Content
The Chinese snake cucumber has been cultivated in Russia for about 10 years. In 2015, it was included in the State Register with a recommendation for cultivation on protected ground. In greenhouse conditions it gives a stable high yield; the crop can be grown in open ground in the southern regions.
Description of Chinese snake cucumbers
The Chinese snake cucumber hybrid is intended for growing in greenhouses; only in a closed area can an optimal microclimate be created for good plant growth. An indeterminate type variety with unlimited growth in height; without correction, the main stem reaches up to 3.5 m. It produces few lateral layers; they are removed as they grow.
Chinese snake cucumbers are grown using the trellis method. The plant produces large fruits; the stem cannot support them without being fixed to a support. The bush requires shaping; the top of the stem is broken at the required height. If the crop is not tied up, the cucumbers become deformed and lose their presentation.
In the photo above there is a Chinese snake cucumber, external characteristics of the plant:
- The central stem is light green, of medium thickness, densely pubescent, and forms a small number of thin side shoots.
- The foliage of the bush is intense, the leaf blade is hard, with thick pile. The leaf shape is five-lobed with uneven wavy edges. The leaves are large, located on long, thin petioles.
- The root is superficial, branched, the central shaft is weakly expressed.
- Chinese snake cucumbers bloom with small yellow flowers; 2 female flowers and 1 male flower are formed on the stem.
The cucumber variety belongs to the mixed parthenocarpic type and can do without pollinators. Each female flower forms an ovary, the male flowers fall off.
Detailed description of the fruits
The hallmark of the variety is the shape of the fruit, which is unusual for a standard crop. Judging by the photo of cucumbers of the Chinese snake variety and reviews from vegetable growers, without timely harvesting the crop can reach a length of up to 1 m. Overripe cucumbers lose their taste, bitterness predominates in them, the flesh is hard and fibrous. The maximum size for harvesting is 40 cm.
Description of fruits:
- cylindrical, serpentine shape, diameter – no more than 6 cm, weight – 400 g;
- bright green color with white fragments at the base;
- the peel is thin, the surface is lumpy, each unevenness is equipped with short fibers;
- the pulp is juicy, without voids, cucumbers do not form seeds, they are located in the chamber, in the form of rudiments;
- The taste is balanced, there is no bitterness in young fruits, there is a pronounced aroma.
The shelf life of Chinese snake cucumbers is short; after collection, quick processing is recommended.The fruits are consumed fresh and go well in vegetable salads.
Is it possible to pickle Chinese snake cucumbers?
The peel of cucumbers is thin, but quite dense; greens lend themselves well to heat treatment. The pulp is juicy, high density, cucumbers are used for preservation and pickling, like any variety of crop. Considering that the shape of the fruit is exotic, it will not be possible to pickle them in their entire form in a glass jar. The cucumber is cut into pieces and salted. The bright green color does not lighten from the marinade; they use the Chinese snake variety of cucumbers mixed with tomatoes of various colors.
Main characteristics of the variety
The Chinese snake cucumber variety is an early ripening crop; the fruits ripen from ovary to harvest in 30 days. The hybrid is characterized by rapid growth; green plants require constant monitoring for timely collection. Chinese snake cucumbers are grown throughout Russia. In a heated greenhouse, the variety feels comfortable even in the risky farming zone.
Photosynthesis of cucumbers of this variety does not require increased ultraviolet radiation. There is no need to install additional lamps in the greenhouse. In open ground, the Chinese snake cucumber can grow in periodically shaded areas. The variety has an extended fruiting period; harvesting continues until the night temperature drops (up to +60 C), in the south in unprotected ground - approximately until the end of September. Therefore, the variety can be called frost-resistant.
Cucumbers are grown in greenhouses under conditions of moderate watering. High air humidity can cause the development of fungal infections. In an open area, a cucumber variety can remain without watering for a certain time, but the growing season slows down when there is a shortage of water. The drought resistance of Chinese snake cucumbers is low.
The Chinese Snake cucumber variety prefers soil with a neutral acidity level. The soil must be fertile and well drained. Cucumbers are planted on clay soils with the addition of organic matter; the optimal soil for growth is sandy loam. An important condition for the plant is compliance with crop rotation. Do not place cucumbers in the area where pumpkin crops grew before them. Plants of the same family consume the same microelements from the soil; you should not expect a high yield on depleted soil.
Productivity
The Chinese Snake variety is high-yielding. With sufficient watering and temperature conditions, one bush of the plant produces an average of 15 kg. The fruiting rate is affected by:
- lack of stem garter;
- depleted soil;
- irregular irrigation.
At a temperature of 250C and above, cucumbers grow quickly, fruits with a high gastronomic rating. 3 plants per 1 m, yield per 1 m2 on average - 45 kg.
The variety is early ripening after the formation of the ovary; the cucumber reaches biological ripeness in 30 days. The first harvest is carried out on the 10th of June, the duration of fruiting is up to 4.5 months or more.
Resistance to pests and diseases
In the process of experimental cultivation, the immune system of cucumbers was corrected, and the culture’s resistance to disease was developed. As a result, we got a variety that is not afraid of most pumpkin diseases. In conditions of high humidity, anthracnose infection is possible. Cucumbers are treated with colloidal sulfur or the preparation "Hom". In greenhouses, plants are not afraid of pests. In an open area, a whitefly butterfly parasitizes cucumbers. The pest is eliminated by treating the plant with the drug “Commander”.
Pros and cons of the variety
The advantages of the Chinese snake cucumber variety include:
- fast growing season;
- resistance to most infections;
- does not require special agricultural technology;
- recommended for greenhouse cultivation, can be cultivated in open ground;
- long fruiting period;
- high gastronomic assessment;
- exotic type of fruit;
- versatility in use.
Minuses:
- after overripening it loses its taste;
- requires installation of a trellis;
- short shelf life;
- impossibility of salting in its entirety.
Growing rules
The variety is recommended to be grown by seedlings. Chinese snake cucumber seeds do not always sprout, so it is not advisable to plant them directly into the soil. The laying of planting material is carried out taking this factor into account.
Sowing time
Work on planting seeds is carried out in the second half of April in small containers; 2 seeds are placed in one container. It is not advisable to pick seedlings; the plant does not tolerate transplantation well.
They are placed on the site 30 days after germination, in a greenhouse - at the end of May, in open ground - 7 days later. The night temperature is taken into account; it should be at least +100 C. If the spring is cold, it is better to keep the young shoots indoors until the temperature stabilizes.
Selecting a location and preparing beds
For a protected area, choose an area with fertile soil. The variety responds well to high soil moisture, so a close location of groundwater is a priority for the Chinese Snake cucumber variety. In open areas, protect the plant from exposure to drafts.
Before planting, the area is dug up, the acidic composition is neutralized with dolomite flour. Do not make a bed in the place where pumpkins grew in the previous season. Add organic matter, superphosphate or saltpeter.A few hours before placement, the crop is watered abundantly.
How to plant correctly
The scheme for planting the Chinese snake cucumber variety in a greenhouse and in an open area is the same:
- Make indentations 15 cm wide and 20 cm wide.
- At a distance of 35 cm, the young shoots together with the root ball are placed vertically.
- Cover the top leaves.
- The plant is watered.
If the seeds of a variety are planted directly into the ground, make a furrow 2 cm deep. Seeds or seedlings are placed in 3-4 pieces. at 1 m2. Up to 3 seeds can be placed in one hole, the germination rate will not be 100%, the weak plant is then removed.
Aftercare for cucumbers
Agricultural technology of the Chinese snake variety is traditional. Caring for cucumbers includes:
- watering in a greenhouse by drip method, in open ground - at the root, before sunrise or after sunset, activities are carried out every 2 days;
- mandatory fertilizing 7 days after placement on the bed, use ammonium nitrate, the next application of mineral fertilizers - at the time of formation of the ovaries, organic matter - after 15 days;
- loosening and weeding of cucumbers is carried out as they grow weed.
Cucumbers require the installation of a trellis. The plant is formed with one stem, fixed to a support, and side shoots are removed. At the height of the trellis, the top of the variety is broken. Remove the lower dry leaves and mulch with straw.
Conclusion
The Chinese snake cucumber is an early-ripening hybrid recommended for growing in greenhouse structures. The plant is characterized by a high level of productivity and stable fruiting. It produces fruits of unusual shape and size with high gastronomic characteristics. Cucumbers are consumed fresh, used for pickling and preservation.
