Weather for gardener-vegetable grower — a decisive factor in obtaining a good harvest. Of course, if you have an understanding of farming, some flair and skill. Today we will talk about cucumbers. Wonderful culture: easy to grow, the fruits are tasty and healthy. Good and in salad, and salted or pickled — absolute yummy.
Before you buy seeds, it is important to choose the right varieties or hybrids. You need to decide whether you want to eat this beauty only in the summer or even make preparations for the winter. There are cucumbers thick-skinned, with beautiful tubercles — large or small. Such, as a rule, are suitable for twists.
And there are gentle, with a thin skin, different type of pubescence, with tubercles or smooth. Such cucumbers are often eaten immediately, as they say, from the garden to the mouth. They go not only to salads and sandwiches, but are also good as salted. This year we are experiencing long-fruited hybrids, among which, first and foremost, I want to mention the ‘Soltis F1’ — with a characteristic cucumber salad type.
Description
The fruits of this hybrid looks very similar to those that we buy in the store in the autumn and spring, Packed in polyethylene, but there is a significant difference. Cucumbers from our garden are denser, sweeter and more tender in taste.
Our beginner – parthenocarpic hybrid with a long period of fruiting. Early hybrid from disclosure cotyledons to the harvest of the first fruits is 48-50 days. In the axils of the leaves formed 1, maximum 2 fruit. In the breeding description, the standard length of cucumbers is 25 cm. We collect a length of 20-25 cm, weight 170-250 g.
The surface of the cucumber is a little “bumpy”, which helps to keep it easier during cutting salads or dividing into longitudinal pieces: the cucumber does not spin in the hand, does not break out of it. As the hybrid ‘Soltis F1’ parthenocarpic (self-pollinating) seeds do not develop in it, causing seeds thick, with a slight moisture content.
This cucumber is as delicious as it is beautiful. Growing short-fruited cucumbers, it never occurred to pack them in plastic wrap for long storage, and long-fruited cucumbers suggested this idea. The other day we tried wrapped 3 layers of film cucumbers three weeks of storage in the vegetable compartment of a conventional home refrigerator. I must admit: they are virtually indistinguishable from purchased cucumbers, the same bright green, strong, fragrant and delicious.
If you, dear fans of cucumber beds, want to use my experience on long storage of cucumbers, please do not forget that the fruits should be collected early in the morning until they are warm in the sun. They must be cut. Don’t cut the stalk, leaving the cucumber in about 2-2,5 cm. do Not drop, crush plastic film wrapped fruits, and 4-5 more layers to overlay is not necessary.
Agrotechnics
The agricultural technique of growing short-fruited and long-fruited cucumbers is very similar. There is a small difference in the initial formation and additional fertilizing at the end of the prolonged (extended) vegetation. To get truly huge harvests (over 30 kg from 1 m² of usable area), suggest ‘Soltis F1 to grow in the high greenhouses and greenhouses. Do not thicken the landing! Plant 3-3.5 plants per 1 m², maximum 4, subject to proper and timely formation.
On the lower part of the stem (30-40 cm) it is necessary to blind the sinuses of the leaves — gently pluck the Stepsons. Rising up, in the next section (about 30 cm) in the axils of the leaves on the stem allow the development of the first and only fruits. Next, in the next section of the same length, leave the cucumber in the leaf sinus on the stem and allow the development of the stepson, on which we leave 1 cucumber and 1 leaf to ensure the development of the fruit. Then allow to grow from 2 nodes on the stepson in the leaf axils on the stem 3 cucumbers.
With a high height of the covering structure, the plants form up to the upper horizontally stretched cables, then it is necessary to fix the lashes 50 cm horizontally, and then let them grow as they want. With a small height of the greenhouse (about 2 m), it is possible to allow the development of 3 fruits on the stepson, not counting the fourth in the sinus of the leaf on the stem. In this case, you may have to additionally fix the side shoots to avoid their breakages due to the long length and time of unassembled fruit.
On well-formed plants the cucumbers develop organically, formed lead us to the delight of garlands, cascades smooth, very beautiful fruit. Now, when the plants reached almost 2 m, it is clear that you have to do additional feeding, while in the preparation of the beds was made of 2.5-3 cm bio humus.
Dear gardeners, remember! If there is a need for fast feeding, use solutions and extracts from organic fertilizers. Plants with downed leaves are better not to carry out foliar feeding — this can provoke disease. If your cucumbers do not need an ambulance, then use organic in the form of a small layer of mulch. Due to irrigation and subsequent loosening of nutrients will be washed away, gradually feeding the plants.
Good luck with the harvests!