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Every summer resident or owner of a backyard tries to grow cucumbers, since it is difficult to imagine any summer salad without this refreshing vegetable. And as for winter preparations, here, too, in terms of popularity, it has no equal. Cucumbers are delicious both in salted and pickled form, and in a variety of vegetable platters. But for cucumbers, to some extent deservedly, the opinion was fixed as a rather capricious culture, demanding both for feeding, and for watering, and, of course, for the amount of heat. Even in the southern regions, they are often grown in greenhouses to get good yields. And in most other regions of Russia, a good return can be expected from a cucumber only when plants are planted in greenhouses or greenhouses.
Recently, with the advent of parthenocarpic hybrids, growing cucumbers in greenhouses has ceased to be a problem. After all, the fruits of such hybrids are formed without pollination at all, which means that the need for insects, of which there are not very many in greenhouses, disappears. Cucumber Mamluk is a typical representative of parthenocarpic hybrids, and even with a female type of flowering. All the characteristics in the description of the Mamluk hybrid cucumber variety indicate its prospects, therefore, despite the relative youth, this hybrid has every chance of gaining great popularity among gardeners and farmers.
Features of parthenocarpic hybrids
For some reason, many even experienced gardeners are sure that one can safely put an equal sign between parthenocarpic and self-pollinated cucumbers. But this is not at all the case, in fact, and in their characteristics of fruit setting. Self-pollinating cucumbers, and plants in general, have both a pistil and stamens on one flower, and it is able to pollinate itself to obtain an ovary. Moreover, bees and other insects that accidentally fly by will pollinate these cucumbers without any problems. And, of course, self-pollinating cucumbers form seeds.
But parthenocarpic species do not require pollination at all for fruit formation. And often when planted in open ground and pollinated by insects, they grow ugly, bent fruits. Therefore, these cucumbers are specially designed for growth and development in greenhouses. During normal development, they do not form full-fledged seeds or the plants are completely devoid of seeds.
Parthenocarpic hybrids are especially appreciated by agricultural producers who grow cucumbers on an industrial scale. Indeed, in addition to the fact that they do not need insects for the formation of fruits, they also differ in the following advantages over conventional bee-pollinated cucumber varieties:
- Good tolerance to most adverse weather conditions.
- Rapid growth of cucumbers.
- Easy tolerance to various kinds of diseases, and even immunity to some of them.
- When overripe, they never acquire a yellow tint.
- They have a pleasant taste and high commercial qualities.
- The ability for relatively long storage and the ability to transport them over long distances.
Description of the hybrid
Cucumber Mamluk f1 was obtained by specialists from the Research Institute of Vegetable Growing in Protected Ground, which works in conjunction with the breeding company Gavrish. In 2012, this hybrid was registered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russia and recommended for cultivation in greenhouses.The originator was the breeding company Gavrish, in the packaging of which you can find Mamluk cucumber seeds on sale.
Due to the excellent adaptation of this hybrid to low light conditions, Mamluk cucumber plants are well suited for growing not only in summer-autumn, but also in winter-spring in heated greenhouses.
The hybrid can be attributed to the early ripening, since the cucumbers begin to ripen already 35-37 days after the germinated seeds are planted. Moreover, this ripening period is more typical for winter-spring plantings. And in the summer-autumn period of cultivation, Mamluk cucumbers can ripen after 30-32 days after germination.
Therefore, the plants of this hybrid are tall, the main stem grows especially actively, while the degree of branching of the shoots is below average. Plants of this hybrid are usually referred to as indeterminate, they have unlimited growth and need compulsory formation.
The Mamluk cucumber is characterized by the female type of flowering, in one node it lays only 1-2 ovaries, therefore, it does not need to normalize the ovaries. Of course, cucumbers with a bouquet type of ovaries, when up to 10-15 fruits are formed in one node, have a great potential for yield. But on the other hand, such species are very demanding on the observance of agricultural technology and, at the slightest adverse weather disasters, they easily shed the ovaries, which is not observed in the Mamluk hybrid. In addition, it is characterized by a uniform filling of cucumbers, so the output of marketable products is higher.
In terms of yield, this hybrid is able to overtake even such famous cucumber hybrids like Herman or Courage... At least during tests, he was able to demonstrate a marketable yield, reaching 13.7 kg from each square meter of plantings.
In film and polycarbonate greenhouses, rather specific conditions are formed that dictate the selection of hybrids that are stable and unpretentious in cultivation.
Mamluk cucumber is characterized by resistance to olive spot, powdery mildew and various root rot. The hybrid is also quite tolerant to ascochitosis and peronospora. Among the diseases of cucumbers against which there is no genetic resistance is the green speckled mosaic virus. Nevertheless, according to the official observations of the originator, for at least two years, the defeat of the Mamluk cucumber hybrid by this virus was noted to a lesser extent than other hybrids.
Fruit characteristics
Tuberous short-fruited cucumbers are the most demanded on the market, especially in summer and autumn. Since they are equally good for consumption both fresh and for various preparations.
Cucumbers of the Mamluk hybrid are the most typical representatives of this variety.
- The fruits are dark green in color with small light stripes.
- Cucumbers have an even, cylindrical shape with a slight escape.
- The tubercles are medium in size or larger, evenly dispersed over the surface of the fruit. Spikes are white. There are practically no seeds.
- On average, the length of cucumbers reaches 14-16 cm, the weight of one fruit is 130-155 grams.
- Cucumbers have excellent taste, they have no genetic bitterness.
- The use of cucumbers is universal - you can crunch them to your heart's content, picking them straight from the garden, use them in salads, as well as in various preparations for the winter.
- Mamluk cucumber fruits are well stored and can be transported well over long distances.
Growing features
The technology of growing Mamluk f1 cucumbers in open or closed ground in summer and autumn differs little from ordinary varieties. Seeds are sown into the ground no earlier than the soil warms up to + 10 ° + 12 ° C.
The sowing depth is on average about 3-4 cm. The most optimal arrangement of cucumber plants is 50x50 cm with the obligatory garter to the trellis.
The agrotechnology of growing Mamluk cucumbers in winter and spring in heated greenhouses has the following features. The seeds of this cucumber hybrid can be sown for seedlings as early as December - January, so that in February it is already possible to plant 30-day seedlings in the greenhouse soil. For germination, seeds need a temperature of about + 27 ° C. After the sprouts appear, the temperature of the content can be reduced to + 23 ° + 24 ° C, and for the first 2-3 days its additional round-the-clock illumination is applied.
At the same time, it is desirable to maintain the relative humidity of the air at a level of 70-75%.
Mamluk cucumber plants are planted in a permanent place every 40-50 cm, tying them to a vertical trellis.
Despite the fact that a small number of ovaries are formed in the nodes of this hybrid, the method of forming plants into one trunk is also suitable for it. In this case, the four lower leaves with ovaries are completely removed, and at the next 15-16 nodes, one ovary and one leaf are left. In the upper part of the bush, where the cucumber grows above the trellis, 2-3 leaves and ovaries are left in each node.
When cucumbers begin to bear fruit, the temperature on a sunny day should not be less than + 24 ° + 26 ° С, and at night + 18 ° + 20 ° С.
Watering cucumbers should be regular and fairly abundant. At least 2-3 liters of warm water should be spent per square meter of planting.
Reviews of gardeners
The excellent characteristics of the Mamluk cucumber were appreciated, first of all, by professional agricultural producers and farmers. But for ordinary summer residents, the hybrid of Mamluk cucumbers seemed interesting, although not everyone succeeds in achieving maximum results in its cultivation.
Conclusion
The Mamluk cucumber is able to show the best results when grown in greenhouses, but in open beds, you can also get a good harvest from it.
