Varieties and hybrids of cucumbers are divided into grown in the open and protected ground. First, as a rule, distinguished by the relative maturity and friendly crop returns, grow vrastil and require pelophilini (although there are hybrids tend to parthenocarpy or partial parthenocarpy).
Cucumbers for protected soil are adapted to growing on trellises, to high humidity and differences in day and night temperatures, have a high potential yield and a long period of fruiting.
What to consider when selecting varieties and hybrids for greenhouse cucumber
1. Type of pollination
By type of pollination cucumbers are divided into:
- pollinated by bees;
- parthenocarpic.
The ovary of the bee pollinated variety cannot develop without pollination, that is, without transferring pollen from the male flower to the female pistil.
Have parthenocarpic varieties and hybrids of fetal development can occur without pollination. Parthenocarpy is strongly pronounced – more than 70% of all ovaries on the plant can develop without pollination. And maybe partial – 30-70% of the ovaries are able to develop without pollination, and at the beginning of growth parthenocarpy expressed weakly and increases by the end of the growing season. For such forms in the initial period requires pollination by bees or by hand.
2. Terms of cultivation
According to the terms of growing varieties and hybrids of cucumber are divided into:
- early maturing – the duration of the period from mass germination to the beginning of fruiting 45-50 days;
- average-50-55 days;
- late maturing – more than 55 days.
However, this division is conditional, since the duration of the growing season depends on the growing conditions, especially on the temperature and humidity of the air and soil.
3. Economic purpose
An important characteristic of a variety or hybrid is its economic purpose. Cucumbers are:
- salad (cucumbers are consumed in fresh form);
- universal type (in the first period of fruiting fruits are used fresh, and in the later period for canning);
- saline (intended for salting, marinating and use in winter).
The direction of usage depends on the qualitative and quantitative traits of cucumber, so using the description of the fruit, you can identify the purpose of the variety or hybrid.
For example, salad cucumbers have smooth or lumpy fruits from small to large size, rather dense skin, tender or dense flesh. Usually they are grown in greenhouses, are parthenocarpic and pollinated by bees. Fruits usually beloxepin that is linked to the persistence of the commodity form (green in color) even when turning. Have a relatively high transportability.
Modern salad varieties and hybrids are characterized by a genetically determined lack of bitterness. The best salad cucumbers have crispy flesh, a pleasant refreshing sweet taste and a characteristic cucumber aroma. And to get a delicious, crispy, fragrant pickle, and even able to remain so until the next harvest, you need to take for salting cucumber varieties or hybrids of a certain type.
Classic cucumber small size (7-10, up to 12 cm), cylindrical shape, c knobby or tuberculate surface, with soft skin, small seed chamber, the dense texture of the flesh and high sugar content. Black-and-white varieties and hybrids have a more delicate skin than white-and-white.
Bee pollinating cucumbers grown in the open ground and collected in the second half of the summer, have a more dense texture of the flesh and contain more sugar and vitamins than parthenocarpic greenhouse cucumbers.
4. Stability
Varieties and hybrids also differ significantly in terms of resistance to adverse environmental conditions, diseases and pests. In the protected ground, cucumbers are affected by real powdery mildew, downy mildew, root rot, olive spot, viral diseases, etc. In the open ground, the most harm is caused by false powdery mildew – peronosporosis.
- The term “resistance” means that plants are not affected or almost not affected by the disease;
- The term “relative resistance” means that plants are slightly affected by the disease;
- The term “tolerance” means that plants are affected by the disease, but do not significantly reduce the yield.
Experts advise to give preference to hybrids with complex stability. As a rule, they have a strong root system, powerful vegetative growth, high yield, and most importantly – little affected by disease. They successfully resist the real and false powdery mildew, root rot, spots.
No less environmentally plastic and new hybrids for open ground. These cucumbers produce stable fruit even in the most adverse conditions. Such hybrids must have in the garden for insurance.