Content
It is difficult to imagine a more common and common garden crop for domestic conditions than the ordinary cucumber. The plant bearing this almost native name is perceived as an obligatory attribute and an integral part of any home garden. Yes, a table, everyday, and even more so a festive one, is simply impossible in Russia without fresh, pickled or pickled cucumbers in one form or another. Therefore, it is practically not customary to think about how much is known about such a seemingly simple and ordinary plant as a cucumber?
Cucumbers for open ground. Description and features
When growing cucumbers, like any other garden crop, it is necessary, first of all, to know the characteristics of the plant, the optimal conditions for planting, growth and ripening. Cucumber has a number of clearly defined properties, the main ones of which are the following.
Heat-loving cucumbers
Cucumbers are very heat-loving, so it is not surprising that the closed conditions of greenhouses or greenhouses are the best for them. At the same time, it is quite natural and understandable for gardeners to want to grow cucumbers specifically for planting in open ground, which requires significantly less time and financial costs. Therefore, a fairly large number of zoned varieties and hybrids of cucumbers have been developed, which are mainly intended for cultivation in open ground in certain regions of the country. In this case, it is necessary to fulfill a number of requirements.
A prerequisite for sowing cucumbers is sufficient heating of the top layer of soil (up to 12-15 degrees). Otherwise, cucumber seeds sown in cold soil simply will not sprout.
Do not forget that cucumber also does not tolerate very high temperatures very well. If the thermometer is above 30 degrees, the development and growth of cucumbers slows down. The optimal range is between 24 and 28 degrees.
Small deviations from these dates may be caused by differences in climatic conditions in rather large Russia.
Cucumber seeds are buried approximately 2 cm into the soil, planting density is no more than six to seven bushes per square meter. Planting seeds more densely is not only unnecessary, but also harmful to plants, since at such a frequency a lack of sunlight and lack of ventilation are practically guaranteed.
Nutritional requirements of cucumbers
Any varieties of cucumbers are extremely susceptible and very dependent on proper feeding. It should begin in advance, even before sowing the plant.The future planting site for cucumbers is fertilized, as a rule, with heavily rotted manure (a suitable predecessor for the cucumber), and directly under the plant with chicken droppings or mullein. With such preparation, optimal conditions for cucumber growth are created, the required amount and types of nutrients are accumulated, and the soil is disinfected from certain pathogens.
Superficial root system of cucumbers
For all vegetable crops with a shallow root system, the most favorable conditions are those provided by structured soil, namely unimpeded access to oxygen and significant moisture. Cucumber is no exception to this rule. Its root system makes up only 1.5% of the total mass and penetrates the soil to a depth of about 40 cm. But most of it is located almost at the very surface - 5-10 centimeters from it. Naturally, such a structure of the roots completely excludes the possibility of cultivating the land directly next to the plant. Otherwise, the root system will be damaged each time, which cannot have a positive effect on the plant and will significantly spoil the harvest. Moreover, the restoration of a plant after damage to its roots takes at least a week.
It has long been found out that the best predecessors for cucumber are green manure, lettuce, peas, as well as early cabbage and cauliflower. In addition to them, you can also use tomatoes and potatoes.
Therefore, air access to cucumbers should not be ensured by constant loosening of the soil and weeding weed, but by a well-chosen plant predecessor, timely application of organic fertilizers and properly performed mulching.
Cucumbers need a lot of moisture
This property of cucumbers is, without a doubt, known to almost everyone. Translated into scientific language, for a plant to have normal and successful growth and development, it is necessary to create a regime of constant moisture. Otherwise, the plant’s reaction occurs very quickly:
- cucumber leaves become fragile;
- the whole plant acquires a darker color;
- cucumber fruits either stop appearing or stop developing.
It should be taken into account that excessive hydration can cause certain harm. First of all, it reduces the amount of oxygen contained in the soil. This, in turn, causes the leaves of the plant to turn pale and also negatively affects the formation and growth of green plants.
Periodic fluctuations in humidity levels cause even greater stress. If they are also accompanied by temperature changes, bitterness, as a rule, appears and accumulates in the fruits of the plant, which has an extremely negative effect on the taste of cucumbers.
Another important nuance is that the water used for watering cucumbers must be warm enough, with a temperature of at least 18 degrees. This is due to the fact that if the plant is watered with cold water, the suction capacity of the cucumber root system is significantly reduced.
The recommended optimal level of soil moisture with growing cucumbers for open ground is 80%, the threshold for wilting of this plant is 30%.
Short photoperiod of cucumbers
A photoperiod is usually referred to as the length of daylight hours. Cucumber, being a heat- and sun-loving plant, nevertheless requires only about 10-12 hours of photoperiod. Therefore, quite often cucumbers take root well in open ground in the farthest parts of the garden with light shade available there. Which is undoubtedly very convenient, since it allows you to make the most efficient use of useful areas for planting these plants, which were freed up after the early vegetables were harvested.
Being a short-day plant, the best period for the growth and ripening of cucumbers is the beginning and end of summer.
Ways to increase cucumber yield
There are several methods of increasing the yield of cucumbers, specially bred and grown in open ground, that were invented quite a long time ago and tested in practice. Here are the main ones:
- Naturally, high-quality soil preparation and care, pinching the vines - that is, what is usually done and is called good traditional cultivation of cucumbers.
- temporary cessation of watering cucumbers. It is produced before flowering, when the plant is placed in extreme conditions, which leads to increased formation of fruits;
- creation of plantings with a mixed composition of plant varieties and hybrids. Increased cross-pollination of cucumbers occurs, which often leads to an increase in yield;
- ringing cucumber stems. A circular, very shallow cut is made under the very first pair of leaves, which leads to a reduction in the outflow of nutrient fluids to the root system and an increase in the quantity and quality of the plant’s ovaries;
- removal of the first ovary of cucumbers. Leads to strengthening of the root system for a subsequent increase in the number of plant fruits.
Popular varieties of cucumbers for open ground
At the moment, there are quite a large number of varieties and hybrids of cucumbers bred for cultivation in open ground, zoned for almost any region of Russia. Below are the most popular varieties of cucumbers for open ground with photos and brief descriptions.
Cucumber variety "Nugget"
A universal variety that can be used both in greenhouses and hotbeds under film cover, and for planting in open ground in beds. The yield of the variety is approximately 10-12 kg/sq.m. Despite the fact that most experts classify it as a salad variety, it is also quite suitable for pickling. It is highly resistant to various root rots, so it can be grown in those gardens and orchards where similar diseases have been recorded. The cucumber variety “Nugget” is characterized by almost complete absence or a small number of side shoots, so there is no need to form it. Ripe cucumbers, as a rule, are small in size: up to 12 cm long, and weighing up to 100 g. The fruits of the plant have a characteristic white pubescence and not very pronounced ribs. Seeds are sold in bags shown in the photo:
Hybrid cucumber “Swallow F1”
The hybrid “Swallow F1” is a pickling variety, although it also tolerates pickling well. The greens of the hybrid have a regular oval shape, up to 12 cm in length and a cucumber weight of up to 113 g. The fruits of the plant have black pubescence. The hybrid is quite resistant to downy and powdery mildew. The following photo shows growing cucumbers of this variety.
One of the most popular hybrids, zoned in most central regions of Russia.In more northern regions, its yield decreases.
Cucumber variety "Farmer"
A late-ripening variety of cucumbers, most often used for open ground - 50-60 days pass from the beginning of germination to the harvesting of the first fruits. Despite the fact that the variety appeared quite a long time ago, different sources classify it as many varieties - from salad to canned. The reason for this confusion is simple and clear: in fact, “Farmer” is a universal variety, perfectly suitable for all possible methods of consumption.
It is possible to grow this variety under film covers, but one of the main advantages is not used - the ability to withstand cold snaps.
It has a relatively high yield - 12-14 kg/sq.m. The average weight of a ripe cucumber is 95-105 g, its length is up to 12 cm. Hybrid cucumber “April F1”
A universal, widespread hybrid that belongs to early ripening plants. The first cucumbers can be harvested 45 days after germination. The variety has fairly large fruits of regular cylindrical shape, the length of which is 20-25 centimeters with a weight of 200-250 grams. Cucumber has excellent taste and is not bitter. The hybrid has high cold resistance and is also extremely undemanding in care. The combination of these qualities makes it possible to achieve high yields in open ground.
Hybrid cucumber "Baby"
An early ripe cucumber hybrid for planting in open ground. Fruiting occurs 40-45 days after the first shoots emerge. The variety is low-growing and belongs to the bush variety. The fruit has the shape of an ellipse, dark green classic color, with large tubercles, stripes and white pubescence. The appearance of the fruit is shown in the photo.
Hybrid cucumber “Masha F1”
An early ripening hybrid with a bunch type of flowering. It has a high yield, including a long period when the plant bears fruit.
The first cucumbers can be harvested after 35-39 days from the date of emergence. The fruits have a regular cylindrical shape and are similar in size to gherkins.
“Masha F1” has high taste qualities, is not genetically susceptible to bitterness, and is also resistant to most diseases common in domestic conditions.
Hybrid cucumber “Rodnichok F1”
One of the mid-season (48-55 days pass from the moment of the first shoots to the start of cucumber harvesting) hybrids, the main feature of which is resistance to diseases. In addition, it has excellent taste and is excellent for canning and pickling. Ripe cucumbers have a standard length of about 12 cm. With the weight of one fruit up to 100 g. The shape is regular cylindrical, the cucumber is covered with small tubercles with rather sparsely spaced thorns.
Conclusion
The variety of existing varieties of cucumbers for open ground and various technologies for growing them will allow every gardener to find the most suitable plant variety. And as a result, you will get a decent result in the form of a good harvest and rave reviews from those who tried it.
