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Cucumbers are the most important part of summer-autumn preparations for any housewife. And the jars lined up in long rows with various types of cucumber twists are truly a symbol of Russian hospitality. This is probably why it is so important, despite the abundance of varieties and hybrids of cucumbers currently offered, to choose for yourself one that you want to plant again and again, and not worry about problems with growing it, but only collect new and tasty recipes for cucumber preparations . In many of its characteristics, the Elegant cucumber is just such a problem-free variety.
Description and characteristics
The Graceful cucumber variety has been grown by gardeners in their garden plots for a very long time and has not yet lost its importance, despite the abundance of new varieties and hybrids that appear every year. And that means something! It was bred back in the 60s at VNIISSOK by breeder O.V. Yurina. In 1971, it was included in the state register of Russia for use in almost all regions of Russia from the central regions to the Far East. Description of the Graceful cucumber variety includes the following characteristics:
- The Graceful variety is an early ripening variety, which means that the first cucumbers can be harvested 38-40 days after the shoots appear;
- The variety is universal in terms of growing conditions - which means that it will grow equally well both in open ground and in greenhouses. But a feature of this variety of cucumbers is their increased cold resistance, so it can be used both for early sowing and for growing in open ground in northern regions in short summer conditions;
- The Graceful cucumber variety is bee-pollinated and produces a large number of male flowers. The variety can serve as an excellent pollinator for other varieties, for example, with a predominantly female flowering type;
- Cucumber plants of the Izyaschny variety are medium-climbing, forming from 5 to 7 lateral shoots;
- The variety is also characterized by increased resistance to diseases: bacteriosis, powdery mildew and olive spot.
Fruit characteristics
The cucumbers themselves of the Graceful variety have an elliptical, elongated shape and a juicy green color. The length of greens is from 8 to 14 cm, weight is from 120 to 150 grams. Cucumbers are usually smooth, with small tubercles and white pubescence. The peel is thin with white stripes and a light top. The pulp of cucumbers is crispy, juicy, without bitterness. The taste is high. The purpose of the variety is universal - it is used both for salads and for pickling and canning. The marketable yield is not very high - about 5-7 kg per square meter.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Graceful cucumber variety has the following advantages: unpretentiousness to growing conditions, early ripening of fruits, high taste, cold resistance, low cost of seeds, even when the fruits are overripe, the seeds remain tender, the cucumbers do not turn yellow.
The Graceful cucumber variety also has disadvantages: relatively low yield, especially compared to the newest hybrids, a large number of fruits with white barrels, which may not look very nice in preparations; according to some reviews, the skin becomes rough when overripe; other sources reject this drawback .
Landing Features
Cucumbers of the Graceful variety can be planted in two ways: sown directly in the ground or grown through seedlings.
Cucumber seeds are sown for seedlings in late April or early May.
Then the seeds are planted one seed in each separate container, since cucumbers really don’t like their roots being disturbed when transplanting. When approximately 4 leaves appear, the age of the seedlings by this time will be about 25 days; they are planted in the ground, trying not to destroy the earthen clod when planting. Cucumber seedlings of the Graceful variety are planted in such a way that there are no more than three plants per square meter.
When sowing in the ground, you must wait until the soil warms up to +15°C. The seeds are sown to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The soil for sowing cucumbers is traditionally prepared in the fall, since it is necessary for it to be loose and fertile, with a high humus content. To do this, a fairly thick layer of organic matter is laid to a depth of 10-20 cm, which by the time of sowing has already begun to decompose and release heat and nutrients. After sowing, the soil is kept constantly moist, watering daily if necessary.It is possible to cover the bed with any additional covering material before the cucumber sprouts to preserve heat and humidity.
When seedlings appear, it is advisable to place supports or trellises so that the cucumber plants can be allowed to grow vertically. This saves space, allows you to form Elegant cucumber bushes, and makes it easier to care for and harvest.
Cucumber care
Being a very unpretentious variety, the Graceful cucumber does not require any special cultivation techniques, but it is still necessary to follow the basic rules of care. Since cucumbers are 90% water, the most basic thing you need to successfully grow cucumbers is regular and timely watering. In hot sunny weather, it will be necessary to water the cucumber bushes every day.
For good and abundant fruiting, cucumbers of the Elegant variety also require regular feeding every 10-12 days. It is best to alternate fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers containing microelements with organic fertilizers.
For cucumber plants of the Graceful variety grown in a greenhouse, it is necessary to ensure free access for bees and other insects for good pollination. Although the Graceful cucumber variety is partially self-pollinating, that is, it has flowers that have both a pistil and stamens. Thus, there will still be a harvest even without insects, but to increase it, it is advisable to attract bees and bumblebees by spraying the bushes with honey or sugar syrup.
If there are still few insects, for example, when cucumbers are grown early in greenhouses, then in these cases they often resort to artificial pollination. There is nothing complicated about it. To do this, the male flowers (with stamens) are freed from the petals and the anthers are manually passed along the pistil in the female flowers several times, as in the photo below.
The main technique for obtaining the maximum possible yield, as well as for the prevention of various diseases, is the formation and pruning of Elegant cucumber bushes. After all, cucumber plants have a rather weak root system, and often cannot cope with providing nutrients and water to all the formed ovaries. Some of them may therefore dry out and wither. To prevent this process, it is necessary to remove excess parts from the bush in advance. Since the Izyaschny variety is medium-sized, minimal pruning and shaping is required compared to other more vigorous varieties.
Starting from 4-6 leaves from the bottom, the main stem is pinched, and the growing side shoots are directed to supports, pinned to the ground and partially sprinkled with soil to obtain additional roots. A cucumber bush of the Graceful variety usually forms 5-6 vines, and this technique is often enough to fully ensure the maximum yield of this variety of cucumbers.
Cucumbers should be collected every day if possible to stimulate the formation of new ovaries. With good care, cucumbers can be harvested throughout the summer.
Reviews from gardeners about the Graceful variety
The Graceful cucumber has really enjoyed popular love for many years, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews and photos of grown cucumbers.
As you can see, reviews of cucumbers of the Graceful variety are the most positive, it’s not for nothing that the variety has existed for so many years and many continue to grow it with pleasure. Even if it does not have any super characteristics of the newest hybrids, you are guaranteed a cucumber harvest in any case.
I also really like this variety because of its delicate skin and delicate seeds. For several years I have been planting it along with other varieties. But I’m not giving up on it. Never let me down. Good in all forms.