Rare hybrids that have combined the external features of a cucumber and the taste of melon are Manduria cucumber and Nectarine variety. These are the fruits of the selective work of Pavel Saraev. The scientist worked on the creation of a variety of frost-resistant cucumbers, and in the end he received a miracle vegetable - a cucumber. At the stage of technical maturity, the hybrids taste like cucumbers, at the biological stage, they taste like melons. The Nectarine variety is sweeter.
Ogurdynya Manduria
This vegetable is versatile in use. At various stages of maturity, it can be consumed as a cucumber or melon. According to its external features, the hybrid retained the spherical shape of the melon, and the stems and leaves of the plant remained from cucumber crops.
Description of Manduria cucumber
This is a climbing plant, its height does not exceed 2 m. The leaves are large, cornerstone, like cucumber. The bush of Manduria cucumber is lush and massive, the shoots are strong, fleshy, capable of supporting the weight of large cucumbers and melons.
Fruits at the stage of technical maturity are light green, with vertical dark stripes, up to 12 cm long, weighing 100-200 g. At the stage of biological maturity, they become gray-green with small yellowish spots at the base. The skin is thin, covered with soft fluff. Oval or round shape, weight ranges from 800 g to 1.2 kg. During this period, Ogurdynya Manduria acquires all the characteristics of a melon: taste, shape, aroma.
Ogurdynya Manduria is distinguished from simple melons and gourds by a short growing season. The first fruits appear 70 days after planting, after 90-100 days you can feast on them. The ripening period is in June.
Planting gherdon Manduria
The culture is grown from seeds. They are planted for seedlings in early April. In this way, the first ripe cucumbers can be obtained already at the beginning of June. The seeds of the Manduria gourd are planted in special peat cups filled with a mixture of soil and humus.
As soon as the air temperature outside rises above + 20 ᵒС, the plants are transferred to open ground. The planting holes should be deep, so the seedling will develop a strong, branched root system, will be resistant to temperature changes, lack of precipitation.
You can sow Manduria cucumber at the end of May immediately in open ground. Before planting, the seeds are soaked in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour. Then the seed is embedded in the soil to a depth of 1.5 cm. A distance of 0.5 m is observed between the seeds, and 1 m between the rows. Ogurdynya Manduria is a sprawling, tall plant that needs space.
Growing and caring for the Manduria gourd
The culture grows well and bears fruit, like all melons, in open sunny areas. Ogurdynya Manduria needs regular and abundant watering. It should also be borne in mind that the culture is not grown in a trellis method, only horizontally. During the ripening period, the total weight of the crop on one bush reaches 20 kg, the plant may break.
As soon as the length of the plant reaches 25 cm, it is pinched to form side shoots. To do this, remove the central shoot after 5 leaves. Lateral processes should be pinched after the appearance of 8 leaves. On each shoot, no more than 4 ovaries should be left to make the melons larger.
Before the fruits ripen, Manduria cucumber is watered every other day, in moderation.Once the melons begin to grow, cut back the watering to make them sweeter.
After planting and until the ovaries appear, Manduria gourd is fed with manure with saltpeter 2 times a month. For 1 bucket of water, take 1 liter of cow dung and 1 tbsp. l. saltpeter. All components are dissolved to a liquid state.
Reviews about ogurdin Manduria
Ogurdynya Nectarine
This plant is rare, exotic for Russia. Ogurdynya Nectarine is another hybrid obtained by crossing cucumber and melon.
Description of cucumber Nectarine
The plant is branched, spreading, powerful. In terms of height, structure, leaf shape, this is a typical cucumber.
The first fruits are oval, thin, dark green in color, their size does not exceed 10 cm. The skin of the greenery is thin, soft, covered with thick fluff. The seeds are almost imperceptible to the taste. As it ripens, the skin of the fruit darkens and becomes smoother. Closer to August, nectarine greens are similar to full-fledged melons: they turn yellow, become round, large seeds ripen in them. Up to 12 fruits can be harvested from one bush, each weighing less than 2 kg.
Planting gherdon Nectarine
In the central and northern regions of Russia, the cultivation of gourd Nectarine is carried out through seedlings. Seeds are sown in small pots at the end of April. The container is filled with a mixture of garden soil with humus in equal parts. Seeds pre-soaked in a weak solution of manganese are placed in the soil to a depth of 1.5 cm. Filled pots, cups are placed in a warm, bright place for germination of seedlings, watered as the earth dries up. The temperature before emergence should not fall below + 25 ᵒС. As soon as the first sprouts of the Nectarine gourd hatch, the temperature is lowered to + 20 ᵒС.
After the appearance of 5 true leaves, the seedlings are transferred to the greenhouse. Planting is carried out in the same way as rooting in the open field.
In the southern regions, gourd Nectarine is planted directly into the soil. Before planting, they dig up the soil, add humus. Seeds are planted at a distance of 0.5 m and 1 m between rows.
Growing and caring for gherdon Nectarine
For planting, a well-lit area is chosen, in the shade and partial shade Ogurdynya Nectarine does not bear fruit. The culture grows well on compost heaps; before planting, the soil can be generously flavored with humus. The soil must be carefully dug up, moistened. After planting, each plant is watered abundantly, the soil is mulched with hay.This will help keep the soil moisture at the same level, while the Nectarine gourds will grow even without cracks.
For abundant fruiting, gherdon Nectarine is pinched after the appearance of the 5th true leaf. This procedure stimulates the growth of side shoots. They, in turn, are also pinched after the appearance of the 4th leaf. No more than 3 or 4 ovaries are left on the shoots.
For watering, it is good to use a spray can or drip irrigation. Ogurdynya Nectarine does not need abundant watering, but they should be regular (at least 3 times a week). After the appearance of the first ovaries, the frequency of watering is reduced so that the fruits are more sugar-rich.
It is better to grow a culture in a spread. Ripe Nectarine cucumbers are quite large; in a suspended state, they will break off the stems. If there is a desire to grow a cucumber on a trellis, the fruits are tied up with nets. This way they will not fall and break.
As a fertilizer, take cow or chicken manure. It is diluted with water 1:10 and watered at the root of the bush. Enough 2 waterings per month. As soon as the green plants begin to ripen, the feeding is stopped.
Reviews about ogurdin Nectarine
Conclusion
Ogurdynya Manduria, Nectarine are hybrids obtained by a Russian breeder. Crops are intended for cultivation in the central and northern regions, where it is almost impossible to get a yield of melons and gourds. The main advantage of the hybrid is the ability to bear fruit abundantly even in adverse conditions.