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If you decide to grow cucumbers in open beds, you should pay attention to whether the selected variety can feel comfortable in the weather conditions of the region. So, thermophilic varieties will not be able to provide a good harvest in northern latitudes. Therefore, experienced gardeners select those options that can comfortably grow and produce fruits in appropriate weather conditions.
The most famous varieties of cucumbers that thrive in the open field are: parthenocarpic, gherkin, Dutch and early.
Parthenocarpic varieties do not require insect intervention in the pollination process, since they have both pistil and stamens, and are characterized by a high level of productivity. Such cucumbers do not have bitterness, their plant successfully tolerates cold, rain and rarely becomes infected with diseases. Currently, this variety is considered a real find for gardeners, as there are fewer and fewer natural pollinators. Their resistance to temperature extremes is also considered a useful feature, since during flowering in open ground this factor often has a negative effect. TO self-pollinated cucumberswhich the most common are:
- Alliance;
- Ardor;
- Zozulya;
- Orpheus;
- Lapland F1.
Gherkins are known for their miniature size and crunchy properties. However, they love soil enriched with calcium; the gardener should take care of providing this factor in advance. Also, gherkins need care, so in order to get a good harvest, you will have to tinker with them. But the resulting cucumbers have excellent taste and are considered the best for pickling.
Dutch varieties are the most popular in Russia, as they tolerate the climatic conditions of most regions well and are resistant to diseases. Depending on the purpose of the cucumbers, choose the appropriate varieties. For salting, Barion is suitable, for raw use - Pioneer F1.
Early varieties are very popular, because you want to get delicious cucumbers early. The most famous variety early cucumbergrown in the open field is Muromsky, which has high yields. The first ripe fruits appear as early as 32-40 days after germination, while mid-season cucumbers begin to yield at 45-50 days.
Varieties of early cucumbers, how they differ
According to the ripening rate, cucumbers are divided into:
- ultra-early ripening - fruiting occurs 33-39 days after the emergence of shoots;
- early ripening - fruiting in 42-52 days;
- mid-ripening - fruiting in 47-55 days;
- late ripening - fruiting in 50-56 days.
Mid-season and late-ripening cucumbers are less popular with gardeners. Most prefer ultra-early maturing and early maturing varieties. Ultra early ripening includes: Kid, Altai early 166, Masha F1, German F1. Early ripening varieties: Advance F1, Zyatek F1, Orlik F1, Benefis F1... However, early varieties are more likely to be infected with diseases, and the timing of their fruiting is shorter than that of later varieties. Therefore, you should carefully approach the choice of cucumbers, and take those that are least susceptible to infection.In central Russia, there are such diseases of cucumbers as powdery mildew (real and false), bacteriosis, cucumber mosaic virus, olive spot.
When choosing vegetables, it is important to consider their further purpose. So, if you want to salt them, then you should make sure that the selected variety is suitable for this. There are three groups of cucumbers that differ in their purpose:
- salad;
- salting;
- universal.
Everyone chooses the option that suits their needs. It is advisable to plant 2 or 3 types in open ground at once, for example, 50% salad and 50% salting or 50% universal, 25% salting and 25% salad.
April F1
This variety belongs to early-maturing universal hybrids, the fruits of which grow in the open field in 46-51 days after germination. April F1 is characterized by the ability to regulate branching, therefore it is used for planting not only in open ground, but also in balcony boxes. A ripe cucumber has the shape of a cylinder and weighs 210-260 grams, its length is about 23 cm. The advantages of this variety are: unpretentiousness in care, resistance to cold, lack of bitterness. All this allows him to give a decent harvest.
Ant F1
Ultra-early ripening, self-polluting hybrid variety, fruiting begins 34-38 days after germination. The bush has a small number of side shoots. Fruits with large tubercles, have the shape of a cylinder, their average length is 11 cm. The plant is resistant to olive spot and powdery mildew.
Herman F1
An ultra-early ripening, self-pollinated hybrid with a beam type of flowering, fruits appear in 36-40 days. It produces a rich harvest under favorable growing conditions. Fruits are short, lumpy, without bitterness. This hybrid is resistant to temperature extremes and most cucumber diseases. It is well suited for use in salads and preserves.
Masha F1
Ultra-early ripening, self-fertile hybrid, fruiting begins 34-39 days after germination. This variety produces a decent harvest outdoors and has a long fruiting period. The hybrid is characterized by flowering of the bundle type. The fruit is a large-knobby gherkin in the shape of a cylinder, it is genetically devoid of bitterness, and has excellent taste characteristics. This cucumber is suitable for eating fresh or for salting... The variety easily tolerates bad weather and is resistant to powdery mildew and cucumber mosaic virus.
Competitor
An early ripening variety that is suitable for conservation. It is characterized by good yields, fruits appear after 44-52 days. They have the shape of a cylinder and are covered with small tubercles, the length of the cucumbers is small - up to 12 cm, weight -90-150 grams. The variety is resistant to infection with powdery mildew or bacterial spot.
Moscow dude F1
An early ripening hybrid, its fruits are harvested 41-47 days after germination. Pollination occurs with the help of insects in open beds. Plants are characterized by an average ability to grow shoots. The fruit is characterized by a green color with stripes and whitish small thorns, its length is usually 9-13 cm, weight - 110 g. This hybrid is resistant to bacteriosis and olive spot. From a garden bed in 1 sq. m can be harvested up to 14 kg of cucumbers under favorable growth conditions.
Most garden crops love sunny areas, but often the garden is not large enough that the beds, illuminated by the sun, are enough to plant all the desired vegetables. In this case, it is advisable to use varieties of cucumbers that can feel comfortable in partial shade. The best of them are: Secret of the F1 firm, F1 evenings near Moscow, Muromsky 36.
F1's secret
An early maturing, self-pollinated hybrid that can be used both raw and for salting. You can get a crop already 38-44 days after the emergence of sprouts. The plant is of medium branching, mainly of the female flowering type. The fruit weighing up to 123 grams has a cylindrical shape.
Moscow evenings F1
An early ripening hybrid variety, pollinated independently, has a female-type flowering. Fruits of a dark green hue appear on the 44-50th day, have tubercles and white fluff, their length is 10-14 cm. They are characterized by good salting and taste qualities. The plant is usually heavily hung with cucumbers. The variety is resistant to negative weather influences, the mosaic virus, cucumber and powdery mildew.
Muromsky 36
Early ripening variety, suitable for pickling. Fruits ripen 35-47 days after germination of seedlings, they grow in length 8-11 cm, have a light green tint and an oval shape. This variety easily accepts a drop in temperature for a short period. A feature of the variety is that after ripening, cucumbers quickly turn yellow, so they should be picked on time.
If you plan to grow cucumbers from your seeds, and not buy new ones every year, then it is best to choose non-hybrid varieties that have worked well for many years. If the harvest is successful, their seeds will be fine for planting next year. To choose the best variety that will take root better in your area, you should sow several varieties of cucumber. But just do not plant them side by side so that they do not cross.
Altai early 166
This variety appeared in 1958 and to this day is considered one of the earliest and highest-yielding varieties. Small tuberous fruits appear on the 36-39 day, have the shape of an egg and have a light green hue. The plant is resistant to fungal diseases and cold weather. The cucumber reaches a length of 8-10 cm, and their weight reaches 100 grams.
Zozulya
Early ripening variety, appeared in 1977. The first fruits ripen 49 days after sprouting. The variety is known for its high yield: from 1 sq. m of an open ground area with good care, you can collect up to 18 kg of cucumbers. The fruits are sparsely tuberous, have a white fluff, are 17-23 cm long, and weigh from 210 to 310 grams. The plant is characterized by resistance to yellowing and olive spotting.
Cascade
Early ripening variety, appeared in 1982. Its lumpy fruits are very juicy and crunchy, their length is 13-18 cm, and their weight is no more than 160 grams. This variety is very fond of moist soil, and with a lack of moisture, cucumbers take a curved shape.
Finger
A universal, early maturing variety, pollinated by bees. Fruits appear on 41-47 days. The plant has mainly flowers of the female type, medium branching. The fruits ripen dark in color, they are in the shape of a cylinder with sparse large tubercles. The length of a ripe cucumber is 11-14 cm with a mass of 100-125 grams. This variety is resistant to powdery mildew, its feature is a long fruiting period - up to two months.
Bush
An early ripe variety that has mostly female flowers. It has an ovate-elongated fruit of a dark green hue weighing about 80-95 grams, which reaches a length of about 12 cm. The plant is characterized by compact size and weak branching. From 1 sq. m of an open ground area, 9-11 kg of cucumbers are obtained.
Conclusion
This is not the whole list of varieties. early cucumbersthat can be planted outdoors. Breeders are constantly working on the production of new varieties that would be more resistant to diseases and adverse conditions than the previous ones. Seed selection should be done carefully based on many of the factors described above. But correctly selected cucumbers will delight you with a decent harvest and require a minimum of maintenance.
