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To ensure a good harvest, it is important to take care of the purchase of quality seeds in advance. But most people are often at a loss as to which seeds are best suited for their conditions, which is the first thing you should pay attention to. After all, by making the wrong choice of seeds, you can put in a lot of effort and not get the desired result, and the whole point will be that this variety simply did not suit you in the climatic zone, or you planted it at a time unusual for this variety of cucumbers. The main mistake of non-professional gardeners, no matter how trite it may sound, is to choose seeds according to the picture on the package, although all the most important things are usually written on it, only on the reverse side.
Choosing seeds for seedlings
It is best to choose the winter season in order to systematically acquire seeds of varieties or hybrids for spring seedlings.
So, if you are interested in early ripening cucumbers, then you should know that they are also divided into two groups, according to the speed of ripening.
- Early;
- Ultra early (super early).
In turn, both of these groups include hybrid, parthenocarpic, self-pollinated and insect-pollinated varieties. But on which of these species it is worth stopping your attention, this is already a topic for their detailed analysis.
So what is better hybrid or variety
A variety is a group of plants formed as a result of crossing one type of cucumber. Its feature is the initial support for the growth of male plants, which subsequently must pollinate the female ones. But since the male color takes a lot of energy, it is not necessary to wait for an early result from these plants. Although there is a way to speed up the ripening process, by manually removing male flowers, and when the plant reaches a height of more than 70 cm, you should pinch the main stem, after which it will give out lateral shoots on which the flowers will be female.
A hybrid is an artificially bred group of plants that has mainly female flowering, although professionals on such bushes also initially remove flowers that form on a stem below 70 cm to enhance the growth of shoots and foliage. The only drawback hybrid cucumbers have over varietal and self-pollinated ones is the absence of their seed material obtained from overripe fruits.
Self-pollinating varieties of cucumbers – such plants have both male and female flowering signs (stamens and pistil) in their flowers. The advantage of this species is that seeds can be collected from the fruits, for planting next year and they do not need to be pollinated by hand.
Varieties of early and ultra-early cucumbers
Self-pollinated variety Malysh
From this variety, the harvest can begin to be harvested after 30 – 38 days from the moment the first sprouts appear. These self-pollinating, early ripening cucumbers are suitable for both salads and salting for the winter. Other positive and negative factors include:
- Lack of bitterness in the fetus;
- The seeds of these cucumbers are suitable only for open ground;
- The fruits do not turn yellow, even if they are not picked for a long time;
- You can save in fairly good condition for 10 days.
Altai early
The first fruits from this self-pollinating variety you will receive about 38 days after planting the seeds. Zelenets of medium size with small but hardy wattle, the fruit itself has an ellipsoid shape and does not exceed 10 – 15 cm in length. The taste of this variety is average, and the fruits obtained from it are suitable mainly for eating raw.
Elegant
Seeds of this variety are offered for sale as early ripening, and they justify this purpose, but only on open ground. In this case, the first harvest is obtained approximately 40 days after planting the seeds. They reach a maximum length of 13 cm, but for pickling it is better to use fruits up to 9 cm long, and large cucumbers can be eaten raw. Seeds give the best results in the open field, but the yield drops slightly in greenhouses.
Zozulya
The seeds of this self-pollinating variety will take root perfectly on any soil, even planting them in an apartment on the windowsill, you will not reduce the amount of the crop. After planting the seeds, the first greens will begin to tie on the 45th – 48th day. Distinctive features in this variety will be:
- Sweetness of the fruit;
- The shape is cylindrical with small tubercles;
- Significant disease resistance;
- Universal use in food;
- The ability to plant seeds in various types of soil.
Voyage F1
Refers to the parthenocaryptic species. After you have planted the seeds, the first ovaries will appear after 35 days. Like almost all early-ripening self-pollinated varieties of cucumbers, Voyage is not suitable for pickling, because the peel of early-ripening varieties is thin and highly absorbs moisture.
This is due to the fact that the fetus is nourished directly from the root system, and it, in turn, stops developing after the first ovaries appear. On the face of a direct pattern, the rapid appearance of greens does not allow the formation of a powerful root, and its vitality is only enough for a short period of fruiting.
April F1
It belongs to the early maturing family and after you plant the seeds, you can prepare for harvesting for about 45 – 52 days. Self-pollinating varieties such as April usually have both male and female traits in bloom. Zelenets is decorated with large white spikes, reaches a length of up to 20 cm. It is quite resistant to some of the most common diseases (powdery mildew and root rot).
Nightingale F1
Having planted the seeds, the first harvest can be expected from this variety already on the 50th day, it is mainly cultivated in open ground. The fruit has a rich green color, with an average weight of 70 – 90 grams, and a length of up to 10 cm. Many gardeners successfully grow it in greenhouses, its medium-sized bushes are resistant to many diseases.
Springwell F1
This bee-pollinated hybrid begins to bear fruit on the 55th day after you plant the seeds. Although the variety is pollinated by bees, it has mostly female blooms. Well suited for growing in greenhouses, but in open ground it bears fruit just as well. Zelentsy of this variety reach a mass of 100-120 gr. and lengths 8 – 10 cm, have a tuberculate shape. Diseases such as bacteriosis, downy mildew, anthracosis and spotting are not terrible for this variety. With proper care from one bush you can get up to 8 kg of cucumbers.
Pickling F1
Breeders managed to bring out the most successful early ripening varieties for pickling – this is one of them. The harvest period starts after 50 – 55 days from the moment you plant the seeds. This variety is mainly cultivated outdoors. The bush itself has average parameters for growth in height and width, and the fruits from it are 10 – 12 cm long, and weighing up to 125 grams.
Spring F1
The first shoots appear after a week from the moment of planting the seed, after another 43 – 48 days, the first fruits can be expected. The variety itself is intended for open and closed ground. These are self-pollinating cucumbers with female flowers, with a fairly average shoot formation. Zelentsy themselves have black spikes on their surface. These gherkins are almost the shortest, only 9 – 10 cm long, and weighing 80 – 100 grams. This hybrid is extremely resistant to all types of powdery mildew and root rot.
Gerda F1
This variety begins to bear fruit approximately 50 – 55 days from the moment the seeds were planted in the ground. It is classified as self-pollinated, but the color is predominantly female. It is used for growing in greenhouses and outdoors. Zelentsy have a rich bright green color, with longitudinal white stripes, with a narrowing at the base. They were genetically devoid of bitterness. They have a relatively small fruit length up to 10 cm, and weight up to 100 g. The variety is quite resistant to diseases.
Claudia F1
Self-pollinated flowers appear on it by 43-45 days from the moment the seeds are planted. The variety is intended for greenhouses, greenhouses and open ground, does not take root on the windowsill. The fruits are dark green with light stripes. Zelenets is usually about 8 – 9 cm long, the bush itself has a complex resistance to common diseases.
Cupid F1
One of the fastest growing varieties. The period before the appearance of the first ovaries on the bush is approximately 42 – 45 days, provided that the seeds are planted in May. If you meet all the requirements, then by the end of June he will delight you with ripe greens 8–10 cm long, round in shape. The hybrid itself is parthenocarpic, and its seeds germinate successfully at an average temperature of +10 degrees.
Conclusion
Of course, these are not all early ripening cucumbers that are worthy of attention. Breeders in agricultural farms annually bring out a lot of new hybrids and self-pollinating varieties, so many have already chosen leaders for themselves who will take root perfectly in a particular climatic zone. We only hope that this list will be of interest not only to beginner summer residents, but also to experienced gardeners who decide to expand their knowledge.
