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Recently, the weather has become increasingly unpredictable and therefore it is possible to get a high yield of cucumbers if only you plant them in a greenhouse.
At the moment, the seed market offers a huge number of varieties and hybrids intended for growing indoors. It is quite difficult for a person ignorant in this matter to navigate this diversity. So, below are the best cucumber varieties for greenhouses and requirements for them.
Requirements for greenhouse varieties of cucumbers
Agricultural technology for growing cucumbers in closed ground is somewhat different from outdoor agricultural technology. Therefore, the requirements for varieties will be different. For growing in a greenhouse, preference should be given to hybrids that do not require additional formation, that is, their side shoots have limited growth and do not have to be pinched. In the future, this will avoid unnecessary thickening, which can lead to outbreaks of diseases such as powdery mildew and stem rot.
The next thing to pay attention to is the type of pollination. Parthenocarpic and self-pollinating hybrids give the best results when grown in greenhouses.
Also varieties for greenhouses must be resistant to most diseases, because the microclimate of the greenhouse greatly contributes to their occurrence. They must also tolerate high humidity, low light and temperature changes.
Classification of greenhouse cucumbers
All varieties and hybrids intended for greenhouses for the intended purpose of greens can be divided into 3 large groups:
- Salad, with thick skin and sweetish pulp.
- For preservation, with a thin skin through which salt solution or marinade easily passes. A distinctive feature of this type is its dark spikiness and strong tuberculation.
- Universal, suitable for fresh consumption and preparations.
Therefore, before choosing seeds, you should first decide on the purpose of the future harvest. If you mostly just eat fresh cucumbers, then you should choose salad varieties. If you need greens for pickling or pickling, then preference should be given to canned ones, and if you plan to use fresh produce and preserve them, then you need universal ones.
Greens can also be classified according to their ripening time into:
- Early, which, in turn, are divided into super-early and mid-early. The first fruits can be obtained from them within a month from the moment of germination. They need to be sown at several times, since after 1.5 months they practically stop bearing fruit.
- Mid-season. This group begins to bear fruit after the early one.
- Late ripening.
According to the type of pollination, this vegetable can be divided into parthenocarpic varieties and self-pollinating ones. Many vegetable growers mistakenly classify them as one group, which is absolutely not true. They differ from each other in that the former do not need the pollination process to produce green flowers, they have no seeds at all, while the latter have both a pistil and a stamen in one flower, so they can pollinate themselves. The only thing they have in common is that they do not require pollinating insects to set greens.
Parthenocarpic varieties
Every year new varieties appear on the seed market parthenocarpic cucumbers. Below, according to reviews from vegetable growers, are the best of them.
| Name | Ripening period | Purpose | Fruit size in cm | Disease resistance | Location of ovaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cupid F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 15 | Average | Buketnoye |
| Emelya F1 | Early ripening | Pickling | 13-15 | High | Buketnoye |
| Herman F1 | Ultra early ripening | Universal | 8-10 | High | Buketnoye |
| Hercules F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 12-14 | Average | Buketnoye |
| Mother-in-law F1 | Early ripening | Canning | 11-13 | High | Buketnoye |
| Zyatek F1 | Early ripening | Canning | 9-11 | High | Buketnoye |
| Cheetah F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 11-13 | High | Buketnoye |
| Mazai F1 | Ultra early ripening | Universal | 10-15 | High | Buketnoye |
| Trump card F1 | Precocious | Universal | 10-12 | High | Buketnoye |
| Grasshopper F1 | Ultra early ripening | Universal | 10-12 | High | Buketnoye |
| Marinda F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 8-10 | High | Buketnoye |
| Courage F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 8-10 | High | Buketnoye |
All of the varieties of parthenocapic cucumbers presented above are suitable for growing in a greenhouse.
Self-pollinating varieties
It is very difficult to navigate among the large number of self-pollinating varieties; the most popular of them are presented below in table form.
| Name | Ripening period | Purpose | Fruit size in cm | Disease resistance | Location of ovaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zozulya F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 25 | Average | Single |
| Matilda F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 10-12 | Average | Buketnoye |
| Gerda F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 8-10 | High | Buketnoye |
| Friendly family F1 | Early ripening | Canning | 10-12 | High | Buketnoye |
| Ant F1 | Early ripening | Universal | 8-10 | High | Buketnoye |
Self-pollinating hybrids are less productive compared to parthenocapic hybrids, but nevertheless, with proper care, they can produce a bountiful harvest.
Tips for choosing seeds
The harvest of cucumbers directly depends on the quality of the seeds. To avoid making mistakes in the selection and purchasing process, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Growing cucumbers in a greenhouse very different from their cultivation in open ground. Therefore, preference should be given to varieties and hybrids intended for closed ground.
- First of all, when buying seeds, you should choose hybrids. On the packaging they are designated as F1. Under the same growing conditions, they will show better results compared to varieties.
- Don't stop at just one variety. You can buy several with similar requirements and plant them in one greenhouse. Then you will definitely not be left without a harvest.
- Varieties with weakly expressed branching have an advantage over those that bush heavily.They do not require additional formation.
- It is advisable to buy seed material that is zoned in your region.
Regardless of the variety, to obtain a good harvest, it is necessary to follow the agricultural practices of cultivating this crop.
The following video will help you choose a specific variety:
