warm water. After fruit set, the procedure is reduced. This helps prevent cracking of the fruit, they ripen less watery.
It is recommended not to neglect the shaping procedure. To do this, pinch the main stem after the appearance of 5-6 leaves. Competent care contributes to the formation of more female flowers on the side branches.
Mandatory in the process of growing crops, the introduction of fertilizers into the soil. The soil is fertilized with a mixture of manure and saltpeter (for 0,5 buckets 1 tbsp. L.). The components are poured into 1 liter of water, mixed and watered with infusion on the ground around the bush every 14 days.
To increase the green mass, it is recommended to fertilize the cucumber with bird droppings. After the start of flowering, this type of top dressing is removed.
Growing and caring for cucumbers in a greenhouse
When cultivating a crop in greenhouse conditions, they prepare the soil in advance, fertilizing and digging, control the temperature and humidity.
The seeds are placed in the wells at a distance of 5-7 cm, after germination, the most viable plants are left. It is important to adhere to a temperature regime of 25-30 ˚С. With an increase in this indicator, the culture discards the ovaries, which leads to a decrease in yield.
Insufficient lighting is the reason for the formation of empty flowers, therefore it is recommended to equip trellises and supports in the greenhouse. Heavy fruits are hung in nets. With a horizontal arrangement of shoots, the whips are sprinkled with earth in several places. This allows the culture to form additional roots and provide itself with useful substances.
Harvesting
The first fruits can be removed a month after planting. When harvesting vegetables, it is important to keep the stalk intact: this will increase the shelf life of the cucumber.
Ripe, undamaged fruits are preserved for a month, it is not recommended to transport them over long distances.
Diseases and pests
The culture is characterized by the presence of strong immunity to various diseases and pests. Bad weather conditions and improper care weaken the plant, so there is a risk of developing fungal infections.
The main symptomatology is the death of petals on flowers and ovaries. To prevent fungal infections, the culture is treated with fungicidal agents with copper (Fitosporin).
To scare away birds, the fruits are covered with a net or special devices are installed nearby that create noise.
Reproduction
The main way of cultivating cucumber is by growing seeds or seedlings. From varieties marked F1, the collection of seed is not possible: the plants will differ from the parent in terms of characteristics.
For reproduction and cultivation of a certain variety, the vegetable is waited for to fully ripen, after which the seeds are removed from it, washed and dried, stored in a cloth or paper envelope in a dark place.
Conclusion
Proper cultivation and care of the cucumber allow the gardener to cultivate an exotic culture on his site, pleasing with unusual taste and appearance. Ripe vegetables have a wide range of uses, but are not stored for a long time, it is possible to collect seeds from some varieties. Growing and caring for cucumbers is possible both in open ground and in greenhouse conditions.
Reviews about cucumber from those who planted
