Content
Cucumber Cascade is one of the “oldest”, but still popular varieties of cucumber culture of the pumpkin family. The appearance of the Cascade cucumber variety at the end of 1977 was preceded by painstaking breeding work by employees of the Far Eastern Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing. Only 5 years later, the Cascade cucumber was included in the State Register of Accredited Plants with accreditation for the Far Eastern region.
Description of the cucumber variety Cascade
The Cascade cucumber variety is characterized by the formation of stems (lashes) of average length up to 1.5 m, with the obligatory presence of pubescence. This factor is genetically inherent in cucumbers and has a protective function. Nodes are evenly located along the entire length of the stem, from which leaf plates, side shoots, flowers or tendrils subsequently emerge. The formation of lateral vines in the Cascade cucumber is of an average nature, which allows us to say about the average level of climbing ability of this variety.
The leaf blade has a rich green color with an emerald tint, and the shape is closer to round, with five-lobed pointed ends.The upper and lower surfaces have soft, pubescent spines, and wrinkled grooves are clearly visible along the surface of the leaf. The size of the leaf plate can be from 12 to 18 cm in diameter.
The root system of Cascade cucumbers is well branched, but at the same time does not go deep into the soil. This indicates poor development of root shoots, as a result of which they develop closer to the soil surface, not exceeding 30 cm in depth.
Peduncles of Cascade cucumbers are determined by the presence of both male and female flowers, with a predominance of the latter.
Detailed description of the fruits
A description of the Cascade cucumber variety would not be complete without a detailed description of the fruits themselves. In shape they resemble an elongated ellipse with clearly defined tubercles, small in size, with the presence of miniature black spines. A characteristic feature of the Cascade cucumber variety is the uniformity of the fruits without the appearance of hooks.
The fruits of Cascade cucumbers are green. Sometimes longitudinal stripes of a milky green color may appear. The fruits of the Cascade variety are gherkin-type cucumbers, which is due to their size:
- length – no more than 14 cm;
- diameter (cross section) – no more than 4.5 cm.
The weight of one Cascade cucumber can vary from 90 to 120 g, which depends only on the growing conditions and care of the plant.
The description of the Cascade cucumber variety must be continued with its taste characteristics and, importantly, the area of application of ripe products.
The taste of cucumbers is quite tender and crunchy, without bitterness. Universal use of fruits:
- fresh;
- in pickling;
- in canned;
- frozen.
Due to their dense and elastic structure, ripe fruits have the ability to be stored for a long time without turning yellow. This fact makes it possible not only to store for a long time, but also to transport finished products without loss.
Main characteristics of the variety
Since the Cascade cucumber variety is zoned in the Far Eastern region, we can say with confidence that these cucumbers are quite hardy and can withstand short-term temperature changes well. But when choosing a place for planting, you should give preference to an area less prone to drafts.
The Cascade cucumber is quite demanding when it comes to watering, which does not allow us to talk about its increased drought resistance.
One of the characteristic features of this variety is the versatility of planting. Despite the fact that the Cascade cucumber is a variety, not a hybrid, and belongs to bee-pollinated varieties, it can be grown both in open and indoor soils.
Productivity
From sowing Cascade cucumber seeds to harvesting, 45 days pass, which corresponds to the category of early ripening varieties, with a friendly yield. Judging by the photos and reviews from gardeners, Cascade cucumbers can please you with the number of ripe fruits - up to 4 kg of cucumbers can be harvested from one plant.
When determining the yield per 1 sq. m, it is worth considering the growing method:
- When grown in a spread, the yield will be 16 kg.
- When grown on trellises - 12 kg.
Planting methods and methods of growing Cascade cucumbers will be discussed below.
Resistance to pests and diseases
The Cascade cucumber variety has increased immunity to downy mildew, but resistance to other diseases to which cucumber crops are most often susceptible is above average. When the first signs of disease appear, the following should be treated with fungicidal preparations:
- Bordeaux mixture;
- previkur;
- previkur energy;
- allett.
The Cascade cucumber does not have high immunity to attacks from insect pests such as aphids and whiteflies. But gardeners will be helped to get rid of them by insecticidal and acaricidal preparations:
- Aktara;
- Decis Profi;
- Fitoverm;
- Biotlin.
Pros and cons of the variety
Cascade cucumbers, like any other crops, have positive and negative qualities that are worth talking about in more detail.
The main advantages of this variety include:
- Early ripeness.
- Friendly maturation.
- Gherkin type of Zelentsy.
- No bitterness or yellowness.
- The versatility of using ripe fruits.
- Transportability.
- Resistance to downy mildew.
Reading reviews from gardeners, we can conclude that Cascade cucumbers have no shortcomings as such. Most fans of country farming consider the fact that cucumber is not a self-pollinating variety to be a minus. But even despite this, the popularity of the variety has not faded for a long time.
Growing rules
Several growing methods are suitable for Cascade cucumbers:
- Rassadny.
- Seedless.
When choosing a seedling method, you should be very careful when transplanting finished seedlings into open ground or a greenhouse. The root system of cucumbers is very delicate and can be injured during transplantation. This in turn can lead to the death of the young seedling.
Sowing time
If the gardener decides to grow seedlings, then planting Cascade cucumber seeds must begin at the end of March or beginning of April. To plant seeds in open ground or a greenhouse, you should wait until the weather becomes warm and there is no threat of spring frosts. The best time to plant seeds will be the second half of May.
Selecting a location and preparing beds
As already mentioned, to plant cucumbers in open ground, you need to choose an area that is not subject to drafts. But these are not all the conditions that must be met before planting cucumber seeds or seedlings.
The best solution would be to choose an open area where they grew last season:
- beans;
- peas;
- beans;
- potato;
- radish;
- beet;
- onion;
- garlic.
If cucumbers grow in a greenhouse, then they must be planted where tomatoes and sweet peppers grew last year.
If crop rotation was carried out correctly, the Cascade cucumber will please the gardener with a bountiful harvest.
The soil of open and greenhouse soil needs to be prepared in the fall. To do this you need:
- Dig up the soil to the depth of a spade bayonet.
- Remove weeds and fallen leaves.
- Plant green manure herbs – mustard, oilseed radish, phacelia.
With the arrival of spring, the soil will need to be dug up again along with the emerging green manure, which will enrich the soil with useful substances.
A good solution for open ground would be to prepare “warm beds” in which Cascade cucumbers will feel much better.
Rules for preparing high “warm beds”:
- It is necessary to dig a trench 25 cm deep.
- At the bottom of the trench you need to lay branches, pine needles or sawdust.
- Cover the “natural drainage” with soil.
- Dilute well with water.
- At this stage, you need to add fertile soil consisting of soil, humus and sand. All components are taken in equal proportions and mixed.
- Apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers - per 1 m2 you will need 8 tbsp. l. wood ash and 3 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
The soil or beds are ready, now you can start planting.
How to plant correctly
When planning to plant seeds or seedlings of Cascade cucumbers, it is necessary to take into account the growing method:
- When grown on a spread, planting is carried out only in open ground with a planting density of 4 plants per 1 m2.
- Cucumbers can be grown vertically on stakes or trellises in greenhouses and in open ground with a planting density of 3 plants per 1 m2.
Planting seeds into the soil should not exceed 2 cm in depth, and when planting seedlings, the most important thing is not to damage the root.
Cucumber seedlings should be planted by transferring them from a pot into a previously prepared hole up to 5 cm in diameter. Having carefully placed the seedling in it, the root must be sprinkled with soil and watered well.
Aftercare for cucumbers
In the future, caring for Cascade cucumbers will consist of timely watering, loosening and fertilizing.
The Cascade cucumber is quite demanding when it comes to watering; it is this feature that should force the gardener to provide the plants with the required amount of moisture - up to 5 liters of water for each root with an interval of 4 days. After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil while simultaneously removing weeds.
There are no special rules for forming a bush. But a larger yield can be achieved by growing the Cascade cucumber in one trunk, with the side shoots removed.
Until the start of flowering, Cascade cucumbers will need complex fertilizers - NPK 20:20:20. During the flowering period, it is necessary to feed with less nitrogen.
Conclusion
As can be seen from the description, the Cascade cucumber is quite unpretentious in care, but most importantly, it is able to provide gardeners with a friendly and early harvest of tasty and juicy fruits. By collecting cucumbers once every 3 days, you can subsequently prepare a large number of your favorite dishes that you can enjoy all winter.
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