Content
Cucumbers are the favorite vegetables of both adults and children. In addition to the fact that they delight with their unsurpassed taste in the summer, it is also very pleasant to open a jar of pickles in winter.
Most gardeners in regions with a stable climate prefer to grow cucumbers in open ground. Greenhouse pickling varieties are taken to obtain an early harvest or under frequent unfavorable external conditions. The choice of variety should always be taken responsibly. The variety of modern types of pickling cucumbers can confuse even the most experienced. To choose the right seeds wisely, you should familiarize yourself with some recommendations.
Cucumbers are distinguished by the time of fruit ripening - early, mid-ripening and late. Some are suitable only for film shelters, some grow well in different conditions. Cucumbers are used for salads, preparations, and pickling. Not all varieties are suitable for winter consumption. To avoid mistakes, you need to choose the right seeds. You will have to take into account not only the manufacturer’s recommendations, but also the characteristics (composition) of the soil, possibilities for care (what kind of watering will be, etc.).
If the desired harvest time is known, the type of soil has been selected (open in our case), all the nuances of agricultural technology and environmental conditions have been taken into account, then the review of pickling varieties can begin. First of all, it is necessary to take into account that all cucumbers are divided into four main categories:
- Salad. This category includes varieties with a short shelf life. These cucumbers are good fresh and lightly salted. But they are not suitable for winter canning - they quickly lose color and become very soft.
- Universal. They fully live up to their name. Suitable for all types of processing and good fresh.
- Canning. Used for original canned dishes or pickling. They have an unusual shape that attracts attention, and a thin peel. Most often these are gherkin cucumbers.
- Pickling. These varieties are characterized by dense pulp that easily allows salt to pass through. Pickled fruits very rarely grow to large sizes; the most optimal size for them is medium.
Experienced gardeners can distinguish pickling cucumbers from other types even by appearance.
Distinctive features of vegetables for pickling
The cucumbers most suitable for pickling have external differences from their other counterparts. Attention should be paid to:
- Fruit surface. Salad cucumber is almost always smooth, while pickled cucumber is lumpy, with a pimply surface.
- Coloring of the thorns. White spines are a sign that the fruit has a thick skin. The salt solution does not penetrate well through it, and the salting process is disrupted. The fruits most suitable for pickling are those with black thorns.
- Pulp density. To determine it, you will have to cut a couple of cucumbers. Pickled vegetables do not have internal voids, the pulp is homogeneous, dense, and there are few seeds.Large-lumpy varieties turn out to be the crispiest when pickled. This is due to the good development of transverse vascular bundles in the pulp of cucumbers.
- Fruit size. Specially bred varieties for pickling grow to a medium size that fits well into containers.
It is necessary to take into account that cucumbers chosen for pickling must be preserved in a timely manner. Thin skin has its drawbacks. Pickled cucumbers quickly wither, do not tolerate storage and turn yellow.
Which varieties to choose
Both varietal cucumbers and hybrids are suitable for pickling. Gardeners often prefer hybrids - gherkins, which grow well in open ground. They have delicate skin, unripe seeds and a high percentage of sugars. Fruiting is long, there are almost no barren flowers, and they are not susceptible to disease. These are the best indicators for pickling varieties.
Another important factor to pay attention to is the method of pollination of cucumber flowers. Self-pollinating varieties are suitable for open ground.
The quality of the seeds plays an important role for pickling cucumbers.
You can choose the best varieties according to the descriptions, but buy expired or “empty” seeds. In this case, all expectations for a filled cellar will remain unfulfilled. If non-hybrids are chosen for pickling, you can soak the seeds in slightly salted water. They should not float to the surface. It is not recommended to soak hybrid seeds. They are treated at manufacturing companies with special substances, so water will wash away all the layers.
The highest germination is observed in two- to three-year-old seeds of pickling cucumbers. They retain their qualities for several years, but these are the most productive.
Gardeners' breeders pay special attention to bunch varieties of cucumbers. They are suitable for pickling and canning, form many ovaries on the bush, and the fruits grow to the optimal size.
Versatile cucumber varieties should not be avoided. They also retain their taste and nutritional qualities not only in salads, but also when canned. Such cucumbers do not have bitterness in their fruits, are resistant to unfavorable climatic conditions, grow quickly and produce a stable harvest.
Popular pickling varieties
Each pickling cucumber has:
- the average size;
- dense pulp;
- thin peel;
- lumpy surface;
- dark thorns.
The best classic varieties grown in open ground and suitable for canning:
"Salting"
Bee-pollinated, mid-early, pickling cucumber. After the emergence of mass shoots, it takes 45 days before harvesting in open ground. Dark green cucumbers with black spines and large tubercles have a strong cucumber aroma. The pulp of the fruit is tender, juicy, absolutely without bitterness. When pickled, cucumber behaves very stable – it retains its taste, crunch and firmness. Plants are planted with a frequency of no more than 4 pcs. per 1 sq. m of soil. Sowing depth is 2 cm, time is the end of May. Demanding on soil fertility and aeration. Needs regular watering and fertilizing. For good development, the bush is pinched over 3-4 leaves.
"Nezhinsky"
Probably the most famous pickling variety of cucumbers. It is already familiar to several generations of gardeners who consider it the best in pickling. Belongs to the mid-late bunch-type varieties. Pickling cucumbers are large-tubercular, elongated-ovoid, growing up to 12 cm in length. The pulp has a wonderful taste with an exquisite crunch. It belongs to the medium-climbing species, but individual lashes can reach a length of up to 2 meters.Advantages that made Nezhinsky a leader:
- good level of disease resistance;
- persistent aroma and juicy pulp;
- productivity;
- possibility of canning.
Ideal for open ground. Sow the seeds in seedlings and directly into the soil. In the open air, they are deepened to 2.5 cm and the sowing pattern is maintained at 50x10. The best way is in rows, several seeds per hole. In open ground, when the weather has not yet stabilized, it is recommended to cover the seedlings at night. Thin out the plants in the phase of the first strong leaves. The strongest ones should be left in the garden. This type of pickling cucumber loves proper watering with warm water and nutrition. It is advisable to tie long lashes. The fruits are picked in the morning and regularly. Frequent harvesting stimulates the appearance of new ovaries on the bushes.
"Phoenix"
A universal late variety for pickling. One of the most popular pickling cucumbers with a late ripening period. The fruits have a thin skin, but are strong and large. The taste is excellent, the flesh is dense and crispy. The weight of one pickled cucumber can reach up to 190 g. The bushes are very powerful and climbing. The stem grows up to three meters. It can produce many branches, and the fruit ovaries are bunched. It is highly resistant to major types of diseases. Up to 5 kg of excellent pickling cucumbers are harvested from one square meter. It tolerates low temperatures well and continues to bear fruit until frost. Grown everywhere. Gardeners love to plant this variety in the second half of summer in order to collect fresh fruits until late autumn. To prevent the yield from decreasing during the cold period, it is necessary to reduce watering. The plant is formed by pinching the shoot after the 5th leaf and correctly removing the lateral ovaries.Pickling cucumbers are grown either by seedlings or by direct sowing into the soil. The seedlings are ready for transplanting in a month. This must be taken into account when choosing deadlines.
Among the popular varieties for canning and pickling, we should note Cascade, Magnificent, Competitor, Era, Nezhenka, Erofey. Muromsky (tolerates lack of lighting), Parisian gherkin.
Hybrids for pickling
"Movir F1"
The hybrid is early ripening, pickling, bee-pollinated. This means that it will grow very well outdoors. Cucumbers ripen in 40-55 days. The cucumbers are lumpy, but the spines are light. However, hybrids more accurately correspond to the described parameters. "Movir F1" belongs to the productive category. pickling The peel is dark green with light stripes, the fruits are small (10 cm) with crispy flesh. Gives a stable harvest, bears fruit abundantly and for a long time.
"Hector F1"
An amazing bee-pollinated pickling hybrid. Very early, with a guaranteed harvest, suitable for mechanized harvesting. The fruits are ready for consumption after 35 days. The bush is compact with a female type of flowering. After 4 nodes, the first ovaries appear, of which there are a lot on the plant. Fruits all summer. Advantages:
possibility of frequent planting due to compactness;
- does not require shaping;
- guaranteed harvest;
- excellent pickling taste;
- resistance to diseases.
The cucumbers are dark green in color, smooth, large-tubercular. The skin is thin with a characteristic waxy coating. The yield is 4-5 kg per square meter of area. The hybrid enjoys well-deserved popularity for its taste and technical parameters.
"Springhead F1"
Mid-season hybrid from the category for open ground. The average ripening period is 50 days.The bush is tall, mainly with a female type of flowering. Forms lateral shoots well. The ovaries are formed in bunches. Productivity reaches up to 7 kg per square meter of open ground. Very resistant to all types of cucumber diseases. The cucumbers are slightly tuberous, pickling, and small in size. The length is 12 cm, and the weight of one on average reaches 100 g. The pulp of pickling cucumbers is tender, does not taste bitter, and there are no voids. The hybrid does not require special growing conditions. The only condition remains proper watering. A lack of moisture leads to bitterness, which reduces its taste. Sowing is carried out with selected seeds to a depth of 2 cm in May-June. Plants are thinned out, leaving no more than 3 bushes per meter. A distance of 35 cm is maintained between them. At first, the seedlings are protected from low temperatures.
Conclusion
Such hybrids as "Delpina F1", "Courage F1", "Opal F1", "Sparta F1".
In any case, you should carefully read the descriptions of varieties and hybrids to choose the best ones for your site.
