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It is difficult to imagine a garden crop more common and common for domestic conditions than an ordinary cucumber. A plant bearing this almost native name is perceived as an obligatory attribute and an integral part of any household plot. Yes, and the table, and everyday, and even more festive, without fresh, salted or pickled cucumbers in one form or another in Our Country is simply impossible. Therefore, it is practically not customary to think about how much is known about such a seemingly simple and ordinary plant as a cucumber?
Cucumbers for open ground. Description and features
When growing cucumbers, like any other horticultural crop, it is necessary, first of all, to know the characteristics of the plant, the optimal conditions for planting, growth and ripening. Cucumber has a number of distinct properties, the main of which are the following.
Thermophilicity of cucumbers
Cucumbers are very thermophilic, so it is not surprising that the best conditions for them are the closed conditions of greenhouses or hotbeds. At the same time, it is quite natural and understandable that gardeners want to grow cucumbers specifically for planting in open ground, which requires much less time and financial costs. Therefore, a sufficiently large number of zoned varieties and hybrids of cucumbers have been bred, which are mainly intended for cultivation in open ground in certain regions of the country. In doing so, a number of requirements must be met.
A prerequisite for sowing cucumbers is sufficient warming of the topsoil (up to 12-15 degrees). Otherwise, cucumber seeds sown in cold soil simply will not sprout.
Do not forget that cucumbers also do not perceive very high temperatures. If the thermometer is above 30 degrees, the development and growth of cucumbers slows down. The optimal interval is between 24 and 28 degrees.
Small deviations from these dates may be due to differences in climatic conditions in rather big Our Country.
Cucumber seeds are buried in the soil by about 2 cm, planting density – no more than six to seven bushes per square meter. Planting seeds more densely is not only unnecessary, but also harmful to plants, since at such a frequency a lack of sunlight and a lack of ventilation are practically guaranteed.
The nutritional needs of cucumbers
Any varieties of cucumbers are extremely susceptible and very dependent on proper feeding. It should begin in advance, even before sowing the plant. The future place for planting cucumbers is fertilized, as a rule, with heavily rotted manure (under a predecessor suitable for the cucumber), and directly under the plant with chicken droppings or mullein. With such preparation, optimal conditions for cucumber growth are created, the required amount and types of nutrients are accumulated, and the soil is disinfected from some pathogens.
Superficial root system of cucumbers
For all vegetable crops with a shallow root system, the most favorable conditions are provided by structured soil, namely, unhindered access of oxygen and significant humidity. Cucumber is no exception to this rule. Its root system is only 1,5% of the total mass and penetrates the soil to a depth of about 40 cm. But most of it is located almost at the very surface – 5-10 centimeters from it. Naturally, such a structure of the roots completely excludes the possibility of cultivating the land directly next to the plant. Otherwise, the root system will be damaged every time, which cannot positively affect the plant and significantly spoil the harvest. Moreover, the restoration of a plant after damage to its roots takes at least a week.
It has long been found that the best precursors for cucumber are green manure, lettuce, peas, as well as early and cauliflower. It is allowed to use besides them also tomatoes and potatoes.
Therefore, air access to cucumbers should not be provided by constant loosening of the soil and weeding, but by a well-chosen plant predecessor, timely application of organic fertilizers and properly performed mulching.
The need for cucumbers in a large amount of moisture
This property of cucumbers, no doubt, is known to almost everyone. Translated into scientific language, for normal and successful growth and development, a plant needs to create a regime of constant moisture. Otherwise, the reaction of the plant occurs very quickly:
- cucumber leaves become brittle;
- the whole plant becomes darker in color;
- cucumber fruits either stop appearing or stop developing.
It should be borne in mind that excessive moisture can also bring certain harm. First of all, it reduces the amount of oxygen contained in the soil. This, in turn, causes blanching of the leaves of the plant and also negatively affects the formation and growth of greens.
Even more stress is caused by periodic jumps in humidity levels. If they are also accompanied by temperature changes, bitterness, as a rule, appears and accumulates in the fruits of the plant, which has an extremely negative effect on the taste of cucumbers.
Another important nuance is that the water that is used for watering cucumbers should be warm enough, with a temperature of at least 18 degrees. This is due to the fact that in the case of watering the plant with cold water, the absorption capacity of the root system of cucumbers is significantly reduced.
The recommended optimal level of soil moisture with growing cucumbers for open ground is 80%, the wilting threshold of this plant is 30%.
Short photoperiod of cucumbers
The photoperiod is generally referred to as the length of daylight hours. Cucumber, being a warm and sun-loving plant, nevertheless requires only about 10-12 hours of photoperiod. Therefore, quite often cucumbers take root well on open ground in the farthest parts of the garden with a light shadow there. Which, of course, is very convenient, as it allows the most efficient use of the useful areas for planting these plants, which were vacated after harvested early vegetables.
Being a short-day plant, the best period for the growth and ripening of cucumbers is the beginning and end of summer.
Ways to increase the yield of cucumbers
There are several quite a long time ago invented and tested in practice ways to increase the yield of cucumbers specially bred and grown on open ground. Here are the main ones:
- of course, high-quality soil preparation and care, pinching lashes – that is, what is usually done and is called good traditional cultivation of cucumbers.
- temporary cessation of watering cucumbers. It is produced before flowering, when the plant is placed in extreme conditions, which leads to increased fruit formation;
- creation of plantings with a mixed composition of plant varieties and hybrids. There is an increased cross-pollination of cucumbers, which often leads to an increase in yield;
- ringing of cucumber stems. A circular, very shallow incision is made under the very first pair of leaves, which leads to a reduction in the outflow of nutrient fluids to the root system and an increase in the quantity and quality of the plant’s ovaries;
- removal of the first ovary of cucumbers. It leads to the strengthening of the root system for the subsequent increase in the number of fruits of the plant.
Popular varieties of cucumbers for open ground
At the moment, there are a fairly large number of varieties and hybrids of cucumbers bred for cultivation in open ground, zoned for almost any region of Our Country. Below are the most popular varieties of cucumbers for open ground with a photo and a brief description.
Cucumber variety “Nugget”
A versatile variety, which is quite acceptable to use both in greenhouses and hotbeds under film cover, and for planting in open ground in beds. The yield of the variety is approximately 10-12 kg / sq.m. Despite the fact that most experts refer to salad varieties, it is also suitable for pickling. It is highly resistant to various root rots, therefore it can be grown in those gardens and orchards where such diseases have been recorded. The variety of cucumbers “Nugget” is characterized by the almost complete absence or a small number of side shoots, so there is no need to form it. Ripe cucumbers, as a rule, are small in size: up to 12 cm long, and weighing up to 100 g. The fruits of the plant have a characteristic white pubescence and not very pronounced ribs. Seeds are sold in bags shown in the photo:
Cucumber hybrid “Swallow F1”
Hybrid “Swallow F1” refers to pickling varieties, although it also tolerates pickling. The greens of the hybrid have a regular oval shape, up to 12 cm long and a cucumber weight up to 113 g. The fruits of the plant have black pubescence. The hybrid is quite resistant to downy and powdery mildew. The following photo shows growing cucumbers of this variety.
One of the most popular hybrids, zoned in most of the central regions of Our Country. In more northern regions, its productivity decreases.
Cucumber variety “Farmer”
A late-ripening variety of cucumbers, most often used for open ground – 50-60 days pass from the beginning of germination to the collection of the first fruits. Despite the fact that the variety appeared quite a long time ago, various sources attribute it to many varieties – from salad to canning. The reason for this confusion is simple and clear: in fact, “Farmer” is a versatile variety, perfectly suited to all possible ways of consumption.
It is possible to grow this variety under film shelters, but one of the main advantages is not used – the ability to withstand cold snaps.
It has a relatively high yield – 12-14 kg / sq.m. The average weight of a ripe cucumber is 95-105 g, its length is up to 12 cm. Cucumber hybrid “April F1”
Universal widespread hybrid, which belongs to early ripening plants. The first cucumbers can be harvested 45 days after germination. The variety has fairly large fruits of the correct cylindrical shape, the length of which is 20-25 centimeters with a weight of 200-250 grams. Cucumber has excellent taste, not bitter. The hybrid has high cold resistance, and is also extremely undemanding in care. The combination of these qualities allows you to achieve high yields in the open field.
Hybrid cucumber “Baby”
Early ripe cucumber hybrid for planting in open ground. Fruiting occurs 40-45 days after the first shoots have sprouted. The variety is undersized, belongs to the bush. The fruit has the shape of an ellipse, dark green classic color, with large tubercles, stripes and white pubescence. The appearance of the fruit is shown in the photo.
Cucumber hybrid “Masha F1”
An early ripe hybrid with a beam type of flowering. It has a high yield, including a long period when the plant bears fruit.
The first cucumbers can be harvested after 35-39 days from the date of germination. The fruits have the correct cylinder shape and are similar in size to gherkins.
“Masha F1” has high palatability, is not genetically susceptible to bitterness, and is also resistant to most diseases common in domestic conditions.
Cucumber hybrid “Spring F1”
One of the mid-season (48-55 days pass from the moment of the first shoots to the start of picking cucumbers) hybrids, the main feature of which is resistance to diseases. In addition, it has excellent taste and is excellent for canning and salting. Ripe cucumbers have a standard length of about 12 cm. With a weight of one fruit up to 100 g. The shape is regular cylindrical, the cucumber is covered with small tubercles with rather rare spikes.
Conclusion
The variety of existing varieties of cucumbers for open ground and various technologies for their cultivation will allow each gardener to find the most suitable plant variety for him. And as a result – to get a decent result in the form of a good harvest and rave reviews who have tried it.
